Category Archives: Retro Dining

GRILLED ARTICHOKES WITH REMOULADE

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In March I attended oral argument in an appeal that I worked on for the better part of the past year (I think it was the last case the court heard in person before the pandemic). The argument was here in Houston, so I didn’t get to travel to some exotic corner of the Lone Star State, but going to the grand historic Harris County 1910 Courthouse for any reason is always awe-inspiring.

Historic Harris County 1910 Courthouse

If you’re gonna be important . . . 

The courthouse, “a six story structure of neo-classical design topped by a prominent clerestory drum and dome,” served as home to Houston’s district courts in the early part of my career, but underwent a 7-year restoration and was rededicated in 2011, and now houses both of Houston’s courts of appeals.  You can read about the restoration here. You won’t, but you could if you wanted to.  The courthouse is one of the most significant judicial buildings in Texas, and is stunning.

The interior is covered in bookmatched black-veined gray marble and is quite impressive:

Grand marble stairways

Bookmatched marble

But we weren’t there to dilly dally in the hallways.  Off to the courtroom where all the action was.

Where the grownups get to sit

The cousins table

The boss collecting his thoughts before argument

Oral argument was, um, interesting.  The court issued its opinion about 3 months later, and well, all I can say is win some, lose some, all in the same case.

I can’t really talk about the case (but believe me, I really really want to) because it is an ongoing matter, so instead I’ll leave you with a “Houston” recipe.  Well, sorta “Houston” — it’s from Houston’s, a chain restaurant here in Houston.  Founded in 1977 by the Hillstone Restaurant Group, it’s maintained its dark fern bar vibe and menu of retro “American classics” (prime rib, barbecue pork ribs, spinach and artichoke dip, French dip au jus, etc.) through the decades.  It’s a sentimental favorite of a lot of folks, and a popular place for date night.

One of our favorite things to order at Houston’s is Grilled California Artichokes with House-Made Remoulade:

When I ran across artichokes not long ago at the ridiculously low price of 2 for $1, I bought a huge bagful and took a crack at making Houston’s artichokes.

The recipe isn’t hard, but it does require some prep work,  These make a terrific appetizer.  Even though I can’t claim a complete victory in my case (how I wish I could tell you about it), I was definitely winning with these delicious grilled artichokes.  And here’s a pro tip for you:  stir some of the leftover remoulade into shrimp salad and win again.

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GRILLED ARTICHOKES WITH REMOULADE
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • FOR THE ARTICHOKES
  • 4 large artichokes
  • 1 lemon, quartered
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • FOR THE REMOULADE
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons sweet relish
  • 1 medium garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon capers
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Trim the stems and tops of the artichokes, and cut in half lengthwise. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lemons, garlic, peppercorns, and artichokes. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes until stems are tender and leaves pull of easily. Drain well. When cool enough to handle, remove fuzzy choke from center with a spoon.
  2. Preheat grill. Brush cut side of artichokes with olive oil and place cut side down on grill. Grill for 5-10 minutes, until the edges are slightly charred..
  3. Prepare remoulade by placing all ingredients in a food processor (a mini chopper works well), and process until combined. Transfer to a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
  4. Serve artichokes with remoulade. Provide lots of napkins and a bowl for discarded leaves.

 

To prep the artichokes, trim the stems, cut the artichokes in half lengthwise, and slice about 1/2″ off the top:

Tops trimmed and cut in half lengthwise

Boil them in a large pot of lightly salted water, with a lemon cut into quarters, a few garlic cloves, and a teaspoon of black peppercorns:

Simmer until tender with lemons, garlic, and black peppercorns

Simmer until the artichokes are gray-green and the stem can be pierced easily with the tip of a paring knife:

Gray-green and bottoms are tender

When the artichokes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the fuzzy choke with a spoon:

After I “choked” them

Heat the grill, brush the cut sides of the artichokes with olive oil, and grill for a few minutes until slightly charred around the edges:

Nice smoky char

Remoulade seals the deal

PRO TIP:  Stir a little leftover remoulade into shrimp salad (It also makes a tasty sandwich spread):

Winning

RETRO DINING: SHANGHAI RIVER

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Shanghai River, located at 2407 Westheimer, has been serving Szechuan and Hunan cuisine since 1970.

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Located in a strip shopping center, the unassuming building doesn’t hint at the retro glamour inside.

The restaurant’s cool, dark dining room, with its glossy redwood finishes, lacquered artwork,  buddhas, and giant foo dogs brings back childhood memories of many meals at Chinese restaurants in New York.  There’s a hint of mystery in the air.  My son and I visited Shanghai River on a whim, and have been back many times since.  The recipes are what I think of as old school American Chinese food — tamed to suit what are perceived to be American tastes.

We first tried Shanghai River for lunch.  With 40 choices on the special luncheon menu, we had no trouble finding dishes we liked.  Each luncheon special comes with soup (hot and sour or egg drop corn) and choice of appetizer (spring roll, crab puff, or egg foo young).  We chose the hot and sour soup, which was thick and suitably hot and sour, and came with fried wonton crisps and mustard and duck sauce for dipping:

Among the lunch specials we enjoyed were Shrimp in Hot Garlic Sauce, with a generous number of plump shrimp (although I would not call this dish spicy by any stretch of the imagination):

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Chicken with Peanuts (made with all white meat on request):

chicken

Hunan Shrimp:

Shredded Pork in Hot Garlic Sauce (again, not spicy):

pork

And Chicken with Cashew Nut:

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You’ll notice that the unifying characteristic of all of these specials is that they are varying shades of brown.  It would be nice to throw in a veggie or two just to break up the monotony of the plate, but the lack of color didn’t distract from our enjoyment of the food.

There are many more choices on the expansive dinner menu.  Just for fun, on one occasion I ordered the Pu Pu Platter with my son, which I hadn’t had, or even seen on a menu, since I was a kid.  The Pu Pu Platter came with spring roll, bar-b-q rib, shrimp toast, crab puff, skewer beef, and tempura shrimp, one of each for each person.  With its blue flame from the mini hibachi grill and giggle-inducing name (according to Wikipedia, the name has its origins in the Hawaiian language, where pū-pū signifies an appetizer or hors d’oeuvre), the Pu Pu Platter was a fun trip down memory lane.

At dinner, a complimentary dish of pickled vegetables is offered:

Dinner is served family style, accompanied by rice.  Some of the dishes we liked were Chicken with Cashew Nuts (the veggie flower garnish was a nice touch):

Beef with Snow Peas:

And Mu Shu Pork

Neither the dining room nor the bar were ever crowded on any of the occasions we visited, although there was almost always something going on in the private room.  If you’re looking for a quiet place to enjoy a meal, Shanghai River fits the bill.  I believe its longevity is likely attributable to its reasonably-priced menus, generous portions, satisfying — if not exciting — food, and brisk service.