Beavers and Brussel Sprouts

When my husband and I found ourselves quite the only couple in town not attending a wedding, drifting the New Braunfels river or participating in the New Orleans Jazz Fest festivities, we agreed to extend date night into date weekend. And, being the foodies we are, we decided to knock out a few restaurant on our to-eat-list.



Friday night, we drifted into Beaver's, a bar and restaurant tucked away on the less traversed end of Washington Street headed towards downtown Houston. A review in the Houston chronicle had landed the restaurant on our to-eat-list simply by its photo of a large cornmeal-crusted oyster po-boy overflowing with crispy onions on a buttery potato bun.



As we drove into the small, graveled front parking lot, we were greeted by short wooden stumps leading to the restaurant entrance. But, inside was hip; with a few rounded booths and multiple two-seater tables. Beaver's seemed perfect for couples seeking a romantic but relaxed evening out despite the waitress' shirts reading "Beavers, just south of Hooters". The menu was exciting for the two of us, often nostalgic for our Southeastern fare, offering cheesy grits, braised collards and sweet potato mash. Their entrees included the oyster po-boy that had initially lured us from the pages of the Houston Chronicle, a shredded chicken sandwich with tangy slaw, barbecue sauce, crispy onions and a fried egg, brisket tacos braised with orange, sesame and golden raisins and country rabbit en mole verde over black bean tamales. They also had a selection of brisket, ribs and sausage from the smoker, fried pickles and even a tofu BBQ burger for the meat-averse. Needless to say, we stumbled out of the restaurant, our bellies full of their locally brewed beer on draught and Southern-Texas cuisine. And, I've since thought to go back for a tee-shirt.



Saturday evening we felt as if we'd traveled across the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean, perched on the outside patio of Dolce Vita, an Italian cafe and enoteca, or wine shop. The patio is surrounded by a tall wrought iron fence hidden in creeping foliage that shields us from the road just ten feet beyond; and, we are shielded from both sun and rain by a white canopy overhead. The menu is light, delicious and from what I can tell, authentic. They offer small plates of shaved brussel sprouts with pecorino, fingerling potatoes "arrabbiata", calamari, pancetta or a cheese selection served with honey. Their thin crust pizzas are divine. We ordered the Siciliana with tomatoes, capers and olives and the Melanzane with eggplant, tomatoes and parmigiano. I had heard that their wine list is excellent but, as I am unfamiliar with Italian wines (usually preferring South American blends) I let the waiter choose for us. I recommend, encourage or simply assure you that this decision, at least here at Dolce Vita, is a wise one.

We left Dolce Vita happy, satiated and not too full. What a wonderfully interesting feeling for the both of us on a night out; tummies content though not protruding. No waddling to the car, despite splitting an appetizer, two pizzas and two desserts. European portion size is truly a marvel for the American to behold.

However, if dessert is what you crave, I would suggest going all out, skipping dessert at Dolce Vita and heading over to Little Bigs sliders and shakes for a home-spun milkshake. After all, the moment you drift out from under the white canopied patio of Dolce Vita, you are back on American soil, Texas soil at that; and, we all know that everything is bigger in Texas, including our appetites!