PaperCity Magazine

March 2013 - Houston

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BABY STYLE Bella Luna Boutique, 6651 Main St., third floor next to Coffee Corner, 832.826.8000 FRESH SPOTS TO SHOP GAZE AND GRAZE , IN AND PICKING UP TRES LECHES IN MASON JARS, PLANTATION EGG CASSEROLES AND PASTEL MACARONS FOR SPRING PICNIC PARTIES; HEADING WEST FOR FLAT-IRON STEAKS; AND GETTING SOME NEW-MOM TIPS DINNER DELIVERED For many of us, weekend cooking can be a joy, but throwing together a meal on weekdays is nothing but a chore. The solution? Turn to Camille Peeples and Carla Ohls, two home cooks who figured many of us living inside the loop (as well as in parts of Memorial and Tanglewood) might love to be relieved of the weekday mealtime task now and then. The result: Fare Accompli, an online meal-delivery service with three different dinner options for two. The week I signed up, William and I dined on biscuit-topped chicken potpie and a little mesclun salad one night. The next day, we enjoyed healthy-sized portions of a hearty Tuscan bean soup, garnished with parmesan, while the third meal brought a guilt-free quinoa and cranberry salad, greens with cilantro dressing and one of the moistest roasted turkey breasts we���ve tasted in a long time. The fresh fare, made just one day prior, is better than most takeout haunts, but what truly charmed us was the homey nostalgia of it all, as if the recipes were plucked from a vintage Junior League cookbook. Simply sign up online, review the e-mailed weekly menu and submit your order by midnight Sunday. Anything you���ve ordered for the week is delivered to your door Wednesday or Thursday ��� easy to reheat and plate, with specific no-muss instructions. Prices range from about $18 to $28 for portions that can easily feed up to three, with a flat delivery fee of $3.50. Want to throw together an easy dinner party? Fare Accompli offers frozen casseroles with a retro flair, such as King Ranch casserole ($48) and plantation eggs ($45) for eight. Laurann Claridge Grilled shrimp Greek salad SO SWEET CONTINENTS Gusto Gourmet, 3306 S. Shepherd, 713.344.0892; gustogourmettogo.com Gusto Gourmet is tucked into the tiny South Shepherd space that housed PH Design Shop before its move to Rice Village. The pair behind this reimagined Venezuelan import, Sandra and Yosi Sarshalom, have family in the area, but their roots spread from South America to Europe���s sun-soaked Mediterranean ��� and they���re bringing tastes from each tableside to craft fare they dub ���fresh fusion��� for a sophisticated Houston clientele. Seeking delectable hors d���oeuvres for an impromptu cocktail hour? In this Lilliputian space, you���ll find Gusto Gourmet slender coolers packed with freshly made bourekas owners Sandra and Yosi Sarshalom ($11 a dozen) filled with savory combinations, from mushrooms or tuna to guava and cheese; mini falafels ($7 for 15); brie en croute ($14) and ceviche prepared by the pound. There are also salads, dips and antipasti, as well as individual desserts such as chocolate mousse and tres leches prepared in mason jelly jars. Thinking big? Plan ahead and hire Gusto���s Gourmet to cater your party or wedding. Or, simply taste-test the concept for a quick lunch on the fly. Laurann Claridge JENNY ANTILL JENNY ANTILL Fare Accompli, fareaccompli.com; orders@fareaccompli.com A TASTE OF TWO JENNY ANTILL WE���RE ORDERING Macaron by Patisse, River Oaks Shopping Center, 2033 W. Gray, 713.965.7359; macaronbypatisse.com JENNY ANTILL JENNY ANTILL A t Texas Children���s Pavilion for Women, it���s the bomb to be Mom. Already a premier facility for moms and newborns, TCPW recently opened Bella Luna Boutique ��� an on-site shopping spot with a well-edited selection of names such as Medela, Kissy Kissy, Noodle & Boo and Cloud B; educational and children���s books; plus a variety of nursing bras (moms can be fitted in shop). Baby Bistro, located inside the boutique, offers pump rentals and is a breastfeeding support center staffed with certified lactation consultants ready to dole out advice and answer questions on a walk-in basis or in private consultation rooms. All in all, making mom���s first few days with baby a breeze. Caroline Gallay When Sukaina Rajani relocated from Canada to Houston, she had a bit of time on her hands and decided to try her hand at baking. She was delighted to Sukaina Rajani discover she had the knack, and it wasn���t long before Rajani was baking 800 to 1,000 macarons a week from her tiny home kitchen, catering everything from baby showers to poker tournaments. Seeking a larger home for her business, the former commercial real estate broker knew a prime spot when she saw the empty storefront in River Oaks Shopping Center. She recruited her brother to relocate from Canada and join her in business, and Macaron by Patisse was born. Rajani hopes to bring some of the French flair she picked up living north of the border to her charming shop, which stocks 14 flavors of macarons daily, including strawberry white chocolate, lemon marscapone and pi��a colada. In the mix are free-trade organic specialty loose-leaf teas, and 22 flavors of Italian sodas. Rajani worked with local firm Contour Interior Design on the Regency-style striped interiors and enormous, custom yellow chandelier, chevron-patterned floors, custom millwork and Italian-mirrored walls. Rajani will cook up custom cookies and cake pops, macaron towers and pretty much anything else your sweet tooth can imagine. Jenny Johnson MARCH | PAGE 20 | 2013 HEAD WEST , MY FRIENDS 024 Grille at The Westin Hotel, 945 Gessner Road, 832.358.0600 T he short-lived New York import Il Mulino made a quick splash when it debuted last year at the Westin Hotel in the Memorial City area. Now it���s out, and 024 Grille is in. While the dining surrounds seem to be exactly the same (and quite lovely, we might add), it���s what���s going on in the kitchen that has people chattering. The powers that be ��� including the hotel���s restaurant chef, Justin Strang, and GM Jon Kuit ��� have switched gears to develop a local bistro/steakhouse. We���re keeping our eyes on the man behind the range, who���s conjuring such crave-worthy dishes as a complex red curry coconut soup with shredded chicken and plantains ($6) and the ridiculously decadent lunch/brunch ���square��� fried chicken served on a Belgian waffle. Dinner brings hearty steaks from a manageable six-ounce filet ($25) to less expensive flat iron ($18 with a choice sauce). The chefs also flex their flavor muscles with heavyweight dishes such as the pork tenderloin ($18), a meltingly tender, marinated cut that���s shredded atop a base of saut��ed lady apples and eggplant with jalape��o sausage and crisp pork belly to put this dish just over the top. Laurann Claridge

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