| Slow Food Houston
Luis' Gourmet Cuisine is a BYO restaurant right here in Houston that has good food at reasonable prices and no corkage fee (at least as of this writing 4-26-2009). The chef / owner is Luis and he is a charming host. The food is of excellent quality and it is freshly prepared. Check it out and see if you agree with me. Luis' Gourmet Cuisine 7952 Westheimer Rd Houston, Texas 77063 281-974-2619 ===================================================================================================== If you are in the Dayton, OH area and want a unique, charming restaurant to try, go to Tipp City and find Harrison's at 106 East Main Street. I found the staff to be exceptionally friendly and competent and the food very good. They specialize in "American Cuisine " with a full range of meat, fish, pasta, sandwiches, bar-b-que, and a large appetizer menu. ====================================================================================================== Your webmaster found a wonderful surprise in the Texas Hill Country over the Labor Day weekend. Trina and Damian Mandola have opened not only a beautiful winery but a wonderful restaurant next door called Trattoria Lisina. While the winery was nice and the wine was pretty good, it was the experience at the restaurant that made the evening. The place had been open only three weeks when we visited but the evening went as smoothly as it would have if it were open for years. To start with, the help, and I mean everyone, had fantastic personalities and manners to match, and the wait staff was well versed on how to properly wait tables. The atmosphere is fantastic. We sat outside on the dining patio surrounded by a beautifully designed restaurant overlooking the vineyard. The food was excellent and the wine prices were very reasonable. The entire evening was terrific. ======================================================================================================= In July 2007 your webmaster headed to the wine country of Long Island, NY. Like many of the wine producing areas of the country, the Long Island wine trails are beautiful, winding through small villages and intermixed with small family farms. If you have a chance to visit, here are some of wines that I thought stood out amongst the wines I tasted: - Macari 2004 Reserve Chardonnay - Raphael Estate Bottled 2000 Merlot - Pellegrini 2002 Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon - Paumanok Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (an exceptional dessert wine)
To understand more about sustainable farming practices in the vineyards visit Shinn Estate Vineyards. They are practitioners of sustainable methods including the use of naturally occurring soil amendments and "no till" weed control.
Of the resturaunts visited, The Old Mill Inn stood out for both its food and ambiance. Situated on the water, this establishment has both indoor and outdoor seating, along with swans and ducks swimming by to keep you company. The waitstaff was competent and friendly. The food was expertly prepared, using fresh local ingredients from nearby farms whenever possible.
======================================================================================================= On a trip to the On the same trip I discovered a fantastic Tapas restaurant in the historic downtown area of |