https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/05/dining/houston-hillstone-restaurant-group.html
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Was gonna post this!
Hot take: I don’t get the trend, maybe started by David Chang but now joined by Tejal, Molly Baz and other food writers/personalities, to profess love for Houston’s/Hillstone.
Sure much is house made versus say Cheesecake. But this is the soft bigotry of low expectations. Apart from nostalgia I don’t get it.
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I have no nostalgia for Hillstone; it’s just an easy-to-like place with generally solid food. I don’t know of a better version of this type of restaurant.
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The Ding’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich at R+D Kitchen, Honor Bar and possibly other Hillstone brands is my favorite non-hot chicken sandwich. It’s seriously fantastic. Everything else is good to really good. Don’t think I’ve ever had a bad dish at a Hillstone restaurant. Are any of them Michelin star worthy? God no. But as @small_h said, they’ve carved out a niche and perfected it to a T.
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I’ve always been a fan of Houston’s/Hillstone. When my office overlooked the Irvine location, I was in there at least once a week. The French dip was a go-to; make sure to order straight horseradish on the side with the creamed to spice it up a bit.
Sadly, one of my other favorites has been changed over the past few years. No more steak on the Thai steak noodle salad (now called the Pan Asian noodle salad), and you have to pay to upgrade the protein to chicken or pork. For a (short) time, they even made diners choose between mango and avocado. I’d be curious to read what others think about their other items.
I passed the one in Scottsdale last night and felt a bit nostalgic; maybe I’m missing SoCal just a little. I might have to get in soon for that French dip. They seem to have kept that pretty consistent over the years, in substance if not in size. It’s still a winner in my book.
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Dunsmoor and now hillstone… you’re on your way to contrarian status haha
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Apologies if I’m shitting on a place y’all like, and not comparing to Michelin restaurants. My contrarianism was directed more at the Changs or Danny Meyers of the world raving about this place and giving credit for things - cooking food in house - that almost all reputable/non chain restaurants do.
I’ve been a few times this year. Ribeye, spinach dip, french dip, sushi, and salad. Maybe it’s not my type of food, but for similar at that price I’d rather Jar, Taylor’s, Musso’s, Chi Spacca, Dear John’s. I know all those are a little more pretentious (save Taylor’s), but they’re not appreciably more expensive right? The ribeye I had at Houston’s was like $55. For me, the bread is too dense/hard on the french dip and I like a thicker slice on the meat. The salad dressings/salads are pretty sweet, and the sushi is whatever. For a chop, a salad and some raw fish, I was (lol) thinking Dunsmoor @set0312, though I know it’s not seen as comparable.
Idk, I just find the Houston’s/Hillstone love a way for food celebrities to assert their humble bonafides and appear high/low. I also get the sense they wish their own restaurants were as profitable. But maybe they just like the food and I should shut up.
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Lol I was totally kidding. Hillstone to me is a godsend in Newport Beach where the parents live and a spot id never go in Los Angeles.
I do kinda like Gulfstream though…
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I gotta ask: did you come w/ this phrase yourself???
Unrelated: when did you last go to Dear John’s. First visit was great, but I cannot bring myself to return after the second visit (Thanksgiving 2022, IIRC).
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I’m flattered. It was some ridiculous thing George W. Bush said about education and the African American community that I’ve appropriated somewhat ironically.
I have not been to Dear John’s in a good bit. That rec may have been off!
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Oh, gawd, seeing that name and that it’s an educational journal (which then causes me to shudder about “No Child Left Behind”). I’ll try to read the article when the shuddering stops…
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Houston’s/Hillstone/R&D Kitchen are all fine. The food is solid and consistent. The french dip, artichoke dip, ribs and salads are good but not something I seek out. My friend will not let us order the artichoke dip. He is not a cheap person but out of principle he says the price/markup on the dish is too high.
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chain panisse
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Are there that many Panisse locations/related restaurants? I thought it was just the one and then Lulu’s?
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It was just a play on “chez panisse” and “chain restaurant” — i was trying to compliment houston’s as being the best chain restaurant. yes, there’s only the one location in berkeley, and then lulu’s in westwood
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