All posts tagged: houston restaurants

Around Town: Etoile Cuisine et Bar

Did that gorgeous bowl of mussels (moules) stop you in your tracks? You can enjoy this delectable dish and more at Etoile Cuisine et Bar! Tucked in a corner of bustling Uptown Park, Etoile is not a new restaurant in Houston, but it has held it’s own and continues to please after 5 years! It’s a sophisticated French eatery with a modern farmhouse interior boasting chandeliers, gorgeous wood accents, and a muted color palatte, and serving traditional & seasonal French fare. There is also a nice patio area to dine on when the weather permits, like the day we were there. While all the new restaurants in town are getting mentioned on blogs and websites I thought that Etoile Cuisine et Bar deserved a little “re-recognition” too 🙂 The Story… “The owners of Etoile, Chef Philippe Verpiand and Monica Bui, have created an inviting, warm European environment where fine French food is front and center. “We want to dispel the notion that French food is heavy and pretentious,” says the team, recently transplanted to Houston from San Diego, where they …

Around Town: The New Grotto Ristorante in Downtown Houston is a Must!

If you’ve lived in Houston for any length of time you’ve probably dined at the Grotto’s located at Loop 610 and Westheimer. It’s kind of a Houston landmark! Well now there is a new Grotto in town located downtown on Avenida Las Americas and she’s a beauty! This past Friday my friend Holly and I decided to go take in some of the sights downtown as our great city is in preparations for hosting Super Bowl LI this coming weekend. Hungry, as usual, and so many great times with friends are spent over food and a great glass of wine, we decided to pop into the new Grotto. I was impressed from the minute we walked in. It is a gorgeous, industrial, but warm atmosphere. Taupe-y grey stone floors mingling with graphic black and white tiles. Light woods. Dark woods. White subway tile. Taupe-y grey brick. Steel grey metals. Stainless steel. Exposed pipes. Edison light bulbs. Large black framed picture windows and pops of green from succulents. There is also an expansive outdoor patio, which features sleek fire pits, TVs, and a front …