Back Street Cafe
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Cuizine Magazine: Houston's only free publication dedicated to ...
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Backstre e t Cafe TTR W ine Cafe
1103 S Shepherd Dr Houston , TX 77019 RESTAURANT REVIEW
17 Restaurant - Alden Hotel Arturo's Uptown Italiano
HIDDEN TREASURES: BACKSTREET CAFE by M. MARTIN (Brunchin' Out, 09/2006)
Ashiana Indian Restaurant Backstreet Cafe Bistro Moderne - Hotel Derek Bistro Toulouse Boom Boom Room Brennan's of Houston Coco's Crepes & Coffee Cova W ine Bar D'Amico's Italian Market Cafe El Pueblito Place Farrago W orld Cuisine Field of Green's Hugo's Kirin One Japanese Sushi Buffet Kubo's Sushi Bar and Grill laidback manor (closed) Last Concert Cafe Marine's Empanadas & Bakery Max's W ine Dive Niko Niko's
One of the greatest pleasures in exploring a city is turning a random corner and discovering something you might otherwise never had known to exist. My wife and I had an experience of this sort recently in Brussels, when we ducked into an alley to escape a particularly noisy street fair and wound up drinking good, cheap wine in a combination bistro and marionette theater. The place was only a couple of blocks from our hotel, but we could have just as easily never have known it existed. It is a lot harder to have that experience in American cities, particularly cities as new as Houston, most particularly cities—like Houston—that routinely destroy their own past to make way for condos and strip malls (speaking of which, if you haven't signed the petition to preserve the River Oaks theater, please do—- you can sign it online at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/riveroaks/). Even so, there are hidden treasures in this city; not-so-obvious corners you can turn—and be very glad you did. One such rewarding turn can be found on Shepherd Drive, between Allen Parkway and West Gray. The Backstreet Café very much deserves its name. Despite having a Shepherd address and being in view of that busy street, it is something you can all-too-easily miss-- a cozy Thirties-era two story house snuggled amid the trees, one of many such houses on the border between River Oaks and Montrose. For inner-loop cognoscenti, the easiest way to get there does not involve Shepherd Drive at all, but a series of 'back streets' in the vicinity of River Oaks Shopping Center.
Oporto Cafe and W ine Bar Pico's Mex-Mex Restaurant Rouge New American Cuisine
1 of 5
My normal dining companion on these brunch outings is the intrepid Mrs. Martin. On the Sunday we ventured to Backstreet Café, we were joined by Cuizine staff photographer Jordan Chan and his charming
09/03/2009 09:30 AM
Cuizine Magazine: Houston's only free publication dedicated to ...
Saffron Moroccan Cuisine Tacos A Go-Go Tart Cafe Te House of Tea The Lodge at Bayou Bend TTR W ine Cafe Zula
file:///home/martin001/Documents/cuizine_reviews/backstreet_ca...
Significant Other. This was a good thing in more ways than one. Not only did Chef Hugo Ortega's offerings of the day deserve better photography than my little pocket digital, Sommelier Sean Beck had a number of food/wine pairings he wanted to run by us. A mere two appetites might've sufficed. Four appreciative diners was, however, far better for all concerned. Mrs. Martin and I arrived a few moments before the rest of our party, and decided to amuse ourselves in the meanwhile by examining the specialty drink menu of the day. The menu on this particular Sunday included a couple of uniquely-flavored mimosas, as well as a couple of variations on the Mojito theme, and a fairly interesting iced tea variation and sangria. After giving the matter some thought, we settled on the Wild Berry Mimosa and the Sunrise Red Sangria. The principal ingredients in the mimosa were purees of blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, and blackberry. Additionally, it was garnished with a few blueberries and tiny wedges of strawberry. The sangria consisted of an Argentine Cabernet, fortified with Cointreau, sweetened with sugar cane syrup, and flavored with mango nectar, lime juice, and orange juice. The fruit medley flavor of the two drinks was, in some ways, quite similar. In both case, there was a nice balance of tart and sweet components. Although the champagne-induced dryness of a mimosa-style drink usually makes it a more refreshing cocktail for Houston's typically torrid weather, the sangria seemed more seasonally appropriate this time, largely due to a surprisingly non-sweet aftertaste. The bread course that arrived with our cocktails also deserves mention, consisting of a small assortment of fruitflavored shortbreads that harmonized quite well with the drinks. By the time we had finished our first cocktails, the rest of our party had arrived. Sommelier Sean was informed, and we proceeded to the first of his planned food/beverage pairing. The beverage component was a new champagne cocktail, not yet added to the menu. Called the “Summer's End†, it consisted of Zefiro Prosecco, blood orange bitters, Cointreau, fresh mango nectar, and freshly pressed Cranberry Juice. With it, we were served a trio of appetizers: Duck spring rolls, seared scallops with jicama-corn salsa, and a savory salmon/mushroom crème brulee. Zefiro Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine blended with a small quantity of Chardonnay. It is crisply acidic with an almond-like finish. Combined with mango nectar, Prosecco makes for a nicely balanced base in the summer's end cocktail, allowing the blood orange bitters and the fresh cranberry juice to be distinctive signature components. In terms of pairing, the appetizer that worked best had to be the savory crème brûlée. The rich custard was like a more refined version of quiche, with a richness that the tart acidity of the cocktail both cut and drew attention to. The morsels of Alaskan salmon and morel mushroom were nicely complemented by a side salad of watercress
2 of 5
09/03/2009 09:30 AM
Cuizine Magazine: Houston's only free publication dedicated to ...
file:///home/martin001/Documents/cuizine_reviews/backstreet_ca...
dressed with a simple vinaigrette. The next most successful appetizer pairing was the seared scallops. Like the brûlée custard, the scallops had a buttery richness that formed a nice contrast to the cocktail, and had a nice, surprisingly sweet, outer sear that worked well with the jicama-corm salsa. Even though the duck spring rolls were the least effective pairing with the summer's end cocktail, they were probably my favorite appetizer. I simply like duck, period. I like the fat content of the meat, I like the gaminess. These spring rolls were of the deep-fried variety served with a soy-scallion dipping sauce. The overall flavor was very bold, and needed to be paired with an equally bold beverage. I tried a bite with the remainder of my sangria. It was perfect. Next, we had an opportunity to pair wines and entrees. Our group was served two reds and two whites: an '03 Norton Reserve Malbec and an '04 Catena Chardonnay from Argentina, an '04 Roessler California Pinot Noir, and finally a German Riesling—the '04 Theo Minges Gleisweiller Holle Kabinett. The Malbec was served with a Tenderloin Salad—sliced medium-rare tenderloin topped with chopped avocado and a coarse salsa of tomato, roasted corn, blistered peppers, black beans, and green onions, all of it topped with cilantro-lime vinaigrette. The Chardonnay was served with a brunch classic: Crab cakes and poached eggs on a bed of sautéed spinach, served with a red pepper beurre blanc. The Pinot was paired with a chicken and Andouille hash served with a jalapeno hollandaise. Lastly, the Riesling accompanied blue cornmeal crusted catfish, served with a corn flan and pan-roasted zucchini. Out of these, the most successful pairing seemed to be the catfish and the Riesling—or more particularly, the corn flan and the Riesling, which every member of our group demanded to share. In completely different ways, the Riesling managed to complement both the spiciness and texture of the catfish dish, as well as the succulent sweetness of the corn flan. Next most successful was the pairing of the Pinot with the hash. Chicken and Andouille are a reasonably well-known flavor combination in gumbo, and equally complementary in a hash. The Roesller Pinot Noir has a light, smoked quality and an earthiness that pairs nicely with the robustness of a well-seasoned sausage like Andouille. At the same time, it has a fruity component that works quite well with grilled chicken. The overall effect was quite hearty. The Chardonnay and crab cake pairing was also a success, if only because Backstreet Café serves what may be the best crab cakes I have ever tasted. This eastern seaboard Gulf coast favorite is all too often a little too well-seared, particularly when pan-fried, resulting in dryness. No such fate befell these crab cakes, which were moist,
3 of 5
09/03/2009 09:30 AM
Cuizine Magazine: Houston's only free publication dedicated to ...
file:///home/martin001/Documents/cuizine_reviews/backstreet_ca...
tender, and flavorful. The Catena Chardonnay is a product of the Mendoza region of Argentina, a high-altitude region favored with warm days and cool, dry nights. As a result, it is a vintage particularly known for its balance between acidity and sweetness. In this case, there was just enough acidity to counter the richness of the eggs and the pepper beurre blanc, just enough sweetness to blend perfectly with the crab cakes themselves. A good red wine and a good serving of properly cooked beef is a food pairing as old as western civilization itself, a tradition well-observed with the tenderloin salad Malbec pairing. The tenderloin was nicely prepared and nicely seasoned, with a slight crusting of black pepper. The accompanying salsa was essentially a variation on a theme of black bean salad—very appropriate for Houston's overheated summer afternoons, and very refreshing. The Norton Reserve Malbec has a black cherry spiciness and a sweet-oak aftertaste that makes it highly appropriate for a cold beef dish. We finished the meal by splitting a pair of desserts, a chocolate cake and a cherry cobbler, paired with two very yummy dessert wines. The chocolate cake was served with a chocolate-raspberry sauce and a dollop of house-made chocolate ice cream. The cherry cobbler was individually baked in a soufflé dish and served with vanilla ice cream, also house-made. The cake was paired with a Sicilian dessert wine—the '04 Donnafugata “Ben Rye†Passito di Pantelleria. The Donnafugata had a smoky, golden hue and an intensely sweet taste that was not at all overwhelmed by the abundant chocolate flavors of the cake and the ice cream. The cobbler was served with an '04 Domaine des Bernardins Beames de Venise-- a highly aromatic wine from the Loire Valley region of France. Lighter and drier than the Sicilian wine, the very fruity nose made it an ideal pairing with fruit pastry. That pretty much concluded the meal. Our friends made their way back to their car and a drive back outside the loop. Mrs. Martin and I, having a considerably shorter trek ahead of us, opted to move to the tree-shrouded back patio, order two more glasses of that very excellent California Pinot, and reminisce over the various 'hidden treasures' we'd uncovered on various explorations. As long-time Montrose residents, The Backstreet Café was hardly a new discovery for us. But it continues to be a hidden gem that we very much love to rediscover from time to time.....and one that we are very much pleased to share. 1103 S Shepherd Dr Houston, TX 77019 (713) 521-2239 www.backstreetcafe.net
4 of 5
09/03/2009 09:30 AM
Cuizine Magazine: Houston's only free publication dedicated to ...
© 2007 Cuizine Magazine.
5 of 5
file:///home/martin001/Documents/cuizine_reviews/backstreet_ca...
ABOUT US | CONTACT US | ADVERTISING | PRESS RELEASES | LINKS
09/03/2009 09:30 AM
NAM E
ZIP
CUISINE ANY CUISINE
file:///home/martin001/Documents/cuizine_reviews/backstreet_ca...
FEATURE ANY FEATURE
NEIGHBORHOOD ANY NEIGHBORHOOD
PRICE ANY
find it!
Backstre e t Cafe TTR W ine Cafe
1103 S Shepherd Dr Houston , TX 77019 RESTAURANT REVIEW
17 Restaurant - Alden Hotel Arturo's Uptown Italiano
HIDDEN TREASURES: BACKSTREET CAFE by M. MARTIN (Brunchin' Out, 09/2006)
Ashiana Indian Restaurant Backstreet Cafe Bistro Moderne - Hotel Derek Bistro Toulouse Boom Boom Room Brennan's of Houston Coco's Crepes & Coffee Cova W ine Bar D'Amico's Italian Market Cafe El Pueblito Place Farrago W orld Cuisine Field of Green's Hugo's Kirin One Japanese Sushi Buffet Kubo's Sushi Bar and Grill laidback manor (closed) Last Concert Cafe Marine's Empanadas & Bakery Max's W ine Dive Niko Niko's
One of the greatest pleasures in exploring a city is turning a random corner and discovering something you might otherwise never had known to exist. My wife and I had an experience of this sort recently in Brussels, when we ducked into an alley to escape a particularly noisy street fair and wound up drinking good, cheap wine in a combination bistro and marionette theater. The place was only a couple of blocks from our hotel, but we could have just as easily never have known it existed. It is a lot harder to have that experience in American cities, particularly cities as new as Houston, most particularly cities—like Houston—that routinely destroy their own past to make way for condos and strip malls (speaking of which, if you haven't signed the petition to preserve the River Oaks theater, please do—- you can sign it online at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/riveroaks/). Even so, there are hidden treasures in this city; not-so-obvious corners you can turn—and be very glad you did. One such rewarding turn can be found on Shepherd Drive, between Allen Parkway and West Gray. The Backstreet Café very much deserves its name. Despite having a Shepherd address and being in view of that busy street, it is something you can all-too-easily miss-- a cozy Thirties-era two story house snuggled amid the trees, one of many such houses on the border between River Oaks and Montrose. For inner-loop cognoscenti, the easiest way to get there does not involve Shepherd Drive at all, but a series of 'back streets' in the vicinity of River Oaks Shopping Center.
Oporto Cafe and W ine Bar Pico's Mex-Mex Restaurant Rouge New American Cuisine
1 of 5
My normal dining companion on these brunch outings is the intrepid Mrs. Martin. On the Sunday we ventured to Backstreet Café, we were joined by Cuizine staff photographer Jordan Chan and his charming
09/03/2009 09:30 AM
Cuizine Magazine: Houston's only free publication dedicated to ...
Saffron Moroccan Cuisine Tacos A Go-Go Tart Cafe Te House of Tea The Lodge at Bayou Bend TTR W ine Cafe Zula
file:///home/martin001/Documents/cuizine_reviews/backstreet_ca...
Significant Other. This was a good thing in more ways than one. Not only did Chef Hugo Ortega's offerings of the day deserve better photography than my little pocket digital, Sommelier Sean Beck had a number of food/wine pairings he wanted to run by us. A mere two appetites might've sufficed. Four appreciative diners was, however, far better for all concerned. Mrs. Martin and I arrived a few moments before the rest of our party, and decided to amuse ourselves in the meanwhile by examining the specialty drink menu of the day. The menu on this particular Sunday included a couple of uniquely-flavored mimosas, as well as a couple of variations on the Mojito theme, and a fairly interesting iced tea variation and sangria. After giving the matter some thought, we settled on the Wild Berry Mimosa and the Sunrise Red Sangria. The principal ingredients in the mimosa were purees of blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, and blackberry. Additionally, it was garnished with a few blueberries and tiny wedges of strawberry. The sangria consisted of an Argentine Cabernet, fortified with Cointreau, sweetened with sugar cane syrup, and flavored with mango nectar, lime juice, and orange juice. The fruit medley flavor of the two drinks was, in some ways, quite similar. In both case, there was a nice balance of tart and sweet components. Although the champagne-induced dryness of a mimosa-style drink usually makes it a more refreshing cocktail for Houston's typically torrid weather, the sangria seemed more seasonally appropriate this time, largely due to a surprisingly non-sweet aftertaste. The bread course that arrived with our cocktails also deserves mention, consisting of a small assortment of fruitflavored shortbreads that harmonized quite well with the drinks. By the time we had finished our first cocktails, the rest of our party had arrived. Sommelier Sean was informed, and we proceeded to the first of his planned food/beverage pairing. The beverage component was a new champagne cocktail, not yet added to the menu. Called the “Summer's End†, it consisted of Zefiro Prosecco, blood orange bitters, Cointreau, fresh mango nectar, and freshly pressed Cranberry Juice. With it, we were served a trio of appetizers: Duck spring rolls, seared scallops with jicama-corn salsa, and a savory salmon/mushroom crème brulee. Zefiro Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine blended with a small quantity of Chardonnay. It is crisply acidic with an almond-like finish. Combined with mango nectar, Prosecco makes for a nicely balanced base in the summer's end cocktail, allowing the blood orange bitters and the fresh cranberry juice to be distinctive signature components. In terms of pairing, the appetizer that worked best had to be the savory crème brûlée. The rich custard was like a more refined version of quiche, with a richness that the tart acidity of the cocktail both cut and drew attention to. The morsels of Alaskan salmon and morel mushroom were nicely complemented by a side salad of watercress
2 of 5
09/03/2009 09:30 AM
Cuizine Magazine: Houston's only free publication dedicated to ...
file:///home/martin001/Documents/cuizine_reviews/backstreet_ca...
dressed with a simple vinaigrette. The next most successful appetizer pairing was the seared scallops. Like the brûlée custard, the scallops had a buttery richness that formed a nice contrast to the cocktail, and had a nice, surprisingly sweet, outer sear that worked well with the jicama-corm salsa. Even though the duck spring rolls were the least effective pairing with the summer's end cocktail, they were probably my favorite appetizer. I simply like duck, period. I like the fat content of the meat, I like the gaminess. These spring rolls were of the deep-fried variety served with a soy-scallion dipping sauce. The overall flavor was very bold, and needed to be paired with an equally bold beverage. I tried a bite with the remainder of my sangria. It was perfect. Next, we had an opportunity to pair wines and entrees. Our group was served two reds and two whites: an '03 Norton Reserve Malbec and an '04 Catena Chardonnay from Argentina, an '04 Roessler California Pinot Noir, and finally a German Riesling—the '04 Theo Minges Gleisweiller Holle Kabinett. The Malbec was served with a Tenderloin Salad—sliced medium-rare tenderloin topped with chopped avocado and a coarse salsa of tomato, roasted corn, blistered peppers, black beans, and green onions, all of it topped with cilantro-lime vinaigrette. The Chardonnay was served with a brunch classic: Crab cakes and poached eggs on a bed of sautéed spinach, served with a red pepper beurre blanc. The Pinot was paired with a chicken and Andouille hash served with a jalapeno hollandaise. Lastly, the Riesling accompanied blue cornmeal crusted catfish, served with a corn flan and pan-roasted zucchini. Out of these, the most successful pairing seemed to be the catfish and the Riesling—or more particularly, the corn flan and the Riesling, which every member of our group demanded to share. In completely different ways, the Riesling managed to complement both the spiciness and texture of the catfish dish, as well as the succulent sweetness of the corn flan. Next most successful was the pairing of the Pinot with the hash. Chicken and Andouille are a reasonably well-known flavor combination in gumbo, and equally complementary in a hash. The Roesller Pinot Noir has a light, smoked quality and an earthiness that pairs nicely with the robustness of a well-seasoned sausage like Andouille. At the same time, it has a fruity component that works quite well with grilled chicken. The overall effect was quite hearty. The Chardonnay and crab cake pairing was also a success, if only because Backstreet Café serves what may be the best crab cakes I have ever tasted. This eastern seaboard Gulf coast favorite is all too often a little too well-seared, particularly when pan-fried, resulting in dryness. No such fate befell these crab cakes, which were moist,
3 of 5
09/03/2009 09:30 AM
Cuizine Magazine: Houston's only free publication dedicated to ...
file:///home/martin001/Documents/cuizine_reviews/backstreet_ca...
tender, and flavorful. The Catena Chardonnay is a product of the Mendoza region of Argentina, a high-altitude region favored with warm days and cool, dry nights. As a result, it is a vintage particularly known for its balance between acidity and sweetness. In this case, there was just enough acidity to counter the richness of the eggs and the pepper beurre blanc, just enough sweetness to blend perfectly with the crab cakes themselves. A good red wine and a good serving of properly cooked beef is a food pairing as old as western civilization itself, a tradition well-observed with the tenderloin salad Malbec pairing. The tenderloin was nicely prepared and nicely seasoned, with a slight crusting of black pepper. The accompanying salsa was essentially a variation on a theme of black bean salad—very appropriate for Houston's overheated summer afternoons, and very refreshing. The Norton Reserve Malbec has a black cherry spiciness and a sweet-oak aftertaste that makes it highly appropriate for a cold beef dish. We finished the meal by splitting a pair of desserts, a chocolate cake and a cherry cobbler, paired with two very yummy dessert wines. The chocolate cake was served with a chocolate-raspberry sauce and a dollop of house-made chocolate ice cream. The cherry cobbler was individually baked in a soufflé dish and served with vanilla ice cream, also house-made. The cake was paired with a Sicilian dessert wine—the '04 Donnafugata “Ben Rye†Passito di Pantelleria. The Donnafugata had a smoky, golden hue and an intensely sweet taste that was not at all overwhelmed by the abundant chocolate flavors of the cake and the ice cream. The cobbler was served with an '04 Domaine des Bernardins Beames de Venise-- a highly aromatic wine from the Loire Valley region of France. Lighter and drier than the Sicilian wine, the very fruity nose made it an ideal pairing with fruit pastry. That pretty much concluded the meal. Our friends made their way back to their car and a drive back outside the loop. Mrs. Martin and I, having a considerably shorter trek ahead of us, opted to move to the tree-shrouded back patio, order two more glasses of that very excellent California Pinot, and reminisce over the various 'hidden treasures' we'd uncovered on various explorations. As long-time Montrose residents, The Backstreet Café was hardly a new discovery for us. But it continues to be a hidden gem that we very much love to rediscover from time to time.....and one that we are very much pleased to share. 1103 S Shepherd Dr Houston, TX 77019 (713) 521-2239 www.backstreetcafe.net
4 of 5
09/03/2009 09:30 AM
Cuizine Magazine: Houston's only free publication dedicated to ...
© 2007 Cuizine Magazine.
5 of 5
file:///home/martin001/Documents/cuizine_reviews/backstreet_ca...
ABOUT US | CONTACT US | ADVERTISING | PRESS RELEASES | LINKS
09/03/2009 09:30 AM
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