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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SoulCycle Houston

This post was sponsored by SoulCycle, who provided me with a complimentary class at their Houston studio. I was not monetarily compensated for writing this fitness post. All opinions are completely, 100% my own!

It's pretty clear to anyone who reads this blog, or who has known me for even 30 seconds, that if there's a [safe] health craze that people are super jazzed about, I'm checking it out.

Enter: SoulCycle.

When I lived in NYC, I started hearing a lot about SoulCycle, and what I heard was mostly that people absolutely loved it because of its high energy classes accompanied by motivating music. I never tried it though, so fast forward to now; SoulCycle opened it's first ever Texas location here in Houston a few weeks ago (!!!!), and I decided to give it a shot.

Located in Houston's Upper Kirby/River Oaks area, the stark, sleek, fitness studio contains full locker rooms, showers, and a room with 56 stationary bikes, fun lighting, and walls adorned with motivating health and fitness phrases.

I was lucky enough to take a class that day led by Chanelle Lagace, who is the face of the new studio. This incredibly bubbly, welcoming, and energetic (I'm not kidding, I'd kill for the amount of energy she has in just her left pinky!) woman led a 45 minute heart-pumping class that was essentially a bumpin' dance party (she kept referring to it as "happy hour," which was entirely fitting).

Photo: SoulCycle

And because who better to explain SoulCycle than Chanelle, she was kind enough to answer a few questions I had! So I'll let her take it away:

What was the reasoning behind placing Texas’s first SoulCycle in Houston?

SoulCycle is always looking to open in active and vibrant communities like Houston. The energy is amazing, and we are so excited to finally be here! Keep an eye out for future Houston locations.

What do you feel sets SoulCycle apart from other fitness studios and workout regimens?
SoulCycle makes exercise FUN. It’s about finding joy in movement. We ride to the beat of the music, in unison, as a group. The combination of inspirational instructors, epic spaces, rocking music, and dark candlelit rooms allows for a truly transformative experience.

SoulCycle is a full body workout. Riders engage in high intensity cardio (burning between 500-700 calories in 45-minutes), while also toning their upper bodies using hand weights and core-engaging choreography.

SoulCycle isn’t just a workout, it’s a total mind/body experience. In addition to the physical benefits, it also benefits the mind through mental and emotional release. Instructors deliver inspirational messages that leave you feeling stronger and more powerful after every ride.

SoulCycle is a community. Our clients and staff rely on and support each other. It's much more than just a workout studio!

What drew you, personally, to SoulCycle?

The music. When I could hear the music blaring out of the studio in Bridgehampton, NY it was instant love. Not to mention the crowd of people who came out of the class dripping sweat all while smiling. From that day I knew I needed to be a part of the SoulCycle community. 

I know you’re new to Houston – What are some of your favorite things you’ve gotten to do/see/eat so far in town?

There are so many things to do! So far, my husband and I enjoy taking our 10 month old baby girl to the park where she can crawl around and be inspired by all of the other kids running around. She loves it! I also love all the different shopping areas. I love to decorate, and Houston has such great home decorating stores. As for eating, in just a month I think I have eaten Mexican food for almost every meal. It's so much better in Texas than it is up North!

(Kim's Note: We couldn't agree more with that last statement!)

What would be your biggest piece of advice to give to a SoulCycle beginner?
Don’t be nervous or intimidated - you can take class at your own pace! And don’t beat yourself up if you can’t keep up with the pace or choreography on your first try – it takes practice! Our studio staff and instructors are incredible at making people feel comfortable and welcome. We will walk you through everything!

So there you have it! Houston has such a fantastic variety of health and fitness studios, and SoulCycle is a great new addition to the scene. While it isn't necessarily an inexpensive fitness option, it may be worth you're while if it ignites you in the same way it does its countless enthusiasts. The positive, great workouts (and not to mention heart-thumping jams) are definitely a fantastic way to get physical!

Photo: SoulCycle

Get physical, physical...

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State of Grace

I present to you: My final Houston restaurant blog post from my month and a half-long vegan stint.

But first let me say, I sincerely hope that all of you made it through the epic Houston April 2016 flood safe and unscathed. I, for one, could not even get out of my parking garage because my street was flooded, so I had a snow day and stayed in with my favorite boys (Jon, Baxter, and Newton). All of us and our belongings are totally fine, thankfully!

I hesitated to write this restaurant post for a couple of reasons: 1) I don't want to come across as complain-y, and oh, "Poor Kim, she's so sad she's not a vegan anymore," because I assure you that's not the case! I am completely, 100% at peace and happy with my decision to switch back to vegetarian; and 2) I don't want to come across as disliking the restaurant I'm writing about, because on the contrary I actually think it's fantastic! And for that reason, I ultimately decided to write this post.

(end of disclaimer.)

At the end of last month, and at the end of my vegan journey (and not coincidentally, on the last day of my vegan journey), I went to Houston's State of Grace for dinner with my friends Kate, Danielle, and Chelsey.

I had been hearing such rave reviews about this restaurant and their food for quite some time, that when I called ahead and was assured they'd be able to accommodate a vegan diet, I was over the moon excited!

I started off by ordering one of the restaurant's specialty cocktails, the fresa fresca.

This drink is a concoction of pureed Louisiana strawberries, mint, lime, and the diner's choice of  one of a few different liquors (I went with Waterloo Antique Barrel Reserve gin). Garnished with a fragrant basil leaf, this slightly slushy drink was subtly sweet and tart, and wonderfully refreshing.

Then we were presented with some beautiful complimentary dinner rolls.

Clearly slathered in butter, I tried to grab a piece from below and inside the roll, and it was light and fluffy.

Our server enthusiastically gave us an overview of the restaurant's history and the seasonality of the food. He then discussed my options with me. State of Grace's menu is a small but impressive list of unique, southern-inspired items. If I had gone in as a vegetarian, I would have been able to navigate it gracefully, with some minor substitutions. But as a vegan, I'm sure I was looking at it like a deer in headlights. This is the pinnacle moment that began my undoing. <~~(omg could I be more dramatic.) And this was in no way the restaurant's fault, and obviously something that had been percolating in my mind for some time. The server was so totally accommodating, in fact. He asked me what I was in the mood for - I had no idea - and I threw out some vague food terminology (vegetables? pasta? bread?). Needless to say, I got pretty stressed out.

But again, the restaurant staff was super helpful, and they brought me an appetizer of the burrata (without the burrata).

This dish consisted of sweet pea hummus, cured black olives, and snap peas atop toast, and it was seriously fantastic. The super crispy toast was crunchy and firm, the snap peas and sprinkling of greens added a wonderful hit of texture, the olives were subtle and welcome, and the sweet pea hummus was out of this world - perfectly salty, creamy, and decadent. Even though my girlfriends ordered the burrata with burrata (like you do), I did not feel like I was missing the cheese at all. This appetizer sufficiently calmed my nerves and gave me significant moments of food-lovin', euphoric pleasure.

Unfortunately I did not participate in any of the other amazing-looking appetizers my friends ordered, such as the "queso" oaxaca:

I'M COMIN' FOR YOU SOON QUESO OAXACA.

For my final round of food, I was presented with a pasta dish consisting of spaghetti noodles, olive oil, fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, olives, asparagus, and peas.

AKA, spring in a bowl! This dish was also great. It had light, subtle flavors, from the salty olives to the juicy, citrus-y, bursting tomatoes. The textures were also very pleasing, and the end result was a light, yet satisfying dish.

So even though State of Grace was - and is - completely accommodating when it comes to stricter diets, it was this meal that was ultimately the turning point for me. On one hand, it is important to me that I live my life as peacefully as possible with all of the creatures of the earth (cue the lighting of the incense); and on the other hand, enjoying time with the people I care about while dining out in Houston is a part of who I am and what I love. If I'm stressed out the whole time over the former, it's hard to execute the latter, so that was how my breaking point came to be. I rarely have had an issue eating out in Houston as a vegetarian, and if I continue to eat mostly vegan/locally sourced/humane certified on my own while dining out as a vegetarian, I am a-okay with switching back to vegetarianism.

THUS. The food at State of Grace was outstanding, AND I cannot wait to go back as a vegetarian. Located in Houston's Upper Kirby/River Oaks area, the atmosphere at State of Grace is lovely, the service is fantastic, and the food I ate that evening was delicious. I really and truly cannot recommend it enough!

ALSO, CHEESE.

2 comments dinner, drinks, food, houston, pasta, restaurants, river oaks, southern, upper kirby, vegan, 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.

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Visiting Houston: February, 2016

"Visting Houston"? Why, whatever do you mean, Kim? You are one of the fortunate ones who lives there!

Welcome to the first edition of a new series in my blog! In "Visiting Houston" posts I will talk about where I take friends and family who are visiting Houston from out of town. Some of it will be about activities. Most of it will be about food and restaurants (#duhhhh). If you're ever wondering how to fill up an entire weekend with Houston shenanigans, then these posts are for you!

The inspiration for these posts came from this past weekend of fun with my awesome cousin-in-law Amber, who was in town from Chicago! Added bonus? We got to celebrate her 30th birthday with her on Sunday! So how did her weekend of visiting Houston go..........?

Friday

Amber's flight into Houston arrived on Friday, and I met up with her and my dad for lunch at Local Foods, one of my favorite restaurants to have lunch at. <~~(yes I know I ended that sentence with a preposition. But "one of my favorite restaurants with which to have lunch" just sounded super douche-y, k?)

While their truffled egg salad sandwich is still my favorite thing on the menu, that day I opted for their veggie burger with a side of vegan chili, which are also excellent food options. That day, the crusts on my bread (I ordered whole wheat) was a little tougher than normal, but everything else was fantastic! Amber fell into deep love with the restaurant's chicken lemongrass soup.

Prior to dinner, the whole family (Amber, Dad, Mom, Jon, and Emily) had drinks at Local Pour, a bar/restaurant located in Houston's River Oaks shopping center.

(Jon also ordered us their bomb-diggity meat and cheese plate because he's a growing boy and forgot that we'd soon be scarfing down food from a PIZZA BASKET in a little bit).

After drinks and apps, we walked over to the Italian restaurant La Griglia for dinner.

 ^ (Aforementioned pizza basket, aka heaven truly does exist).

I asked them if they could throw together some sort of off-menu vegetable risotto for me, and they happily obliged! It was quite tasty, and I certainly appreciated their great hospitality. After dinner, the restaurant's servers present you with a giant dessert tray, and we were like "ugh we can't we are so full from all of the food okay we'll order three."


Saturday

Saturday morning Amber and I worked out for a little bit to offset all of the food I was forcing down her throat. After that, we decided Down House would be the perfect restaurant for brunch!

^ (Yes that's a chicken wing in Jon's bloody Mary on the right. Send help.)

We had the most buttery, flaky, dense biscuits in the world to start, with an intoxicating apple jam. Then I opted for the restaurant's eggs benedict (atop more of those heavenly buttermilk biscuits) with avocado instead of Canadian bacon. Our incredibly sweet server surprised Amber with a birthday treat of bourbon pecan ice cream (yes you read that correctly and probably died at the mere thought of it), paired with wonderfully warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookies (seriously, I'm submitting them into the next Cookie (C)rumble).

After brunch, we ventured over to Rice Village for a little bit, then walked the trails in Buffalo Bayou Park. And by "walked the trails in Buffalo Bayou Park," I mean, "watched dogs run around in the sunshine for about 30 minutes."

Dinner rolled around, and the whole family from Friday, plus Jon's mom, stepdad, and nephew joined us for the Best Mexican Food in Houston, aka El Tiempo on Washington Ave!

We all indulged in the restaurant's spectacular chips and queso, and for my main course of food I ordered the vegetarian fajitas (something I'd discovered/fell in love with during my Whole 30). Amber - who had never been to Texas before (and therefore had never had real Tex-Mex) - was absolutely floored!

After dinner, Amber, Jon, Emily, and I enjoyed a nightcap at Eight Row Flint.

Sunday

On Sunday we decided to have a taco-off, starting with breakfast tacos at La Guadalupana.

These are easily my favorite breakfast tacos in all of Houston. I had a taco especial with no meat (eggs potatoes, onions, chile, and cheese) and a taco a la Mexicana with no meat (eggs, onions, jalapenos, and tomatoes), and both were fantastic. While these tacos are small, they are hella authentic and packed with flavor.

After that, we stopped by the taco truck Tacos Tierra Caliente, located outside of West Alabama Ice House in Houston's Upper Kirby area.

I figured their veggie taco would have cooked veggies, but it was all raw, so my taco was a bit disappointing. I need to go back and try one of their actual breakfast tacos to make a more accurate assessment. Jon, Emily, and Amber, on the other hand, all loved their meat-filled tacos, and declared Tierra Tacos Caliente the reigning champ!

Prior to coming into town, Amber had texted me, "Have you ever heard of a place called Crave Cupcakes"?

Whyyeswecangothereonyourbirthdayforcupcakesbecauseit'sabsolutely wonderful.

After cupcakes, we went home, prepared food for a Super Bowl party appetizer contest (Jon won with his cacio e pepe mac and cheese!!!) and enjoyed the rest of the day with our friends.

It was a wonderful weekend, made awesome by getting to spend time with Amber and being able to show her some of my favorite places (and food) in Houston!

Who's hungry?

4 comments bakery, bars, birthdays, breakfast, brunch, buffalo bayou park, dessert, dinner, drinks, food, heights, houston, lunch, mexican, restaurants, river oaks, tacos, upper kirby, vegetarian, visiting houston

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