J Alexander's
The Black Napkin Review

Being a huge fan of Houston's Restaurants, I was disappointed when J Alexander's occupied the Westheimer/Wilcrest location some years back. Even though the current menu has remained reminiscent of the original Houston's menu, over time, they have developed two distinct offerings. J Alexander’s is a national restaurant chain, but only has one location in Houston, Texas. The menu is very American, catering to the taste buds of those who prefer simplistic yet delicious entrees; like their house made salads, juicy burgers, and freshly grilled seafood.

Upon entering, J Alexander's reminds you of a traditional steakhouse. Its dark lighting with majority booth seating lends itself to a truly intimate dining experience. If booths are not your thing, they also have dining tables, but the booths can seat up to four. The kitchen is on display for all to see and the bar is not that far behind. Created in a manner that allows for ultimate socialization, you can dine directly at the bar or take a seat at the surrounding booths. J Alexander's hits the mark in the ambiance category. I have never visited J Alexander's without feeling welcomed. As you enter, you are always greeted with a smiling face and a held door. On your way out, and as the door is opened for you, you are left with a pleasant goodbye. The bartenders are knowledgeable and really seem to enjoy what they do. This holds the same in the dining room where any waiter will assist with your service and questions throughout your meal.

I have been known to visit J Alexander's for dinner just as often as I visit for lunch. Recently, their lunch specials have made their way to a cute "daily specials" rectangular display. Here you will find selections like, fish tacos, gumbo, or a specialty appetizer. Although provided verbally by your waiter, you will find the same during dinner as their options change nightly. Depending on the evening, you will most likely be presented with a "catch of the day" and a "vegetable of the day". You will never go wrong with ordering any of their fresh fish entrees. Always cooked to perfection, they are one of the few places in Houston where you can get Salmon that is not cooked to death! One item that is not on the menu that I will kill for is their house made, buttered croissants! They are a must try and you will become addicted so taste at your own risk! Also, their cheese bread, also not on the menu, is sinfully good and is a great addition to their fresh salads (for lunch or dinner).

I have tried just about everything on this menu, but here are some of my favorites...

For appetizers, you must try the Smoked Salmon. It is fresh, with a hint of spice to give it that extra kick. It is smoked in house and served with toasted bread and a great aioli. If you love salads, J Alexander's will be your new fave. I recommend the Cypress Salad. It has all the ingredients you love in a salad...chopped chicken fingers, tomatoes, cucumbers, sliced avocado, bacon and cheese. The chicken can be ordered battered or rotisserie style and I always exchange the ranch dressing for their honey mustard. I am STILL trying to get the recipe for that one! Any one of the burgers will give you a run for your money and the Steak Maui (their 12 oz marinated ribeye) will surely seal the deal. Another favorite is their BBQ Danish Baby Back Ribs. Yes, they fall off the bone, which is always a sure fire way to make certain you are in for a treat. Oh, and let's not forget the incredible flavor :-). Quite frankly, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.

1/4 

   

With wonderful food and great customer service, I hate to bring up "the bad". Fortunately in this case, "the bad" is a reflection of either the corporate office or the management. With that said, the kitchen and waiters are exempt. Drum roll please!!!

1. Get a menu on your website! I do not understand why I have to use a third party website just to view your menu. This can't be best practice and should be looked down upon in the industry (#imjustsayin'). There have been many times where I have not ordered (for pickup) because I wanted to try something different and could not find a menu. If you are a restaurant, your website should at least provide a listing of your everyday items. OMG!

2. I was very disturbed to find that I could not order food for pick up during certain times of the day. For example, you can't order lunch or dinner during "prime" hours. I understand your food is not made for takeout, but come on! Seriously? I even went in one day to order a single salad from the bar and was told I could not and that I had to wait until 2:00 p.m.! I am at a lost as I was the only person in the bar area. You are turning down customers now?...wow!

Okay, now that I've had the opportunity to get that off my chest, I can get back to the business at hand. Overall, J Alexander's is a great restaurant that does everything well (except for those listed above; hey, is anyone perfect?). If you are looking for a great place to dine where you can enjoy good drinks and an equally good meal, this is the place for you. Honestly...If you love Houston's, you will love J Alexander's. I haven't let the small annoying things keep me from enjoying this place. Fortunately, they are not a reflection of the food or the service. However, I hope they correct these nuances soon! Remember, it’s not just about the food; it’s about the experience. Now go eat something!

Urban Swank

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The jury is in! Forget being so delicious that it will make you slap yo mama...you will be slapping yourself! We know that is a bit overboard, but once you taste one of Chef Hugo Ortega's delicious creations you may reconsider. We had heard great things about his restaurant Hugo's in the Montrose area so we decided it was time to validate the hearsay for ourselves. Tex- Mex is really huge in Houston, so finding a great authentic Mexican restaurant can be a difficult task. From the start, the staff impressed us. Everyone spoke and greeted us, plus we were checked on constantly throughout our visit. Not only were they attentive, but they were super knowledgeable. From the menu to the bar items, there was no question they could not answer. Hugo's wait staff was on their job that day and we sooo appreciate great customer service. Bad customer service can leave a horrible taste in your mouth; even if the food is great. Hugo's gets high grades from us for that!

Aside from the great staff, the place is SWANKY cool. It felt like the cover of the TLC album, "Crazy, Sexy, Cool"! We loved the vibe. It was definitely authentic Mexican decor, and took us back to our times spent in Cabo San Lucas. We thought the interior was great...until we were taken to the patio. Considering that it was such a wonderful day, the patio was a perfect setting for our early afternoon brunch. What better way to start your day that a fresh margarita. So, you guessed it, that's what we ordered! Edward, our waiter, gave us the spill on their massive selection of Hugo's margaritas. Opting for something a bit different from the prescriptive recipe, we went for their version made with fresh squeezed lime juice; minus the sweet and sour. After speaking with the waiter, Swanky Girl, serving as our official tequila connoisseur for the day, opted to treat us to a glass of 1942 Don Julio. Yeah baby! Can you say...wow! This is definitely a sipping tequila, with an initial nose of fruit, chocolate and vanilla. The taste was smooth and spicy. The suggested way to enjoy it is neat.

For our brunch selections we wanted to go all seafood. That wasn't a hard choice for us because we love everything seafood! So we could try more items, we ordered several entrees. We tried the Taquitos de Huachinango, which were the wood-grilled Snapper Tacos with Chipotle Mayo. Any restaurant attempting to create fish tacos for their menus should give Hugo's a call! They have the best fish tacos we have tasted thus far; being seasoned well, with the smokey flavor you get from the grill, then adding in the extra spice and smokiness from the chipotle...how can this not be the best ever! In additional to the snapper tacos, we ordered the Taquita de Langosta; the Lobster Tacos. If you are a lobster lover you will heart these babies! The mix of the corn tortilla, lobster, refried beans (which were authentic and made perfectly), avocado, and fresh Pico de Gallo was an explosion of flavor that left of us smiling. To round out our meal we had the Tostadas de Jaiba con Salpicon (seasoned crab nachos). When we say jumbo "lump" crab meat...we mean it...lol! These were quarter size chunks of well seasoned crab. You see the picture (see below) and pictures don't lie!

Well folks, it looks like we may have found a new fave for brunch. We can't wait to go back to have dinner. We hope it's just as good!

~ The Urban Swank Girls

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Eddie V's City Centre

When Eddie V's initially announced its first location in Houston, we were super excited! With Houston being such a hot place for the food scene, you would think 5 star steakhouses are the norm. We did have a few favorites, but we were anticipating the need to make room for one more.

Eddie V's now has two locations, one in the River Oaks area and the other in CityCentre (the old Town and Country). Although both have the ambiance of a typical steakhouse (ie. loud), we actually prefer CityCentre. The River Oaks location is great if you are looking for a "scene", but if you just want a nice dinner with the family or the hubby or looking for a place to conduct business, opt for the CityCentre location. We also compliment Eddie V's on their dining setup at the CityCentre location. Made up of mostly booths, it has a cozy and private feel to it. The bar is separate and offers a live pianist as well.

On our first visit to Eddie V's they surprised us by offering their Tomahawk Steak. This is truly a "special" steak by far. Seemingly constructed to represent an entree that Mr. and Mrs. Flintstone would eat, the Tomahawk Steak is a whopping 32 ounces! Now, that's not all beef. The huge dinosaur bone most likely covers a majority of that. However, this steak was plenty for two gals plus some. Similar in texture to the marbled ribeye, the Tomahawk Steak combines the ribeye's full flavor with the added bang that comes from the bone. It quickly won us over and as we visited Eddie V's time and time again, we always confirmed its availability first. Unfortunately, the Tomahawk Steak is a seasonal item that is not always in stock and it is never on the menu. So, you better ask :-). The Tomahawk Steak costs approximately $79; but remember; it can feed two adults.

Although the Tomahawk Steak is great in all its guts and glory, nothing, and we mean nothing, tops the Eddie V's "Bone-in Filet". The filet has come to be a fave of many steak connoisseurs, but you ain't seen nothing until you've had the opportunity to try this one. Take the lean texture and distinctive taste of the filet and pair that with a bone-in cut of meat. For us foodies, we know what the bone does; right...it keeps all that flavor and juiciness right in the heart of the beef giving it tons of depth and flavor! This steak is all of that and then some. It is most definitely in the top 3 for the Urban Swank Girls, and we don't mess around with our top 3. You have got to earn this title. Eddie V's won us over that day and we have since then brought our parents and close friends to Eddie V's to be won over too. Like the Tomahawk Steak, the Bone in Filet is not on the menu and is not available nightly.  The server will typically tell you about the steak if it’s available. This one will run you around $65 a pop.

Aside from having some of the best steaks, Eddie V's also offers several amazing side dishes that are worth mentioning:

· Crab Fried Rice with Mushrooms

· Truffled Macaroni and Cheese

· Sugar Snap Peas with Garlic & Sesame

Although we have not tried all the appetizers (yet), some are pretty tasty:

· Chilled Avocado and Jumbo Lump Crab Cocktail with Lime and Spicy Remoulade Sauce (Urban Girls' fave)

· Cold Water Maine Lobster Tail with Crisp Batter with Honey Mustard Sauce

· Maryland-Style All Lump Crab Cake with Sautéed with Chive Remoulade Sauce (Swanky Girls' fave)

· Maine Lobster and Shrimp Bisque with Fresh Maine Lobster, Cream and Cognac

Each time we visit Eddie V's, we must also decide if we are going for the appetizer or the dessert (as it is way too much food to take on all three courses unless we are sharing). We will get into the dessert later, but 85% of the time, the infamous Eddie V's Bananas Foster wins; which is also a top 3 for the Urban Swank Girls!

Eddie V's, however, does have one downfall. If it were not for the specialty steaks, we actually would not order steaks at Eddie V's. Bold statement, we know, bear with us. The specialty steaks are phenomenal and we would put them up against anyone's steaks, but they fall short when it comes to the regular steaks on their menu. We have not been able to put our finger on the actual reason or cause, but after trying several of their regular steaks, we have not been impressed. It is really a combination of things...the flavor...just OK...the texture...just OK...the temperature...good. There is nothing great or horrible about them; they are just OK. Eddie V's offers other items on their menu aside from their steaks that are fabulous like the Crab Stuffed Colossal Shrimp grilled with Lemon Butter and Chive Vinaigrette or any one of their Chilean Sea Bass dishes.

Okay, now let's get to the good stuff. If you go to Eddie V's and you do NOT try the Bananas Foster you should be ashamed of yourself...lol! This has got to be one of the most consistently great desserts served at any restaurant in the nation. Seriously folks, it’s just that good. Now, Eddie V's has not created a traditional Bananas Foster, they have taken it to the next level and created something very special. The Eddie V's Bananas Foster is a very moist butter yellow cake topped with caramelized bananas that is set on fire with a rum and brown sugar mixture. This is not your typical run of the mill yellow cake, to add to its richness, the cake is sitting on top of Cheesecake! On the side they have added a dollop of homemade whipped cream and a scoop of toffee ice cream, by local favorite Henry's Homemade Ice Cream.

And last but not least, let's not forget about the drinks. We have enjoyed their Lemon Drop and their El Jimador Traditional Margarita! Take it from us, Eddie V's is a fabulous place to dine in Houston! Remember, "It's not just about the food, It's about the experience!"

~ Urban Swank, The Urban Swank Girls

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Click here to see Recipe

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Eddie V's Crab Cake Maryland Style

Serves 5

Ingredients

1 ½ cups of crackers, crushed
1 egg
½ cup of mayonnaise
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons of creole mustard
1 teaspoon of old bay seasoning
1 pound of lump crab, cleaned of shells

Directions

Combine all ingredients except crab meat. Gently fold in crab meat. Shape crab cakes into patties. Sauté in butter until golden brown on both sides. Bake at 375 degrees until just firm (about 8 minutes). Serve immediately with lemon and remoulade or tartar sauce.

~ Urban Swank

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Sauteed Swordfish Steak with Avocado, Fresh Crab and Red Chile Vinaigrette
Yields: 2 portions

Ingredients 

2, 8oz. Swordfish steaks, 1” thick, no skin
1 Avocado, peeled, 1/2” dice
6oz. Fresh crab meat, no shells
1 tbsp. Red pepper, very fine dice
1 tbsp. Serrano pepper, very fine dice
1 tbsp. Red onion, very fine dice
4 tbsp. Rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. Fresh lime juice
6 tbsp. Olive oil
1 tbsp. Sambal chili sauce
1 pinch Kosher salt
1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

Directions
 
• Season swordfish with salt and pepper. In a hot iron skillet add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and Sauté the swordfish for about 4 minutes per side or until desired doneness (medium rare is preferable).
• Combine avocado, onion, cilantro, peppers, vinegar, 4 tablespoons olive oil, sambal and cilantro, season with salt to taste.

To Serve:

• Place swordfish in center of hot plate.
• Place avocado mixture on top of swordfish.
• Place fresh crab on top of avocado mixture.
• Serve with garlic butter sauce immediately.
 
Garlic Butter Sauce Ingredients 
Yield: 2 cups

1 lb. butter, softened
1 cup White wine
2 tbsp. White vinegar
4 tbsp. Heavy cream
4 tbsp. Lemon juice
2 shallots, peeled, sliced
2 tbsp. Parsley, chopped
4 tbsp. Garlic, chopped
2 tbsp. Salt & pepper
 
Directions

• Combine white wine, vinegar, shallots, peppercorns in a 
2 quart sauce pan. Over medium high heat, reduce to 
1 cup. Add cream and reduce to 1 cup.
• Whisk-in butter over medium heat, 3 oz. at a time. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Strain through china cap into 1/6 pan and hold hot.
• Saute garlic & parsley, add to sauce.

~ Urban Swank

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Tartare of Tuna
 

Ingredients 

4 oz. Tuna, uniform ¼” dice, no grissel
1 tsp. Curry oil
1 tsp. Seasame oil
1 tsp. Sambal chile sauce
to taste Sea Salt
6 ea. Toasted baguettes
3 ea. Sliced avocado
3 ea. Orange filets
 
Directions

Mix the tuna, curry oil, seasame oil, sambal chile sauce and sea salt

Using a 2” diameter by 2” high ring place the tartare in ring in center of plate. 

Garnish with toasted baguettes, cilantro, and drizzle with more curry & seasame oils. Garnish with avocado and citrus slices.

~ Urban Swank

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Brennan's Houston

It's funny, but the only time I have gone to Brennan's Houston was during Houston Restaurant Week. With my family ties reaching into Louisiana, I am a very hard sell when it comes to seafood and Creole cuisine. Brennan's Houston is the sister property of the famous Brennan's in New Orleans, which opened in 1967. Another funny thing to note...my experiences at Brennan's Houston would have never occurred had they not recovered so quickly from their 2008 fire resulting from Hurricane Ike. In approximately, 16 months, Brennan's Houston was up and running again!

I have visited Brennan's Houston twice, once with my girlfriends and once with my hubby. When you first walk in you are almost immediately enticed by the mound of pecan pralines sitting near the hostess stand. I have yet to pick one (or a few for that matter) on my way in or out; but they sure look great. If you continue on past the hostess stand, you would enter the bar. Traditional in design, the drinks served are decent, but nothing major. In the dining area, during my two visits, I had an opportunity to be seated in two different areas. If you can have your pick, choose the mustard colored high chairs; from what I could tell, they are only available for parties of 4 or less. They offer a ton of privacy and are pretty cool to sit in! The ambiance is great and truly reminds me of a New Orleans style restaurant. It feels very "Bourbon-ish". The architect and the designers that brought Brennan's back to life really did a great job.

Now on to the food...

Brennan's in known for their Brennan´s Classic Turtle Soup (splashed with pincipe pio sherry). I am personally not a fan of turtle, but those that have dined with me and tried it have enjoyed it. I know, I know, it tastes like chicken :-). During my last visit, I began my meal with the Gulf Coast Shrimp and Grits (served with homestead stone ground grits, New Orleans style barbecue sauce and St Arnolds beer aioli). This was good and had a pretty good flavor. For the entree, the Shrimp Haute Creole (served tableside with fire roasted trinity, charred local tomatoes, fresh basil and toasted garlic "Jazzmen Rice") was served as well as the 6 Oz Petite Filet of Beef (served with local yukon gold potatoes, roasted oyster mushrooms, caramelized onions, bacon tomato jam and barrel aged Brennan´s worchestershire). Although the Shrimp Haute Creole sounds like a really fancy dish, it was merely a shrimp gumbo. The 6 Oz Petite Filet of Beef was average at best. But, that's what I get for going to a Creole seafood house and ordering steak. This is usually a big no-no in my book as I feel restaurants are good at what they are known for; with the exception of those serving general American cuisine.

For dessert, I sampled the Strawberry Shortcake (served with summer berries, buttermilk biscuit, imperial sugar and vanilla whipped oak farms dairy cream) and the Classic Creole Bread Pudding (Rio grande organic pecans and rye whiskey sauce). First, let me be totally direct. The so-called buttermilk biscuit on the Strawberry Shortcake was as hard as a day old dinner roll; seriously! Maybe that was their "take" on a Strawberry Shortcake, but I like a soft, fluffy pastry or something like a sponge or pound cake. Whatever, you use...make it soft man! :-)

The service was a little below average. The Shrimp Haute Creole was supposed to be served tableside, but I see the guy making the dish on the other side of the room. So much for "serving tableside" huh? I felt rushed. Overall, I wasn't really feeling the vibe I received while dining there. I put that comment more on the waiter than on the training provided by Brennan's Houston. My first visit was the opposite.

I can't complete my review without telling the masses about the infamous Bananas Foster! Now, I am not a fan of cooked bananas (ha-ha), but I dig this dish! It's so amazingly good. It is something you must try when you visit. Bananas Foster is what they do, and they do it well (just had an L.L. Cool J moment; I will fill you in later :-)).

Will I ever visit Brennan's again? Ummm...probably not anytime soon. Not with all the great places that Houston has to offer. Now, if they are running a special dinner or when Houston Restaurant Week rolls around again, maybe...just maybe. Until next time...it's not just about the food; it's about the experience.

1/1 

   

~ Urban Swank, Shanna "Urban Girl" Jones

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Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lb. Shrimp, shelled & deveined
2 tsp Paprika
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Red & Yellow Bell Peppers, sliced
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Cup White Wine
2 Cups Heavy Cream
2/3 Cup Tomato Puree
1 Tbsp Chives, chopped

Creamy Polenta:
1 Cup Polenta, instant
1 qt. Chicken Stock
¼ Cup Half & Half Cream
4 Tbsp Butter
1 Cup Parmesan, grated

Instructions:

1. In a large Sauce Pan, bring the Chicken Stock and Half & Half to a simmer.
2. Turn heat to low and slowly stir in the Polenta.
3. Cook for approximately 5 minutes on low heat, stirring often with a wire whisk to prevent lumps.
4. When the mixture is creamy, turn off heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
5. Marinate shrimp with Paprika and a pinch of salt & pepper.
6. In a large Saute Pan, heat 1 Tablespoon of oil.
7. Add Shrimp to pan and saute for 3-4 minutes.
8. Remove Shrimp from pan and set aside.
9. Add Red & Yellow Bell Peppers and saute for 2 minutes.
10. Add Red Chilil Flakes and Garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
11. Add White Wine and reduce by 2/3.
12. Add Heavy Cream and Tomato Puree. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
13. Stir in cooked Shrimp.
14. Pour Shrimp mixture over Polenta and garnish with Chives.

~ Urban Swank

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This place is the truth!

Address: 12921 FM 1960 West, Houston, TX 77065
Hours: Mon - Sun: 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Phone: 281-894-5186

I watched this place for months wondering what was going to take over this existing space; it was originally this cute little coffee to go spot. So the day I was headed to Target and saw the sign for the new business that would occupy the space, I could not get into the Target parking lot  fast enough before calling my husband to tell him that we would have a new seafood  place on our side of town(clearly Northwest Houston is lacking in this area)! If you have not figured out I love seafood, and I LOVE some good southern-style fried catfish (southern style uses a cornmeal batter), along with shrimp, and hushpuppies. Well folks this place did not let me down...My first smile came when I realized that they were making the food fresh and it was not sitting under a warming lamp (yes this means you will have to wait a bit, unless you call your order in which they really encourage). I ordered a catfish and shrimp basket that came with hushpuppies and fries; the portions are huge, so I had enough for dinner (second smile because I would not be cooking dinner). Folks these guys are THE TRUTH...my food was prepared well (not greasy) and it tasted YUMMY. The only thing I will do differently next time is to request extra seasoning because it was a little light on the seasoning for me, but that is a very easy fix. This is one that I will do and update on in the coming months after I’ve gone back to try the Gumbo and Jambalaya, oh yeah and to get some more of that good ole’ catfish.

 ~ Urban Swank

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