Shade
This entry was posted on 8/2/2008 9:00 AM and is filed under New American Casual, Casual Chic - Jeans Allowed.
We were racking our brain for somewhere new to go when we realized that, while we'd both eaten dinner at Shade separately, we hadn't gone there together. Bingo. We'll give this popular Houston Heights restaurant a go. When we arrived on a recent Saturday evening (with a reservation which was a good thing), the place was full, generating a lively eclectic vibe synonymous with the neighborhood.
We were seated promptly and service was great throughout the evening. The wine list was limited but reasonably priced. And we were pleased the waiter offered to decant our red bordeaux. After, of course, signing us up as members of the Shade Club -- Shade's no charge private drinking club in its dry location.
We appreciated not feeling rushed as we like to order an appetizer and then take some time before ordering our entrees, a practice not encouraged at some restaurants. We tend to feel that restaurants bring the food too quickly, particularly when you're out on a Saturday evening and don't want to eat in 45 minutes. Of course, in defense of the restaurant, erring on the side of speed is less likely to upset diners than a wait for the food.
For a starter, we tried the mussels with chorizo, which was a welcome spicy addition to the dish, reminiscent of the cockles at Catalan. And we sopped up the sauce. We moved on to two entrees -- halibut and pork chop. The pan seared fish was quite good, appropriately cooked, served atop crushed purple potatoes, zucchini and tomatoes. It was sided by a disappointing, in need of seasoning lump of fried calamari stuffed with crab meat. The pork chop was also nicely cooked, served with onion bread pudding (tasty, but a little dense), sauteed kale (a very healthy green enjoyed by only one of us), and a tomato cucumber salsa that didn't seem to add much to the dish. We don't normally eat dessert but were drawn to the bing cherry lemon tart, which was a delicious end to the meal.
Shade continues to prosper with good food in a contemporary, casual setting.
250 West 19th Street
713/863-7500
http://www.shadeheights.com/
