Corkscrew BBQ, Nosh Bistro and More

Houston Chronicle restaurant reviewer Alison Cook visits Corkscrew BBQ this week and awards two stars to the Spring-area barbecue trailer that sells out of meat every day. Although she notes that some meats are occasionally too salty for her taste and the sauce is too sweet, she praises co-owner Will Buckman's brisket describing it as "so softly pebbled is its texture, so rosy and compelling its smoke ring, so charry and well-seasoned its crust, so alluring its delicious little ribbon of well-rendered fat cap." As for the other meats, "I'm here for spicy-salty pork-sausage links with snappy casings, coarsely ground and popping with juice; or for majestic, carefully trimmed ribs swabbed with a distinctive rub incorporating soft, scarlet bits of red chile pepper along with black pepper and salt." [Houston Chronicle]

Houston Press critic Katharine Shilcutt enters the purple world of Nosh Bistro, where she finds much to like about its Indian-influenced small plates format. "This is modern American bistro fare, for the most part, given clever South Asian twists: braised short ribs with a faint bite of curry powder, topped with barely fried quail eggs and served on cushions of pureed cauliflower. Or fat, 'angry' shrimp tossed in a spicy blend of cayenne, ginger and ­jalapeños, the burn mitigated by the sweet bites of forbidden rice in such a dark shade of purple that the rice is nearly black. And even where there aren't any licks of saffron or cardamom livening up a dish, there are unique surprises to be found, like that glass of rosé and that slip of Époisses" [Houston Press]

The Blogs: Jack Tyler pays a farewell visit to Fratelli's Authentic Italian Cuisine ahead of its shuttering next month; he also finds some pretty sophisticated looking food at the Ol Railroad Cafe in Rosenberg. Hank on Food tries the burger at South African restaurant Peli Peli in Vintage Park, which he enjoyed so much it checks in at third overall in his Houston burger top 20. John DeMers celebrates Sullivan's fifteenth anniversary at a media event with steak, sides and cake.