Driving around the Heights yesterday afternoon to see what was new, I drove by a place that's been around for a few years and still worthy of visit or re-visit, Kraftsmen Café, which has expanded its hour to the evenings and until the early night on Thursdays through Saturdays, a very good thing. As the retail outlet for a commercial bakery that supplies many of the city’s top restaurants, and operated by a chef who was once named as one of the country’s top ten young chefs by Food & Wine magazine, you can expect that the sandwiches at Kraftsmen Café to be worth the trek to this largely residential section of the Heights in Houston. The Jive Turkey ($11 with chips) certainly is. It’s terrific, in fact.
Arriving in the center of a stark white plate, the sandwich halves reveal a somewhat odd assortment of colors: pink, orange, bright green, cream, deep brown, and white and light beige. These are from the slices of pecan-smoked turkey – smoked in-house, too – chipotle-infused mayo, wedges of avocado, melted Provolone, thoroughly caramelized onions, and the interior and crust of a sturdy ciabatta-like striata roll, respectively. The first-rate, multi-hued assemblage tastes slightly sweet with the plentiful onions, often rich, and thoroughly enjoyable throughout.
Though a bit off the beaten path, but not far from N. Shepherd, this very casual café is certainly worth seeking out if you live or work near the Heights or nearby Garden Oaks. The Jive Turkey is one of ten sandwiches offered during the lunch hours. There are also about five choices among the entrée-sized salads and a soup of the day.
Kraftsmen Café
611 W. 22nd Street, Houston, Texas 77008, (713) 426-1300
kraftsmenbaking.com
Arriving in the center of a stark white plate, the sandwich halves reveal a somewhat odd assortment of colors: pink, orange, bright green, cream, deep brown, and white and light beige. These are from the slices of pecan-smoked turkey – smoked in-house, too – chipotle-infused mayo, wedges of avocado, melted Provolone, thoroughly caramelized onions, and the interior and crust of a sturdy ciabatta-like striata roll, respectively. The first-rate, multi-hued assemblage tastes slightly sweet with the plentiful onions, often rich, and thoroughly enjoyable throughout.
Though a bit off the beaten path, but not far from N. Shepherd, this very casual café is certainly worth seeking out if you live or work near the Heights or nearby Garden Oaks. The Jive Turkey is one of ten sandwiches offered during the lunch hours. There are also about five choices among the entrée-sized salads and a soup of the day.
Kraftsmen Café
611 W. 22nd Street, Houston, Texas 77008, (713) 426-1300
kraftsmenbaking.com
