Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs

Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below.

Bon Appetit: The big news this week, of course, was Andrew Knowlton's trip to Houston with his magazine, Bon Appetit, and the wide variety of places he visited during his stay. A national food mag talking up Houston for something other than Tex-Mex? Astonishing. And his newfound adoration for the city doesn't stop at just the one visit:

What's not to love about a town where you can get a life-affirming bowl of pho in the morning, a stellar goat biryani at lunch, juicy soup dumplings as a snack, and the freshest Gulf seafood for dinner, then cap the evening with an expertly poured cocktail? Not at all what I expected from Houston. The one thing I do expect now: a return visit to the best dining destination in Texas.

Eating My Words: Texas Monthly's Pat Sharpe caused a Twitter commotion (the good kind) on Monday when she re-published Alison Cook's cover story for the magazine from 1983. It's a long and worthy read to see just how drastically Texas cooking and cuisine has changed in the last 25 plus years. To paraphrase a Tweet from Monday, imagine a Houston without Tilman Fertitta....

H-Town Chow Down: Up in The Woodlands, Albert Nurick demonstrates why Houston's antiquated food truck regulations are so unfortunate with this post on Casa del Sol Taqueria. An open-air pavilion, fresh food, easy seating and a laid-back attitude combine with delicious tacos to make this nearly worth the drive north.

29-95: J.C. Reid has decided that his new mission in life is exploring Houston's soul food restaurants, starting with Mama's Oven. I wonder if John Lomax knows about this new "Soul of Houston" business. I propose a collaborative series whereby Reid and Lomax walk to each soul food restaurant, burning off the calories and adding a new dimension to the "soul" that Reid is seeking out.

And last but not least, our intrepid YouTube restaurant reviewer Texas Food Guru has been hard at work on a few new videos. Enjoy them below.

Te House of Tea

La Tapatia