Middle Sister Pinot Grigio

For me, the thing I crave most during the summertime is sangria. It is so light and refreshing with two of my favorite things, fruit and wine. Plus it's fun to play around with different wines and fruit because a wine by itself is different once you infuse fruit into it. This California Pinot Grigio from Middle Sister was crisp, slightly acidic, but finished with notes of citrus. It would be a great wine for some white fish, a salad, or just sip by itself. I, however, opted for sangria. I used frozen peaches and raspberries mixed with Sierra Mist Natural. The fruit and soda added enough sweetness to help balance out the wine. Middle Sister has a whole line of tempting wines that I need to try...and no I won't make sangria out of all of them! If you are looking for a light summer wine, this one is something you should try.

Ecco Domani

Wine is a product where there are almost unlimited options. There are always new finds and varietals being produced, so I can guarantee you will never get board. This was a random find while at the grocery store. I realized that the way I have picked wines recently has begun to change. I used to only look at labels, but now I was selecting a specific region and the choosing one based on the label. However, I have not had very good luck recently so maybe I just need to go back to my old ways. Anyways... this Italian Pinot Grigio from Ecco Domani was much better than my last choice. It was crisp and acidic, however what they called floral notes, I thought more of as mineral, earthy aromas. Either way, this was not a fruit laced wine, which was something new for me. I do have to say that it seemed to get better the longer you let it breathe and was better with food then by itself. If you are looking for a great light wine, this would be a good option...plus it won't break the bank. Cheers to the weekend!

Stella

I fell in love with Italy when I went to visit and since then I seem to be drawn to all things Italian. While wandering around the wine aisles of Spec's, I happened to stumble on this Pinot Grigio called Stella and had to try it. I do enjoy Pinot Grigio, it had a precious name, and there were stars on the label...how could I nor try it? Luckily for me, this was a screw top wine, so I didn't have to mess with my wine opener. This wine was citrusy, crisp, and slightly acidic. There was a slight herbal aroma to it, and it was a surprisingly long finish for a white wine. Priced under $15, this is a great sipping wine that would go great with chicken, turkey, or salad. If you are looking for a great wine to try tonight, be sure to give this one a try.

Truluck's

Houston Restaurant Weeks is sadly coming to a close. However, I had time for one last outing. This time it was to Truluck's. Know for their crab, this place had a definite romance to it and luckily for us, we got to sit at the owner's favorite table. We started off with some Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio and some delicious gingerbread. It wasn't a cookie, just bread that tasted exactly like that. The wine was crisp and light, which paired well with the dishes we had.

For the first course, we had a delicious lobster bisque. The best part was that it was served at the table. The bowl had a few pieces of fresh lobster meat and a touch of horseradish goat cheese in it. The bisque was brought out separately and poured at the table. The soup was absolutely amazing. There was a hint of spice to it and the green onions added a subtle onion flavor without overwhelming the delicate lobster. It was creamy and had some depth to it, but it wasn't so heavy that you felt full after eating it. 

Since Truluck's is known for not only their crab, but also for their steaks and seafood, we decided to try it all. Beef 'Rockerfeller' was a play on oysters Rockerfeller. It was two beef medallions, each topped with a fried oyster and situated on a bed of loaded potato cakes. There was a spinach fondue over the top and it was served with green beans almondine. The green beans had some crunch to them and were full of flavor. The potato cakes were some of the best potatoes I have ever had. They had some crunch on the outside and were warm and creamy on the inside. The beef was cooked well and wasn't dry. The fried oyster add a nice texture different to the dish. The crab alfredo had blue crab, king crab, and snow crab. It was topped with some fresh bruschetta and toasted bread. The alfredo sauce was light and complemented the crab well. The bruschetta added some freshness to the dish. It was a great twist on a traditional favorite.

Dessert was definitely not a disappointment. Luckily, I got to try two, a chocolate malt cake and carrot cake. The chocolate cake was moist and had a great chocolate flavor. It wasn't too heavy and there were berries mixed it. It was topped with a light chocolate mousse like icing, a chocolate drizzle and a few fresh berries. It was decadent and something that I got to take home and enjoy twice. The carrot cake had a wonderful cream cheese icing, some spiced pecans, and a butterscotch drizzle. The cake itself was a taste of fall with the spice flavor. The pecans were a nice crunch and the butterscotch was a nice touch. I don't think I have ever had butterscotch with carrot cake. Overall, this meal was beyond amazing. The impeccable service was just the icing on the cake. The next time you are looking for a special occasion restaurant, be sure to try this one out. Thank you Houston Restaurant Weeks and Truluck's for this wonderful event and for such a great last dinner!

Ouisie's Table

Ouisie's Table is a quaint little place on San Felipe, tucked away behind trees and twinkling lights. Known for it's upscale southern cuisine, this was a must stop place on my Houston Restaurant Weeks tour. We sat on the cozy little porch that felt like it was pulled out of a magazine from the East Coast. The meal starts with bite size muffins-gingerbread, jalapeno, and bacon and chive corn muffins. Then we tried a very lovely Pinot Grigio by Bottega Vinaia. It was crisp and light with aromas of pear and citrus. A great summer wine that was easy to sip on and went well with the meal.

The first course was mini crab cakes with a corn relish served with a jalapeno tartar and house cocktail sauce. The crab cakes were moist and well seasoned. The breading had a nice crunch to it, but still allowed the crab to shine without being too fishy. The corn relish added a bit of sweetness and the sauces was an extra burst of flavor.

 

Next was the entree course. There are very few times that I will eat or order red meat. However, I was feeling adventurous and decided I should break my mold and order something different. Besides when it is served with lobster risotto, who would turn that down?...definitely not me. This piece of beef tenderloin had a demi-glace sauce that kept the meat tender and added an extra layer of flavor. The green beans were well cooked so that they still had some snap to them. The lobster risotto was creamy and had large pieces of lobster in it. The texture contrast through the dish was delightful.

Last, but certainly not least, came my favorite part of the meal - dessert. It was a tough choice between the tres leches and the strawberry ice cream profiterole. A profiterole is like a cream puff, except that it is larger and this one was filled with strawberry ice cream. It was then given a healthy coat of chocolate, so that it was almost like eating a chocolate covered strawberry. Though it was a little awkward to eat, it was delicious. The tres leches didn't disappoint either. It was very light and not overly sweet. The texture of the cake was very fine and held up well by not turning into mush. The topping was heavenly and the fresh berries added a nice touch. It was definitely one of the best tres leches I have had! 

If you haven't made it to Ouisie's Table or any where for Houston Restaurant Weeks, you should! Plus they are extending the event until September 3! Check houstonrestaurantweeks.com for those places that will be extending their offering. Don't forget that when you participate, you are eating for a cause and get to have some delicious cuisine, so there is really no downside.

Surprise!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to receive a surprise box in the mail! My hint was that I was getting something that would help me do some tasks that I couldn't do myself. Hmmm.... what would that be? There are many things that I need help with like reaching shelves, anything car related, or opening wines. I had a recent experience with an electric wine opener I had purchased that turned out to be a disaster, so maybe it had something to do with that. As I wondered what it would be, I opened the box and found that indeed I had been gifted with an new wine opener.

This time it was the Houdini from Target. The last one I had was also electric, however, it was a little harder to operate and not as easy to use as it seemed. I am sure that there was some kind of user error involved, but it just didn't work out for me. This one is cordless, rechargeable, and can open up to 30 bottles of wine with one charge. It is so easy to use that even I can do it! All you do is gently press straight down while pushing the down arrow. The best part about this opener is that you can see the corkscrew going into the cork and lifting it out of the bottle. You can see it pull out of the neck and then all you do it lift it out. There is no guessing about if is has made it through the cork or if it is ready to be pulled out. The clear bottom takes all the guesswork out. Once it is out, all you do is push the up arrow and the corkscrew retracts and the cork will just fall off. It  probably takes about a minute and it is almost foolproof.

I used my new Houdini to open up this bottle of Pinot Grigio from The Naked Grape. This was just one I found while walking through the wine section at the grocery store. Though it had a very creative name and very light golden color, it was not as great as I thought it would be. It had a green apple and citrus taste, but it wasn't all the great. There was a very long and acidic finish to it that sort of fell flat. Though I wouldn't buy it again, I am glad that I gave it a try and was able to use my new electric, wine opener. Let me know what suggestions you have for me to try so that I can keep using my Houdini opener.