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    Food for Thought

    Porcine Power: Houston continues to pig out

    Marene Gustin
    Jul 6, 2010 | 8:54 pm
    • Pigs still rule the Houston food world.
    • These lambs are going to have to wait a while to inherit the earth — or at leastthe Houston food scene. Not that they'll likely mind.
    • Ready to eat!
      Photo by Marene Gustin
    • Del Frisco's pork nachos
    • A variety of sliders at Del Frisco's

    A lot of national foodie folks were predicting an end to the pig in 2010, saying the meek lamb would inherit the earth. Or at least the trendy, food part of the earth.

    So far that prediction just hasn’t come about, not in Houston anyway.

    “I think Houston was on the tail end of the heritage pork trend in the country,” Branch Water Tavern’s chef/owner David Grossman explains. “It took awhile but now we’re getting local farmers raising heritage pigs.”

    Some of those pigs, a couple of 30-pound sucklings, were stuffed and slow roasted by Grossman for his first Fourth of July Pig Roast Sunday where, for the price of a cocktail, you could chow down on some tender pork, all-American sides and Grossman’s house-made biscuits. It was a piggy paradise.

    Stroll the stalls at your local farmers market or read the menu at places like Haven and you’ll see where all these swell swine are coming from. Local, family operated pig farms are popping up like mushrooms after a long rain.

    “A lot has to do with events like Cochon 555,” says pig farmer Morgan Weber of Revival Meats, “bringing awareness of heritage pigs to foodies and chefs.” Cochon 555 (five pigs, five chefs, five winemakers) was a yearlong competition in 11 cities (why not Houston, we ask?) where celebrity chefs were tasked with using whole heritage pigs.

    “Pigs used to be fat and delicious,” Weber explains. “But after World War II pigs were being raised on cheap corn in industrial farms. By the 1970s the standard American pig was yielding pale, bland pork.”

    At the family ranch in Yoakum, Webber uses humane, sustainable methods to raise such heritage breeds as Old Spots and Mangalitsas, a peculiar looking Austrian pig that resembles nothing as much as a Frankenstein cross between a feral hog and a French dog.

    “Yeah, the Chinese guy at the slaughterhouse calls them poodle pigs,” Weber laughs. “We’re the only ones in Texas breeding them right now. The meat is just amazing, not pale pink but a deep red color, well marbled. It looks more like a steak than pork.”

    These acorn-finished poodle pigs make darn good charcuterie and you can find their cured meat on several menus around town such as chef Ryan Pera’s at The Grove. Not only do heritage hogs produce better tasting bacon but they are also economic for farmers.

    “It’s a quicker turnaround on your investment,” Weber says. “You can finish a pig in six to nine months whereas a cow takes 22 to 24 months.”

    OK, tastes great, costs less, but, hey, this is Texas. It used to be that Houston was a beef town, big steaks and barbecued brisket.

    Now, even some of the BBQ joints are serving up Carolina-style pulled pork. For heaven’s sakes, Bryan Caswell’s even added a pulled pork slider to the Little Bigs menu.

    Porcine power is so strong these days that you can even find pig on the menu at steakhouses. Yes, steakhouses.

    “We started the pulled pork items on the menu in Charlotte,” says Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House’s executive chef Steve Haug. (And that’s pronounced Haag, not Hog. Which would be much funnier for this column.) “I brought it back to Houston,” Haug continues. “Everyone loves the pork nachos, we’ve been selling them like crazy.”

    Some Tex-Mex purists may be rolling their eyes, but I can tell you that this sky-high pile of house-made chips with barbecue seasoning topped with pulled pork, gooey cheese and sour cream is a delight. As is the pork slider. Both of which are on the new bar menu and go down well with the Double Eagle Sazerac, a smooth sippin’ rare bourbon cocktail with Absinthe, bitters, simple syrup and a twist of lemon.

    Ah, that was one fine cocktail, but I digress. Back to the pig.

    Let’s not forget bacon. You can’t swing a dead pig in this city without hitting a restaurant with some fancy bacon dish on the menu. Have you tried the wood grilled bacon wrapped eggs with jalapeños and adobo sauce on RDG + Bar Annie’s brunch menu?

    As someone once said, is there any dish that cannot be made better with bacon or chocolate?

    OK, I see that my kosher Jewish and halal Muslim readers are now beating their breasts in frustration with all of this pork/bacon tasty talk. But fear not, there is now a product you can enjoy: Bacon salt and bacon mayonnaise.

    Yes, you read that right, a couple of guys named Justin and Dave have created bacon-flavored salt and mayonnaise that really does make foods taste like bacon without any actual pork products. You can buy J & D’s bacon salt locally at Kroger’s. I’ve tried it on salads and salmon and I’ll be danged if it doesn’t add a smoky bacon flavor to whatever you shake it over.

    And now, as Farmer Hoggett once said: “That’ll do pig. That’ll do.”

    unspecified
    news/restaurants-bars

    Where to Eat Brunch Now

    10 Houston restaurants spicing up brunch with fresh new flavors

    Brianna Griff
    May 16, 2025 | 10:14 am
    Smoked Salmon Latke Kirsten Gilliam Okto Brunch
    Photo by Kirsten Gilliam
    Okto's newly launched brunch features fresh dishes like this smoked salmon latke.

    Houston’s weekend routine just got a jolt of new flavors. From a Peruvian-Vietnamese mash-up to a Mediterranean feast in Montrose and a seafood-driven spread in Autry Park, a wave of both new and established Houston restaurants are rolling out fresh takes on everyone's favorite weekend indulgence. Whether it’s four riffs on eggs Benedict or savoring a foie-gras macaron while being serenaded by a violin, these 10 new options are delivering bold brunches with global influences and tipsy tinctures.

    Alora Restaurant and Bar
    Located in the former Kau Ba space in Montrose, this restaurant touts itself as Houston's only Peruvian-Vietnamese restaurant. For brunch, chefs and married couple Diego Ponce and Makala Ponce have created a menu that fuses the two cuisines — think Lima Hot Chicken and Pandan French Toast ($19) with aji limo pepper balanced by the sweetness of pandan. The Bò Né ($28) is a Vietnamese twist on steak and eggs alongside Comté cheese, pate, and tomatoes, while the salmon on crispy toast ($22) is crowned with guacamole, pickled vegetables, and a passion fruit vinaigrette. Beverages include the Alora Bloody Mary ($15) with pickled quail eggs and green mango. Alora serves brunch 11 am-3 pm on weekends.

    Smoked Salmon Latke Kirsten Gilliam Okto Brunch
      

    Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

    Okto's newly launched brunch features fresh dishes like this smoked salmon latke.

    Chardon
    The Thompson Hotel's fine dining restaurant launched in February, transporting both guests and diners to France with its fare. Chardon has become a destination in its own right, and the addition of weekend brunch makes it even more appealing. Classics like Quiche Lorraine ($18) and Croque Monsieur ($32) sit on the menu alongside creations of delicate Lox et Crêpe with dill crème fraîche ($26) and the Avocado and Haricot Vert Tartine topped with a jammy soft-boiled egg ($17). The Bisous Tower ($23/person) proffers a selection of savory pastries and small bites like foie gras macarons and Texas cornbread madeleines. A violinist sets a soft soundtrack while patrons dine. Brunch is 11 am–3 pm on weekends.

    il Bracco
    The Galleria-area Italian spot just upgraded its weekend offerings with several new bites. Housemade pastries include zeppole with orange marmalade ($10), blueberry focaccia ($9), and an artichoke and arugula scone ($12). The weekend-only bucatini carbonara is now joined by shakshuka alla verde, the restaurant's riffs on eggs in purgatory ($19); frittata with with asparagus, goat cheese, tomatoes, and arugula ($17); and a mortadela sandwich on focaccia ($16). Pair them with a mimosa, espresso martini, or a breakfast martini with a little orange marmalade. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11 am-3 pm.

    Maximo
    The West U. restaurant's weekend brunch offers a range of masa-based dishes. Consider egg Benedict that swaps the traditional English muffin for masa cornbread or cinnamon-sugar coated masa waffles that are topped with cheesecake whipped cream, Japanese peanuts, and agave syrup. Huevos ahogados, drowned in green tomatillo salsa, are served with a side of corn tortillas to soak up every bite of the mushrooms, greens, and Oaxacan cheese. Pair them with cocktails such as the Java-Horchata Flip (sake, coffee liqueur, horchata, whole egg, peanut chili crisp) and the Sangria Tango (tomatillo, cucumber, coriander, green chili, with the guest’s choice of agave or Mexican gin). Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday from 11 am-3 pm.

    Melrose
    Created by CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Chef of the Year Emmanuel Chavez, the Montrose lounge serves clever riffs on enduring brunch favorites. Options include charred tomatillo chilaquiles with poached eggs, an acai bowl served in a half coconut, hanger steak with eggs and chimichurri, and a breakfast sandwich made with scrambled eggs, cheese, and brown sugar-roasted “billionaire’s bacon” on a brioche bun. The Melrose Tower channels New York's iconic Sadelle's restaurant with its house-cured lox, mini bagels, chive cream cheese, and accoutrements. Drink options include a spritz, Bloody Mary, and a michelada verde made with tomatillo juice. Brunch is served on Sunday from 11 am-3 pm.

    MF Lobster and Seafood
    The weekend spread at this Autry Park destination aims to elevate Houston’s brunch offerings. Think Benedicts made with silky hollandaise cascading over lobster, braised bacon, pork belly, or classic Canadian bacon (yes, that’s four varieties of the dish). The indulgence continues with wagyu steak and eggs, buttery Maine lobster popovers, and bagels and lox featuring Ora King salmon and roe. For the sweet tooth, choose a brioche pain perdu with caramelized apples and whipped maple mascarpone, or end the meal with a dark chocolate pot de crème. MF Lobster and Seafood serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11 am-2:30 pm.

    Okto
    Sof Hospitality’s Mediterranean restaurant kicks off Sunday with a late-morning feast of fresh flavors such as pan con tomate salad with grilled sourdough and bruleed burrata ($20) and the rich notes of the beet-cured lox atop a potato apple latke ($22). Other highlights include an omelet with blue crab and mascarpone ($24) and a crepe Suzette ($16) accentuated with Grand Marnier, candied orange, and whipped ricotta. Okto’s spot at the trendy Montrose Collective boasts a spacious patio and ample underground parking (or valet). Brunch is served Sunday from 11 am-4 pm at Okto.

    Relish Restaurant and Bar
    The second outpost of this River Oaks staple opened in Memorial’s Town and Country Village at the end of 2024, but only added brunch to its repertoire at the end of April. Flaky herb biscuits ($9), buttermilk pancakes topped with brandied pecans ($15), and a salmon citrus salad with champagne vinaigrette ($24) are just a few of the dishes available. The Italian baked eggs ($18) in a pomodoro sauce with Italian sausage and grilled sourdough is a highlight of the menu. Diners can take advantage of all-day happy hour deals on select cocktails, beer, and wine, with a full espresso bar for those abstaining or still recovering from the previous night’s festivities. Relish serves brunch from 10 am-3 pm on weekends.

    Santé Lounge
    The Upper Kirby lounge’s patio is sure to be a destination for the posh set this summer. Santé's Sunday Funday Brunch features an elevated twist on classics like Dubai chocolate croissants, the grilled-to-order Santé burger with brioche, and a platter laden with five chilled seafood preparations. Patrons can listen as a live DJ spins tunes while relaxing on the patio with its cabanas, chandeliers, and greenery. Order the deviled egg trio (Nashville hot chicken, Tobiko caviar, and ramen egg) and sangria (with white or red wine) for the table. Brunch at Santé is from 12 pm-4 pm on Sunday, with a required dress code.

    Traveler’s Cart
    The Street Market Brunch is an international affair with cinnamon-dusted Morning Churros ($8), Chinese breakfast dumplings ($12) paired with a sambal-oyster-soy sauce, and charming fish-shaped Japanese taiyaki waffles ($9) with yuzu custard filling. Or dig into Turkish cilibir eggs ($15) seasoned with Aleppo pepper, smoked paprika, and za’atar oil. The global tour continues at the bar with "around-the-world" mimosas, a build-your-own Bloody Mary cart, and Don’t Stop the Carnival ($13), a punchy Brazilian coffee cocktail of rum, sweetened condensed milk, and toasted coconut. Traveler’s Cart serves brunch from 10 am-3 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

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