Houston Dining Run Down 07.22.21-07.25.21

Before I start this thread, I want to thank LL for partially inspiring this trip. Her thread, and the lucky fact that almost all restaurants were within 10 minutes from our AirBnB, helped narrow down places to eat in a city with tremendous variety.

We arrived in Houston Thursday afternoon and had reservations at Uchi. Here we did the the omakase, which was about 10-11 courses. We were treated to a great variety of sushi (all fish we have never tried before, including bluefin tuna), wonderful dishes like yellowtail, salmon, and flounder in interesting sauces, and the cooked dishes...short rib nigiri, wagyu tenderloin, and rack of lamb. My goodness this was an incredible meal and the service was impeccable. What a tremendous start.

We woke up the next morning and had breakfast at Blacksmith. Besides coffee, I had a delicious smoked salmon scramble and my wife had the breakfast tacos. Great start to the day, which included us going to the Zoo and burning those calories.

Lunch was at Ostia, where we had the yellowtail ceviche, a gnocchi dish, and their famous chicken with salsa verde. Perfectly portioned and shared family style, this was a very good meal and one we enjoyed after a hot morning at the zoo.

Dinner that night was at Hugo's, which to me might have been the star of the trip. I am adventurous so I ordered the chapulines (pan sautéed grasshoppers, guacamole, tortillas, chipotle-tomatillo salsa) as a starter. They were crispy, salty, and had a slight vinegar tang. Delicious with the salsa and guac. We also had the plantain empanadas, which were stellar. Wife ordered the scallops, which were beautiful, and I ordered the arroz a la tumbada (think a Mexican paella). Again, all great dishes. Ended with the best tres leches cake I've ever had.

The next day we got up early to go to the Natural Science Museum. We had breakfast at Common Bond, a trendy coffee shop and bakery that had some amazing pastries. We shared a pear earl grey scone and I had the pork hash and she had tamales benedict. All delicious. We did about 4 hours of museum and built up and appetite for lunch where we went to The Pit Room. I'm just going to be honest and say this ruined BBQ for me in Louisiana. It was just another level. We shard brisket, pork ribs, and sausage. The sides were a star all on their own. Elote, fire roasted okra, and potato salad all great. The brisket was unlike any I've had and the bar of pickled items was good to cut through the richness of the meat.

After this meal we were stuffed and had a few hours to kill before the Astros game. We visited the Holocaust Museum, as my wife's family was impacted greatly by this atrocity, and then headed back to the AirBnB and eventually the game where we had a great time.

I had made 10:00 PM reservations at Bludorn, and by the time rolled around we were hungry again. It was our final meal, so we went big and dined on oysters, squash blossoms, gnocchi, and shared the amazing lobster pot pie. Amazing food and service, and we loved the causal feel of the restaurant with its plushy sofa seats an vibe.

We left Sunday morning and stopped at Common Bond one last time for coffee and breakfast. I had a basic breakfast plate with eggs, bacon, and biscuits and my wife had avocado toast. Again, all food was delicious.

With the exception of Pit Room, all restaurants did complimentary valet, which was great as parking was scarce. Service at all restaurants was stellar, with our waiters/waitresses often working in teams and all giving a personal touch to the meal.

There was honestly not a weak meal on this trip. I highly recommend all restaurants we visited. Houston really impressed me with their food scene (which we barely scratched) and their high level of service.

And now this week...I fast and exercise everyday