Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar

Local farm to table restaurants seem to be the hot new concept in the food world. When I think of fresh produce and locally made foods, I don't think of Houston. I think of the North where farmers markets are on every corner and the seasons are marked by the changing produce. Farm to table concept restaurants are the hot new thing, so we found one called Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar and decided to try it out. They were just on the last days of their summer menu which was slightly disappointing because I am a huge fan of fall flavors. I started off with lavender mojito, made with vanilla rum and lavender simple syrup. It was a lovely combination of floral and sweet aromas. The mint and the vanilla paired well and the lavender was a unique twist. It was very refreshing and something I never would have thought to put together.

As appetizers, we ordered calamari and a hummus trio. I was very surprised when the calamari arrived to see that it was not fried. The calamari was sauteed and served in what seemed to be a Thai inspired broth. Honestly, it was a bit bland and not even salt helped. The broth didn't seem to have strong enough flavors to help perk up the bland calamari. The hummus trio included roasted garlic, chipotle and bruschetta and was served with pita triangles, carrots and cucumbers. The roasted garlic wasn't too overwhelming, but was slightly sweet. The chipotle hummus had a definite smoky flavor brought out by the paprika on top. The bruschetta hummus had diced tomatoes and kalamata olives mixed in, creating a very Mediterranean feel. The pita was okay, but nothing to write home about. I love hummus and was inspired by these combinations to start making my own to see what I could come up with. The hummus trio was the winner in the appetizer round.

In the entree category, the first two options were a pork tenderloin with a mustard apricot sauce and the second choice was a halibut. The pork was grilled and served on a chutney like mix of apricots and dijon mustard. There was a brussel sprout and sweet potato hash served with it that was actually quite tasty. I have never seen brussel sprouts used in a hash and the flavors went well together. The apricot and dijon mustard created a sweet and salty combination that brought depth to the pork. Plus pork and dijon mustard are one of my favorite combinations. The halibut was served with broccolini and an optional sauce, but it was unclear as to what the server said it was. Unfortunately, the halibut was a bit overcooked, so it turned out to be nothing special.

Luckily for me, the soup of the day was their season butternut squash soup! So of course that was something I had to try. The soup was creamy and surprisingly sweet with lots of toasted pumpkins seeds. The pumpkins seeds added the tiniest bit of salt and a nice textural contrast to the soup. The sweetness of the soup came from the addition of honey to the soup. I would have never thought to put honey in a soup, but it was very good. This butternut squash soup is a quintessential fall dish and would be perfect for a chilly winter night. I also decided to try the steak, swiss and mushroom flatbread. There is an area called Kennett Square that is known for their mushrooms so these were the lucky mushrooms topping the flatbread. The steak was tender and the swiss cheese was the perfect "glue" to hold it all together. The crust was nice and crunchy and seemed to be a bit seasoned. It was definitely one of the better flatbreads I have have since it wasn't basically just bread.

Though the entree part of the meal wasn't super memorable, we decided to give dessert a chance. The way they served dessert was unique because they came in a tray and you just took whichever one you wanted right then. The two we chose were a chocolate mocha mousse and a peanut butter chocolate mousse. The mocha chocolate mousse was topping with almost a cookie like crumble and a tiny dollop of whipped cream. The mousse was light, but had a very rich chocolate flavor to it. The peanut butter and chocolate mousse was like eating a peanut butter cup. The mini chocolate chips on top were a great textural element and completed the look of the dessert. Out of the two, the peanut butter and chocolate mousse was the dessert winner. Unfortunately, this wasn't an awesome dinner overall but there were definitely some bright spots in the meal. If you are willing to not be wowed by every dish, you might want to give it a try because there were some pretty yummy things and the fall menu looked good.

Too Cute Cru

Sometimes you just need to get out of the city to clear your head and get a fresh perspective on things. A trip to the Deep South is just the thing the doctor recommended, so I packed my bags and headed to Charleston, South Carolina. Though Texas in the South, it's not quite the same. I wasn't quite sure of what to expect from Charleston, but I heard it was a beautiful place so I figured I probably couldn't go wrong with that. I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting, but Charleston didn't disappoint! So join me as we take a walk through the lovely city of Charleston.

I'm sure it's not hard to imagine that this journey will be filled with food and drinks because those are two of my favorite things, so the trip started to a quaint little place called Cru. Recommended to us by the hotel, this little spot is tucked away in a old house with a tiny porch that was full of charm. It was quite packed even for being after the usual lunch hour, but fortunately we had called ahead for reservations. (Reservations at pretty much anywhere in Charleston is a must!) After we had ordered, a basket of rosemary sourdough bread showed up on the table as well as a Fat Tire ale to help us plan the rest of the day. Whether they like it or not, my travel companions were pretty much required to share (Why not? You get to try so much more on the menu that way!) First up was a portobello mushroom mozzarella wrap with shoe string french fries. The french fries were slightly salted and crunchy with the nice soft inside. The wrap had tons of fresh, local veggies and melted mozzarella.

Though it was a little toasty outside, I couldn't help myself when I heard what the soup of the day was - truffle mushroom bisque. It wasn't a very heavy soup, it fact it was very delicate, but packed with tons of flavor. Though sometimes truffle can be very overwhelming, it complimented the mushrooms extraordinarily well. I ordered this with a grilled shrimp BLT. The bread was extra toasty and there was a very light layer of mayo, which I appreciated since most of the times there is way too much. This is the South and they do know how to properly cook bacon where is it super crunchy but somehow still, slightly chewy. The shredded lettuce was a nice touch so that there wasn't one bite with just bread and lettuce. The shrimp were grilled and juicy, not like some I have had. There really is a difference in that taste of fresh seafood. This little place should definitely be on your food list (which might get pretty long) to visit the next time you are in Charleston. This was a great place for a lite lunch to refuel ourselves for the next stop. Next up...Boone Hall!

Wolfgang Puck Bistro

While driving around Tulsa, I was very surprised to see a Wolfgang Puck Bistro. One doesn't usually associate Tulsa as a culinary destination, however, they do have quite the restaurant array. The inside it super modern and chic, done in dark wood, black, and chrome lighting. It gives off the vibe that it is the place to be and the place to be seen. The restaurant focuses on organic and local ingredients and had a fresh farmer's market tart that sounded delicious. Their soup of the day was a french onion soup, and boy was it delicious! The cheese was perfectly golden brown and the broth was rich, but not too salty with a few bread cubes in the bottom. The caramelized onions were the shining star in the soup and there were enough to make the soup very filling. I also ordered half a sandwich, so next came my pesto chicken salad sandwich.

It was served on homemade ciabatta bread that was so light and airy. Though from the picture it looks like there was a lot of bread, there really wasn't because it was so airy. The sandwich was served with housemade potato chips, which I have to admit are so much better than store bought ones. They had just a touch of salt, so they were the perfect compliment to the sandwich. The chicken salad was chunks of real chicken breast and lettuce that was lightly dressed with a pesto. The sauce was barely there, allowing the ingredients to come together on their own. This was a very filling lunch and even though it didn't sound like a lot of food, I promise you it's enough. I did not leave hungry.


The best part about going out to eat with someone else is that you can share and try more of the menu. Luckily for me, my lunch buddy was willing to share with me. He got a roasted turkey club sandwich with sweet potato fries. His was also served on a ciabatta roll and it had turkey, melted cheese, caramelized onions, and arugula with a horseradish cream sauce on the side. This was perfectly toasted and everything blended together that it was almost like eating a barbeque turkey sandwich. The sweet potato fries had a tender inside and an outside with the right amount of crunch. They had a bit of sea salt on them, keeping the integrity of the ingredients. I have never eaten at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant, but I will definitely try another one or maybe just go back to this one! Stop by if you are in the Tulsa area.