Cove, LA Crawfish, Reef and More

Chronicle restaurant reviewer Alison Cook bestows an enthusiastic three stars on Cove, the raw bar concept within Haven led by chef Philippe Gaston. In fact, Cook writes that she might have considered making Cove Houston's fifth four star restaurant if Gaston were free to devote himself to the restaurant full time rather than having to work at Haven from time to time. "Such dishes are among the most striking and accomplished in the city. So, in its own idiosyncratic way, is the Ika Mata, an inspiration from the Cook Islands that turns minced red albacore and a light-handed coconut into an unforgettable sort of marinated-fish porridge, jumping with crushed peanut, green onion, lemongrass and chile. Sounds weird, tastes great." [Houston Chronicle]

Press critic Katherine Shilcutt visits LA Crawfish in the 99 Ranch grocery store, which she calls "everything I love about Houston in one untidy package." In addition to boiled crawfish, the restaurant serves crawfish pho, chicken wings and crawfish empanadas. "To eat at LA Crawfish — or at least near it — is to experience a microcosm of Houston's great bounty of ethnic cuisines and its friendly, energetic, welcoming charm. Cozy up to the table next to you and start a conversation; let a stranger who knows a trick show you the best way to crack into a king crab leg; spot a few friends across the food court and form a super-table to enjoy your bounty together. This is the kind of dining that LA Crawfish encourages." [Houston Press]

Although not a professional food critic, ESPN baseball analyst Keith Law frequently writes about restaurants on his personal blog. That includes a recent, disappointing visit to Midtown seafood restaurant Reef. "The snapper in the snapper carpaccio was sliced too thickly and was very tough in parts, without enough of the tangy grapefruit agrodolce to go around. The redfish in that entree was very high-quality, but way too mildly flavored and in desperate need of a hit of acid. (Aren't we all, though?)" [The Dish]

The Blogs: Daniel the Gluttonous Chinaman liked Reef's happy hour sliders, which are a great deal at only $1 each. Bayou City Bites calls Witchcraft Tavern a welcome addition to the Heights. Catherine Martin arbitrarily learns not to judge a book by its cover at Sushi Rock. Finally, Patty and David say that Coppa is delicious.