North Italia

We originally had plans to go to Maggiano’s, but when we arrived they had some gas leak going on. change of plans and we got to hit up a new spot I have been hearing rave reviews on. North Italia has locations spreading over the US and I can see why.

When you walk in it’s modern and trendy and fully booked. I love that they have a huge glass wall to see into the kitchen. You can go up and watch the dishes being made.

K ordered an APRICOT LIMONATA $11 (smirnoff vodka, apricot liqueur, smashed lemon). Wow this drink is so good! It’s the perfect summer cocktail to lounge by the pool.

The guys each got the QUIET ITALIAN GENTLEMAN $14 (bulleit rye, cocchi vermouth di torino, campari, disaronno amaretto). I thought this was also a tasty choice.

For appetizer we started off with the TRUFFLE GARLIC BREAD $9 (house made ricotta, grana padano, herbs) and CRISP CALAMARI $12 (arugula & lemon vinaigrette). Both are worth ordering for sure. I had second thoughts on the calamari till I tasted it. The breading is nicely done and that lemon vinaigrette makes you want to lick the plate clean. You won’t be disappointed with either of these!

K ordered the SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS $17 (tomato sugo, basil, olive oil, pecorino cheese). The pasta was so fresh and light and it was a huge portion. For the sauce it was a little too spicy, but I loved it once you ate a bite all together with the meat and pasta.

I ordered the SLOW COOKED SHORT RIB $26 (roasted vegetable & creamy mascarpone polenta). It was tender and good, but the over charred veggies threw off the taste a little. Next time I would pick something different.

The guys each ordered the CHICKEN PARMESAN $20 (rigatoni noodle & grana padano cream). This was another winning dish! The chicken could have used a little more pasta sauce, but wow those rigatoni was melt in your mouth good.

I read a lot about this dessert and knew we had to try them. The BOMBOLINI $7 ((italian donuts) Meyer lemon curd, vanilla mascarpone) super light and fluffy and the curd with the mascarpone was just enough sweetness to add to the dish.

DARK CHOCOLATE TART $8 (nutella mousse, pecan toffee). This dessert is over the top in richness. I suggest ordering this as a table, because it’s so rich you won’t want more than a bite or 2.

We also ordered an ITALIAN COFFEE $8 (espresso, galliano ristretto, amaretto, vanilla whipped cream). So good! It’s a dessert in itself and I could have drank a pitch of it!

Honestly I can’t wait to go back. Although the time we waiting sitting outside waiting on our waitress was a little longer than I would have liked, the food is outstanding.

La Balance

Tucked away as what I like to call a hidden gem of Katy, is La Balance Cuisine. We’ve been a few times now and I have never been disappointed. I recently teamed up with the Cinco Ranch Foodies and with our first dinner I happened to choose La Balance. The chef and owner Manuel Atenco was excited to host us and designed a wonderful menu for our guest to test. The reason I chose this place is because it’s off the main road and a lot of people pass by it all the time without knowing it’s there. The chef/owner recently told me he’s thinking about other locations to get a larger space and be more easily seen. With being the only French restaurant in Katy, it’s also something not everyone thinks of trying due to being unfamiliar with what French food is.

For the first course we had Les Betteraves (roasted beets, blue d'Auvergne, walnuts, arugula). I have to say the dish is simple yet sophisticated. The beats where roasted just right and thinly sliced. My favorite part of the dish was the blue cheese cream. Hopefully I can get this recipe from the chef. The candied pecan gave you just enough sweetness to balance out the tang of the blue cheese.

For the main course we dined on fresh Lemon Sole with mashed potatoes, lemon caper sauce and green beans. The fish was freshly flown in and stuffed whole with lemons and herbs in parchment paper. Accompanying the fish was a well balanced lemon caper sauce. If I was a lone I might have licked the plate and probably asked for extra sauce just so I could soak it all up with a roll! It’s hard to find a place that cooks fish just right and this is a place that knows how to do it. It came out so moist and flaky I tried not to eat it fast and enjoy every bite.  

Dessert ended our night with home made Profiteroles with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce. You can’t go wrong with a dessert that’s made all from scratch! The pastry is light and flaky, topped with creamy ice cream and a hot chocolate sauce with nuts on top. Yum yum and more yum!

Overall my favorite course would happen to be the fish. I can’t stop thinking of it and how well it tasted married with the lemon caper sauce.

I can’t wait to come back and enjoy a wine pairing dinner, wine tasting or just a simple meal from their menu. Be sure to check out the web page or Facebook for upcoming events.  

Thank you to Agnes for letting me partner up with you, Chef Manuel for hosting us and all of the foodies in our new club! Stay tuned for our monthly dinner review coming soon.

Cocohodo

Cocohodo just opened up and we gave it a try after lunch right next door. I heard they had really good coffee and sweets. They also have a small outdoor patio for when the weather is nice. We sat outside since we had kids with us. The menu offered a nice selection of breakfast crepes, savory crepes, sweet crepes, ice cream and sorbets.

We ordered the Nutella Ice Cream $4.99 (2 scoops and a pastry). The ice cream was good for sure, nice and silky smooth.

It’s a little pricy from what I remember everything ranges from $5-$10. It’s a nice date spot or meeting spot or even a quiet spot to get some work done. 

La Balance Cuisine Wine Dinner

We visited La Balance a few times before and the food has always been spot on. This was our fist wine dinner here (priced at $89 a person).

While we waited for the dinner to begin we where welcomed with a glass of Barone Fini Valdadige. Normally we are not fans of Pinot Grigio, but this was a really good one. They also passed out little quiches, nothing special, but tasty none the less.

First Course – Gazpacho (honey dew, green tomatoes and crab cake), paired with Donati Unoaked Chardonnay Sisters Forever. I’m not a huge tomato fan, but you tasted more of the honeydew. This cold gazpacho was really good topped with a warm crab cake. I loved the presentation with the crab cake elevated on a slice of honeydew underneath.

Second Course – Duck Confit Raviolis (huckleberries red wine sauce), paired with Donati Claret Paicines. Not the prettiest dish, but the flavor OH THE FLAVOR! Wow you could taste the love from the time it took to for the duck to cook down. The huckleberry red wine reduction was the cherry on top! I can’t rave about this dish enough.

Third Course – Striped Black Bass (oyster mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, dressed in its own jus), paired with Donati Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek. The fish was cooked perfectly! The biggest treat for me was the jus sauce from the oyster mushrooms. I’m pretty sure I came close to licking the bowl to get the last drop.

Fourth Course – Buffalo N.Y. Strip (Lyonnais potatoes, blue cheese foam), paired with Donati Ezio Cabernet Blend Paicines. No complaints on this course either. The only thing is I could have used a little more foam.

Fifth Course – Sorbet (assorted fruit sorbets), paired with Donati Cabernet Sauvignon Paicines. After talking to the chef I totally have to agree with him. They wine guy brought the wrong one, which didn’t pair with the dessert at all! I couldn’t get enough of this home made sorbets the raspberry was my favorite it tasted just like cherries.

Meet the Chef – Huge thank you to Chef Manuel for an unforgettable meal and taking time out to talk to all the tables personally.

Overall I have to say this is up there as one of the best food and wine pairings we have had. The food is spot on and made with love.

Peska Seafood & Culture

Peska Seafood & Culture is located off Post Oak near the Galleria in town. We almost passed it up, they are next to Whole Foods on the bottom level of an office building.

As you walk inside you see of the “market” items available. You can buy all the ingredients including fresh seafood and take it home to cook yourself.

Once seated while we looked over the menu they brought out some rolls with butter. The butter was topped with a herb blend. A little too much for me, but it was a nice change to just plain butter.

We where also brought a fish crudité. I forgot what type of fish they used, but it got us excited for the meal to come. 

 

The waiter brought out a huge platter with all the fresh seafood on the menu tonight for us to see.

We decided to start with the Sea Urchin $23. This was on my bucket list of items to try in my lifetime and I was beyond excited to finally give it a try, When the platter came it was a little overwhelming. Basically you take a little urchin and add the desired toppings for your bite. They had such things as pickled veggie, red onion, ponzu and jalapeno. There really isn’t any taste to the sea urchin so I see why they have so many condiments to add. I thought it would be super fishy, but it was really light and refreshing.

We also ordered the Yucateco Ceviche $15 (lime juice, octopus, shrimp, conch, habanero sauce, avocado, cilantro. Holy mother is the habanero sauce no joke it’s pretty spicy. We like heat so we gobbled it down.

Red Snapper with Talla Sauce $28 per pound ours ended up being $70 total. Little more than I would like to spend on a fish, but it was really tasty. They brought us a sample of all the sauces they offer as well. The Talla Sauce we chose was still the best for this fish, it had a nice smoky taste from the grill.

Pappardelle Al Mare $29 Added Freshwater Prawns $35 (Calamari, Little Neck Clams, Garlic, White Wine, Butter, Parsley). We probably didn’t need to add on the freshwater prawns, but how could you not? They are like a little mini lobster. Cooked perfectly on the grill and melts right in your mouth!

Truffle Mashed Potatoes $7. Mmmmm whipped to perfection, and covered with plenty of truffle oil, you won’t be disappointed with this side dish.

We ended up tallying up a $200 bill, but it was totally worth it. I would love to go back (and spend less) next time. This place is great and they know how to cook seafood perfectly. I can’t wait to try some other dishes in the future.