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Dough Pizzeria Napoletana (Castle Hills, San Antonio, TX)

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Pizza…It’s more than just a piece of bread and a few ingredients. If done right, the dough, is an oh-so-heavenly pillow painted with the heavenliest of tomatoes. And on this heavenly concoction lies only the best hand-rolled mozzarella…that can be found at Dough Pizzeria Napoletana. Dough Pizzeria bakes their delicious, fluffy pizzas in an authentic oven straight from Naples, Italy…

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Truffle & Mascarpone Burrata – As Seen on the Food Network. House pulled truffle Burrata. Colorburst Farms tomatoes. Rosemary Balsamic Reduction. Flatbread.

This delicious handrolled Burrata is probably the culprit behind my sudden mozzarella binge. The combo of truffle and mascarpone was perfect! It left me wanting much more!

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Bread. Oven-baked. Perfect chewy and soft bread texture, just like the pizza dough itself.

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House Smoked Salmon Spinach & Pancetta. Baby Spinach. Vital Farms pasture raised organic hard boiled egg. Gorgonzola. Crisp apple. Toasted Walnuts. Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette.

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Pork Love. Sopressata Salami. Sausage. Pancetta. Speck. House Pulled Mozzarella. Tomato Sauce.

Other Delicious Pizza: Arugula & Prosciutto. 

I’ve never been to Naples, so I can’t guarantee the authenticity of the dishes, however, my palate tells me that this has to be one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had… San Antonio is filled with pizza joints, but this one provides a romantic, yet homey atmosphere and more importantly, a delicious meal awaiting…

Dough Pizzeria Napoletana on Urbanspoon

Straits (Westchase, Houston, TX)

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On a mini tour through Texas and my first stop..Houston! My previous post was on a great sandwich joint called Local Foods (click HERE for my review)…a local sandwich shop owned by Benjy’s. After a great lunch with the boyfriend, the next stop? A girl’s night at Straits.  They had a great dinner menu filled with small, delicious plates. The restaurant atmostphere was perfect for a girls night out...trendy, but still comfy! And the drinks were delicious…unfortunately, they were gone before I could photograph them…

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Roti Prata. Yellow curry dipping sauce.

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Spring Rolls. 

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Singapore Satay Sticks. Spicy Peanut Sauce.

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Murtabak. Roti Prata. Spiced Beef. Curry Dip.

Every dish left me wanting more. For a bar scene, the dishes were well thought out and infused with homey, yet rich flavors. I’m not gonna lie…we ordered more than one Roti Prata. It’s not a girl’s night if you can’t load up on carbs! haha…It’s okay. We paid for it at the gym…

I have yet to try their official dinner entrees, but if these small plates are a reflection of what they have to offer, then I can’t wait!

Straits on Urbanspoon

Local Foods (Rice Village, Houston, TX)

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There are plenty of restaurants in Houston, but I’m so surprised by this “local” food joint! Decor is very cool yet still very casual.

Truffle Egg Salad. Market greens. Parmesan. Aioli. Pretzel bun.

Posole. Green chili. Chicken. Cilantro. Lime.

Duck Confit. Arugula. Cranberry Preserve Aioli.

This has to be my favorite sandwich joint in Houston! I’m not even the biggest fan of chicken/egg salad type sandwiches, but their Truffle Egg Salad blew me away.

Local Foods on Urbanspoon

Emeril’s New Orleans (Warehouse District)

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The “chef” and I had some friends come into town and Emeril’s was the perfect place to take them. We had a rather large group and figured it would be great if we ordered several different entrees and appetizers to create our own “little” feast.

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Amuse Bouche. Vietnamese BBQ

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“Emeril’s” New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. Petite Rosemary Biscuit and Fresh Chives.

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Charbroiled Oysters and Escargot in Butter.

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Steamy Buffalo Chappapeela Farms Duck Wings. Shaved Celery. REd grapes. Whippe Blue Cheese Creme Fraiche.

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Crisp -Point Judith Calamari. Olive Salad. Parmesan. Smoked Tomato Sauce

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Crisp – Point Judith Calamari. House Made Pepper Jelly. Crisp Okra. Black Pepper-Buttermilk Ranch

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Seared Scallops and Softshell Crab.

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Maple-Soy Lacquered Chapapella Farms Duck. Dirty Fried Rice. Pickled Local Vegetables.

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Shrimp and Linguini.

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Truffled Shrimp “Louis” Salad. Iceberg Wedge. Applewood Smoked Bacon. Chopped Eg. Asparagus. Tobiko.

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Canteloupe Sorbet.

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BAM! Bombarded with the whole dessert menu! Man, is it good to have friends in the industry. Being the foodies that we are, the chef and I have made friends in the industry and we were treated like kings and queens. To top it all off, they served us with a buffet of desserts:

Key Lime Ice Box Pie. Torched Cinnamon Meringue. Honey Graham Crust.

Emeril’s Banana Creme Pie. Graham Cracker Crust. Caramel Sauce. Chocolate Shavings

Chocolate-Sambuca Mousse Cake. Au Lait Semifreddo. Espresso Bean Bark

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. Oreo Crust. Caramel Sauce.

Walnut Foster Bread Pudding. Cinnamon Candied Walnut. Bruleed Banana.

What a memorable meal! Tons of food and all with that Emeril’s flair! Great execution of every dish. Rich with flavor and leaving my mouth watering..even now.

Emeril's New Orleans on Urbanspoon

Fat Bao (Houston, TX : Kirby)

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There’s a new restaurant in town! Fat Bao took the traditional steamed bun and converted it into a delicious new concept. Steamed buns were most popularly stuffed with delicious roasted Peking duck, but Fat Bao has taken that idea and created their own variety of stuffed steamed buns, delicious appetizers, and even desserts…

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Avocado Chips. Panko crusted w/ Jalapeno Dip

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Crab Daddy Bao. Soft shell crab. Spicy mayo. Asian Slaw. Bulgogi Bao. Beef ribeye. Kimchi. Green onions. Peking Duck Bao. Roasted Duck. Green onions. Hoisin sauce.

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Curry Bao. Beef brisket. Cilantro. Pickled Red Onions.Crab Daddy. (close up)

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Peking Duck (left) and *Special*: Fried Portabello Bao w/ Asian Slaw

 

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Fried Bao: Cafe du Monde Bao (left) Spicy Chocolate Bao (right)

Something so simple, but transformed into something so delicious! The idea of stuffed baos is not only impressive but the quality of the food is unexpected. Along with good food, the customer service here is awesome! Check this place out..you’ll love it!

Fat Bao on Urbanspoon

Pho Bistreaux (Carrollton, New Orleans)

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Just what the Carrollton area needed! In the past year, various restaurants have opened down Oak St. and its newest addition is Pho Bistreaux. They have just recently opened but already have crowds of hungry patrons entering the restaurant and leaving satiated…

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Chicken and Pork Sliders. 

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Pho with Brisket. 

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Flan. 

The restaurant has opened its doors for only a little over a week, but the food is delicious and authentic. Great service overall, especially in comparison to its competitors throughout the city! The restaurant is quite small, but the environment is modern and family-friendly. 

Pho Bistreaux on Urbanspoon

Click HERE for more restaurant reviews!

Bayou Hot Wings (Audubon, New Orleans)

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New Orleans is known for it’s boiling pot of great restaurants all around the city, but when it comes to fast food, where do you go? With the superbowl right around the corner, wings are a hot commodity and Bayou Hot Wings has to be one of the best wings around! It’s so good that the Travel Channel selected BHW to be one of three other restaurants in the city to be on Adam Richman’s special “Super Bowl Tailgate Takeover” airing January 30 9ET/8CT.  The owners are local New Orleans chefs that take pride in local flavors and homemade dishes. All the wings are 24+hr marinated and the sauces are made in house. They even offer local dishes: jambalaya, fried frog legs, and gator bites.  

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Sausage and Seafood Jambalaya. Tasso. Sausage. Shrimp. 

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Deep Fried Frog Legs. Excellent when paired with Remoulade sauce. 

 

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Thick Seasoned Onion Rings.  

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Caesar Wrap with a touch of Hotboy Sauce. 

 

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1/2 lb Burger with Hotboy Sauce. Steak fries. 

 

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Last but not least…WINGS: (left to right) Hotboy, Chipotle BBQ, Sweet, Lemon Pepper

I’ve basically tried the whole menu and I have to say it deserves more than the “best fast food” title…Every menu item comes out fully garnished, steaming hot, and packed with authentic chef-made flavors. I LOVE that their specialty is wings, but even the burgers are delicious…probably one of the best burgers I’ve had! 

My favorites: Chipotle BBQ wings, Hotboy wings, onion rings, coleslaw, and ALL of the burgers

Local favorites: Jambalaya, Fried Gator Bites, and Fried Frog Legs w/ Remoulade sauce

If you haven’t tried them yet, I HIGHLY recommend this local wing joint. Not into wings? No worries, because I enjoy their non-wing items just as much..if not more! Tell them chefsgirl sent you ^_^ 

Bayou Hot Wings on Urbanspoon

Borgne (CBD, New Orleans)

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Chef John Besh does it again! I’ve heard about Borgne by word of mouth, but what really inspired me to go try it out for myself was when I tried the Oyster Amandine at New Orleans Oyster Festival at Woldenburg Park 2012 (click for pictures). I swear, festival food is always the best..Have you ever heard of the law of Diminishing returns? Basically, when applied to food, it means serving food in small bites that leave your palate longing for more…so when I tried multiple miniscule oyster dishes at the festival, you can only imagine how I felt when I only got to enjoy a BITE of Oysters Amandine…After that experience, I’ve had high expectations for Borgne…

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Panoramic restaurant view.

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Early for lunch…

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Charbroiled Oysters. 

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Duck Poppers. Jalapeno. Bacon.

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Slow Smoked Pork Empanadas. White BBQ Sauce.

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Sopa Ajo (Garlic Soup). Garlic Soup. Idiazabal Cheese. Cured Egg Yolk. 

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Honeysuckle Hotty. Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka. Hot Chamomile Tea. (Missing: Sugar Candy pop)

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Marinated Crab Fingers. Bread Salad. Torn Herbs.

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Ragout of Louisiana Rabbit (Lunch Special). Orecchiette Pasta. Garlic. Tomatoes. Rapini. Reminds me a lot of the Spicy Lamb Meatball dish at Domenica’s except with rabbit! 

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Fried P&J Oysters Amandine. Grilled Mushrooms. Wilted Spinach. Oh..the delicious Oysters Amandine…Delicious and LOADED with cornmeal crusted oysters!

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Seared Jumbo Shrimp. Brandade Ravioli. Shrimp Chorizo Consomme. Brussel Sprouts. Pumpkin. Chick Peas. 

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Pecan Praline Beignets. 

My favorite dishes had to be anything with oysters: Charbroiled oysters and Oysters Amandine. I also LOVED the Pork Empanadas...Honestly, I hadn’t known much about Spanish or Mexican food until I relocated to Texas and since then, I just LOVE it. It’s just so rich, but can be so refreshing at the same time. 

What didn’t I like? We had a grapefruit sorbet (not pictured) that was definitely homemade, but the fruit itself was not ripe and left a not-so-enjoyable bitter aftertaste. Another item I could’ve done without was the Honeysuckle Hotty. My girlfriend said the same about her cocktail so if anything, I would suggest grabbing a local beer like NOLA Brewing. I really like the blonde ale..it’s lighter and goes great with the food at Borgne.

Overall, good meal! I feel like Borgne’s menu is a boiling pot of Domenica and Luke…The rusticness of Luke together the Italian refinement of Domenica. If you’re in the CBD and looking for a fine lunch, Borgne is a great place to try! 

Borgne (Hyatt Regency) on Urbanspoon