houston restaurant weeks - aka the actual most wonderful time of the year

Y'ALL.  IT'S HOUSTON RESTAURANT WEEKS.  This glorious and confusingly named month-long event just so happens to fall on my birthday month every year.  I’m fairly certain they did that on purpose; it’s like the city’s birthday gift to me!  But in all seriousness, it’s an excellent way to eat a crap-ton of food at places that might usually be a little out of my budget AND support the Houston Food Bank. As a personal rule, I usually try to go to places I’ve never been to before.  (I’ve failed pretty miserably on that front this year, but oh well).  You can read the details of how it works and check out the menus HERE, and I’m just going to post some pictures of my favorite things I’ve eaten thus far as I attempt to break my previous record of six restaurants in 2016.

La Griglia ($35 three-course dinner)

I have failed as an aspiring food blogger and somehow didn't take any pictures of this meal.  Oops.  It was pretty good.

Weights & Measures ($20 two-course lunch)

I always appreciate the presentation of the HRW menus (not sarcasm).

Fried quail legs.

It sound absurd but this roasted carrot pizza is one of my favorite pizzas - actually, no, one of my favorite dishes in general - in Houston.  Look at all that cilantro...[insert heart eye emoji]

Beaver’s on Westheimer ($35 three-course dinner)

After about four days of deliberation and checking menus, the world's most indecisive human chose this place for my birthday dinner.  The number of fried options on the menu (and also the drink menu) was what really sold me.  It ended up being a bit depressing, as most people were (understandably) panicking about the impending hurricane Harvey situation, but the food was delicious and it was a good night with family and friends.

Restaurant was out of the fried brussels, so they gave me these fried shrimp-stuffed jalapenos, which were delicious and spicy.  Also, I definitely didn't finish my drink before the appetizer got there, what are you talking about?

Too bad I was already stuffed from my huge birthday lunch and the cookies that my wonderful friends gave me to truly enjoy this, but this is a solid chicken fried steak.  Also, the green beans were fresh and fantastic.

Pecan pie empanadas.  Because if every course of your meal isn't fried, you're not doing it right.

Ritual ($20 three-course lunch)

These plates and the menu were so cute!

Will be returning for more of these hush puppies.

That blue cheese sauce...

Bread pudding.  Not as good a Killen's, but that's admittedly a pretty high bar.

The beer list.

Loved the vibe of this place.  There was an awesome 80's playlist going the whole time, and apparently they sell vinyl records?!  This is all very me.

This unfortunate situation with the historic flooding/hurricane thing will likely interfere with my effort to beat last year's record of six HRW restaurants, but I'm still pretty happy with this.

<3 liz