Vin Gets Spotlight in 'Texas Monthly'

IN THE NEWS: In its July 2007 issue, Texas Monthly texasmonthly.com interviews Blue Bell Creameries CEO Paul W. Kruse, while critic Patricia Sharpe review pick of the month is Houston's Vin (530 Texas Ave.) and also notes Dallas' Trader Vic's (Hotel Palomar, 5330 E. Mockingbird Lane), and Arlington's Olenjack's Grille (Lincoln Square, 770 Road to Six Flags East). ... The Houston Press' houstonpress.com Robb Walsh reviews Blake's BBQ and Burgers (2916 Jeanetta), while Paul Galvani plugs the chocolate green tea cheesecake at Mak Chin (1511 Shepherd) and Jason Kerr imbibes at Kobain (3720 Raymond St.). ... The Chronicle's chron.com Alison Cook reviews Vin and Burns Bar-B-Q & Catering (8307 De Priest), while the Drive-Thru Gourmet stops by Denny's. ... FoodInHouston.blogspot.com considers chicken fried steak, mentioning Avenue Grill, Lankford Grocery, and Prince's Hamburgers.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

'Food & Wine' Honors Catalan's Wine

IN THE NEWS: Food & Wine foodandwine.com magazine's July 2007 edition includes the Best New Wine Lists of 2007, which lists Houston's Catalan ... The Houston Chronicle's Alison cook reviews Burns Bar-B-Q & Catering (8307 De Priest) and Taverna Winery & Restaurant (12820 Texas 105 West, Conroe) and blogs about the new Chocolata, while the Drive-Thru Gourmet considers the new Penguin Swirl at Baskin-Robbins. chron.com ... The Houston Press' Robb Walsh reviews Bob's Steak & Chop House (1801 Post Oak Blvd.), while Paul Galvani stops by Bamboo House (540 Waugh). houstonpress.com ... Both of the Wolfgang Puck Express restaurants in the Houston area have closed, Cleverley's Newsletter cleverleysnewsletter.com reports: Carillon Center on Westheimer near Beltway 8 and Sugar Land. The phones are disconnected and the Texas restaurants have been removed from WolfgangPuck.com. The Houston restaurant opened in April 2004 and Sugar Land opened less than a year ago in June 2006. In a press release, the company said the eateries "did not meet our sales expectations." ... The Houston Business Journal reviews the Carillon Center's Santos The Taste of Mexico. ... Blogger Food in Houston foodinhouston.blogspot.com takes a road trip and winds up raving about Austin's Wink. "Last weekend I took a food trip to Austin to investigate an awful rumor -- that fine dining in Austin may now be more progressive than fine dining in Houston. I have sad news to report. That rumor may be true," the blog opines.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Diners Say: We Want Less

A survey of more than 4,000 diners finds that a substantial majority believes restaurant portions are too big. Fifty-seven percent said portions were too large; 20 percent said they were too small; and the 23 percent who had no opinion apparently thought they were just right. The results, reported in Nation's Restaurant News, an industry trade journal, were heavily skewed by gender and income. Sixty-seven percent of women believed portions were too large, while only forty-seven percent of men reached the same conclusion. Meanwhile, sixty percent of respondents making between $100,000 and $150,000 said portions were oversized. And that figure rose to seventy percent among those making more than $150,000. In contrast, and perhaps not surprisingly, only twenty-seven percent of those with incomes under $25,000 thought portions were too large.

IN THE NEWS: The Houston Press' Robb Walsh reviews Le Viet Restaurant and Bar (11328 Westheimer), while Paul Galvani stops by Ponzo's for pizza and Chris Boyd visits Pico's Mexican Restaurant (5941 Bellaire). houstonpress.com ... The Chronicle's Alison Cook reviews Taverna Winery & Restaurant (12820 Texas 105 West, Conroe) and Valentino's Seafood (20801 Gulf Freeway) and blogs about her first visit to REEF, the new midtown seafood emporium from chef-owner Bryan Caswell and his partner, Bill Floyd. Both came from the former Jean-Georges Vongerichten-operated Bank, at the Hotel Icon, where Caswell was chef de cuisine and Floyd was food & beverage director. chron.com ... For its RA Sushi brand, Benihana officials say the company has seven locations under development, not including the ones in South Florida: Mesa, Ariz.; Huntington Beach, Calif.; Tustin, Calif.; Baltimore, Md.; Lombard, Ill.; and Houston and Plano, Texas, the South Florida Business Journal reports.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Chocolata Cocoa Bar To Open June 9

IN THE NEWS: From the Chronicle's chron.com Alison Cook's Cook's Tour blog: "New at Ibiza is Julie Hewitt, a pastry chef who has taught at Central Market here, as well as serving on the opening team at the new Tony's, working under chef Olivier Ciesielski. She once trained for six months at Spago LA under Sherry Yard, the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Pastry Chef for 2002. ... One of the most inviting new spots for an al fresco dinner is Hollywood Vietnamese & Chinese Cuisine on Montrose, relocated to the former Cafe Noche digs from its lower-profile Grant Street site a block east ...; The new Chocolata Cocoa Bar will open on the Woodlands waterway less than two weeks from now--on Saturday, June 9. Judging from an early sample of the chocolate dessert emporium's wares, the place will be worth checking out.". ... Cook reviews Valentino's Seafood (20801 Gulf Freeway), and Cafe Soleil (11910 Louetta). ... The Houston Press' Robb Walsh reviews Venetian Bistro & Pastry Shop (3821 Bellaire Blvd), while Paul Galvani features the lemon meringue pie at Grand Luxe (5000 Westheimer) and Chris Boyd drinks up at Sherlock's (1997 W. Gray). houstonpress.com ... Blogger Food in Houston foodinhouston.blogspot.com reviews Truluck's. ... Phoenix-based blogger Jack's Brain iamjacksbrain.com reviews a number of Houston restaurants after a recent trip, including Brennan's and Pesce.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com