I love the concept of Nao. It’s a capstone class for the Culinary Institute of America students where they get to work both the back and the front of the house to really understand and appreciate how a restaurant functions. The flavor has always tended to that of Latin America, but they seem to recently have moved away from the small plate format to a combination of small plates and main courses. I like this much better as it allows for a little sharing at the beginning of dinner, but then you get a yummy meal that’s all yours (unless your husband likes your dinner better)! Continue reading
Category Archives: Solid (Score of 6 – 8)
Saveurs 209 est très magnifique!
sleek & modern
During my little hiatus, several new restaurants have popped up in our lovely city. One that we’ve had our eye on is Saveurs 209 — a little French restaurant downtown that’s been getting some rave reviews!
Parking is a little bit of a pickle (but it’s worth the little bit of trouble). There is no valet and street parking is tight. We found a spot in the St. Anthony’s lot for $10 — a little pricey but only a block and a half away. When we walked in the restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised by the cheerful modern decor. The small space seemed very open because of the white paint and orange accents. The cute orange lanterns and modern orange chairs were a nice touch! Continue reading
Hoping Sustenio Will Sustain
It’s been a while, fellow diners! A little break was all I needed to shed those “memories of meals past” that I carried with me. Mostly on my thighs.
I’ve heard both good and bad about Sustenio and J has been there for lunch, and we figured we’d try it out with a couple of our dining buddies, M&M, before they move back to Houston. The only consistent commentary I’ve heard about Sustenio is that it’s in a weird place. That is definitely true.
eilan
As we pulled up to the massive Eilan retail/residential/hotel space in which Sustenio resides, I felt as if we were in Vegas. Well, except there were no cars in the parking lot, no people in sight, and there was an eerie abandoned quietness that made me think we should turn back. I was waiting for the tumbleweed to blow by, but J assured me that he had been to Sustenio for lunch and that it really did exist, so we pressed on. The question is, can a restaurant succeed in a venue that is so empty and off the beaten path? I hope so! Continue reading
Bigz Burgers are Giant
We pass Bigz all the time, so I am not sure what took us so long to stop by — especially given our love of all things made from ground meat. We called beforehand to see if we could bring the pups and guess what? You can (on the patio of course)! Dog friendly and delicious — what more could you ask for? Continue reading
Mucho Meat at Chama Gaucha
whoa flames
Tucked away on 1604 by Stone Oak Parkway, it’s easy to miss Chama Gaucha despite the giant sign with the fake flames. We never would have found our way to the place if our friends hadn’t invited us to meet them for dinner there a few months back. Since then, we’ve been several times. I am even willing to forget that Chama Gaucha is a small chain (San Antonio, Houston, Chicago) because it is so yummy. It’s hard to find any fault at all with an establishment that serves perfectly prepared meat non-stop (until you turn your card to red, of course).. well unless you are a vegetarian.
The San Antonio Palate 