Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Diva Dining VI

El Gran Malo


On the Diva's sixth quest for Houston's top dining locations they elected for a more low key environment nestled in the Heights (2307 Ella Blvd. Houston, TX 77008.)  The restaurant El Gran Malo seems to be the current buzz of the town, especially for Sunday Funday.  Curiously, El Gran Malo translates to The Big Bad in English.
They arrived at 8:30 pm on a Friday night and it was packed with an eclectic crowd aged 20-40 , where the Diva's felt right at home. El Gran Malo boasts a large spacious patio while the inside is a festive space with open seating and a colorfully painted, Mexican themed interior.


El Gran Malo has first come first serve seating and only takes reservations for parties of 10 or more. All the seats were taken upon arrival so the Diva's circled the restaurant several times, without luck finding an open table. Finally, Diva Special K asked a large lively group with a bottle of Patron (good thinking Special K) if they could join their table since they had a few extra chairs. The tipsy group first offered Patron shots and then said yes!


El Gran Malo has a lengthy bar menu with choices of infused tequilas and specialty margaritas with fresh fruit added. The Divas tried the House, Strawberry, and Blueberry Cilantro Jalapeno Margaritas and all were delicious.
The staff provided great service. For instance, the bartender, Jason, provided a free Strawberry Margarita and the server, Brittnay, was attentive, knowledgeable of the menu, and very fun to chat with.


The food was great, flavorful, moderately spicy, and they didn't have to wait a long time to receive their entrees. Plus everything was super cheap!


As the Divas were walking to their car, they noticed that several cars parked on the opposite side of the restaurant were all issued parking tickets.  Oh, and one car parked in a ditch. Note, beware of where you park your car.


If you are looking for somewhere that is fun, lively, not pretentious, has good background music and has sexy eye candy , then El Gran Malo is the place to be! The Divas will definitely be back, especially for Sunday Funday to soak up the sun!










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Thursday, February 23, 2012

Diva Dining V

Pondicheri

The Diva's opted for a more ethnic food genre at Pondicheri (2800 Kirby Dr.) on their fifth Diva Dining experience.  This Indian eatery is located in the West Ave center at the corner of Kirby Dr. and Westheimer.  The space is open with high ceilings, and clear glass garage doors, giving it the appearance and feel of being a larger space than it is.  The interior boasts traditional, vibrant shades of pink, red, orange, and yellow giving it warm, modern vibe of India.

It was packed when the Diva's arrived at 8 o'clock on Friday. Pondicheri only allows for reservations of parties with 8 or more and there were only 6 Divas in attendance this evening.  The wait was 45 minutes so we grabbed cocktails at the bar. (note: beer and wine only--no liquor)






Pondicheri is an non-traditional Indian restaurant, thanks to a TX twist and the use of local and organic foods.  Pondicheri chefs employ a method called Ayurveda with their food, an ancient Indian practice that uses the natural power of spices and food for health benefits.  The restaurant pride's itself in using local, organic ingredients, offering a purist eating experience to it's diners.  The Diva's were pleased with this knowledge, since it just might have saved us a few hundred calories on our daily caloric budget.

After we were seated Diva Shelbs noticed there was a water leak from the ceiling giving her an unwanted water refill.


For drinks the Divas sampled the wine and beer cocktails and sampled the Whist, Razzle, and Mangosa.  The Whist was a "Pinot Grigio infused with ginger and honey and served with fresh mint." The Razzle is concocted with "sparkling wine with raspberry and rosemary."  Lastly the Mangosa was made with "sparkling wine with mango and blueberries."  All were tasty but out of the three the Divas decided the Razzle was the least favorite.




For appetizers, the Divas decided on the Indian Sampler and the Pav Bhaji.  The Indian Sampler is great way to test out a variety of foods.  It includes a crunchy shell shaped like a small bite size tea cup (pictured below on left) that is filled with yummy Indian ingredients.   It is delicious and has a variety of textures and flavors.


For the main entrees the Divas ordered theTandoori Chicken Burger, Rancher Tali, and Chicken Frankie.  All were great.  The burgers were served with delicious fries that had an extra limey taste and a tasty specialty sauce made by Pondicheri to substitute for ketchup. The Chicken Frankie was delicious as well. At first glance it resembles a burrito giving credence to Pondicheri's southern twist. (pictured above in middle)

As the meal progessed, the wait staff neglected to clear dirty dishes from the starters empty cocktail glasses from the already-cramped table, causing the Diva's space to become pretty staff.  The staff also forgot to bring 2 of the divas their 2nd round of cocktails towards the end of the meal.



Overall, Pondicheri had delicious food but it is better suited for a smaller group of 4 or less for lunch or an early dinner. The staff certainly could have been more attentive as well.  Two final notes of interest: Pondicheri hosts special Vegan Monday's and have a small counter by the entrance for fresh- baked goods, coffee, or tea for those looking for something to pick up and go.

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Diva Dining IV


In their continued quest to find culinary utopia in the city of H-town, the Dining Divas hit Washington Avenue last Friday nite; this time, flexing their taste buds at Coppa Ristorante Italiano (5555 Washington Ave.).

Diva Super K reserved a table for seven and reported no problems with saving the space (although she was told that adding another person to the group would push the time back two hours)… Upon arrival, it became clear to the Divas why squeezing even one extra person might present a problem…. The place was packed!

In addition to every dining room table being occupied, the patio was also full (despite it being one of the coldest nites of the year.) Throughout the course of their dinner, the Divas observed a steady stream of stragglers waiting for tables. Obviously, the place was popular.

But the real question was… Was it popular just because it’s popular (the general theme for Washington hot-spots), or was it popular because it’s really good?  

The space Coppa occupies is generic: a large, open dining room, with high ceilings and as many white-cloth-clad tables as could possibly be fit into its parameters. There is an impressive-looking wall of wine bottles to the west and an open kitchen to the south, where chefs busily work to feed the yuppie masses. The patio is a small, shotgun-style space that manages to stay surprisingly warm in the dead of winter

The biggest problem, off the bat, was the tightness of the table arrangement. The set-up forces diners to be so… ahem… intimate… that the Divas could hardly move an elbow without jamming it into either another chair or (less fortunately) a waiter’s nether regions.

Besides the sardine-like spacing, Coppa is comfy enough. It’s loud but not so loud that a Diva has to shout to be heard. The cocktail menu boast an impressive assortment of fruity craft beverages, and the Divas got right to sampling.  The fig-flavored cocktail is agreeably the best, though a Campari-and-grapefruit spritzer is also tasty. One thing Coppa won’t skimp you on is a decent buzz: these cocktails pack an alcoholic punch.

The wine selection is also decent enough, though the waiter’s knowledge of it was questionable… In fact, the service was mediocre overall. Though he was timely, the Divas’ gentleman servant of the evening seemed more confused than anything else.

As far as the actual food is concerned, Coppa bears no bragging rights. The kitchen serves up Italian fare that is equally as generic as its dining space. Sure, most selections are tasty… But so are most selections at the Olive Garden. And in a city with as much culinary competition as Houston, it takes more than tasty to impress a Diva.

Diva JQ  ordered the lamb sausage with artichoke pasta, while Diva Gabs opted for the half-chicken and polenta. Both ladies enjoyed their plates, and the polenta definitely made the biggest impression of the nite, making its way around the table twice for tasting.   Diva Super K (who's known for her opposition to roughage) decided to give a salad a chance and picked Coppa's arugula variety. While she gave it an overall favorable rating, Diva K thought the dish might have been better if topped with a meat or seafood selection. Divas Len and Lay Lay opted for the crispy artichoke small plate (Coppa’s code word for appetizer), followed by the mushroom risotto. They were both impressed by the first course (aioli was delish!) and disappointed by the second, making for an overall summation of not-half-bad! but certainly not outstanding.
 
As far as pricing goes, any Diva on a budget should be wary of Coppa. While dinner menu prices (ranging from $4 to $34) seem reasonable enough at first glance, portion sizes are meager and quality is mediocre. Tack on a few (well-worth-it) cocktails and a bottle of wine, and a Diva can end up spending enough to cover a mani-pedi without gaining quite the same satisfaction… Priorities, ladies!

Still, the overall consensus on Coppa was that it certainly warrants a visit… Though, perhaps not a second. This Diva’s advice? Skip the full dinner and visit for a light happy hour meal earlier in the evening. That way, you miss the crowd and still have a chance to sample some of the more reasonably priced small plates and admittedly tasty cocktails. Bon appétit!

Staff: B-
Ambience: B
Food: B
Price: $$

Monday, January 9, 2012

Diva Dining III


Liberty Kitchen is located in the Heights on the corner of Studewood St. and 11th St.   It is a smaller space with interior walls  covered in distressed wood and accent colors of blue and orange.   There is also a cute space outside to sit.  Liberty Kitchen has a very welcoming feel with upbeat music in the background like Rilo Kiley's "Silver Lining." It is has an intimate and cozy, but also an energetic ambiance. This restaurant is for all kinds from casual to dressy and for dates, friends, or families.  The service was great, even Chico, the manager, stopped by to introduce himself to the 5 divas and make sure we were doing all right.  Also, our friendly waiter comped us for a spilled cocktail later on.

Liberty Kitchen has the feel and menu of a refined gastro pub.  The menu was extensive with plenty to choose from.  If you are a breakfast lover you should know they have breakfast all day long.  Diva Gabs ordered the white queso for an appetizer.  It was very good and reminded us of Escalante's white queso appetizer.  Liberty Kitchen was very generous in their portion sizes.  Divas Stine and Special K had the chicken tortilla soup and thought is was yummy and healthy, but the flavor was a bit bland.  The sweet potato served with the soup was excellent.  Another had the burger who said it was delicious but was a tad overcooked.  I had the very tasty Rodeo Reuben which had an interesting distinction from the regular reuben.  The corned beef was substituted for a barbecue brisket and topped with pickles and cheddar cheese.  Any  Texas diva would love this agreeable southern twist.   Diva Gabs (and baby Diva CC) had the smoked salmon salad.  Although it was good, she wished it would have had less toppings on it.  It somewhat resembled a cobb salad and spinach salad mixed together.   Overall the food was good and all the meals had a unique quality.


The drink menu was great.  They also offer locally brewed beer from Karbach Brewing.  Two divas had the Liberty and said it was a bit weak.  I had the Shepard Heights which was a vodka, tequila mix with olive and lime juice.  It was very delicious. 

Overall on a scale from A (the best) to F (the worst)  Ambiance: A Food: B Staff: A Price: $$







Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Diva Dining II

 Bird and Bear Bistro

This was a packed Diva Dining experience with 7 Divas in attendance.  Since I knew prior that we would have a large group I opted to use the online reservation service and booked it under Diva Dining.  A reminder email was sent the day of the dinner to confirm the reservation and it's introduction was "Dear Diva,".  I loved it.

Bird and Bear Bistro is located close to the corner of Westheimer and Kirby Dr.  It is nestled in a strip center and at first glance does not reveal the true playful elegance of the interior.   After arrival the divas were welcomed by a friendly staff and not to mention a cute waiter.  If you are a diva aged 20-30 years and are looking for an evening in an environment with a similar age bracket this place probably isn't for you.  Our fellow diners were a bit more wise than our group of 20 somethings.  The interior ambiance was definitely pleasing to the eye with modern glam decor and whimsical touches like floating chairs from the ceiling.

All of the divas except for two had a salad with the house dressing.  Unfortunately for Diva Belladenzi, she asked me, the only diva who very very rarely orders salad if I was going to order one.  She was sorely disappointed when the other 5 divas were served their salads.  The divas said the salad was very tasty except that the house dressing did have a very strong lemon taste.  So, for all you lemon haters don't opt for the house dressing.  Quite a few divas had fish and all agreed that it was delicious but might have been a bit over cooked.  Two divas had the rice pilaf which I sampled as well.  We concurred that it was too bland for our spicy taste buds.  I had the seafood lasagna and thought it was great, I had no complaints, and I recommend it.

They had a full bar and great cocktail menu.  We all sampled the different martinis and were pleased.  The Salty Dog Martini stayed true to it's name.  Diva Li Li had the bloody mary and said it was mediocre.  When it came time to pay the bill I think we all gasped when we saw the price.  A dinner at Bird Bear and Bistro is definitely not for the frugal diva.  The West Ave River Oaks center is just around the corner for divas that may want to go out after dinner to say Saint Genevieve or within walking distance there is the Red Room.

Overall scored on scale of 1-10 Ambiance=8 Staff=8 Food=8 Price=$$$$

As Diva Belladenzi said
VIVA LA DIVA!!!




Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Diva Dining I

Felix 55


Felix 55 is located in Rice Village right next to Baker Street Pub.  We all agreed that the interior was fun with great diva chair fabrics and chandelier lights.  Unfortunately, we came on a night when there was a party of 25 so we got shafted and placed in seats in the very back corner.  We requested a more "scenic" location however they were unable to accommodate our request. My two fellow divas were sitting in the booth seat while I sat in the regular black snake skin covered chair.  My seat was quite comfortable, but unfortunately for Divas Phalangie and Special K the booth seating sank down quite a bit so they had to request booster seats. 


We had a diva waiter too; we will call him "Eskimo".  Eskimo expressed great interest in Diva Special K because she apparently resembles Miss Missouri from the Miss USA pageant back in 2010.  Eskimo did exemplify great knowledge about pageant gown making and Miss USA pageants, but unfortunately for Diva Dining he did not know answers to simple questions about the wine menu and inaccurately informed us about what food was available for the evening.  


Also, the atmosphere at least on the Saturday night we went was not as upbeat as we hoped.  They did not have any background music on and it was very quiet, again this could have just been the night we were there. The food was about 6 out of 10.  The menu was a bit limited but  not bare, which was a nice change.  At most restaurants you have a hundred items to choose from.  We had gnocchi for our appetizer, which was good but not great we did not eat it all.    Divas Special K and Phalangie both ordered the steak with mustard mashed potatoes for their main course. They both really enjoyed the steak; I however thought it tasted a bit, well, strong I think is the word.  We all thought the mustard mashed potatoes were very tasty.  I ordered the duck with fig sauce.  The duck was fairly good as well and the fig sauce was very delicious.  Also, the prices were pretty reasonable.  We had a nice bottle of pinot noir from Oregon, an appetizer, and 3 entrees split between 3 divas for $30.   


The Divas would agree that Felix 55 was fun to try but I think our overall score on a scale from 1-10 would be a 5.5.
After dinner the Divas weren’t ready to go home so we decided to end the night at Saint Genevieve, located at Kirby and Westheimer. Saint Genevieve is a posh place with a great crowd around the ages 25-40.  The décor was modern and elegant but not over the top.  The cocktails were delicious, especially the Audrey.  It was busy but not so crowded that we were uncomfortably shoulder to shoulder.  The service was great, for example we were standing at one of the tables when a well dressed man brought two extra chairs for us all to sit.  While researching the web for pictures I discovered that man was Darren Van Delden (pictured below), the owner of Saint Genevieve. Our waitress and bartenders prepared our drinks in a timely fashion and our waitress was polite when we jokingly asked if they offered free refills.   The music was not too loud so the Divas were able to converse without screaming to hear one another.  Also, the lighting was nice and not overly dark so you could check out all the eye candy without trouble.  Overall the divas gave this spot an A+ and will definitely be back.  Saint Genevieve has a Sunday brunch, so the divas will have to check that out!