The 2016/2017 Winter Menu at Seasons 52

This post was done in partnership with Seasons 52 in Houston, who provided me with my food and drinks, free of charge. I was not monetarily compensated for writing this restaurant post. All opinions are completely, 100% my own!

Brrrr, it's cold out!

Whaddaya say we crank up the Mariah Carey Christmas, bust out our best mock turtle necks, take a break from all the cookie-baking, and go out for some deee-licious food?!?!

A few weeks ago, Jon and I were invited to try the winter menu at Seasons 52. The restaurant has two Houston locations, one in City Center and one near the Gallaria/River Oaks (where we ate). We've been to the restaurant a couple of times (read about it here, and here), and we had such good experiences both times, that of course we were thrilled to go back!

As the name implies, Seasons 52 changes its food with the seasons, or "What's Good Now." Feeling inspired, I kicked things off with one of their seasonal cocktails, the organic sunshine martini.

Made with orange-infused prairie organic vodka and simple syrup, the basic drink was anything but! Sweet, bright, light, and smooth, it went down a little too easy - It really was sunshine in a drink! While I enjoyed it, I'm not a super sweet toothed person, so I opted for a glass of red wine as my second drink. Seasons 52 has an awesome wine list, and I always love investigating it!

We were presented with an amuse bouche of prosciutto, goat cheese, and peaches, which Jon happily enjoyed for the both of us!

Then we ordered a couple of appetizers, starting with the lobster & fresh mozzarella flatbread for Jon and the artichoke & Laura chenel goat cheese flatbread for me. 

Having previously had the lobster & fresh mozzarella flatbread, Jon knew he was going to love it again. I'd had a version of the artichoke flat bread before BUT it was back when I had my stint with veganism so IT HAD NO CHEESE. But this time? IT HAD CHEESE. And I'm telling you, the soft cheese cut very nicely through the tart balsamic coated veggies. The flatbread itself was super light and crispy, and a great way to kick things off!

We also ordered the artisan cheese fondue to split during this first round of food.

OH Y'ALL.

A creamy, luscious combination of cave-aged gruyere and cheddar made this dreamy cheese dip one of my favorite two food items of the evening. The tangy, lovely cheese was made even more delicious when paired with an assortment of breads that offered varying tastes and textures to elevate it. This was one hella awesome fondue!

Oh but this round of food was not over, folks, because we also ordered a side of their roasted brussels sprouts without bacon!

Cooked in a 15-year aged balsamic, what I found most notable about these brussels sprouts were their ever-so-slightly crisped outer layer. The texture was great!

I also ordered a side of truffle mac 'n cheese en brodo.

I LOVE truffle, but I recognize how easy it is to mess it up. Throw too much in, and forget about it being palatable. Luckily for me, the restaurant could not have gotten this truffle mac more right! It had the perrrrfect amount of truffle oil, along with a rich swirl of gruyere and cheddar, all topped with a delightfully crunchy panko crust. This mac and cheese was DIVINE.

For our main course of food, Jon ordered his favorite, the red snapper (what he always gets at the restaurant), and I went with the vegetarian tasting plate.

I also always order the vegetarian tasting plate, however this one had completely different components in it than it did on my previous two visits. The plate consisted of a wood-grilled kohlrabi steak, asparagus, a fennel-roasted onion, and vegan paella. The kohlrabi and asparagus were fresh, standard, and good, and the fennel-roasted onion, was unique and surprisingly delightful (I don't hate fennel, but I generally don't lose my mind over it). But the vegan paella? OH THE VEGAN PAELLA. Y'all, I seriously ate chorizo that night. I mean I didn't really eat chorizo, of course, but I ATE CHORIZO. The vegan paella was hearty, earthy, spicy, textured, and insanely delicious, with vegetables and bits of some sort of fake chorizo thrown in there. This was my other favorite thing I ate that night, it was so incredible!!

The restaurant then presented us with their beautiful display of teeny, adorable desserts. Jon opted for his usual, the pecan pie, and I went with the red velvet cake. Jon's was very good, but I adored my less sweet, richer, decadent red velvet much more. The cheesecake frosting was perfect, and there was a surprise little raspberry at the bottom!

I love Seasons 52, which is why I keep going back. The restaurant offers incredible, seasonally appropriate food, as well as awesome service to boot. Houston is lucky to have multiple locations, and I can't wait to go back again!

Have a safe and Happy Holiday Season!!

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H.S. Green

This post was done in partnership with Hot Pink Houston and H.S. Green, who provided me with complimentary food and drinks. I was not monetarily compensated for writing this restaurant post. All opinions are completely, 100% my own!

So before I had second dinner at Loving Hut last week, I had first dinner at the restaurant H.S. Green.

(I'll take "Things That Aren't Remotely Weird When You're a Food Blogger" for 500, Trebek!)

My friend Megha has an awesome Houston food Instagram account called HotPinkHouston (you should totally check it out, though let's be honest, you probably already follow her!), and she's also an editor at The Daily Meal. Last week, the folks at one of Houston's newest health food restaurants, H.S. Green, partnered with her to host a HotPinkHouston blogger event. And lucky me, I got to go! My Houston food blogger friends Erika and Sarah were also in attendance, along with a bunch of other new friendly faces!

Before delving into solid foods, we were presented with six of the restaurant's cold pressed freshly squeezed juices to sample.

Don't mind if I do!

My opinions of the juices were as follows:

• Watermelon Lime Mint (benefits: refreshing, low-cal, hydrating, skin health) - This juice WAS refreshing. I love watermelon juice to begin with, and this was no exception. Tart, crisp, and citrus-y, it tasted just like summer!

• Pear, Cucumber, Ginger (benefits: rich in anti-oxidants, copper, and potassium; good for digestion, immune defense; anti-inflammatory) This drink was hearty, creamy, and had a rich pear taste. There was a hit of spice from the ginger, which was pleasant and incredibly complimentary of the other ingredients.

• Carrot, Apple, Ginger (benefits: B-6 and B-12 energy complex; good for digestion, eye health, and skin health; detoxifying; immune defense) - Sweet, velvety, and satisfying, I felt like there was like a harvest gathering dancing all over my taste buds. It would probably taste really good with spiced rum? (#help)

• Pineapple, Coconut, Vanilla (benefits: hydrating; bone, eye, and heart health; vitamin C and potassium) - No contest, this juice was hands down my favorite of the bunch! The light concoction tasted just like a piña colada with some added vanilla! (no really, #help)

• Five Berry (benefits: rich in anti-oxidants, vitamin B, and vitamin C; heart health; high in fiber, immune defense) - This tart and jammy drink was perfect for the berry lover. It was probably my least favorite of the three, though admittedly I tend to shy away from berries in my juices and smoothies, so take that with a grain of salt. Other people seemed to really enjoy this one however!

• Green Juice (benefits: low-cal power house; detoxifying; replenishes electrolytes; heart health; vitamins A, B, C, and K) - This was essentially salad in a juice, and it therefore tasted very green tasting and grassy, but I mean that it in the best way possible. It tasted incredibly healthy, and I definitely enjoyed it!

After the juice portion of the evening, the restaurant brought out some foods for us, starting with the guacamame.

As the portmanteau <~~(I think this is my favorite word of 2016, even though it's been around forever. That, and the phrase "squad goals." ...how hard are you judging me right now?) implies, the dip is a combination of guacamole and edamame, and was hella good. It was fresh, lime-y, chunky, and delicious! To be honest, I couldn't really taste the edamame, but I think it was in there more for texture, which was great.

Next up in the solid foods department was the restaurant's Thai salad with grilled shrimp, as well as the quinoa edamame falafel.

While I didn't try the salad, it smelled hauntingly delicious. The falafel (WHY is spellcheck wanting me to change that to "fella"? Spellcheck, you are obviously not a part of my squad.) came with a dill sauce on the side. I could taste the edamame this time inside the baked, smooth, earthy falafel. The dill sauce added a nice tartness and brightened the dish up quite a bit. Because they were baked and not fried, the falafel balls were not of the weigh-you-down variety, but of the this-is-good-for-you-and-also-tastes-good variety.

After that, we were presented with a crispy duck pizza, as well as the restaurant's margherita pizza.

I didn't try the duck pizza, but the margherita pizza was lovely. It was insanely super duper thin, crispy, tomato-y, and light. Immensely flavorful, this was guiltless pizza at its finest!

Before Erika and I had to cut out to make it to second dinner (Y'ALL, #HELPME), she snagged a bite of their truffle infused roasted mushrooms and chicken pizza, eating around the chicken. She informed me that I HAD to go back and order this at some point. Challenge accepted!

The kind folks at the restaurant gave me a roasted vegetable wrap to-go, as well! <~~(...third dinner?)

The zucchini, bell peppers, and red onion inside the wrap were vibrant, silky, and packed with flavor. Creamy, garlicky hummus and a crisp, mint citrus vinaigrette added a wonderful layer to it as well. It was quite the tasty lil' sammy!

H.S. Green is a fantastic new addition to Houston's health food restaurant scene. Just because the food is good for you, doesn't mean that it's lacking in flavor, creativity, or the ability to satisfy. On the contrary, the food there is exceptionally tasty, unique, and gratifying! If you're in Houston's Galleria/Uptown area, and you're having a hankering for some high quality, delicious, healthy food, look no further than H.S. Green!

#HoustonJuiceSquad.

6 comments dinner, falafel, food, galleria, houston, juice, pizza, restaurants, uptown, vegetarian

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Media Preview of the 2016 Spring Menu at Seasons 52

This post was done in partnership with Seasons 52 in Houston, who provided me with my food and drinks, free of charge. I was not monetarily compensated for writing this restaurant post. All opinions are completely, 100% my own!

It's officially Spring, Baby!

(yes, I know it's officially been spring since, oh, 18 days ago (and let's be honest, even longer than that because, #Houston) but let's not harsh my buzz here.)

A few weeks ago (when it *officially* became spring), Jon and I attended a media tasting of Seasons 52's spring menu at their Houston restaurant on Westheimer. We were fortunate enough to also sample their insanely delicious winter food menu at the same location in Houston back during the deepest of dark moments of my life (I kid, I kid! But really, I hate winter with a loathing fiery passion), so we were super pumped to get a sneak peak of the restaurant's spring food action!

The first part of the evening consisted of a cocktail party in one of the elegant back party rooms.

The spring menu has a focus on foods that flourish in  - you guessed it - the spring, such as strawberries, lemons, asparagus, snow peas, and fiddlehead ferns. I was still subscribing to a vegan diet at that point, so all of the restaurant's cheese- and meat-topped flatbread appetizers went to Jon. He enjoyed the prosciutto & asparagus flatbread with Camembert cheese, which he said was salty and crispy, and he "would order a big pizza of it." He also loved the citrus-y, light lobster and fresh mozzarella flatbread.

I sampled one of the restaurant's seasonal cocktails - the strawberry basil infusion - and I went nuts over it. The martini contained strawberry-infused vodka, fresh basil, and agave. It was sweet, smooth, wonderfully syrupy, and fragrant, and it had a little bite at the finish. Jon and I loved this drink so much, we started brainstorming how we could re-create this using our own Houston patio basil!

(but then we decided that we're both too lazy, and it'd just be easier and probably more delicious to go back to Seasons 52 for it.)

We also sampled three of their wines from Brazil - not something you see every day on a restaurant's wine list. Brazilian wines are often overlooked, and the reason Seasons 52 added them to its spring list is in celebration of the upcoming Olympics! Pretty cool, right?

First I tried the Salton Paradoxo pinot noir, which pairs well with lighter items. It had a light spice to it, and a smooth finish.

Next up was the Don Guerino Sinais merlot, which had notes of pepper, vanilla, and tobacco. It also had a bright feel, and was sweeter and more tart than the pinot noir.

Finally we tried the Don Guerino Reserva cabernet, which had aromas of spices, red fruits, raisins, coffee, and vanilla.

After the cocktail reception, we were escorted to the restaurant's dining room for dinner.

After we were seated, we were presented with a glass of Cuvée Sainte-Anne champagne, a heartier, woodsy wine with almost a cheesy aftertaste. Jon tasted the Chef's Spring Amuse Bouche of shrimp atop fresh vegetables. He said the cold palate cleanser was fresh and light, and had a coleslaw type of effect. We were both given a spinach salad (mine was sans gorgonzola), which consisted of spring strawberries, pea tendrils, toasted pine nuts, and a 15-year aged balsamic drizzle. The salad was nice, tart, light, and paired beautifully with the wine, softening the cheesiness of it. The pine nuts were most notable, in that they added a great touch of smoke to the salad.

The next course of food consisted of caramelized grilled sea scallops with lemon risotto, paired with a glass of Mer Soleil chardonnay. Jon said his scallops, which were topped off with a lemon butter, were lemony, zesty, and springy! The wine had a floral smell and a sweet caramel, honey, and butterscotch taste.

After that, Jon received some meyer lemon ricotta ravioli (If you'll look at the one I had from the winter menu, you'll see that it's been changed up a bit!), and I was given a vegan version of their artichoke flatbread. The flatbread itself was super crispy, and it was topped with ripe, tangy, caramelized vegetables. The lovely veggies that were included were artichokes, peppers, and red onions, topped with fresh basil. My favorite aspect was the onions, which added a nice, soft, sweetness to balance out the stronger other ingredients. This food course was paired with the Sinskey pinot noir, which was woodsier and heartier than your normal pinot noir.

For our main course of food, Jon was presented with an Asian-glazed Chilean sea bass with organic black rice, snow peas, and shiitake mushrooms, as well as a wood-grilled rack of lamb served with spring vegetables, Yukon gold mash, and shallot jus. I was given a vegan version of the vegetarian tasting plate, a quinoa citrus salad, and a hummus duo. Since I'd had the vegetarian tasting plate last time (and it contained the quinoa citrus salad as well), I won't go into detail about those. Just know that it was all great AGAIN - particularly that cedar plank tofu - and I still strongly stand behind the Honorable Mention I gave the tasting platter in my recent Houston restaurant favorites post!

The hummus duo was a real treat - Served with crispy lavash, it contained a roasted garlic hummus topped with sumac, which was creamy, smooth, delicious, and had a slight kick. The second dip was an edamame hummus that was combined with lemon juice and mint. This one was more unique than the first, and had a subtler taste. I really enjoyed the nice, mint finish it had.

With this course we were poured two different wines. The first was an incredibly sweet Selbach-Oster Riesling, and a De Toren Fusion red with some serious body!

The final round of food was the dessert round, which I sat out on since none of the desserts were vegan (Don't worry, my vegan posts are coming to an end soon!). The desserts are small and manageable, and are presented to you in  cute little shot glasses. Jon selected the chocolate-y, cappuccino dessert, as well as the amaretto almond seasonal dessert. He preferred the nutty, second dessert, which was served with a little shooter of amaretto that added a hint of sweetness. Our final glass of wine was a different Selbach-Oster riesling, which was very sweet, and had a prominent grape-y smell and taste.

Once again, Jon and I had a wonderful evening at Houston's Seasons 52 on Westheimer. The fresh, seasonal food was impeccably prepared and absolutely lovely, and the restaurant's wine pairings were spot on. It also should be noted that Seasons 52 is incredibly accommodating to more restrictive diets. If you're looking to enjoy a nice night out at a Houston restaurant, Seasons 52 and its spring menu totally fit the bill!

Spring into that, Houston.

Leave a Comment dessert, dinner, drinks, fine dining, food, galleria, houston, restaurants, river oaks, vegan, vegetarian, wine

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Webisode 3: dgn Factory

This has been a long time coming, and I'm happy to announce that it's time for the third installment of the Adventures in a New(ish) City Web Series! All webisodes can be viewed on my YouTube channel. To catch you up to speed, Webisode 1 detailed my visit to Ragu & Pesto, and Webisode 2 recounted my experience at Al Quick Stop.

In this webisode, I get to try some incredible Indian food at the quick-service Houston restaurant dgn Factory with my friend Danielle. I first experienced their incredible food about a month ago with the Houston Food Blogger Collective Executive Board, and I was sold! And dgn Factory is offering Adventures in a New(ish) City reader an "Appetizer of your Choice" for every $25 you spend on your first visit - Just tell them I sent you!

I am fortunate enough to be able to try a lot of great food around Houston, but as always, I welcome recommendations on new restaurants for my webisodes, specifically those that might be a little more under the radar. Please send your suggestions my way!

So without further ado, I present to you Webisode 3: dgn Factory!

Leave a Comment a trip to the suburbs, downtown, food, fusion, galleria, houston, indian, missouri city, restaurants, vegan, vegetarian, web series

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True Food Kitchen

Let's be healthy, Houston!

(ish)

(because, wine)

(#duh)

Last week my friend Kate and I ventured outside of our Houston Heights bubble to have dinner at True Food Kitchen, a restaurant located in Houston's Galleria area. True Food Kitchen came highly recommended to me from Jon's coworker Vicky, so I was pumped to try it out!

The restaurant's menu is full of "honest food that tastes really good": fresh ingredients and vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free options, as well as thoughtfully prepared meat-centered, dishes.

After ordering some wine (a crisp glass of Pedernales Cellars voignier for me, and a red blend from the Rhône Valley for Kate), we decided to share the shiitake & organic tofu lettuce cups as our appetizer.

I know the words "shiitake & organic tofu lettuce cups" may induce eye rolls, and it all may sound the opposite of delicious. I get that. But I am happy to report that I've seen the other side, and the other side is GOOD! Have you ever had the lettuce wraps at P.F. Chang's? If you have, you're probably just as obsessed with them as I am. Well, imagine P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps, but even more magnificent, and I present to you the lettuce wraps at True Food Kitchen! Topped off with carrots and sesame seeds, the small crispy cubes of tofu and mushrooms were marinated in a ginger, soy, and cashew baste. The result was sweet, light, fresh, and lovely!

For my entree, I ordered the restaurant's teriyaki bowl, without any added protein, since I'd already had tofu.

And once again, I was a pretty happy camper! The teriyaki bowl contained shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, snap peas, onions, brown rice, and quinoa, and was topped off with half an avocado and sesame seeds. The syrupy teriyaki sauce was sweet and gingery, but not overpowering, and the vegetables were crisp and fresh. The avocado added a wonderful creaminess when stirred in, and I loved the inclusion of both brown rice and quinoa, which gave the meal more contrast and depth (and protein!). This was a fantastic dish.

Kate ordered the restaurant's butternut squash pizza, which was topped off with walnuts, smoked mozzarella, sweet onions, and arugula, and she absolutely loved it as well!

Even though True Food Kitchen is a national chain, what I ate that night was fresh, authentic, healthy, and delicious, and it had a very local feel. The restaurant is open and sleek, and the patio (which we were able to enjoy that evening) is a treat. Even though the food is healthy, it is definitely approachable and DEFINITELY delicious. True Food Kitchen should be more than just a blip on your Houston restaurant radar!

Being good never felt so right.

2 comments dinner, food, galleria, houston, organic, restaurants, vegan, vegetarian, wine

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Houston Food Blogger Collective: Dish Society

I visited Dish Society with the Houston Food Blogger Collective. All food and drinks were provided to me, free of charge. I was not monetarily compensated for writing this post. All opinions are completely, 100% my own!

Life's about to get cray for me.

Rhetorical question: How old is "too old" to use ridiculous slang words/phrases such as "totes," "gotta check my snaps" and "cray"? Asking for a [30-year-old] friend...

I don't know about you all, but I was feeling very slumpy and "winter, boo you whore," and then this week seemed to kick off the busy-ness that's about to happen - which I'm excited about!

On Tuesday we had our first Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wine Garden Committee meeting of 2016, and I'm super pumped, y'all. As of right now, I'll be working in the wine garden on March 2 (Chris Young), March 6 (Shawn Mendes), March 10 (Luke Bryan), Kenny Chesney (March 14), and March 18 (Little Big Town). So if you've bought your tickets yet for any of those dates, I hope you'll stop by and say hello! (and duh, drink wine).

Then on Wednesday, the Houston Food Blogger Collective Executive Board and Advisory Council had its first meeting of 2016 at Dish Society, a restaurant located in Houston's Galleria area. And once again, I'm super excited about what's in store for the year! In a nutshell? Awesome food, more awesome food, and even more awesome food! (and duh, wine).

Things are looking up, Houston snow birds!

I arrived at the farm-to-table restaurant about an hour early since I am exactly the opposite of cool, but was happy to find my fellow blogger friend Jenna (The Starving Foodist) there as well! (So maybe I am cool, right? ...don't answer that.) The counter-service-by-day, table-service-by-night restaurant was open, sleek, and airy. And apparently Foodable TV was filming there that night...

^ (Pictured above is Aaron Lyons, one of the restaurant's super friendly and accommodating co-owners.)

Other awesome Houston Food Blogger Collective board members there included Renia (Gristle & Gossip), Dalida (Brunch and Conversation), Julie (JulieJulez), Erika (Black Girls who Brunch), Stephanie (Copykat Recipes), Claire (The Petite Professional), Erin (Tidbits), Jay (The Fried Chicken Blog), and Morgan (The Foodie Chef). We put our heads together to start planning - and more importantly, start eating!

That night we were sampling bites from the restaurant's winter menu. The appetizer round included pork belly bites and berry bruschetta. I also went rogue and ordered their pretzels and queso. You know, for the sake of research.

Since I'm a vegetarian I didn't try the pork belly, but I did try the light and playful berry bruschetta! Toasted bolillo was topped with fresh Texas strawberries, creamy goat cheese, fragrant basil, and a balsamic reduction. The sweet/salty, berry/goat cheese combo was outstanding, but what really sealed the deal on this whole dish was the superfresh basil, which was borderline bitter - but in the absolute right way!

The pretzels and queso dish was a major crowd pleaser, and was my favorite bite of the evening. Firm, salty, slough dough pretzels were served alongside a rich, velvety smoked gouda queso dip. I've had multiple cheese/pretzel appetizers in Houston. I've had multiple good cheese/pretzel appetizers in Houston. And y'all? The one at Dish Society is far and away the best of them all! If you go (and you should!), you've got to order it. You know, for research.

The salad portion of the restaurant's sampling menu included an apple pecan salad and a brussels sprout super salad.

The apple pecan salad contained red wine poached apples, mixed organic greens, goat cheese, candied Texas pecans, and a honey mustard seed vinaigrette. If you are a fan of sweet fruity salads, this one is for you. I'm not generally a sweet fruity salad person, but the inclusion of that glorious goat cheese once again really sold me. It muted the sweetness enough for me to really dig in. The salad was given a great added layer of texture from the pecans. Overall, this was a nice, light salad.

The brussels sprout super salad blew my mind. It was composed of shaved brussels, shredded kale (this, coming from a kale hater! Maybe I don't hate kale after all...?), organic quinoa, dried cherries, golden raisins, shaved almonds, parmesan, and honey vinaigrette. The brussels sprouts were cooked so beautifully and had a wonderful smokey taste. The golden raisins were perfect little sweet morsels and complemented the sprouts wonderfully. Everything else in the salad served as a wonderful supporting cast of characters.

For the entree portion of the menu, they brought out coffee-crusted pork loin and brisket-stuffed sweet potato. For obvious reasons, I went rogue again (you can't take me anywhere) and ordered the half portion of the quinoa-stuffed avocado, one of the restaurant's most popular food items.

I took some of the pork home to Jon, and he was a big fan. Also, everyone at the table appeared to fall in love with that brisket stuffed sweet potato (well, who wouldn't?). It did smell incredible.

While the avocado stuffed with quinoa wasn't my favorite dish of the evening, it was certainly a good one. The quinoa had a light citrusy taste, with some crunchy veggies thrown in (onions?), and the avocado was full and ripe. It was a very simple, healthy, and satisfying dish.

For dessert, we were presented with the berry shortcake.

This was one helluva knockout dessert! A flaky, sturdy, house sugar biscuit was topped off with fresh strawberries, house whipped cream, and Amy's Mexican vanilla ice cream. Julie claimed that this might be the best strawberry shortcake she's ever had, and I completely agree! The buttery biscuit balanced wonderfully with the other components of the dish. The end result was a light, flirty, and ethereal strawberry shortcake that I adored!

The food at Dish Society is local and fresh, and that is certainly apparent in every bite. The restaurant's dishes are simple, yet manage to sit on a level above other similar food in Houston. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit, and I cannot wait to go back, whenever that might be!

(Sunday. Sunday I'm going back.)

Leave a Comment dessert, dinner, food, galleria, houston, houston food blogger collective, restaurants, vegetarian

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