LOCAL Houston | The City Guide November 2016 | Page 24

OPEN
By Brian Tagtmeier

LIBERTY KITCHEN AT THE TREEHOUSE

CUISINE: Southern/American
EXECUTIVE CHEF: Eric Laird
963 Bunker Hill Rd. | 713.468.3745
Mon–Thurs: 11am–10pm; Fri: 11am–11pm; Sat: 9am–11pm; Sun: 9am–9pm

When I was a kid, I dreamed of having the perfect treehouse. A place where
I could share good times with friends, and not have to worry about anything.
It took 50 years, but I finally found it. Liberty Kitchen at the Treehouse, the
newest member of the F.E.E.D. family, provides excellent comfort food in a
space designed for the adult trying to escape the real world.
In keeping with the Liberty Kitchen tradition, many of the favorites are available: oysters from the Gulf and East Coasts, deviled eggs and gumbos. What
sets the Treehouse apart is the 14-foot-long wood-fired grill, which Executive Chef Eric Laird uses to perfection, and the expanded menu inspired by
F.E.E.D. partner Lance Fegen’s surfing vacations (which he calls research).
The wood-fired grill allows the Treehouse to smoke its own salmon Seattlestyle.
On top of the deviled eggs, it was divine. The loaded hushpuppies were also
a star. Crisp on the outside and delicate inside, the cherry peppers, bacon
jam, queso, fried pork belly and sliced bratwurst turned a simple side into a
decadent meal. The sausage plate highlighted the international flavors with
chorizo, morcilla (Colombia), and Chinese pork belly served with dipping

Lamb burger

sauces to die for. Dutch oven entrees like the red beans and rice with chicken
were impressive for the depth of flavors.

CAFEZA

CUISINE: Spanish/Latin American café
1720 Houston Ave. | 832.203.8016 | www.cafeza.com
Mon–Thurs: 6am–11pm; Fri–Sat: 6am–midnight; Sun: 6am–11pm
Success in the restaurant business often turns on a place catering to particular clientele. Cafeza, a Spanish/Latin American café, has enough to make it
a destination for every time of day.
For the early crowd, the baristas serve a wide variety of coffee and tea. An off
the menu item (soon to be featured) is the picadito – a cortado flavored with
chocolate and amaretto syrups with a healthy dash of cayenne. For the tea
lover, Cafeza has a SteamPunk craft brewing machine. It is one of only 300
machines nationwide calibrated to steep the tea at the perfect temperature for
a flawless brew every time.
The Pan Latin aspects of the menu are well-showcased for lunch. An interesting
twist on a Spanish favorite is the Paella soup. Paella can be a kitchen nightmare. By pureeing the rice in a creamy bisque with shrimp and large pieces of
chorizo, Cafeza has a delicious and more kitchen-friendly form. Bocadillos,
light sandwiches, provide flavors from Cuba, Spain and Argentina. My f