DineOut
by E.J. Arnell
Daily Surprise!

Another day, another new and delicious dish at the Daily Review Café

Ever walk into your kitchen feeling hungry but not knowing what you feel like eating? Unaware of what food you have to cook with, you rummage around in cupboards and the bottom of your fridge, find a few things, and end up creating something tasty and fresh. This is the way the kitchen staff at Daily Review Café begins their workday. First they take stock of what is available and then use their imagination and experience to come up with the daily specials. Half of their menu changes every day.

This could be risky, but it’s the kitchen at Daily Review that makes this restaurant so popular. Everything that I have eaten there was at least good and most things were excellent. Executive chef Anthony Bolt studied at the Art Institute of Houston in the culinary program and has hopped around the state cooking at several restaurants including Mark’s American Cuisine. Working together with owner Janice Beeson, they encourage the staff to be creative with everyone feeding off each other’s enthusiasm.

This intimate café hides in a residential neighborhood. Townhouses may create its shade, but the food creates its charm. The atmosphere is casual with subtle cozy details–like the fresh flowers and tea candles on every table, or the tiny gold wasps printed on the burgundy fabric of the bench seats. When the weather permits, try sitting in their shaded patio, overlooking a grassy yard; right there in the garden grow herbs and lettuces that are used in the kitchen.

Of the four salads that they offer on a regular basis, I am familiar with two. One is the baked goat cheese salad, which makes a lovely appetizer plate. Baby field greens are topped with spiced pecans, warm cheese, roasted garlic, and grilled apples and bread. It’s a wonderful smorgasbord of flavors and textures. The other is the classic Caesar salad, which has a tangy anchovy dressing with a nutty creamy flavor, tossed with crisp cold romaine lettuce leaves and crunchy garlic croutons, then shaved reggiano cheese is added on top. It’s very satisfying with a glass of bold red wine.

Which brings me to the bar. Cheers to the fabulous collection of domestic and international brews. There are over 20 types to choose from, including one of my favorites: Fat Tire Amber Ale. Their wine list is equally impressive and very reasonably priced. It has been voted one of Houston’s Ten Best Wine Lists by My Table two years in a row. The majority of the wines are Californian, but the ones by the glass are a great selection of the total list, representing Italy, Spain, France, Argentina, Germany, and New Zealand.

On a recent visit one of the items that we tried was the appetizer of pecan crab and crawfish bayou cakes served with Creole remoulade sauce and baby field greens. Given Daily Review’s rotating menu, it may not be there when you go, but I want to tell you about it both because it was so tasty and also because it will give you a good idea of what they create. The presentation of the dish was downright pretty: The golden cakes sat on a little puddle of sauce with the greens fanned out to one side. I paused to admire the food art and then jumped in to experience goodness. Large succulent hunks of crab and crawfish are packed together to form these delectable patties. For a perfect bite I stacked my fork with a few greens, added a morsel of seafood and then dragged it through the rich and spicy remoulade. Excuse me, I need to go and eat something....

... OK! That feels better, now I can concentrate. The classification of food at the Daily Review is "contemporary American," according to owner Beeson. What does that mean? It means that you will see familiar foods prepared in creative ways. Salmon is usually on the menu, as is chicken, pork, beef, a vegetarian plate, soups, pizzas, and pastas. They have a variety of foods, they just don’t go crazy with the number of dishes; the one-page menu has about 20 items, most of which change daily. The beauty of this approach is the freshness of the food and the creativity of the dishes. It also keeps regulars coming back.

Let’s talk about Tony’s Southern Fried Chicken, which is only on the menu on Wednesdays. For the mid-week blues, this is the comfort food. Be prepared for the enormity of the dish. Half of a fresh chicken is double-dipped in buttermilk and peppery breading; the result is a crunchy mahogany encasement for the tender juicy chicken. The chicken is stacked on top of tart mustard greens sautéed in duck drippings and scallion mashed potatoes; tarragon ham gravy circles the statue; and pecans halves are generously sprinkled about. It’s jam-packed with calories, to be sure, but would it really be comforting if it wasn’t?

Another must-try is the organic 100-percent pure Hereford beef that the restaurant orders special. The beef is always on the menu; although the way it is prepared and the accompaniments change, the quality and the flavor are consistent. We had grilled tenderloin, seared perfectly to produce that gorgeous deep outer color, and a slight crunch. Inside it was medium rare, and so tender you can use your knife backward, upside down, or not at all. It was served on a BBQ reduction sauce, butter smashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and topped with crispy onions. Feel good–eat beef. This is the all-American plate.

The desserts are prepared on the premises, as is the bread. With a decaf cappuccino in hand, I set out to sample three of the six desserts. Above and beyond my favorite was the creme brulee served with fresh berries. It’s hard to find a restaurant in Houston that doesn’t serve this dessert, so I am sure that you have tasted a few of the offerings out there. Try the one at Daily Review and let me know what you think, because according to my taste buds, it’s the best I’ve ever had in this city. The smoothness of the custard is incredible as is the crunchy caramelized top; the flavor is subtle, but intensely rich, and the fresh cool berries are the ideal balance. On the other side of the scale is the dessert for those of you whom I’ll never quite understand–people who don’t actually like sweets. Enter the shortbread biscuit with Huckleberry sauce and creme fraîche. The dense mild biscuit is slightly sweeter than a tea biscuit but less sweet than a typical shortbread cookie. It has an absence of taste. The cream and sauce do little to jazz it up, but for the right person and with a spot of tea, I’m sure it’s really quite lovely.

Daily Review Café

3412 West Lamar (@ Dunlavy)

713/520-9217

Lunch hours are Mon.—Sat., 11:30 a.m.—2 p.m. Dinner hours are Tue.— Thu., 6—10 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 6—10:30 p.m.; Mon. (limited menu), 6—9 p.m. Sunday brunch is 11 a.m.—2:30 p.m.