L&G Origins
During our R&D process, we draw inspiration from many of the great food destinations across Houston and pour over cookbooks that house generations of accumulated culinary wisdom. Each recipe is tirelessly tweaked until it is just right, and we are constantly striving to make our food even more delicious. To learn more about our inspirations, including suggestions on where to go for some of the best food in the city, read below!
Curry Comfort
Massaman is thought to have developed in southern Thailand, where spices such as cinnamon, cumin, mace, & star anise brought in by Persian and Malaysian traders were incorporated with local Thai ingredients such as lemongrass, chilies, tamarind, and shrimp paste. The resulting curry is a comforting balance of sour, sweet, savory, and spicy.
Our version stems from the common tradition, which is the version most often found in vendors across Thailand and the rest of the world. There is also a royal tradition massaman, in which each spice should be toasted individually before being combined into a perfectly balanced, hauntingly delicious curry. You would find the royal version at Street to Kitchen, as an example.
While our interpretation of Massaman might scratch an itch, it is absolutely no substitute for the real thing. If you haven’t already, drop your current dinner plans - even if those plans are Leaf & Grain! - and go check out Street to Kitchen (our favorite restaurant in Houston), Asia Market Thai Lao Food (this is actually where we buy our curry paste from), Thai Gourmet, Street Food Thai Market, Vieng Thai, and/or any of the other stellar Thai restaurants in the city. RIP Kanomwan.
French Country Dinner
Lentils du Puy (Le Puy is a town in France) are famous for their earthy, peppery taste and their ability to hold their shape even after extended cooking. Combined with deeply roasted carrots and chicken thigh on a base of brown rice and arugula, they create a hearty bowl that is our homage to the rustic, yet elegant, food that makes French cuisine universally appealing. No tricks needed, just simple ingredients prepared with care and served fresh.
For excellent French food in Houston, check out Chez Nous, Magnol (great bakery!), Etoile, or Cafe Rabelais.
The Oasis
Zhug (pronounced: s’hug; alternatively called sahawiq or bisbas) is a Yemeni sauce made with peppers, garlic, herbs, and spices. It is especially popular in Levantine shawarma and falafel shops, like Al’s Quick Stop in Montrose, which are the inspiration for this bowl. To make the dressing, we start with a mild green zhug and add oil and vinegar to create a vinaigrette. We add homemade falafel, hummus, and pickles to create a vibrant tribute to the classic pita wrap. If you like Mediterranean food, check out al Addin din and al Aseel if you haven’t already. Phoenicia Specialty Foods is also awesome to explore - bonus points if you make it out to the original location on Westheimer which has a pita conveyor!
Laredo
This salad is meant to be a lighter Tex-Mex option and comes with a killer, buttermilk-based cilantro-jalapeño dressing. Laredo is a border town that Deets went to a lot growing up. It effectively straddles the border, with Nuevo Laredo on the Mexico side and Laredo in Texas, so it felt like an appropriate symbol for this Tex-Mex dish. Although Deets grew up in Houston eating a ton of Tex-Mex, it is important to distinguish between Tex-Mex and true Mexican food, which we do not view this as (we did a chamoy-oriented salad on our seasonal menu, which fits more into that category). While Tex-Mex is delicious and abundant in Houston, there are some fantastic authentic Mexican restaurants in Houston that we highly recommend if you have not been: El Hidalguense, Cuchara, and Xochi are all exceptional, or go on a weekend and explore any of the flea markets around town for more casual eating that is every bit as authentic; Houston Flea Market is a great place to start. As for Tex-Mex, people have a lot of opinions here, but we want to give one big nod to Felix Tijerina and the Felix restaurants, which are now closed. RIP.
Good Greek!
Good Greek!: This is our very liberal, heartier take on a Greek salad. It's a unique combination of refreshing and filling: hearty in volume but one of our less savory grain bowls. It’s packed with fresh vegetables (some of the usual Greek salad suspects: tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion) and comes with our scratch-made pita chips and a creamy Feta. It differs from a traditional Greek salad in a few ways, though. First of all, a traditional Greek salad doesn’t actually come with lettuce (and certainly not brown rice), and they usually have olives, but it is so difficult to quality-control for olive pits that we took them off the menu and built their flavor into the dressing instead (which we’ve named Yia Yia’s Vinaigrette for obvious reasons). If you want legitimate, authentic Greek food, Houston has some great spots: Anonymous Cafe, Niko Niko’s, and if you want a great all-around experience, the Greek festival is one of the coolest events Houston has to offer, and the food is fantastic.
Chicken Mole
Mole sauce is a rich and complex Mexican culinary tradition with roots dating back to pre-Columbian times. It is believed to have originated in the region of modern-day Mexico, blending indigenous ingredients like chocolate, chili peppers, and spices with Spanish influences. Over the centuries, mole has evolved into various regional variations, each with its unique flavor profile and ingredients, making it a symbol of Mexican gastronomy and culture.
