At the brand new and fun, and quite delicious, Nancy’s Hustle in EaDo the other night, we had something described on the menu as, “Nancy cakes with whipped butter & smoked trout roe” that the waitress had recommended. The chef brought them to the table, so we able to query him about what this oddly named dish was featuring three puffy pancake-like items. The name is a play on Johnnycakes and the cakes themselves are lighter, airier and certainly more flavorful than the typical Johnnycake. The chef mentioned that he uses a sourdough starter for the breads and pastas, all of which are created in house, along with the Nancy cakes. The piles of fish roe and whipped butter served for the dish both proved quite complementary, for a very enjoyable dish. We ordered a second dish of it, in fact.
The dark bread that served with a smear of chicken liver mousse was also quite good. The restaurant was a strong two-for-two with bakery goods, which is a very good sign to me. Maybe, in part, because I have a surfeit of European peasant DNA in my system, but I love bread, almost need my daily bread (and pasta). As a not insignificant part of the enjoyment of a meal for me, below par bread, to me, means that the restaurant is not covering all of the bases properly. Or, is just limited, cheap, or somewhat incompetent.
The quality of the Nancy cakes and bread were in stark contrast to the bread served at a’Bouzy. There, their so-called Artisanal Bread which you have to order at $5, is baked in house, was the worst I have had at a restaurant in a while. It was fresh, but that was about it in terms of taste, none of the life or welcome vibrancy, you associate with quality bread; “artisanal” is not at all the proper adjective for it. As I ate my first piece, I thought that this tastes like what a place like Applebee’s might serve, and a key sign that the kitchen is far from first rank.
Nancy’s Hustle is seemingly not only quite a ways ahead of a’Bouzy in terms of breads, but in everything coming out of the kitchen. But, then again, you can have fun at some places without even eating.
Nancy’s Hustle
2704 Polk (about six blocks east of I-45), 77003, (346) 571-7931
nancyshustle.com
The Turkish dumplings with spicy tomato vinaigrette, labneh, and lamb jus
The dark bread that served with a smear of chicken liver mousse was also quite good. The restaurant was a strong two-for-two with bakery goods, which is a very good sign to me. Maybe, in part, because I have a surfeit of European peasant DNA in my system, but I love bread, almost need my daily bread (and pasta). As a not insignificant part of the enjoyment of a meal for me, below par bread, to me, means that the restaurant is not covering all of the bases properly. Or, is just limited, cheap, or somewhat incompetent.
The quality of the Nancy cakes and bread were in stark contrast to the bread served at a’Bouzy. There, their so-called Artisanal Bread which you have to order at $5, is baked in house, was the worst I have had at a restaurant in a while. It was fresh, but that was about it in terms of taste, none of the life or welcome vibrancy, you associate with quality bread; “artisanal” is not at all the proper adjective for it. As I ate my first piece, I thought that this tastes like what a place like Applebee’s might serve, and a key sign that the kitchen is far from first rank.
Nancy’s Hustle is seemingly not only quite a ways ahead of a’Bouzy in terms of breads, but in everything coming out of the kitchen. But, then again, you can have fun at some places without even eating.
Nancy’s Hustle
2704 Polk (about six blocks east of I-45), 77003, (346) 571-7931
nancyshustle.com
The Turkish dumplings with spicy tomato vinaigrette, labneh, and lamb jus
