I was reminded to revisit this after having a desultory version of the margherita pizza the other day at Laurenzo’s, a place I generally like.  It just confirmed that the most important thing that I learned after eating close to one hundred margherita pizzas mostly in Houston for my more fatuous than fun Margherita Pizza Project over the past three years is that if you see “margherita pizza” on a menu, don’t order it.  The Project was illuminating, if ultimately quite disappointing. 
 
Most margherita pizzas to found in the Houston area, the vast majority in fact, are lousy: tasteless at best, and exposing cardboard-tasting crusts and cheap, worthless slices of tomatoes at worst, with far too many featuring cheap, industrial-quality mozzarella that adds very little to the enjoyment of the pizza.
 
The margherita pizza is very simple – it’s just tomato sauce that’s usually uncooked, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves atop a pizza crust that has been quickly baked – but that simplicity is a big obstacle for most restaurants to overcome in making a good margherita pizza.  A margherita puts a premium on the quality of the few ingredients, which have no place to hide, and the crust, which should be fairly soft and tasty, playing a bigger role than in most pizzas as there are fewer components.  And most local versions are lacking a taste of freshness, a vibrancy, that a good margherita pizza should have.
 
Some other things I’ve learned:

• Definitely do not order one if it is spelled “margarita” on the menu, a sure sign that the restaurant does not know what it is doing with this pizza.  You'd be surprised how often margarita finds its way from the drinks section.
• Be very way if you see tomatoes as one of the ingredients.  A proper margherita uses tomato sauce, which will seep into the crust and complement the cheese.  Tomato slices don’t have enough moisture to do that, and most tomatoes used in inexpensive and moderately priced Houston restaurants are terrible.  There are exceptions like the ones at Amalfi, which leads to another important takeaway:
• Restaurants serving Italian-themed food, especially those with roots in or inclinations to the Naples area, the birthplace of pizza and the margherita, are about the only places you should order a margherita pizza.

 
If you are thinking about ordering a margherita pizza in the future, you’ve now been warned.

Dolce Vita actually has a margherita pizza that you should order.

​Fried chicken and champagne make for a wonderful combination, especially when the “champagne” is actually champagne.  I recently had Camille Saves Carte Blanche with a few pieces of Original Recipe picked up from the Colonel that helped make for an enjoyable meal.  Beginning this Sunday, June 23, for just $50 Punk’s Simple Southern Food in the Rice Village will be serving all-you-can-eat fried chicken and all-you-can-drink – within reason, I imagine – Veuve Cliquot Brut.  That’s the famous yellow labeled champagne that is medium-bodied with a welcome fresh taste featuring brioche and fruit notes, and which is always crowd-pleaser. 
 
For me, Punk’s serves the most satisfying food of the several Clark Cooper Concepts restaurants.  Their fried chicken is well-regarded, even if it might not be the best fried chicken in America or the best fried chicken in the world that I heard an overly aggressive (and intrusive) waiter exclaim in quick succession there the other day.  It’s quite good, though.  And will likely be even better with a glass or several more of a fine champagne.  Along with the fried chicken and bubbles, these meals include mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and banana pudding to finish.
 
Reservations are required for these dinners, which will be every Sunday from 4:00 to 9:00.  Also, it will end up being more than $50 before tax and gratuity as the champagne refills will be charged a cent per refill, likely due to one of the strange TABC rules.  It’s still quite a deal as Veuve Clicquot is not only a very good champagne but typically retails between $45 and $55 per bottle.  The only real downside to this meal is that your champagne glass will necessarily a bit sticky when accompanying fried chicken.  A minor drawback, I believe.
 
Punk’s Simple Southern Food
5212 Morningside (between Dunstan and Rice), 77005, (713) 524-7865
punkssimplesouthernfood.com

​Though dining in Houston is more expensive than ever, especially inside the Loop where rents and property taxes have increased along with the increased population and business density in recent years, there are still some very good dining values to be found.  The best values don’t mean the cheapest joints, but are those that provide the best food for a fair price, while often times cheap is just cheap. 
 
Aladdin – Picking up a tray and gazing across the partition into an expanse of enticing, mostly vegetarian preparations – roughly 30 items most lunchtimes well beyond the two types of creamy and delectable hummus and baba ganoush – is just a preface to an enjoyable and very affordable meal, as the dishes often taste even better than they look.  A well-cooked meat like chicken shawarma, lamb gyro or one of the day’s stews, comes with three sides on filling platter for just $12.99 and usually a dollar cheaper during lunch.  Not only the best value Middle Eastern restaurant, Aladdin is also one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in Houston (at least those without One Fifth in the name).  912 Westheimer (at Montrose), 77006, (713) 942-2321
 
Café TH – Set in a humble, tiny strip center in EaDo, the neighborhood has changed into a destination in the dozen years since Café TH has been around.  The restaurant has grown, too, but continues to serve well-made and flavorful, familiar Vietnamese fare and a little more with some personality and noticeable friendliness.  And along with prices that are more than reasonable for the quality of the fare.  The inexpensive banh mi – a large is $4 for lunch and $5 at dinnertime – can be considered among the best in town.  There is no alcohol served, but BYOB is welcome and the corkage fee is just $5, helping make for an even more enjoyable dinner, or even lunch.  2108 Pease (between St. Emmanuel and Hutchins) 77003, (713) 225-4766

Giacomo’s – This comfortable and eminently enjoyable River Oaks spot is a casual Italian restaurant done right, or an appealing neighborhood restaurant of any stripe done right.  The well-executed fare is vibrant, light on its feet, and properly evoking Italy, often with dishes inspired from proprietor Lynette Hawkins’s days growing up in Rome and Tuscany.  There are not too many items over $20 and there are plenty of preparations that are meant to share.  And, its list of nearly all-Italian wines – interesting, well-selected and very affordable – is the best value wine list in the city, and one of the best places in which to indulge.  It’s tough to leave here without a smile on your face.  3215 Westheimer (at Bammel Lane), 77098, (713) 522-1934

Istanbul Grill – Essentially next door to The Ginger Man, this is yet another reason to brave the traffic and parking travails in the Village with its interesting, well-prepared Turkish food in a pleasant, informal setting, often lively atmosphere, and noticeably friendly and eager service.  Many of their traditional Turkish items are baked in a traditional brick oven that is evident in the somewhat open kitchen, including the distinctive Turkish pizzas that can provide a filling meal for $10-$13.  The kabob platters are a great value here, easily worth the $12.90 tariff for the beef and lamb doner kabob and $14.90 for the lash shish kabob.  The portions are generous and served with a large amount of moist rice and grilled tomatoes and bell peppers.  Warm, house-made pide bread nicely complements every table that didn’t order a sandwich.  And these sandwiches are fine values, running from $7.50 to $8.50 in eight different decent-sized versions, with meat or falafel between two pieces of the pide.  5613 Morningside (just north of University), 77005, (713) 526-2800

La Guadalupana – Though not much to look at, and really not much at all in terms of size, La Guadalupana Bakery & Café on Dunlavy is nonetheless an excellent neighborhood place for a pleasing Mexican meal, or to grab some attractive and scrumptious pastries that are well beyond the typical local panaderia and some coffee to go with them. The dumpy and nearly always messy little dining room has become more crowded in the past few years as the the increasing number of nearby residents have discovered the considerable charms of the inexpensive breakfast and lunch spot.  These include lighter-than-typical enchiladas verdes or poblano enchiladas – with a proprietor from Puebla, the mole poblano are worth ordering – or the terrific stewed pork slathered in a verdant spicy salsa, asado de puerco.  For the mornings or weekends, their breakfast tacos are among the best in the area.  2100 Dunlavy (between Fairview and West Gray) 77019, (713) 522-2301

Laredo Taqueria – The lines running out the door of this air conditioned taco stand on Washington Avenue from about 11AM to 1PM and often beyond, are a testament to its popularity which derives in large part because of healthy-sized tacos on fresh flour tortillas that are just $2.50 after another price increase.  Three is enough for most, and four for a gluttonous meal.  Never mind the occasional piece of cartilage or gristle, as these are never enough to ruin a taco.  The locations on the near north side are more consistent, especially the one on Patton, but this location is far more convenient for most.  915 Snover (on Washington east of Shepherd), 77007, (713) 861-7279; 311 Patton (at Fulton), 77009, (713) 695-0504; 115 Cavalcade (just east of I-45), 77009, (713) 213-9087
 
Pappa Geno’s – Easily the best of the local cheesesteak options, including an outpost of Tony Luke’s, regarded by some as the best purveyor in the City of Brotherly Love.  The sandwiches at Pappa Geno’s, a small local chain, are large and feature fresh, soft rolls; good bread a necessity for a good sandwich, after all.  The thinly sliced seasoned beef is tender and flavorful and well complemented by the plentiful melted provolone and nearly caramelized onions that come with it in their basic Pappa Geno’s Steak & Cheese sandwich.  The ingredients might not have the provenance of those on many upscale restaurants here, but they are more than good enough and work wonderfully together.  A cheesesteak sandwich here is a nearly glorious, very messy and caloric indulgence that is far from artful in appearance or construction but tastes better than most of the much fancier sandwiches around, not just its cheesesteak competitors.  In all, Pappa Geno’s has seven versions of the Philly cheesesteak sandwich plus five others with the less flavorful chicken. 515 Westheimer (between Taft and Montrose), 77006, (281) 501-3664; 1801 Ella (at TC Jester), 77008, (713) 863-1222
 
Pepper Twins – Now a mini-chain with a half-dozen locations serving authentic Sichuan cooking, which is seemingly China’s favorite regional cuisine, and a favorite of Houston diners in recent years.  The W. Gray and Kirby spots are the best locations and feature better ingredients than the typical local Chinese eatery, including many organic; the chicken is antibiotic-free and humanely raised from Springer Mountain Farms, the pork is from heritage Berkshire stock.  This makes a discernible difference in the dishes.  There are even lamb preparations among the nearly fifty items, many feature chiles or Sichuan peppercorns, the latter of which are used judiciously.  Service here is Chinese style: the dishes come to the table with no fuss and nearly everything is meant to be shared.  Popular since its opening, the dining rooms are often filled with Chinese nationals and those who just enjoy top-notch Sichuan fare for reasonable prices. 1915 W Gray (just west of Dunlavy), 77019, (346) 204-5644; 3915 Kirby (just off the Southwest Freeway feeder), 77098, (346) 444-6493; 315 Fairview (just west of Taft), 77006, (832) 649-7175

Thien An – The familiar local Vietnamese menu including spring and fried egg rolls, banh mi, rice plates, vermicelli bowls, and pho is provided here.  It’s just done noticeably better than most other places, and not just budget options.  The banh mi are one highlight, especially for the local favorite, the char-grilled pork (all the way to $3.75 now), since the restaurant is more generous than most with the pork, which is nicely cooked, tender and richly flavorful, nestled along with the expected fresh, texture-providing accompaniments in a local-standard short Vietnamese baguette that is properly crusty and airy.  The no-nonsense setting is usually deservedly packed during the lunchtime hours and provides an appropriate place for a tasty and cheap meal.  2611 San Jacinto (just south of McGowen), 77004, (713) 522-7007

Uberrito – The former Mission Burritos is down to just one location inside the loop, but their build-it-yourself burritos on giant 13” tortillas featuring a choice among now eight proteins or vegetables as a centerpiece are also much tastier than the similar competitors as are the “Ten Tasty Tacos,” which really are quite tasty, too.  A bit of the creamy Serrano Ranch salsa seems to help with most burritos and tacos.  The burritos are still large here, though maybe not as protein-packed as the in past, which is probably a good thing for most.  These are still cheap, too, starting at under $8, and even cheaper on Mondays when the chicken burritos are just $5.  They also serve burrito bowls and salads, too, so your more calorically conscious co-workers can also dine here without too much fret.  1609 Durham (just south of I-10), 77007, (713) 426-6634 
​
The Döner or Gyro Sandwich at Istanbul Grill today

​Reef has just reopened after the damage it suffered from Hurricane Harvey, if not quite completely.  There is service in the bar area for dinner and, beginning today, lunch.  The main dining room still needs to be furnished and I was told that that should be ready in a couple of weeks for patrons.  I’m very happy that the Gulf seafood-centric Reef is finally open again, as it had been one of my favorite local restaurants.  Given the recent and sudden closings of Pass & Provisions and Canopy and the announcement that Indika will be shuttering at the end of June, it’s nice to have former top eatery – with one of the city’s top chefs working in the kitchen, Bryan Caswell – getting back into the game.
 
I visited the other night and necessarily having to sit in the bar on a Friday night, it seemed appropriate to have a Martini to start.  Among the several cocktails on the relatively short beverage list, each for the short price of just $8, was the Gin Martini, which I ordered.  No questions were asked about type of gin or garnish and a few minutes later a familiar, long-stemmed Martini glass was placed in front of me, dripping with condensation that was filled just with a clear liquid punctuated by some small pieces of ice floating top but unmarred by any garnish.
 
Though missing a cocktail olive or two (or three) skewered by a toothpick, this was the Martini you would have received at any decent establishment in Houston over the years until the advent of the craft cocktail movement and discovery of the qualities of quality and unspoiled vermouth in less than the past decade.  This was gin, pure and simple, served straight-up in a Martini glass.  At Reef it was very readily consumable Bombay Sapphire Gin that was shaken until very cold and poured alone into a frozen Martini glass.  No vermouth.  Certainly not a single dash of bitters.  I like vermouth to be a part of my Martinis, but this drink was very enjoyable, and refreshing coming in on a warm and muggy evening.  It was tough not to consume it too quickly, and I still had to look at the food menu.  The palatability of the Bombay Sapphire was the biggest reason why this Martini went down so easily, but being served into a glass pulled from a freezer was another significant reason.  Very cold gin tastes better than just cold gin, after all.
 
Reef
2600 Travis (at McGowen), 77006, (713) 526-8282
reefhouston.com

​American in this case means North American, and the beer is La Fin du Monde from Quebec’s Unibroue brewery.  I was reminded about the beer last night as it caught my eye on the list of bottled beers.  After pouring most of the contents of into the tulip-shaped glass, its wonderful aroma, redolent of hops with pleasant citrus notes, was hard to miss.  Though the beer had obviously been sitting around for a while and its flavors were quite dulled, the reminder of what it had been was quite strong.
 
La Fin du Monde is a Belgian-style tripel ale that I believe is one of the top beers brewed either here and by our neighbors to the north, and in the same league as the very best beers of this type from Belgium.  The tripel refers to a strong, pale yellow-colored beer that’s generally dry-tasting brewed in the style of the Tripel of the famed Westmalle Trappist brewery in Flemish Belgium, which originated the style in the early 1930s.
 
Described by the brewer, fairly accurately – though necessarily corrected to the more proper U.S. American grammar:
 
“La Fin du Monde is…a deluxe beer made by triple fermentation and a unique way of straining the yeast. This method produces an unexpectedly subtle flavor. With its champagne-like effervescence, it has a vigorous presence in the mouth, which accentuates its strong personality. Slightly tart, with the balanced flavors of wild spices, malt and hops….”
 
My former next-door neighbor, a well-traveled Belgian beer aficionado, certified beer judge, and unrepentant hop-head, introduced this brewery and this beer to me years ago, claiming it as one of the highest quality versions of this style made in the world.  He was absolutely right, as he usually is about Belgian-style beers, and La Fin du Monde has stood up very well in at least a couple of tastings with numerous Belgian and Belgian-style beers that I’ve helped to coordinate. 
 
Though complex and a very serious beer, it is probably more approachable than many other high alcohol beers.  La Fin du Monde is 9% alcohol by volume.  This is due to its subtle hop characteristics and slight sweetness.  Medium-bodied, it is a nicely well-balanced and flavorful beer that is obviously extremely well-made.  And, with its refinement, it can be a gateway beer for those uninitiated to the wonders of strong Belgian-style beers.  
 
As for the name, which means “the end of the world” in French; “This beer is brewed to honor of the great explorers, who believed they had reached the end of the world when they discovered America.”  For what that’s worth.  More so, “La Fin du Monde” sounds cool to pronounce, especially after a beer or two, even in terrible French like mine.