The Full Menu from Houston Matters

Campbell's Soup used to have a commercial in the 1990s where a snowman ate a hot bowl of soup. He melts and reveals it was really a child all along.

Maybe that ad resonates better somewhere where it isn't 70 or 80 degrees in December. But, whatever your version of winter is, this is as good a time for a warm bowl of soup as it gets in Greater Houston.

So, in this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss their favorite soups at restaurants around town. In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston and David Leftwich of Houston Food Finder.

Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

Brennan’s
Davis Street
Gatlin’s BBQ
Winnie’s
Lucille’s
Rainbow Lodge
Goode Co. Seafood
Kenny & Ziggy’s
Carrabba’s
Niko Niko’s
Street Food Thai Market
Kim Son
Ambassador Chinese Restaurant
Mein
Pho Binh
Pho Saigon
Thien An Sandwiches
Nam Eatery
Les Ba’get
Pho Fix
Huynh
Ramen Bar Ichi
Kata Robata
Navy Blue
BCN
Riel
Georgia James Steakhouse
Puebla’s Mexican Kitchen
Backstreet Café

Entering a restaurant and asking for a table for eight, ten, or even more can be stressful for both customers and waitstaff. But some places are better equipped for that than others. In this month’s installment of The Full Menu, our food writers talk about the best places to for large groups to eat out in Houston.

In the audio above, we hear from Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, David Leftwich of Houston Food Finder, and Isabel Protomartir, social media and public relations specialist.

Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

Traveler’s Table

Saigon Pagolac

Hai Cang Seafood

Mala Sichuan Bistro

Loro

Feges BBQ

Nobie’s

Il Bracco

Daily Gather

D’Alba

Gratify

Teotihuacan

Spanish Flowers

Molina’s Cantina

Ninfa’s

Lucille’s

Did you save room for dessert? At some Houston restaurants you definitely will want to. In this month’s installment of The Full Menu, our food writers talk about some local establishments that have particularly noteworthy desserts.

In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and David Leftwich of Houston Food Finder.

Dishes and Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:

The Baked Alaska at Bludorn Restaurant
The coconut cake at Davis Street
The big slices of cake at Truth BBQ
The cacao pod at Xochi

El Coco, the dessert you can hit with a mallet at Caracol
The churros at Hugos
The often-copied warm butter cake at Mastro's Steakhouse

The Brazos Bottom Pecan Pie from Goode Co.
The lemon tart, the chocolate pie, the panna cotta, and the ice cream at Il Bracco
The corn tres leches cake at Maize
The chocolate Alabama Stack Cake at Field & Tides
The strawberry wedding cake, the Heath Bar crumble, or the poached pears at La Griglia
The pies at nobie’s
The banana Nutella crepe at Melange Creperie
The parmesan cheesecake at Nancy’s Hustle
The carrot cake at Killen's Steakhouse, the peach bread pudding or the German chocolate cake at Killen's of the Heights, or the smoke salted caramel creme brule at Killen's STQ
The seasonal crustadas at Coltivare
The basque-style burnt cheesecake at Rosie Cannonball
Chef Shawn Gawle's chocolate chip cookies, which are usually available at Montrose Cheese and Wine
The chocolate chip cookies at Common Bond
The chocolate chip cookies at Tiny Boxwoods
The strawberry cake at Tris
The 20-layer crepe cake at Mala Sichuan Bistro
The seven-layer cake at Kenny & Ziggy’s