Foodie News

In Houston, you can't step in the same restaurant twice: Newness abounds atTriniti, Down House and Samba Grille

Ryan Hildebrand
Photo by Kimberly Park
Mussels at Down House
Photo by Sarah Rufca
Solterito salad with braised pork belly slices (in foreground) from Samba Grille
Photo by Sarah Rufca
From the Triniti dinner: Welks and razor clams, variety of mushrooms, black andwhite barley and tarragon.
Photo by Kimberly Park
Down House's buttermilk-thyme fried chicken, served with mashed potatoes and aspinach salad.
Photo by Sarah Rufca
An intermezzo of leche de tigre sorbet from Samba Grille
Photo by Sarah Rufca
Foie gras, local honey and coffee soil, the amuse bouche at Triniti
Photo by Kimberly Park
Samba Grill's avocado panna cotta
Photo by Sarah Rufca
Green beans, bacon and eggs from Down House
Photo by Sarah Rufca

Sometimes it seems like the only thing that's constant in the Houston restaurant scene is change. In addition to new concepts and new locations there are new chefs, new menus, new specials. As Heraclitus would say, you can't step in the same restaurant twice. So it is with dinners celebrating the new offerings from Triniti, Down House and Samba Grille.

The holy Triniti of amuse bouche

It's somewhat fitting that the preview dinners held by Ryan Hildebrand and his crew at the forthcoming Triniti restaurant were dubbed "snapshots." Held at the Ralph Smith Photography Studios, the dinners introduced fans to Triniti's modern sensibilities and a bit of elegant culinary experimentation.

I loved the amuse bouche: foie gras, local honey and coffee "soil" represented three flavors I would never think to combine, the rich tones, bright sweetness and earthiness all playing brilliantly together.

The apple and celery root soup was rich and creamy, poured over a cinnamon cream and a fried apple slice and garnished with a slice of dehydrated apple folded into a lovely butterfly shape. Another standout was a spicy rabbit merguez sausage served with a light "blonde cassoulet."

I really loved the way that nothing was wasted on Hildebrand's plates — every ingredient could be tasted and added something to the dish. It's just a few weeks until Triniti opens, but I cant wait.

Down House in the house

Down House also has a new fall menu and a new chef — Benjy Mason, who has spent time at Feast — and both are all about taking comfort food to the next level while using local and sustainable ingredients. The mussels, served in a broth of Leprechaun Cider and leeks, were simply outstanding. The cider took a little bit of the brininess off the mussels, making for a more palatable and savory treat.

Green beans became indulgent with lardons and bits of fried egg throughout, plus a bit of pear for extra sweetness. A classic buttermilk-thyme fried chicken satisfied, along with some chunky mashed potatoes, but a prune-brasied lamb shank was totally outshone by a side of cauliflower grits.

Do the Samba

On Wednesday night Samba Grille also held a dinner to introduce new executive chef David Guerrero, who came to the restaurant earlier this year as sous chef. Guerrero has spent time on the line at Philippe, among other restaurants, but he says this is his first stint cooking his native South American cuisine (and that his process includes phone calls home to Ecuador to ask about his grandmother's recipes).

Among the new standouts were Guerrero's take on ceviche, with shrimp, beer foam and aji tomato ketchup for a flavor that had a bit of Tex-Mex thrown in. It was served as half of a duo with Samba's more traditional ceviche mixto, with corn nuts, leche de tigre, etc.

I also loved the fresh, clean solterito salad with a light salsa and cubes of cheese on fresh lettuce with an aji amarillo vinaigrette. Guerrero describes it as the kind of dish that South American bachelors would make, although Samba's gets an upgrade from a side of panca-glazed semi-cured pork belly.

I also loved the paiche, a huge, meaty fish from the Amazon that's extremely rare in the States (and unfortunately not on the regular menu), smoked thoroughly and served over a bed of yucca and citrusy greens. Samba impressed again with an avocado panna cotta, dusted with lime powder and served with coconut geleé and a touch of passion fruit cremeux.

It seems like someone has discovered that the cure for the ordinary panna cotta is to reinvent it with a sweet fruitiness that doesn't overpower — it was awesome.

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no screaming required

15 Houston restaurants crafting nostalgic and decadent ice cream sundaes

Alex Montoya

The Pit Room in Memorial has a build-your-own dessert bar where patrons can craft sundaes with cookies and toppings.

There’s no need to scream for ice cream when dining at the Houston restaurants listed below as they all scoop out ice cream sundaes for patrons to enjoy. The timeless frozen treat has made a delicious comeback on dessert menus, with variations — like decadent build-your-own bars — appearing all over Houston.

This list takes a broad view of what constitutes a sundae — in line with its dictionary definition of “a dish consisting of ice cream served with toppings.” With that description in mind, sundae fans will discover several iterations of the classic dessert at these local eateries.

The miso caramel sundae at Balboa Surf ClubCourtesy of Western Addition

Balboa Surf Club
Balboa Surf Club emphasizes details in its food, from the sushi rice prepared fresh every 45 minutes to the elegantly crafted miso caramel sundae. A rich housemade miso caramel sauce is drizzled on three scoops of ice cream before being crowned with shaved chocolate, whipped cream, and crushed macadamia nuts.

Buttermilk Baby
The charming burger joint in the Heights could be a Candyland palace stand-in, so it’s only right that diners can order a Carvel’s sundae dasher with Reese’s or Oreo’s (12oz/$7.50, 16oz/$8.50) with layer upon layer of ice cream, whipped cream, and crunchy candy or cookies.

The buttermilk sundae at CredenceCourtesy of Credence

Credence
The buttermilk sundae at Credence aligns with the restaurant’s dedication to preparing ingredients over an open flame in a nod to South Texas’ rugged landscape. The cold treat is served with caramel cooked in embers and toasted pecans, a fitting tribute to Texas.

Pistachio soft serve at ElRo Pizzeria and CrudoCourtesy of ElRo Pizzeria and Crudo

ElRo Pizza & Crudo
This pizzeria is based in a bungalow tucked into a spot where Montrose and Midtown converge, and its soft serve sundae is just as approachable as the locale. The pistachio soft serve ($10) is made in-house at ElRo before being covered in crumbled cannoli shells that have been dipped in chocolate.

il Braco's Italian sundae with olive oilCourtesy of Western Addition

il Bracco
The Italian sundae at il Braco is a luxurious dish with olive oil, chopped pistachios, and three scoops of vanilla ice cream resulting in a smooth, creamy dessert. Flaky sea salt adds texture while enhancing the sundae’s sweetness.

Katami's sundae is made with Japanese shaved iceCourtesy of Katami

Katami
The American dessert receives an international spin at Katami, where the restaurant substitutes ice cream with kakigori, Japanese shaved ice. The green tea ($15) is made with white chocolate cream, caramel, and condensed milk. The strawberry Nutella ($16) combines chocolate ice cream with mascarpone cream, Nutella, and strawberry compote.

La Lucha's soft serve sundaeCourtesy of La Lucha

La Lucha
After slurping down oysters at this stylish spot on Shepherd, it’s time for soft serve. Diners can build their own soft serve sundae ($7) with Nutella or vanilla ice cream. Then come the toppings and there are plenty to choose from, with pecans, Maldon sea salt, Fruity Pebbles, and mini M&Ms, to name a few.

Little Rey
Houston native Ford Fry brought his Atlanta-based chain, Little Rey, to the city this summer with street tacos and other northern Mexico-inspired fare. The eatery’s soft serve machine is getting lots of love from patrons, with a range of flavors and toppings. The newest soft serve “sundae” is a Mexican spiced chocolate concoction with peppermint bark and sea salt.

The Marigold Club's sundae cartPhoto by Zach Horst

The Marigold Club
The classic sundae experience is elevated with the upscale restaurant's sundae cart ($22). A server navigates the elegant walnut cart through the Marigold Club's dining room, laden with housemade chai tea, clotted cream, and chocolate ice creams. Patrons can craft their ideal sundae without leaving their seats thanks to an array of toppings from sprinkles and candied hazelnuts to rum-infused banana jam and vanilla chantilly.

Medium Rare's hot fudge sundaePhoto by Alex Staniloff

Medium Rare
Dessert isn’t included in Medium Rare’s, two-course, $33 dinner of steak frites and salad, but the hot fudge sundae ($12) is worth the order. Also known as le sundae maison with sauce au chocolat chaud, the classic creation’s vanilla ice cream is smothered in hot fudge, with sprinkles scattered over a tower of whipped cream with a cherry on top.

Relish Restaurant & Bar
Relish's Town & Country location may have only recently opened its doors, but it's already dishing out a housemade vanilla soft serve sundae ($6). Relish's take on the dessert is adorned with Luxardo cherries, candied pistachios, and shaved dark chocolate. At the original River Oaks location, diners will find the sundae with sweet cream ice cream.

the annie cafe's sundae The Annie sundae at The Annie Cafe and BarPhoto Kirsten Gilliam

The Annie Cafe and Bar
This Uptown cafe delivers a sophisticated interpretation of Texas-American cuisine and the Lone Star State inspiration is evident with the Annie sundae ($12). Vanilla and chocolate ice cream are smothered in chewy brownie bites, pralines, and marshmallow fluff, before being stacked with churros.

The Pit Room has a dessert bar for guests to create sundaes. The Pit Room's Memorial location has a dessert bar to create sundaes. Photo by Alex Montoya

The Pit Room
Diners can step up to The Pit Room’s dessert bar at its Memorial location to customize a sundae by mixing and matching ice cream flavors, such as sweet cream, pistachio, and birthday cake, with fresh baked cookies like chocolate chip and red velvet white chocolate. Garnishments such as sprinkles, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream are on hand to complete the masterpiece.

The coffee ice cream sundae at Tiny ChampionsCourtesy of Tiny Champions

Tiny Champions
The coffee ice cream sundae ($12) is the perfect way to end a meal at this pizzeria from the team behind Nancy's Hustle. At Tiny Champions, coffee beans are cold-steeped in housemade ice cream for 48 hours, infusing it with rich flavor. The sundae is then topped with hot fudge and pillowy, freshly fried donut holes.

The turtle brownie sundae at Turner'sPhoto by Brian Kennedy

Turner's
The fine dining establishment’s turtle brownie sundae ($17) is a recent addition to the menu. “We wanted to create an elevated take on the beloved, classic dessert by adding refined ingredients, including candied pecans and bourbon whipped cream,” restaurateur Ben Berg told CultureMap. “It’s the sundae you loved as a child, with the elegance you expect when dining at Turner’s.”

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