Photo by Kevin Shalin

Simone on Sunset's Smoked Duck Pizza

​Picking a favorite pizza place is a hot-button topic. Let's see which places showed up on our lists.

John Kiely

1. Dolce Vita Pizzeria & Enoteca
2. Russo's Coal-Fired New York Pizzeria
3. Pizza Hut

John's Take: The worst pizza I've had was in Italy, so authentic isn't always better, but with Marco Wiles it is. Thank you for burning my margherita crust, Russo's; it's a new preference. Yeah, yeah, Pizza Hut Supreme. Childhood pre-sets. The Mario Batali marinara I sampled last week was incredible, but Rao's still reigns with its Chef Boyardee "notes."

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Fleming's.

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Lauren Marmaduke

1. Chipotle Mexican Grill
2. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
3. Armadillo Palace

Lauren's Take: I have a hard-on for foods that come wrapped in tortillas and flatbread. The compact cylindrical packaging makes Chipotle's burritos an ideal lunch option for busy days when you have to do lunch at your desk. Just had dinner at Fleming's a few weeks back, and it was better than ever. The place was packed but the wait on a Saturday night was less than five minutes. I'll admit to being extremely anal when it comes to cooking temperature, but my steak arrived a perfect rare/medium rare. And Armadillo Palace's chicken fried steak and live music -- life doesn't get much better than that.

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Tres leches from Samba Grille.

​I asked my fellow food bloggers to choose their three favorite desserts in Houston. Let's take a look at what they said.

Geri Maria Harris

1. Churros and Hot Chocolate from Hugo's
2. Flan from El Rey
3. 5 Nut Brownie from Hillstone (formerly Houston's)

Geri's Take: It is rare that I get dessert from a restaurant, but there a few places that I simply cannot pass up. There is nothing more decadent than dipping crispy cinnamon fritters in a cup of gently spiced molten chocolate at Hugo's or spooning bits of velvety caramel cream at El Rey. And when I'm feeling nostalgic, I always turn to the perfectly executed version of the brownie sundae at Houston's, which is outrageously studded with five different types of nuts, including my favorite: pistachios.

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New York Bagel & Coffee Shop.

​Over the past few weeks, some readers have taken offense to certain Top 5 lists, and how they only reflect the opinions of the writer constructing each list. With the help of my fellow food bloggers, we'll now bring you a slightly different take on the Top 5s -- a shorter list, but with more opinions. We call it the Favorite Three. Let's take a look at local breakfast spots.

Christina Uticone

1. New York Bagel & Coffee Shop
2. Urban Harvest Farmers Market (2311 Canal St.), Saturday mornings (Breakfast Tamales from Radical Eats)
3. Buffalo Grille

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​Sriracha is having its food moment. It's everywhere, from Bon Appetit magazine to numerous chef's tables to Asian dives. And why not? It has a great flavor and allows you to really kick up the heat factor in a dish. Lately, we've been enjoying it with shiitake mushrooms and Monterey Jack cheese. Why that combo? Well, mushrooms are such a deliciously neutral canvas that they really get infused with the flavor of the Sriracha heat. And once we get that heat to an intolerable level, we like to cool it down with the creaminess of a nice mild cheese, like Monterey Jack.

Here are a few ways to experiment with these flavors :

Not Your Mama's Grits - We love grits. There are so many ways to dress them up. In fact, there was a great write-up a few months ago right on this very blog space about how to make the perfect grits. So starting with that great base, we just incorporated some diced shiitakes, a few squirts of fiery Sriracha*, and some freshly grated Monterey Jack. It really gets us going in the morning.

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​We aren't sure if it's the dreariness of winter, our taste bud-dulling cold, or just plain boredom, but lately we've been quite insistent on eating food with flavors that really pop. None of this milk and white toast crap for us. We want to know what we're eating even if we're blindfolded. The thing is, though, that sometimes there is such a thing as too much flavor. When you get a number of bold flavors all in one dish, they can end up competing with one another, leaving the eater confused and overwhelmed.

But when you combine the fatty smokiness of thickly sliced bacon with the juicy sweetness of fresh-cut pineapple and toss in some biting heat from a jalapeño, the big flavors of these harmonize with one another instead of vying for dominance of your palate. Here are a few ideas of how to experience this flavor combination for yourself.

Pasta - Start with any type of pasta you like. We think cavatappi-style corkscrews hold up well to the richness of this dish. Add a delicious white sauce, such as alfredo or béchamel, toss in some chopped bacon, minced jalapeño, and chunky pineapple pieces. Salt and pepper to taste.

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Last week we brought you a trio of scrumptiously sweet ingredients aimed at improving your breakfasts and desserts. This week, we thought we'd give you a few simple ideas for some fast, delicious dinners. We are big fans of Mediterranean cooking - its fresh and unprocessed goodness leaves you feeling deliciously fulfilled and self-righteous after a meal. Three of our favorite ingredients from this style of cuisine are feta, kalamata olives, and sun-dried tomatoes.

The dry saltiness of the feta mingles with the tangy bite of the kalamatas and is transformed into smooth ecstasy by the sweet chewiness of the sundried tomatoes. These flavors belong together. Read on to find some super easy ways to experience them yourself.

​Pizza: This one is a classic. Start with any good pizza crust and sauce. If you're feeling super-lazy, use a good quality, frozen, plain-cheese pizza as your base. Sprinkle on some crumbled feta, sliced kalamatas, and diced sundried tomatoes. One quick note: cover the tomatoes with cheese or they have a tendency to get scorched in the hot oven. If you want to get a little more adventurous, add some sautéed spinach and dried oregano. Pop it in the oven, and in about 10 minutes you will be in pizzeria heaven.

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​We are big believers in the sum of an excellent flavor fusion being greater than its parts. And we tend to return over and over again to certain ingredient combinations that just work really well together. That's why we'll be blogging about some of our favorite three-flavor blends that can be used in a variety of dishes.

We love chocolate - who doesn't? It's delicious, versatile, and even good for you if you get some with a high cocoa content. We also love bananas: They're like little travel-ready packs of sweet, potassium-rich energy. And walnuts - yes, we love walnuts, too. They're crunchy, yet moist and delicate, and packed with omega-3s. Each of these stands well enough on its own, but when combined they beckon you to eat and eat. Don't believe us? Try these three super-easy dishes, and you're sure to become a believer.

​BCCW (Banana Chocolate Chip Walnut) Pancakes

Begin by heating the griddle to medium-high heat. Mix up your favorite standard pancake batter (Bisquick, fancy mix, homemade - whatever), add one ripe, mashed banana, ¼ cup walnut pieces, and ¼ cup high-quality chocolate chips. Cook as normal, and then top with butter, honey, banana slices and a few more walnut pieces. This is one of the few things that get our lazy butts up on the weekends. So addictive...

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