Eatsie Boys Win, Sparrow Shines, HouBBQ Smoked, More

Press critic Katharine Shilcutt is thoroughly charmed by the Eatsie Boys Cafe, the restaurant from the food truck pioneers. "The sunshine-soaked space is inviting from morning until night, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can grab a quick lunch or linger over your laptop and latte. Basic dishes such as pancakes or turkey sandwiches are slightly elevated, but not to heights that are inaccessible for the average diner. Prices certainly reflect the high-quality ingredients and well-planned space but are never exorbitant. The cheerful counter service is quick and efficient. In short, although Eatsie Boys may be high-concept in some areas, the cafe takes all comers — and sends them away satisfied." [Houston Press]

It's back-to-back three star reviews from Chronicle critic Alison Cook with this week's take on Sparrow Bar + Cookshop, where chef Monica Pope re-imagined t'afia into a more comfortable, casual spot. "The march of the seasons still animates the menu, but now Pope's changes arrive at a brisker pace. So the Bison Bolognese you love on Thursday - its meaty savor lifted by the lemony, garlicked perfume of gremolata, its bed of hand-cut sweet-potato noodles as earthy and springy as spaetzle - may be gone by Saturday. Grab that pillowy-tender veal cheek while ye may, for tomorrow its voluptuous cushion of polenta may show off something completely different." [Houston Chronicle]

How many different people does it take to say that the first ever Houston Barbecue Festival was a raging success? At least seven. Here are write-ups from Eating Our Words, CultureMap, My Table magazine's Sidedish blog, H-Town Chow Down, Austin barbecue blogger the Brisket Man, Dallas barbecue blogger Don O, and Bayou City Bites.

The Blogs: Patty and David have this reminder that Kata Robata serves a pretty good bowl of ramen. Jack Tyler enjoys a meal at Pesca World Seafood, the River Oaks restaurant that used to be Tinto's. Shanna from Urban Swank takes advantage of a Sunday night happy hour at Azuma on the Lake in Sugar Land. John DeMers surveys the Haute Wheels Food Truck Festival, where he found new truck Big Daddy Z's to be a standout. Hank on Food gives an A to Galveston's Cafe Michael Burger.