Two Stars for Heights General Store, & More Reviews

Alison Cook reviewed Heights General Store: She awards two stars to the eatery within the specialty grocery store, praising former Hay Merchant chef Antoine Ware's menu that blends "his native New Orleans Creole cuisine [with] currents of Deep South, Texas Gulf Coast and cowboy cookery." Menu highlights include housemade boudin balls, "lush" fried red tomatoes, and a rustic-crusted vegetable flatbread "bursting with vivid flavors and delicate textures." A classic gumbo "easily rates as one of the very best in the city." Prices trend rather high, though, and the wine list "is an uninspired distributor-driven document that could use some professional attention."

Kaitlin Steinberg went to Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette: Reservation blunders and an epic wait for food didn't get the critic's visit off to a very auspicious start, although the food wasn't bad once it finally arrived. Alluring campechana is "overflowing with seafood and spices is punctuated by creamy avocado, crisp fried oysters and ­vinegary green olives," grilled oysters are "tantalizingly unique," and "black and blue" grass-fed filet is a standout. The restaurant itself, though, looks "as if the designer had raided Anthropologie's home-goods section in search of decor inspiration," and the menu is both sprawling and confusing. Overall, "the folks behind this new restaurant know what they're doing and have the skills to execute it," but they'd be wise to "keep it simple."

THE ELSEWHERE AND THE BLOGS: Joanna O'Leary thinks Cleburne Cafeteria lives up to the hype; Houstonia Mag tries cauliflower at Osteria Mazzantini and Pondicheri's Indian breakfasts; CultureMap says the tasting menu at Nara is unlike any other dining experience in town and checks out the new Luna Pizzeria.

· All Week in Reviews posts [-EATL-]

[Photo: Max Burkhalter]