Lola

name of restaurant :: Lola
address :: 1102 Yale at 11th St
hours ::
meals served :: B, L & D
prices :: $-$$
dress code :: Casual
reservations :: first come, first serve
website :: www.eatlola.com
review :: While in a bind to get my husband dinner I stopped by Lola in the Heights. He wanted a turkey sandwich so I ordered him the Day After Thanksgiving sandwich (which comes with fries or a salad). The sandwich lives up to its name. Stuffing is smeared across the bottom of the sweet, buttery bun then buried underneath a mount of thickly sliced turkey and layer of cranberry sauce. A side of brown gravy is included. We ordered it with fruit which had suspiciously super sweet grapes.

Personally I could have used more cranberry sauce since I like the sweet tang against the salty turkey and stuffing but my husband has taken to it so much he has ordered it 4 times in the week since we tried it. I give it a 4 but the husband gives it a 5. The sandwich costs around $12 after tax. I don't long for it as he does but I will certain order it again. It hits the spot.

Beware going during the busy hours. Though there is a decent amount of seating, when it gets busy you might get stuck in close proximity with strangers.
rating :: 4 forks
reviewed by :: spankypants

Ray’s Franks and More

name of restaurant :: Ray's Franks and More

address :: 1301 Nance St Houston, TX 77002
hours :: Mon-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
meals served :: L & D
prices :: $
dress code :: Casual
reservations :: N/A
website :: www.raysfranks.com/
review :: Located north of downtown this little hole in the wall is a little hard to find but well worth the search. They serve hamburger and hot dogs. Both excellent. I got the Frankenstein - sauerkraut and spicy mustard - topped with sweet cool relish. Husband bypassed the cleverly named hamburgers and wanted just a regular with avocado and ketchup and a bottle of Coke. We split an order of fries. Total cost $13 not including tip. Not bad at all consider the portion side. They brought out my hot dog first. Nestled in a large bun that resembled a hoagie bun but was soft and fluffy it was brimming with sauerkraut, spicy mustard and relish. They did not skimp out on the condiments. The Boarshead dog was juicy, plump and much larger than a normal hot dog. Husband's hamburger came out next. I didn't see the size of the patty but the bun was huge. Our crinkle fries came out last, hot from the fryer and dusted with a delicious seasoning we kept popping them like pills even though they scorched our mouths.

Will definitely return again when I get a hot dog hankering.
rating :: 5 forks
reviewed by :: spankypants

Whole Foods :: Cake

name of restaurant :: Whole Foods
address :: n/a
hours :: n/a
meals served :: n/a
prices :: $
dress code :: casual
reservations :: n/a
website :: www.wholefoodsmarket.com
review :: I'm a bit of a cakephile. Love me some cake. Cupcakes, Petit Fours, wedding cake, baby cakes, any cakes. I've had such bad luck with grocery store cakes that I've stayed away from them...with the exception of HEB's Boston Cream Pie...mmm.

After staring at the Whole Foods cake fridge for 10 minutes I decide on a beautifully decorated white sheet cake that feeds 8-12 (or so the cake decorator says but I can easily finish one off by myself in a day). Beyond just colored frosting there are speckles of color in the white base frosting and little hints of sprinkles to give the flowers a little texture.

Immediately my friend comments on how incredibly moist the cake is. A second friend raves about the light but delicious frosting - a nice deviation from the heavy and incredibly sweet butter cream. Before I dive into my slice I notice the color isn't your typical white cake, it's slightly browner which I presume comes from non-bleached organic flour. It was delicious. Just as my friends said, light frosting that perfectly compliments the moist cake. It was so good I contemplated going back to Whole Foods to get my own personal cake.

Sorry I didn't get pictures of the cake, once I people started raving about the cake instinct had me reaching for my fork without thinking.
rating :: 5 forks
reviewed by :: spankypants

Olivette

name of restaurant :: Olivette
address :: 111 N Post Oak Ln Houston, TX 77024-7703
hours :: Weekdays 6:30 am - 10:00 pm, Weekends 7:00 am -10:00 pm
meals served :: B, L and D
prices :: $$$
dress code :: dressy-casual
reservations :: recommended
website :: www.houstonian.com/Olivette.aspx
review :: Went in for restaurant week:

The dining environment at The Houstonian was serene. We were seated by the window where the lushly (and abnormally green) manicured lawn of The Houstonian contrasted sharply with the gray rain clouds. It was 6:30pm so there was still plenty of light through the thick clouds. It was a nice setting - felt like I was in Seattle.

First course: Little Neck Clams in Garlic, Parsley, Butter, Grilled Ciabatta. I love clams and my favorite place to go to for clams (Trulucks) does not carry them right now because they are "out of season." I've had them many a times since finding this out but Trulucks may have it right because the clams have been small in size and lacks the plumpness of a perfect clam (hopefully you lasted this long without snickering). But as you can see the clams are in a butter garlic bath so you just can't go wrong with that. Not bad but didn't blow me away.

Second Course: Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Ratatouille, Potato Croquettes, Basil. Perfect medium rare steak with flavorful hints of seasoned bell peppers, zucchini, pearl onions and carrots. My fellow foodie, Sarah, loved the pearl and little purple onions. Very good and well done in presentation and flavor.

Third Course: Chocolate Pudding Cake accompanied with Fudge Sauce, Hazelnut Ice Cream, Hazelnut Tuile. This one is interesting. The chocolate pudding cake has the consistency between mousse and barely cooked chocolate cake batter. The chocolate pudding cake was rich so I went back and forth from the cake to the hazelnut ice cream to balance out the cavity-loving richness. The sugar hazelnut garnish was a nice crunchy finish to the dessert.

Olivette was nice. Didn't really blow me away but it would be a nice place to go for celebrating occasions.
rating :: 4 forks
reviewed by :: spankypants

Quattro

name of restaurant :: Quattro
address :: 1300 Lamar Street , Houston , Texas , U.S.A. 77010-3017
hours :: M-F 6:30am - 10pm, S-S 7am - 10pm
meals served :: B, L and D
prices :: $$$
dress code :: dressy-casual
reservations :: recommended
website :: www.fourseasons.com/houston/dining.html
review :: Went in for restaurant week.

First course: Summer Melon & Prosciutto di Parma with Asparagus, Endive, Marsala Gastrique. All of the flavors perfectly complimented each element of the appetizer. Even the plainly blanched asparagus struck a balance between the sweet juiciness of the melons with the saltiness of the prosciutto.

Second course: Oven Roasted Stripped Bass on a bed of Little Neck Clams, Fregula, Grape Tomatoes, Basil-Saffron Broth. Everything was delicious and flavorful with the exception of the bass itself. The bass tasted like it had been in the freezer for a long time and the texture was dry and slightly crumbly. I didn't touch the fish after the first two bites but cleaned the plate of everything else.

Third course: Limoncello Panna Cotta topped with Peach Compote, Raspberry & Caramelized Almonds. This was amazing. I never had panna cotta before and didn't know what to expect. It had the texture of flan but a little fluffier. There was also a mildly sweet whipped topping on the panna cotta that perfectly complimented the panna cotta. The peach compote gave it a nice diversion of flavor from the panna cotta and caramelized almonds provided just the perfect amount of texture to the smoothness of this dessert.

Aside from the bass, this meal exceeded my expectations. Don't know if I would go for a nice occasion but will definitely return for next years restaurant week.
rating :: 4 forks
reviewed by :: spankypants