801 Town And Country Blvd., Houston
(and other area locations)
When I think of eating in Texas, I think of brisket, kolaches, sausage, and all forms of Tex Mex goodness. But, I've been pleasantly surprised by the number of vegetarian-friendly restaurants that I've already encountered in Houston. Yes, I'm married to a Texan and I love my beef (preferably medium rare), but I'm also a reformed vegetarian who really enjoys clean, organic, veggie eating. So, I was glad to learn about Ruggles Green, Houston's first Certified Green Restaurant.
Ruggles is already becoming a family favorite for us. Let's start with the atmosphere. Ruggles is a counter-service style restaurant. Despite the counter service, you still feel like you are eating at a nice sit down establishment. Simultaneously, because of the counter service it's a kid-friendly establishment. Win-win. Here's are some photos of Ruggles' interior.
Now let's talk menu. We've eaten at Ruggles on two occasions, so we've had a chance to explore the menu a bit. For an appetizer, you simply must order the High Protein Hempenadas. Yes, I said Hempenadas. I was initially a little nervous to try these for fear that I might fail any upcoming drug tests. But, rest assured, these are perfectly safe! The flaky crust is made of a combination of wheat flour and hemp flour. The Hempenadas are filled with a combination of beef, cilantro, cheese, and raisins. I hate raisins, but in these Hempenadas they added just a touch of sweetness which complimented the savory beef and cheese. They are served with two sauces: a roasted garlic cilantro sauce and a peach chipotle sauce. The roasted garlic cilantro sauce was packed full of flavor and simply delicious. The peach chipotle sauce was also quite good and not overly peachy. I despise peaches even more than raisins, so the subtle peach was much appreciated.
For an entree, I strongly recommend the Honey-Fried Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad. On my first trip to Ruggles, my sister in law told me this was her all time favorite salad. Of course, I simply had to order it. Now, I think it might be my all time favorite salad as well. Picture it: A bed of arugula topped with jicama (which provides an excellent apple-like crunch), almonds, raisins, Parmesan, carrots, and dried mango. It's served with a mango ranch dressing. But, the star of the salad is the fried goat cheese medallion. Yes, I said fried goat cheese. It's perhaps not surprising this is the best salad of all time.
On my second visit to Ruggles, I decided that I needed to explore other options because I was pretty sure I could easily get stuck in the Fried Goat Cheese Salad rut (not that this would be a bad thing). I tried the Veggie Tacos.
The corn tortillas were covered in a black bean spread and topped with veggies, Portabello mushrooms, the same cilantro sauce featured on the Hempenadas, queso fresco, and avocados. A habanero hot sauce was served on the side. While aesthetically pleasing and creative, I just didn't love the tacos. I think part of this may be attributed to the fact that the Portabellos became cool far to fast for my liking (probably because I was scarfing down Hempanadas). The other issue may have been that I couldn't stop thinking about the Fried Goat Cheese Salad that I hadn't ordered.
Hubby ordered the buffalo burger both times we've eaten at Ruggles. With that, he's ordered a side of Ruggles Famous Butternut Squash. Now, I know you are thinking, how can butternut squash be famous? I too was dubious as to how good the squash could actually be. Hubby kept insisting that I just had to try it, so I finally gave in and took a bite...and another. The butternut squash is mashed and combined with an assortment of fall-flavor spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, etc). It's also sweetened with something that I can only assume is healthy since this is, after all, a Certified Green restaurant. I could probably make a meal of the squash and some Hempenadas.
With Ruggles, you feel good about what you are eating. The atmosphere is nice, and you actually feel like you've been out to a nice dinner even with kids in tow. Mood lighting, art work, and the service of beer and wine are all contributing factors to the "nice restaurant feel" of the place. But, best of all, Ruggles provides a solid menu with good diversity. Oh yes, and that Fried Goat Cheese Salad. I just can't stop thinking about that salad.
Texas Forever.
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