Oceanaire

We usually don’t like going in town to the Galleria area because there’s so many people and the traffic is a nightmare, but since it was a Thursday and we where going for lunch we took a chance. We also figured the prices for lunch would be a little better than the dinner prices since we hadn’t been here before. I read a few reviews that since Landry’s took over the Oceanaire restaurant that the quality had gone down, not been here before I can’t tell you, but I can tell you the service is soooo slow. It was almost a 2 hour lunch with only maybe 10 other tables in the place filled with 1 waiter per tables it shouldn’t be this slow. I think our waiter hid more than anything. I should have taken a picture of the size glasses we had for water and tea. I almost asked him to leave the pitcher at the table so I could drink out of that, but I didn’t.

The restaurant is beautiful with silver, blue brown as their color scheme.

We where brought hot sourdough bread with soft butter and a plate of vegetables. Which maybe I’m not super fancy, but I didn’t understand this. I though they where pickled, but after the loud crunch from the carrot my husband took a bite of and him saying it tasted like a plain carrot I changed my mind.

Don’t look for refills, as soon as your food comes the bread is swept away, which then turned our waiters face to annoyed when I asked for more. The bread is hot and really good.

We ordered 2 appetizers, Fried Red Chili Calamari with Warm Asian Vegetables $10.95 and a Cup of New England Clam Chowder $5.95. The calamari had well reviews and we love trying calamari so we gave it a shot. The breading was really good and I felt like you got a good amount of calamari on the plate. The sauce was good too, but didn’t overly wow me. I would order again over the chowder. Nothing is wrong with the chowder it just is really thick and creamy, but seems like there’s not much flavor or filling in there.

For the main course we ordered the Seafood Mixed Grill $28.95 (Grilled fish of the day (Golden Tile), shrimp and baked stuffed shrimp). I don’t feel like we got $28 worth of food, but it wasn’t bad just a little bland. The fish was a hair overcooked. The rice looked full of flavor, but didn’t taste like anything. The asparagus where cooked perfectly which is rare to find.

We also ordered the Seared-Rare Hawaiian Yellowfin Ahi Tuna $19.95 (Wakame Seaweed, pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce). No complaints with this dish the fish was fresh and I would order it again.

Another rave review from previous diners was the Mac & Cheese $7.95 (Applewood Smoked Bacon, Smoked Gouda & Jalapeno). The menu promised spicy, but I can tell you there was no jalapeno, but an overwhelming applewood smoked bacon taste. Although good, I would order again, just be sure they kick it up a little.

Will I go back? Um probably not. The atmosphere was really nice and some of the food was good, but for the price there are way better place in town to eat at. The only discounts I saw online where 10% off if you’re a member of AARP.

Nagoya

We’ve been to Nagoya a few times now (Click HERE and HERE) and still can’t get enough of this place! I took a friend of mine that hadn’t been yet for lunch.

Since I remembered the Bunny Roll $13.95 (shrimp, lobster, crab meat) was so good I ordered another one.

We also tried out the Coconut Shrimp Wonton Puff $6.50 (Deep fried shrimp wrapped in coconut "cream cheese" - served with mango sauce (5 pcs). These where pretty good, but you have to like sweet stuff. The coconut on the shrimp is sweet as well as the mango sauce, but overall the flavors worked really good together, just tasted more like a seafood dessert.

We each ordered a Yakiniku Bento box $9.50 which came with soup, salad, California roll, tempura vegetables, and a spring roll. I kind of forgot to take a picture before I started eating, so there’s a little more food then what you see below. For the price you can’t beat it and it’s really filling. The beef was so tender you could cut it with a fork.

Can’t wait to go back and try some of the other things they offer. Don’t forget to follow them on Twitter or Facebook you’ll get monthly coupons. Check out their website and view the newsletters for the monthly discounts.

Buca Di Beppo

It’s been a really long time since we had been to Buca Di Beppo. After dinner tonight I don’t understand why we haven’t been back in so many years. The food is huge family style portions at a reasonable price and the flavor is amazing! The restaurant is a maze to get through as they take you to your table you pass through the kitchen and several of their themed rooms. It’s really neat, but there’s so much to look at you are almost overwhelmed.

We where having our last big meal for a while and planned on taking home a bunch of leftovers so I wouldn’t have to cook for a while, but of course we had to taste everything!

For an appetizer we went for the Buca Trio Platter $19.95 (Fried Calamari, Fried Mozzarella and Stuffed Mushrooms served with marinara, pesto cream sauce and spicy marinara sauce for dipping) Wow this was all really good!

For our main course we ordered the Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken $21.95 small $32.95 large (Breaded chicken breasts stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto, baked and topped with marinara, served on a bed of pesto cream sauce.) The chicken was really moist and we just loved the flavor of the pesto cream sauce which really made the dish.

I ordered the Spicy Chicken Rigatoni $18.95 small $29.95 large (Tender chicken breast sautéed with garlic and red pepper, tossed with peas, a spicy rosa sauce and imported Italian rigatoni pasta.) Oh how I loved this dish! So full of flavor and it does have a kick. The pasta is home made which gives it a nice light taste you just can’t stop eating it.

On top of all that we also ordered a small side of Fettuccine Alfredo $14.95. Loved the creamy white sauce you just can’t go wrong with Alfredo.

As you can see it’s all family style and you eat as much as you like (or should I say can). When they bag up your left overs be sure to ask for some extra bread.

I just loved everything about this place. I also appreciated that when I asked for extra marinara sauce or extra pesto on my chicken to go they didn’t charge me extra. Big bonus in my book! Be sure to sign up online for their email newsletter they send out coupons every once in a while. Can’t wait to go back!

Fish City Grill

I had raved to D about how good Fish City Grill was and told him I had to take him there. Last time I was there (click HERE for details) I had a bowl of Cream of Roasted Jalapeño Soup was really good, but this time we tried the Clam Chowder $3.99. It was good as well, but I think I would rather have the jalapeno soup.

For our first choice we went with a special on the board. Crab Stuffed Flounder with Chardonnay Cream Sauce $17.99. Although it sounded really good, it wasn’t. The fish was dry and over cooked and there wasn’t much stuffing. I felt like they just threw whatever they could on the plate and served it.

We also ordered another black board special, Grilled Chilean Salmon with Bourbon Honey Glaze $14.99. This was a little better than the other dish. The potatoes and grits tasted really bland and the only good thing on the plate was the sauce.

If this was our first time here I wouldn’t come back. All I can say is I’ll be sticking to the menu items from now on.

Mr. C Hotel

We had originally decided to stay one night in Los Angeles and one night in Beverly Hills, but considering the areas where we would be for convenience we decided to stay both nights in Beverly Hills. For $20 more a night it was the best decision we made. You might be a little shocked at the price of the hotel online, but if you search for “discount codes” online you’ll get a discounted rate. We had the discount code of Autumn and saved 30% a night. Trust me you won’t be disappointed with Mr. C Beverly Hills.

There’s several things I loved about this hotel, first off as you walk in a concierge person greats you with a cocktail and takes your name. You sit in the bar area while she goes off and checks you in. They walk you to your room make sure you are happy and leave you to go about your day. When you need your car you can call down there like you do at other hotels or you can text them your valet number. Quickest service I’ve ever seen! This hotel is modern, up to date and service is their number 1 goal. I felt like a princess here. The rooms are a generous size and even have a balcony. Our room faced the valley and you could see the Hollywood sign.

Walk into your room with a huge dressing mirror to your left, makeup area and bathroom to your right.

There was a light shower that afternoon which revealed a double rainbow.

If I ever head back I will be staying here for sure. I loved this hotel!!

Willie’s Grill & Icehouse

We originally went to Willie’s Grill & Icehouse several years ago with my husband’s cousin. We where hooked and had to go every time we where on his side of town. We where excited when one finally opened up in our area. It’s a great place that has a little of everything. We took our niece and nephew there for their first time to celebrate their birthday’s. Every year we buy a discount card from the local High School athletics teams. The card has various discounts to local places including food, clothing and services. The card only cost $20 and you get your monies worth pretty easily. The discount for Willie’s was half off an appetizer.

You order your meal from their big board then go sit yourself. We started out with an order of Onion Rings (small $4.95, large $5.95) and Fried Jalapenos (small $2.75, large $5.25). The jalapenos where not a hit with the kids because they where too spicy, but D and I love them. The onion rings on the other hand where a huge hit.

3 of us got the Willie Burger with cheese $7.25 (1/2 pound burger served with fries) Again a huge hit at our table. The burgers are nice and juicy and really filling.

My nephew ordered the Fried Catfish served with fries ($7.75 small, $9.95 large). He said he loved it and the fish was cooked perfect. His favorite part was the breading on the fish.

The place was a hit with them and I’m glad we could share somewhere new with them. Can’t wait to go back.

Las Alamedas

We’ve been to Las Alamedas before you can see what we had last time HERE. We found another one of those discounted offers Houston offers daily. I really enjoyed our meal this time and I would defiantly order the same thing next time.

I went with the Carne Asada Tampiquena $25 (Mesquite grilled open tenderloin served with a chicken enchilada, guacamole, grilled onions, poblano slices and refried beans.) Wow was this meat tender! The enchilada has a really nice spice to it. The guacamole was a little odd with the dish since you didn’t get tortillas with it, of course that’s how they probably get you to order more. I just ate it with the chips. Yummy dish!

D ordered the Huachinango a la Talla $23 (The pride and joy of Pie de la Cuesta, Acapulco. Butterflied boneless red snapper marinated with roasted guajillo ancho peppers and herbs cooked over mesquite grill. Served with roast cut corn and potatoes.) He said he would order it again. The fish was cooked perfectly and the sauce really makes the dish, but you’ll have to ask for some extra because they don’t put enough on there. I loved the potatoes they had a nice spice to them too.

Can’t wait to go back and try some other dishes!

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse

As I mentioned on my last post, once a year the month of August turns into Restaurant Weeks. One of the best ways to try new restaurants is dining out during this month! For a set price of $35 for dinner you get regular size portions at a very discounted rate and restaurants donate $5 per dinner sold to the Houston Food Bank. It’s a win win for everyone! You have to be sure you ask for the restaurant week menu when you sit down, because they don’t just hand them out when you can pay full price on the regular menu.

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse is another place we haven’t been in years. The one thing we remembered most was not their steaks, but their scallop appetizer. It was this huge scallop on a mushroom cap and tasted like heaven. One thing not to miss is their meat display right as you walk in. My pictures are going to be a little dark, because the lighting was really low.

We where seated hear the entrance in a row of booths that looked over the kitchen. Personally I love this view, maybe because I’m a foodie and watching the kitchen is like watching an artist paint.

As we looked over the menu we munched on their freshly baked bread. I must say out of all the places we’ve ever been I think they have my absolute favorite bread. There’s a nice thin outer crust to the bread and then the inside is pure fluffy cloud, this is what true bread should taste and look like.

Sadly they didn’t have our scallop on the menu, but we decided to try another one they had. Bacon-Wrapped Scallops $16.95, was hardly worth the cost. I don’t recommend this appetizer. The bacon was thick so it seemed by the time they cooked the bacon through it overcooked the small scallops. The only thing that saved this dish was the garlic butter soaked French bread that the topped.

Now onto our choices from the Restaurant Week Menu. We started out with the Caesar Salad (regular menu price $9.95) and The Soup of the Day (regular menu price is priced daily). Today’s soup was Tomato Basil. Usually you can’t go wrong with Caesar, this salad looked and smelled like one, but didn’t taste like anything, it’s the strangest thing ever. The soup was really good and piping hot.

For the second course we ordered the 8 ounce Filet with Smoked Mushroom Ragout & Jumbo Grilled Shrimp (regular menu price is $37.95 for the steak only) and the 12 ounce Dry Aged Prime New York Strip (regular price starts on the 14 ounce $41.95 and up). I loved the mushroom ragout, but the shrimp was overcooked. D really enjoyed the Strip as well. One good thing is this is one of those steakhouses that can really cook a good steak. Both of our dishes came with mashed potatoes & haricot verts (basically a fancy word for French green beans).

We did order an extra side not listed on the menu which was a Crab Macaroni for $16.95. While you might say that’s high for mac and cheese, this one was filled with lump crab meat and just melted in your mouth.

For dessert we chose New York Style Cheesecake (regular menu price $8.95) and Chocolate Silk Pie (regular menu price $8.95). Both desserts where excellent. The cheesecake had the best crust I’ve ever had which was perfect on thickness for the cake. There was also a really good sour cream sauce drizzled onto too, which really balanced out the dessert. The chocolate silk pie I thought was nothing special, until I tasted the coffee crust. It’s really been updated from a simple chocolate pie to something I would order again.

Would I come back again, of course. Overall you get what you pay for here (except that scallop appetizer). We saved around $45 with the Restaurant Week menu which covered a bottle of wine. Oh, if you’re looking for an extensive wine menu, this is your place with over 600 bottles to chose from. The wine guy walks around and offers you help if you have any questions as well. Service is amazing here (we liked our waitress Kelly she did a fantastic job) and everyone was really friendly. The only complaint is that they advise you to dress nice, yet we still saw people in t-shirts and shorts, which makes you feel a little awkward when you go out to a nice dinner and feel like your over dressed.