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    The Watching League

    Does Twin Peaks stack up as a sports bar? The breastaurant view of the game

    Amy Chien
    Oct 22, 2012 | 10:18 am
    • Can Twin Peaks score as the ultimate football bar?
      Twin Peaks Houston/Facebook
    • The "man-size" brunette beer at Twins Peaks
      Photo by Amy Chien
    • This is just the medium size nachos, and it's as delicious as it isgross-looking.
      Photo by Amy Chien

    My dream sports bar doesn’t smell like grease and week-old alcohol. It’s not too dark or bright and boasts both healthy and heart attack inducing food. It has craft beers on tap and a full bar, preferably with a decent selection of unusual whiskeys.

    In an effort to find this magical place, I have embarked on a journey to visit a new bar every week this football season.

    I call it my Fantasy Football Watching League. Instead of wide receivers, quarterbacks and defenses I'm rating the crowds, the television ubiquity, the food and the drinks. Game on!

    My first stop is Twin Peaks, one of the newer breastaurants inside the Loop.

    The Crowd

    On game days, you most likely have to valet for $3. Kind of a pain, but not a dealbreaker.

    The true deal breaker is the two- to three-hour wait on game days. If you have your heart set on watching the Houston Texans, you better get there hours before the game because they don’t take reservations. The crowd here is pretty mellow. Everyone is there for the game, and some people even bring their families.

    Since the Twin Peaks near Kirby is still fairly new, it doesn’t have the sketchy porn smell built into the booth cushions just yet.

    There are the occasional rowdy fans, but overall people keep it friendly, much like the service. For a breastaurant, the vibe is surprisingly un-sketchy, the service is fast and full of smiles, and the girls and boobs do not disappoint.

    Score: Field Goal (Three Points)

    Televisions/Game viewage

    Since the Twin Peaks near Kirby is still fairly new, it doesn’t have the sketchy porn smell built into the booth cushions just yet. In addition, each booth has a TV for you to channel surf to your heart’s content.

    If you don’t end up getting a booth, you can still see any game you want from any angle at the bar or at a table. The place does not need lights. It could be lit solely on the thousands of television screens alone.

    Like any good sports bar, Twin Peaks broadcasts the sound for the most popular game at the moment.

    Score: Touchdown and a two-point conversion (Eight Points)

    Drinks

    Twin Peaks makes two kinds of beers: Dirty Blonde (a wheaty American blonde ale) and Naughty Brunette (a nutty American amber). They come in “girl size”, and the tall beer, appropriately named “man size.”

    Not sexist at all! When you’re in the monkey house, just forget about plugging your nose and embrace the stink. The husband got the girl-size Blonde and I got the man-size Brunette.

    The potatoes and green beans that came on the side were ignored. If you’re looking for healthier options, you’re pretty much out of luck.

    Both sizes come in a frosted mug with a handle, which I love because allows me to talk in a pirate voice, sloshing my drink around. The Blonde could be OK in the summer, but I was not a big fan. The Brunette, on the other hand, had a nice nutty flavor to it.

    In addition to the beers, Twin Peaks also has lots of shot specials and a full bar.

    Score: Field goal (Three Points)

    Food

    The husband and I shared a medium-sized portion of pulled pork nachos. At first sight they looked like a tower of regurgitation, which was an immediate sign that they were going to be delicious.

    The pork was tender, tangy, and sweet. I liked that the nachos came in a tower with sour cream, melted shredded cheddar, queso (yes that’s different), mashed refried beans, pork, sweet tangy sauce, and green onions. The ingredients were layered so each chip gets a little of each ingredient. The chef cleverly drizzled the sauce and queso so that each chip had a lot of flavor.

    We also shared the Peaks Sampler of buffalo tenders, mozzarella sticks, queso, fried pickles, salsa, and chips. The appetizers were nothing to write home about, but my friend’s larger-than-Texas-sized chicken fried steak was surprisingly one of the best versions of a CFS I have ever had. Pounded very thin and not overly breaded, the meat was fried to a crisp yet still tender and juicy.

    The potatoes and green beans that came on the side were ignored. If you’re looking for healthier options, you’re pretty much out of luck. Twin Peaks' salads are loaded with high calorie ingredients, and the breastaurant's grilled fish is soaked in butter.

    Score: Touchdown (Seven Points)

    Recap: 21 points

    If you want to go to Twin Peaks during a popular game, get there early and plan on spending the entire day drinking unique beer, eating unhealthy but delicious food, and enjoying views of both the game and, as Twin Peaks calls it, “the scenic view.”

    Not too shabby, if you ask me.

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    news/restaurants-bars
    series/htx-good-eats-2012

    firing up Montrose

    New Houston seafood restaurant adds live-fire flair to Japanese flavors

    Eric Sandler
    Dec 3, 2025 | 10:02 am
    Casa Kenji restaurant
    Photo by Becca Wright
    Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

    An ambitious new seafood restaurant is coming to Montrose next week. Casa Kenji will open on Tuesday, December 9.

    Located in the former Andiron space (3201 Allen Pkwy), Casa Kenji is the first Houston project for New Orleans restaurateur Malachi DuPre, a former LSU standout who played briefly in the NFL before establishing Kenji and Kenji Kazoku restaurants in New Orleans. Together with former LSU teammate John “B-John” Ballis and Houston chef Bigler “Biggie” Cruz, Casa Kenji will blend Latin and Japanese influences while also incorporating live-fire elements into the restaurant’s dishes. Cruz, whose resume includes a lengthy stint at Uchi as well as working at critically acclaimed Houston seafood restaurant Golfstrømmen, tells CultureMap that Casa Kenji’s approach is the first time he can be himself in the kitchen.

    “My perfect restaurant was always based on the live fire and sushi combination,” Cruz says. “My mom cooked with wood for my entire life. The live fire creates completely different flavors. The smoky flavors, the sear from the charcoal — they create a different type of memory for me.”

    The use of live fire techniques will permeate Casa Kenji’s menus in ways both big and small. For example, diners will be able to feast on prawns grilled directly on charcoal and served with yuzu chili garlic, or savor lightly seared Japanese wagyu tataki paired with mushrooms. Even raw dishes will benefit from the restaurant’s wood-burning grill and stove.

    “Every vegetable we peel, we make into an ash that’s a topping for the dishes. It adds a different layer of flavor,” Cruz says. Look for it in the scallop aguachile, among others.

    Even vegetables get a smoky component, as in a cabbage dish that’s braised with dashi and soy sauce before being roasted and served with an onion soubise that Cruz says he developed based on techniques he learned from Golfstrømmen chef Christopher Haatuft.

    “It’s rich, super savory, with smoky layers, and you get brightness from the shiso gremolata. I think it will be a signature dish for us,” the chef says.

    One change to the interior is the addition of a six-seat omakase counter that looks into the kitchen. Cruz promises those diners will have an even more elevated experience than the restaurant’s regular menu, including ingredients such as Japanese wagyu and premium fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market.

    Beyond its cuisine, Casa Kenji hopes to stand out with its spacious outdoor patio. Since very few Japanese-inspired restaurants in Houston offer outdoor seating, it should appeal to diners who want a little vitamin D along with their tuna crudo.

    “We’re proud to showcase the craft and creativity that defines Casa Kenji,” co-founders Cruz, Ballis, and DuPre said in a statement. “With chef Bigler Cruz at the helm — blending live-fire technique with the discipline of Japanese tradition — we’re equally honored and excited to share a unique concept that is truly rooted in passion, culture, and community.”

    Casa Kenji will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 4 pm. Reservations are available on Resy.

    Casa Kenji restaurant

    Photo by Becca Wright

    Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

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