I have a brand new Houston food fixation- Báhn Bột Chiên Hột Gà.

My last trip down to Houston (to work on the Spring 2012 collection) had me staying very close to the office in the nearby Galleria area…and I was totally car-less. I wanted to try one of these famous Houston Vietnamese places that I’ve been reading about, but getting around Houston by taxi is a nightmare. I did some quick internet searching and I came across the nearby Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant called Tan Tan.

Located at 8066 Westheimer, this relatively new address is a second location for a tried and true place that has a sister site further away on Bellaire Blvd. After reading some reassuring online reviews, I ventured out. The restaurant is located in a strip mall shopping center about 10-15 minutes from the Galleria Mall and it was a gamble that totally paid off. The House Special Rice Cake (the Báhn Bột Chiên Hột Gà) is one of the tastiest dishes that I have ever eaten. Sliced rice cakes pan fried with eggs and topped with dried turnip, green onions, and crispy onions- with the special house sauce (with a little sriracha added) you will totally love this. Did I mention that its only $5.95?

With one of the biggest menus ever, the helpful staff is very eager to make suggestions and recommend some of the restaurants best dishes. I was glad I made the trip.

I took a big bite before I remembered to take the picture.

Tan Tan, 8066 Westheimer Road, Houston TX 77063 & 6816 Ranchester Dr @ Bellaire Blvd Houston TX 77036

Filed under: Food & Drink, Houston by Stephen : No Comments »

If you are a fan of food, reading about food, cooking, or at least attempting to cook…then you should definitely check out the latest issue of Bon Appétit. Recently taken over by Adam Rapoport (ex-GQ editor & nice guy) the newly revamped magazine has been given a bit of an overhaul. This first issue checks in with the city of Houston and asks “Is Houston’s multicultural dining scene the country’s best-kept food secret?”

They check out some of Houston’s ethnic offerings including Crawfish & Noodles, Que Huong, Les Givral’s Kahve, and El Real Tex Mex Café. Check out the article online here.

Filed under: Food & Drink, Houston by Stephen : No Comments »

Last week after working late one evening – we were treated to dinner at the fantastic Hugo’s Mexican restaurant by the Hamilton boss man. While perusing the menu I happened to notice an item served called Chapulines. Chapulines as it turns out, are pan seared grasshoppers served with guacamole, tortillas, and chipotle tomatillo salsa.

Chapulines for sale in the local market of Oaxaca

Not a common dish to see on an American restaurant menu, this rare delicacy is probably ordered by aficionados, brave adventurous eaters, or after too many tequila shots.

I wasn’t brave enough to order them, have you?

Hugo’s, 1600 Westheimer, Houston, Texas 77006 ph. 713.524.7744

Filed under: Food & Drink, Houston, Texas by Stephen : No Comments »

If you haven’t noticed, we here at Hamilton Shirts really appreciate craft and the attention to fine detail.

The fascinating chocolatiers -  The Mast Brothers – represent the epitome of craft and detail, and we really like what they do. There seems to be a lot of similarity between the Masts and the Hamiltons…we both like great materials/ingredients, we both take the time to make things right, and both companies are run by a pair of siblings!

We were really excited by this credit that just appeared in the recent September issue of Men’s Journal. We like these brothers unique style, and are thrilled that Rick Mast is wearing a Hamilton 1883 shirt. They are just the kind of guy that we love to see in our clothes. So cool!

Thank you to Men’s Journal for thinking of us.

Check out this great video from Coolhunting about Mast Brothers Chocolate and how it gets made:

The credits from Men’s Journal:

Filed under: Food & Drink, Hamilton Shirts, History, Press by Stephen : No Comments »

Over on the Houston Press website, noted food writer/critic/historian Robb Walsh, has been slowly releasing his 100 favorite Houston dishes in Houston week by week. His final stand-out meals have added to the list and his slide-show countdown is now totally complete. The exemplary dishes that made the cut were included “because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others because of their cultural or historical significance, and others just because they are so damn tasty.”

In addition to reading through this valuable Houston Press master list, a clever guy by the name of Kyle Nielsen (“sometimes I get really bored at work“) has uploaded all these stats and Google mapped it all out for your dining convenience:  Robb Walsh’s Top 100 Houston Dishes, Houston Press. Therefore, not only do you get to see all 100 items in one place – you can map out the directions, find out which restaurants are closest, and you can handily download the map into your smart-phone.

Just think…you’ll never have an excuse for a bad meal ever, ever, again.

View Robb Walsh’s Top 100 Houston Dishes, Houston Press in a larger map

Filed under: Food & Drink, History, Houston by Stephen : No Comments »

What are two great tastes that taste great together? Beer with Lemonade!

Mix the two together, and you get a surprisingly very tasty drink that actually has been given a name – a Shandy. (not to be confused with Jared’s new fiancee Shandi, Congratulations BTW!) Combined in proportion of about half to half, this beer cocktail is perfect to enjoy on a hot summer day. The drink tastes best made with a light pilsner or a summer ale..and the official recipe calls for mixing in a carbonated Lemonade. I’ve found that a San Pellegrino Limonata works pretty well..and its fairly easy to find.

Throw in a lemon slice and you’re done!

Another great pale ale cocktail recipe to try comes from Darryl Robinson, who hosts a new show on the Cooking Channel called Drink Up.

Darryl’s Ginger Ale

• 2 slices fresh lemon
• Fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• Ice, as needed
• 2 ounces or 1/4 cup citrus-flavored vodka
• 1 ounce or 2 tablespoons agave syrup
• 2 ounces or 1/4 cup pale ale

Filed under: Food & Drink by Stephen : No Comments »

There is no better person that represents modern Houston better than the amazing Yao Ming.

The 7′ 6″ center for the Houston Rockets has been out for the last year following reconstructive foot surgery, but he will be returning to the Rockets this season for the last year of his five year contract. The centerpiece player for the Rockets, and the tallest player in the NBA, Yao has taken up a special place with his Houston based fans. One of China’s most recognizable and wealthy athletes, its obvious that Yao has been able to rack up many lucrative endorsement deals.

I bet the most special endorsement to Yao must be the Chinese restaurant that the player has opened for his family, now living in Houston. The Chinese Restaurant called Yao Restaurant & Bar was put together as a place for Yao’s parents to sit and relax and enjoy good food while interacting with fans and the local community.

I can’t say that I’ve personally been to Yao’s restaurant, but I really like that he did this for his folks- and it did get rated as the #1 Chinese in Houston by the website Citysearch.

Yao with Patrick Ewing having dinner at his namesake restaurant

Yao Restaurant & Bar, 9755 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77042 ph. 832.251.2588

Filed under: Food & Drink, Houston, Sports by Stephen : No Comments »

The new August issue of Bon Appetit arrived (I’m a little food obsessed, no?) and I found a great article on The Top 10 Best New Cocktail Bars in the USA by Andrew Knowlton. The article talks about how there has been a renewed interest in well-made, inventive, and perfect artisanal classic cocktails – all across the country. The magazine describes this revolution as nattily dressed bartenders, pre-Prohibition-era settings, and the careful use of the freshest ingredients available.

A Balmoral and Hanuman cocktail from Anvil. Photo by abstractconformity on Flickr

Of course Houston’s Anvil Bar & Refuge made the list, we’ve all known forever that this is the best bar in town, if not the country. The homemade mixers, bitters, etc…make their drinks some of the most delicious I’ve ever had. Their list of 100 cocktails that you must try is one of the most comprehensive lists of classic boozing to have ever been organized. We’re fans of the French 75 (limit yourself) the Pimms Cup (the best drink EVER for a hot summer day) and the Negroni (transports us immediately from Montrose & Mandel right to the Italian seaside).

Anvil. Photo by Erika Ray on Flickr

Next time I visit Anvil, I think I’ll have to be a little more adventurous – I still have 97 more drinks to try out!

Anvil Bar & Refuge, 1424 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77006 ph. 713.523.1622

Filed under: Food & Drink, Houston by Stephen : No Comments »

Currently airing on cable’s Cooking Channel during the day, The Galloping Gourmet, is a vintage TV show that has to be seen to be believed. This instructional cooking program aired on American television during the late 1960′s, probably as a foil to Julia Childs french cuisine precision.

The globe trotting chef and host, Graham Kerr, selects a dish from his world travels that gets prepared step-by-step in front of a live audience. Famous for his loose and free style, his “hedonism in a hurry” cuisine highlighted a heavy use of eggs, butter, cream, and of course, deep frying. With audience participation, spilling, missing ingredients, dropping stuff on the floor, insanity prevails.

At the start of the show, the Galloping Gourmet comes running out from backstage with a large glass of wine and proceeds to scramble around the room, jumping on, around, and over the furniture on the set. His totally bizarre sense of humor, coupled with what seems to be his on air wasted-ness, has to be seen to be believed. Set your DVR, its awesome.

In a unrelated fashion observation – the big shirt collars on Johnny Carson and Graham Kerr look really great. Don’t they?

Filed under: Food & Drink, History, Televison by Stephen : No Comments »

I’m sure just like everyone, you’ve watched the footage of the Gulf oil spill and just wished the entire thing could just magically go away. From the initial tragic accident, the environmental impact, the complex politics, to the loss of work for the regular folks who make their living on the Gulf – the repercussions of the spill will be felt for years to come.

Have you wished for an easy way to give back and help out those in need during this crisis?

One very easy way is to check out this group of silent auction items organized by the local group Houston Chowhounds. Organized by Jenny Wang (the food blogger that writes I’m Never Full) along with the rest of the Chowhounds, they’ve amassed a formidable list of very desirable items with all the proceeds going to the Gulf Coast fisherman affected by the BP oil spill disaster. With the help of ticket sales, cash donations, and this online auction, the money raised will go to everyday needs of the fisherman – mortgage payments, food and household expenses, bills, and medical care. The auction has been going great, the goal of raising $15,000 seems to be easily within reach. The auction items come in all price ranges…you’ll be able to find something to bid on no matter how much you can afford to give. Best of luck – you have now though July 19th at noon to bid!

Check out some of these excellent auction highlights:

1. Dinner for four at Beaver’s Ice House – currently at $325
2. Pig Butchering class with Chef Chris Shepard of Catalan – currently at $600
3. Dinner for 2 with Alison Cook of the Houston Chronicle – currently at $550
4. Private wine tasting dinner for 8 at The Tasting Room with Chef Michael Kramer – currently at $500
5. Lunch for 4 and restaurant tour with Elouise Adams Jones, better know as “Ouisie” – currently at $300

Filed under: Food & Drink, Giving, Houston by Stephen : No Comments »