Cleverleys Newsletter

For all the news about Houston's restaurant scene, including chef news and job listings:

The Cleverley Radio Show: www.cleverley.com/

Who knows what's happening in Houston's restaurant scene?

Cleverley Knows

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What's Hot, Hip & Happening in Houston's Restaurant Scene
Serving Houston's Diners Since 1997 May 31, 2007

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Celebrating Our 10th Anniversary of
Publishing Cleverley's Newsletter This Month
1997-2007

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Ryan Hildebrand is Back
Ryan Hildebrand To Exec Chef Two Restaurants
Ryan Hildebrand has surfaced as the new executive chef for Patrenella's Italian Restaurant and the new Corleone restaurant.

Patrenella's is a family business owned by Sammy Patrenella. He wanted a restaurant that would carry on the traditional good tastes and love of his mother and father. Sixteen years ago Sammy, his wife Josephine, son Sammy Jr., and daughters renovated their home, which was built in 1938, where their family was raised, and made it into a restaurant. Careful attention was given so the renovated house-now restaurant matches the ambience of the historic Heights and Sixth Ward neighborhoods.

Web Site
813 Jackson Hill, Houston.

You may remember last year there was a bit of a brouhaha when Hildebrand razed the historic Ashland Tea House in The Heights to build a new restaurant. He really wanted to use the original structure, (that's why he bought the property), but the building was found to be unsound and unsafe and could not be saved for any future use.

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Corleone-New Restaurant
On June 21st from 6-9 p.m. the Patrenella's will host the grand opening party for their new restaurant, Corleone Bar & Grill, a full service bar located behind the 16 year old Patrenella's restaurant.

Bites from the new bar menu, designed by exec chef Ryan Hildebrand, will be served including rib eye, seasonal fresh market fish selections, gumbo, crab cakes and shrimp cocktail and specialty drinks.

Corleone Bar & Grill Happy Hour specials run from 4 p.m. -7 p.m. Tuesday thru Friday. Hours of operation are Tuesday-Thursday 4 p.m. - 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4 p.m.- 2 a.m., closed Sunday and Monday.
813 Jackson Hill, Houston.

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Monarch-New Restaurant & New Hotel Zaza
Last week I had dinner at Monarch, the not-yet-opened restaurant in the not-yet-opened Hotel Zaza. Quite delicious on the palate and the eyes, it was.

Executive Chef Bradley Manchester was very visible, making sure that each dish was properly prepared and presented. And it was a great pleasure to have long-time friend Ernest Arredondo as our most excellent server.

What we had:
. Salt & pepper rock shrimp, lemon cilantro, aioli, ponzu
. Hot & crunchy crab cakes, avocado relish, mango chipotle sauce, plantain chips
. Warm tomato & mozzarella, balsamic syrup, basil aioli
. Surf & Turf - Kobe short rib, butter braised Maine lobster, house-made steak sauce
. 20 oz Prime Bone-In Rib Eye

. Bourbon creamed corn, White cheddar truffled mac & cheese, Shiner Bock onion rings

. Southern pecan pie, Shiner Bock ice cream, sugared walnuts
. White chocolate crème brûlée, amarena cherry sauce
. Blueberry sour cream cheesecake, blueberry compote

We dined in the dining room and had dessert outside, on the patio.

I'm not a critic... don't want to be, please don't call me one. Real restaurant critics should be anonymous, and I choose not to be. I'm an observer, a commentator, a disseminator of information and a sharer of opinions. I will share my comments with you that my meal at Monarch was delicious, the service gracious, and I would order any of the above items again.

The dining room has huge windows that face the beautiful Mecom Fountain. And I must say, as night fell, it was a disappointment that the fountain was not dancing with lights, as I remembered how it used to be when the hotel was The Warwick.

What happened to the lights? I was told that vandals had stolen all of the expensive fountain lighting and the city of Houston was not planning on replacing it because it would cost upwards of $100,000. Ugh - vandals. Can't they leave anything alone? Probably sold the lights to buy, ... oh, whatever vandals are spending their money on these days. Grills, bling, rims.

But my evening was not without a warm glow. The bright light at my table was Hotel Zaza concepteur Charlie Givens. An impish sense of humor he has, and a real eye for detail. You will love everything about this venue, including the unique guest rooms and bar! The Zaza and Monarch should be a hit in Houston.

The Zaza has been hosting preview parties all this week with the big bang bash happening tomorrow night, with upwards of 2,000 people attending - by invitation only. Since I had my special night at the Zaza last week, I may go to the Tour de Champagne event at the Derek tomorrow night.

The Hotel Zaza and Monarch restaurant will be open to the public on June 4th. Oh, and look for a special event I'll be doing at the Zaza later this month...

5701 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005
713.526.1991 Web Site

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Who's on The Cleverley Show
Saturday, June 2, 2007
. Cat Cora, Iron Chef-Food Network
. Tim Avila, Zsweet
. The Chefs from the Four Seasons - Joseph Oldham, Gaetano Ascione, Philippe Valladares
. Dr. Tomato ( Dr. Bob Randall)

Fabulous prizes on Saturday's show include:
. Cat Cora's latest book
. Tickets to Wine Week in The Woodlands
. Tickets to the Houston Museum of Natural Science
. Gift certificates for Trentino Gelato

Listen for the "Word of the Day" and call in with your answer.

Call the show live on Saturdays between 12-1 p.m. Central at 713-9-650-650.

I'd love to hear your ideas for guests and things you'd like to hear on the show.
Email: Show@CleverleysNewsletter.com. Web site: www.Cleverley.com

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Reader Comments
"I am a gourmand myself, and enjoy good food.
I appreciate finding out about places I have yet to discover.
Your newsletter is one of the vehicles I use to make those kind of discoveries."
Joanne

"Tidbits is a great section to catch up on the
latest trivia and big news in the restaurant biz."
Bob

"I love your newsletter - it's a foodies' delight!"
Sarah Gish, Gish Creative

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WeekendBrunch.info, BizLunch.info & WineDinners.info
To commemorate our 10th year of publishing Cleverley's Newsletter and providing you with Houston's restaurant news, we are launching three new web sites. (We've been wanting to do this for years.)

Based upon the format of our popular holiday dining guides, in the coming weeks, we will launch:
. WeekendBrunch.info
. BizLunch.info
. WineDinners.info

These sites will feature everything you like about our holiday dining guide sites: menus, prices, times, addresses, web site links & reservation info.

For advertising info, contact: Info@CleverleysNewsletter.com

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Discounts for Tour de Champagne Tickets

Click here for my promo code to save $15 per ticket for the Tour de Champagne

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Houston Polo Club on Sunday

Ticket Information

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Job Bank
Hospitality Jobs
. Executive Administrative Assistant to the GM- Omni
. Executive Chef-Retreat at Artesian Lakes
. Servers, Wine Stewards, Bartenders-Rainbow Lodge
. Waitstaff, Hostesses, Carry-Out Positions, Busboys, Kitchen Staff-Carrabba's Kirby & Voss Only

Click here to view all jobs and contact information

www.RestaurantAndHotelJobs.com

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Museum Discounts for CNL Subscribers
WOW!
I have a coupon for you for the Houston Museum of Natural Science, all exhibits, that will get you the steepest discount offered anywhere.

Frogs!, Imperial Rome, IMAX, the new Gem Exhibit, all Exhibit Halls, Cockrell Butterfly Center & Burke Baker Planetarium.

Click here for printable coupon

"I enjoy reading your newsletter.
I also appreciate that you also are enabling us readers to get a discount at the Museum."
JT

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Fun Food Facts
How much do you know about what you eat?
Take the America Fit quiz from TIME magazine
and test your knowledge.

Take the quiz

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The Author
Photo: Cleverley with Wolfgang Puck
Cleverley Stone knows her way around a menu.
. Publisher of Cleverley's Newsletter, online newsletter about Houston's restaurant scene, since 1997.
www.CleverleysNewsletter.com

. Host of "The Cleverley Show," talk with taste, the radio program for people who love to eat. Saturdays at Noon on CNN 650 Radio News in Houston.
www.Cleverley.com

Who knows what's happening in Houston's restaurant scene?

Cleverley Knows

Sign up for free newsletter

What's Hot, Hip & Happening in Houston's Restaurant Scene
Serving Houston's Diners Since 1997 May 11, 2007

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Let's Have Dinner Together
Join me for dinner on Wednesday, May 16th at *17, where Chef Ryan Pera will prepare a delicious meal for us. Cocktails at 6:30 p.m.
(Ketel One Clever-tini's are on me). Dinner at 7 p.m.
Click here to view menu and details

Check out *17's Mother's Day Menu here

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Tid Bits
I spoke with Jon Paul last week and he has some news.

You know that a while back he left Tony's and opened his own restaurant called Sabor at 1308 Montrose Boulevard, Houston.

Then he took on partners from the El Tiempo restaurants (the Laurenzo family) and the name of the restaurant changed to 1308 Cantina.

Now, the name of the restaurant has changed again to Laurenzo's 1308 Cantina and
Chef Domenic Laurenzo is at the helm.

Why all of these name changes?

Because Jon Paul sold his restaurant to the Laurenzos and he is now the partner of Polo Becerra in all of his restaurants: Post Oak Grill Uptown, Post Oak Grill Downtown, the new Polo's Signature in Greenway Plaza and Citrus, a new restaurant to open this summer.

Paul spends his time visiting each restaurant everyday, using Polo's Signature as his home base, and he is very busy with the details of opening Citrus.

Paul and Becerra will be guests on "The Cleverley Show" tomorrow on CNN 650 Radio News at Noon.

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Jimmy Mitchell has a new position.

He is the research and development chef for Gaido's Seafood Restaurant, Casey's and the Pelican Club in Galveston. He also serves as kitchen manager. Prior to this, the CIA grad was executive chef for the Rainbow Lodge. He also worked for Vallone's Steak House, Messina Hof Winery, a restaurant in Austin and every summer he would ride his motorcycle to Alaska to chef for a hunting lodge.

Now that Mitchell is cooking a little closer to home, I think this calls for a trip to Galveston, don't you?

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The Saga of ZaZa

After much buildup, anticipation (and several setbacks) Hotel ZaZa and in-house restaurant Monarch are scheduled to open soon. The multi-million dollar renovation of the former Warwick Hotel will be unveiled on June 4th, the first night that guests will stay at the new hotel. The restaurant will be opening around then too, but an exact date has not been set yet.

And, we finally know what Executive Chef Bradley Manchester's cuisine of Monarch will be: "The menu will meld a premium selection of steaks with lighter Mediterranean fare," says PR representative Stuart Rosenberg.

Of ZaZa's Magnificent Seven Suites, which one strikes your fancy?
Rock Star, Black Label, Tycoon, For Your Eyes Only, Fatal Charms, Bella Vita, It Happened One Night or Outlaw.

Their Web site is quite nice. Check it out.

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What Were They Thinking?

Houston's Monica Pope did not win the award for "Best Chef: Southwest" at the 2007 James Beard Awards, held in New York on May 7th. I will say that her competition was stiff - here are the other nominees (and Pope can cook beet rings around all of them):

. David Bull, Driskill Grill, Austin, TX
. Nobuo Fukuda, Sea Saw, Scottsdale, AZ
. Sharon Hage, York Street, Dallas, TX
. Andrew Weisman, Restaurant Le Rêve, San Antonio, TX

And the winner was Nobuo Fukuda of See Saw.

Pope's restaurant is called t'afia, 3701 Travis, Houston.

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New Manager at Mockingbird Bistro

John Sheely, owner and chef of the award winning Mockingbird Bistro, welcomes Michael English as his new restaurant manager. English is a native of Canada and has worked in restaurants in Dallas and Cape Cod. He discovered Houston's restaurant scene while visiting his mother here.

"Life is about food and its enjoyment and I love being part of that process. To me, the restaurant dining room is a great dance floor," said English. www.MockingbirdBistro.com

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Who's on The Cleverley Show
Saturday, May 12, 2007
. Fernando Salazar, Vice President for Food & Beverage, Omni Hotels

. Dorothy Hamilton, founder of The French Culinary Institute, New York and book author, "The Chef's Story," a profile of chefs who are "...icons, at the forefront of the American revolution of fine dining." Her book has also been turned into a PBS weekly series.

. Jon Paul & Polo Becerra of Post Oak Grill, Polo's Signature restaurant and the opening soon, Citrus.

Call the show live on Saturdays between 12-1 p.m. Central at 713-9-650-650.

I'd love to hear your ideas for guests and things you'd like to hear on the show.
Email: Show@CleverleysNewsletter.com. Web site: www.Cleverley.com

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Reader Comments
"I love your newsletter - it's a foodies' delight!"
Sarah Gish, Gish Creative
www.gishcreative.com

"Tidbits is a great section to catch up on the
latest trivia and big news in the restaurant biz."
Bob

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Job Bank
Hospitality Jobs
Click to view ads

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Discounts for CNL Subscribers
Receive meaningful discounts on tickets to special exhibits at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Frogs!, the new Gem Exhibit, all Exhibit Halls, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Wortham IMAX Theater & Burke Baker Planetarium.

Click here for printable coupon

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fun Food Facts
How much do you know about what you eat?
Take the America Fit quiz from TIME magazine
and test your knowledge.

Take the quiz

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Author
Photo: Cleverley with Wolfgang Puck
Cleverley Stone knows her way around a menu.
. Publisher of Cleverley's Newsletter, online newsletter about Houston's restaurant scene, since 1997.
www.CleverleysNewsletter.com

. Host of "The Cleverley Show," talk with taste, the radio program for people who love to eat. Saturdays at Noon on CNN 650 Radio News in Houston.
www.Cleverley.com

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Warm Red Wine Survey Results
Houston, we have a problem with our wine service.
94% say that red wine is served too warm.