New in the [Heights] Neighborhood

This past month, it feels like there has been an explosion of restaurant openings, especially in my neighborhood of the Heights. This post features some of the new restaurants I've tried.

Lee's Fried Chicken and Donuts

This new small restaurant is literally right across the street from my apartment. I've been watching the remodeling progress for months after the Church's Chicken closed down, and the F.E.E.D. group (of BRC and Liberty Kitchen fame) took over the building. I followed all the Houston restaurant twitter sites  and stalked the other social network sites, waiting for word of its opening. Then one Friday on the way home from work, we saw people inside! Of course we decided to try it that very night. It did not disappoint!! The fried chicken is really homey tasting with delicious flavors . I usually prefer spicy fried chicken, but Lee manages to inject a crazy amount of flavor without the usual peppers I look for in my fried chicken. This fried chicken is pure comfort food! Lee's fried chicken sandwich is also really delicious and quite a steal at $6.95! The sides and sauces we've tried have all hit the spot, but it is the chicken that really shines! I'd recommend the sour cream mashed potatoes, add bacon jalapeno cream gravy, and the creamed corn. I was slightly disappointed with the rolls, but they were still good just not amazing as expected.

Lee's other side, breakfast, is also a win. Their donuts are super light and fluffy, and their kolaches have a nice size sausage encased in the delicious breading. Go classic with a super fresh glazed donut, or if in a crazier mood definitely try the praline and bacon!

Grade: A+

Hunky Dory (pub side)

The biggest growth in the Houston Heights seems to be at the intersection of Shepherd and 19th street. Ka, a new sushi spot I haven't tried yet, has popped up in the shopping center shared with Fat Cat Creamery and Hugs & Donuts. Word has also come out that there will soon be a Bernie's Burger Bus and Mellow Mushroom joining the party. However, the wait is over for the new British tavern Hunky Dory, which has been in the works for what seems like forever by the Treadsack group (Down House and D&T Drive Inn). Hunky Dory has 2 parts: their main tavern dining room, and the pub side. I have yet to try the main dining room, but I have been lucky enough to feast at their pub side with my in-laws. The great thing about eating with a large group at a new place is the ability to order a ton of options and share. This is exactly what we did. Between the 5 of us, we ordered the fish & chips, shepherd's pie, bangers & mash, steak frites, and the silver salver. Every single item we ordered was fantastic! The silver salver was a super fun starter to share, coming with an assortment of spreads, cheeses, breads, and accompaniments. My favorite was the chicken mousse and pork pie! Out of the entrees, the shepherd's pie was a close second, but the big winner to me was the fish & chips. I am constantly trying to find fish & chips that match the deliciousness I found in England while studying abroad, and this is by far the winner! The trick is to pour malt vinegar all over the fish and chips, then munch away. Trust me, it is amazing! After gorging on a deliciously hearty English meal, be sure to save room for dessert. The sticky toffee pudding was an incredible way to end the meal, and I can highly recommend it. I do apologize for the lack of pictures; we were too hungry to wait for a camera! 

Grade: A+

silver salver starter

Southern Goods

Southern Goods is another restaurant which recently opened at the intersection of Shepherd and 19th that I had been eyeing for a while. Unfortunately, unlike Hunky Dory, Southern Goods did not meet my expectations. Upon first glance, the space is really cool. There is a nice outdoor space with large trees, and the bar is open to the patio. However, it is the food that let me down. Southern Goods calls their menu "a blend of southern cuisine with modern interpretations." To be fair, the appetizers we ordered were really great, it was just the entrees that did not wow me. We ordered the shrimp and grit croquettes and the cornbread to start. The croquettes were a really fun way to showcase the southern dish shrimp and grits, and the sauce that came with these fried balls of goodness really complimented them. The cornbread came in a cast iron skillet and was also super delicious. For our entrees, we ordered the pig wings, red beans and rice, and the burnt ends with collard greens and grits. Everything was good, but nothing was great. My biggest problem was that besides the croquettes everything was sweet. Even the burnt ends with grits had a slightly sweet sauce. Pork is one of my favorite things, and I truly did enjoy the pork wings. However, they had a sweet sauce that made me not be able to eat the entire meal, and they were not as tender as I had hoped. The burnt ends were the same- not quite as tender as beef can be. We finished with bourbon balls, which were a really interesting cross between cookie dough and caramel with a bourbon flavor.

I really did enjoy the atmosphere, the beer selection, and the appetizers we tried. I would definitely come back for a happy hour type setting on a nice day, but with all the amazing A+ restaurants in Houston, I probably would not come back for a full dinner.

Grade: B-