Diary of an Amateur Food Critic

Being your “Average Joe” who just happens work in an industry and holds a position that affords me the opportunity to visit various eating establishments in and around the Houston area, and has also developed a penchant for putting my thoughts and feelings into words, I feel that I have a responsibility to myself to keep a record of my experiences at some of the local restaurants.

I am a notoriously hard person to please, as my family will readily attest. My personal opinion is that if you are visiting an eatery that provides a hostess and wait staff and it requires any more demand on your wallet than the local McDonalds, they are required to provide you with good attentive service and properly prepared food. I feel very strongly that if they fall short of these expectations, you, as a consumer, have a responsibility to complain and the restaurant’s management should never allow you to leave unsatisfied. If you don’t bother to complain, then it makes it easier for them to provide sub-par service to the next patron who comes in.

My wife has walked to the car leaving me alone to fight many battles with poorly run eating establishments. Don’t get me wrong, I am never rude or overbearing when things are not to my liking and I always tip very well, even if the experience is only average. I usually make my complaint and give them a few moments to make the proper gesture. Usually, if they refuse to do anything to rectify the situation, I will go ahead and pay the bill and leave. In the past, I have filed this information in the back of my mind and used it for future reference if and when the name of the restaurant came up again. That is, until now.

This blog is not an attempt to inflict any retribution or damage to any restaurant’s ownership or management and is simply an exercise of my right to my opinion.

This is my contribution to the restaurant patrons of Houston Texas.



PERRY’S STEAKHOUSE
9827 Katy Freeway
Houston, Texas
Next to the Memorial City Mall

This is one of those reviews that you always enjoy writing. I have been to this establishment on three different occasions and am still trying to find something to complain about.

The outward appearance of the building is well appointed, attractive and basically gives off the vibe that you are visiting a very upscale establishment. The parking attendants are very professional, friendly and attentive which gives the first impression that your visit is appreciated and puts you at ease.

When you walk in the door, you are met by several very attractive hostesses who very happily escort you to your table. One of the first things that you notice when you walk in the door is an abundance of personal wine lockers that are reserved for special customers.

As you are led into the main dining room, you can’t help but notice the beautiful, very impressive wine rack in the center of the room that is enclosed on all four sides by glass. This is a fitting centerpiece in a beautiful, upscale establishment.

The service is second to none that I have ever seen. There is always someone standing at the ready in the event that you may need something, whether it be an addition to your order or simply a refill of your water glass.

I have not ordered anything off of the menu that I would not recommend to anyone; however, if pressed for the information, I would suggest that you try the pork chop, which is one of the things that they are known for. The evening portion is definitely enough food to feed more than one person, but once you try it you will want it all to yourself so that you can take the other half home for a midnight snack.

One of their signature appetizers is a fried asparagus dish with crab meat that will round out your dining experience for the night. Don’t miss the opportunity to try it while you are there.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would have to give Perry’s a 9.7 (Only because I need a little “Wiggle Room” in case I happen to find a better restaurant somewhere in town).



THE STEAMBOAT HOUSE
8045 N. Sam Houston Pkwy W.
Houston, Texas 77064

My wife and I were first introduced to this establishment when some close friends of ours took us there to celebrate my birthday. Let me first say that my wife was so enamored with the place that she made me take her back to celebrate her own birthday.

This place is one of the more unusual restaurant experiences that you will ever have. The opportunity to view all of the historical paintings and artifacts alone is almost worth the price of the meal. This place is a veritable museum of Texas history with some of the most unbelievable wall murals/paintings that you will ever see, not to mention the many framed documents of obvious historical significance.

The food is impressive; although, not the best that I have had. I would definitely go back for the food alone.

The service is very good. The wait staff is very attentive and will not miss an opportunity to make sure that you have everything that you need. The Restaurant Owner makes his rounds and makes conversation with the patrons. He is very friendly without being overbearing or pushy and seems to really enjoy fielding questions about the restaurant décor.

The Steamboat House is upscale without the normally prerequisite snooty atmosphere. I would highly recommend it, especially if you have out of town visitors who would benefit from the Texas history lesson.

You should be prepared to spend a few dollars when you visit The Steamboat House, but in my humble opinion, it is worth the investment.
I give it an 8.8 on a scale of 1 to 10.



FOGO DE CHAO
8250 Westheimer Rd.
Houston, Texas

You should really skip a meal or two before you visit Fogo-De-Chao, especially if you want to have the opportunity to sample everything that is offered and get the full effect of the restaurant.

If you have never dined at a Brazilian themed restaurant, then you owe it to yourself to try this place. I can almost guarantee that you will return for a second visit.

As with most Brazilian themed restaurants, the ambiance is part of the experience. There are more than a handful of employees who bring out large skewers of many different types of meat prepared in several different ways. You are prepared ahead of time by one of the hosts and given a cardboard disc which is red on one side and green on the other. If you have the red side turned up, they will not bother you, while if the green side is exposed the Gauchos who present the food will stop at your table and offer the food to you which they expertly slice off of the skewers with very sharp carving knives.

One of the most impressive things about this establishment is the salad bar, which they obviously spend a lot of time and effort making it very attractive. You have to be careful not to “Over-do” it at the salad bar or you won’t have room to sample all of the fine food.

Once you are sufficiently full, the host will again appear at your table and attempt to get you to try their signature desert, which is a papaya blended ice cream that they will assure you has magical properties that will break down the meat in your digestive system.

The service is exceptional and the food is great. All in all, Fogo-De-Chao is a wonderful dining experience not to be missed. The price is a little steep, especially at night, but it is well worth it.

My wife loves this place and I have taken quite a few clients with me to enjoy this dining experience.
This one gets a 9.2 on a scale of 1 to 10.