food

‘Relish’ a Sensational Seasonal Menu at a River Oaks Classic

Kelsey Pizzitola
‘Relish’ a Sensational Seasonal Menu at a River Oaks Classic

Melon Carpaccio and the Strawberry Chill

THE CROWD AT River Oaks’ Relish doesn’t let up as early evening turns into nighttime. To toast the pretty spring weather, a posh set is filling the neighborhood eatery’s airy bar and lush patio.

Chef-owner Dustin Teague has rolled out new veggie-forward dishes to complement the cooler sunny weather. There’s fried eggplant that’s described by the waiter as “cheese sticks but with eggplant instead of cheese.” (And she’s not wrong.) The melon carpaccio is served with a large serving of burrata, which also makes an appearance in the classic and fresh caprese salad. And cheese-lovers rejoice! There’s perfectly gooey whipped feta on the menu as well.

Vegetables also take a starring role in the entrees. The spaghetti alla puttanesca — with olives, tomatoes, capers, lemon, basil and parmesan — is tailormade to be enjoyed on a patio with a cold glass of white wine. For something meatier, try the seared salmon with white beans and leeks.

Liven things up with one of the new spring cocktails: The cereza limeade is made with tequila and sotol from Marfa. Or opt for the berry smash with mezcal, thai basil and charred lemon. Cheers!

Panzanella Caprese Salad

Cereza Limeade

Whipped Feta with the Love and Happiness cocktail

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Seared Salmon

Tea Time

From Your Site Articles
Food
travel

A Dreamy L.A. Escape Entails Opulence, Intrigue — and Even Some Walking

Life’s a beach in Santa Monica

DOGS WITH PONYTAILS. Someone dressed like Jimmy Buffet on psychedelics blaring music from a speaker hanging from his neck. Another gent taking a conference call on a ’90s-era headset at the skate park. These are all scenes from a leisurely hour in Venice Beach, where eclecticism and luxury intersect in true Los Angeles fashion.

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places
coolest people

In Homecoming Show, Isabel Wallace-Green Dances Her Way Back to Jones Hall with Alvin Ailey Company

Isabel Wallace-Green (photos by Kent Barker and Xavier Mack)

HOUSTON-BORN DANCER AND arts educator Isabel Wallace-Green vividly recalls seeing a performance of Alvin Ailey’s landmark 1960 dance work Revelations as a child, peering over a high balcony in Jones Hall. “The dancers were pretty small!” laughs Wallace-Green, who nevertheless was captivated, especially by a section in Revelations titled “Wade in the Water,” where translucent white, cobalt, and aquamarine cloths are stretched across the stage to evoke baptismal waters and — for African American slaves — the riverbed as a pathway to freedom. “I’d never seen anything like that.”

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment