We Love Houston

WE LOVE HOUSTON Sign
1816 Thompson Street, Houston

I knew about the WE LOVE HOUSTON sign before we arrived in the Bayou City having encountered the sign while doing some pre-move research. I knew that visiting the sign would be an early sightseeing adventure upon our arrival. The first time we sailed past this work of art, we were flying along the Interstate en route home from dropping off my father at the airport. We had been Houstonians for approximately 48 hours. But, we didn't realize we would see the sign on that route. By the time I dug my cell phone out of my purse, the sign was about five miles behind us. Next time, I thought.

Two weeks passed, and we didn't drive by the sign again. This past Sunday, we thought we would take the kids for a brief trip to the Houston Zoo and sign up for our membership. Driving to the zoo, we passed the sign. Again, I reached for my phone. Again, I missed the photo. We pushed on to the zoo. But, the kids were exhausted. By the time we arrived at the zoo, both kids were sound asleep. "Should we just drive around the city a bit?" Hubby asked.

"We could go see the sign," I suggested. I was determined to get that photo.

We headed back onto the Interstate and I looked up the "address" of the sign. The sign is located on private property and it is practically on the frontage road, which is a service road to the larger highway. I'd read that there was some unofficial parking located near the sign, so I was confident we could just park and snap a photo. Maybe the kids would even wake up giving us a great family portrait opportunity. We followed the GPS and took the exit for the sign. We didn't see anywhere that we could park, so Hubby encouraged me to just take the photo from the car. But, the sign was so close to the frontage road, there was no way to get the entire sign in the shot. My photo came out as "WE LOVE OUSTO." It just wasn't meant to be.

"Let's try again," said Hubby.

Back onto the Interstate, we took a different exit, and we found ourselves on the side of the road within view of the sign. There was a little space to park that would require me to off-road through some grass to get to a sidewalk directly adjacent to the road. It seemed a little dangerous, but totally worth it. So, abandoning Hubby and the still sleeping kids in the car, I headed for the sign. Even standing on the sidewalk, it wasn't an easy shot. But, I got it! Attempts at a selfie with the sign, however, were an epic fail.

As I started to walk away from the sign, I noticed another family parking and walking towards the sign, cell phones clutched close ready for their photo op. "They sure don't make it easy to get to it," I said to the dad. "No, they don't," he chuckled. I walked back to the car. As we merged back onto the frontage road, yet another family parked and and walked toward the sign.

I returned to the car and thanked Hubby. Looking at the photos, I smiled. "WE LOVE HOUSTON." I've been a Houstonian for two weeks. It seems a little early to use the "L" word. And, yet...well, sometimes you just know these things early on in a relationship.

Tex Mex Take Two

El Tiempo Cantina

2605 South Gessner, Houston (one of several locations)

For our second Houston area Tex-Mex adventure, we opted for El Tiempo Cantina, part of the Laurenzo family’s restaurant empire. The Laurenzo family is probably best known for Ninfa’s. Having eaten at Ninfa’s in Waco on prior visits to Texas, I was eager to try El Tiempo Cantina. With dreams of Ninfa’s margaritas and green sauce on the brain, we headed to El Tiempo Cantina’s Gessner location for a Friday night dinner with family.

Pulling into the parking lot, I was immediately impressed by the exterior landscaping of the restaurant. This will undoubtedly become my go-to place when I want to impress visiting non-Texans with some southwestern flair. The little arid garden on the side of the restaurant provided the perfect play area for the kids while we waited for the other members of our party to arrive. My kids are still very intrigued by the cacti and palm trees that are common in the Houston area. To be totally honest, so am I.  Growing up on the East Coast, the desert plants seem exotic.

El Tiempo Cantina’s interior is equally impressive. Thousands of white lights hang from the ceiling creating a sparkling, festive atmosphere. We were given the family table, which was a large, wooden table at the head of the restaurant with chairs made out of wooden barrels. I felt a bit like I was at the head table of a wedding, or maybe even as though I were eating at Medieval Times. But, the kids thought the seating arrangements were pretty great. Once I noticed our table’s proximity to the tortilla making room, I had to agree.

Yes, that’s right, I said tortilla making room. Right behind our table, visible through a large, glass window, two ladies bent over balls of dough with long wooden rollers banging out fresh tortillas at a rapid pace. If my life depended on it, it would probably take me an hour to make one tortilla. These ladies had obviously been engaged in the making of tortillas for quite some time. I wondered whether they would object to giving me a lesson.

But, we were hungry and there wasn’t time to teach the art of tortilla rolling. We ordered guacamole for the table. Though they did not offer a table-side guac, they did serve the mashed avocado with “mix-ins” on the side so that each person could tailor their guac to taste with onions, jalapenos, and tomatoes. We also indulged in chips and salsa and, of course, the Ninfa’s green sauce. If you’ve never experienced Ninfa’s sauce, I would almost say it’s worth a trip to the Lone Star State just to try the sauce. This rich, creamy, pale green sauce is a Ninfa’s staple. But, if you don’t think a fabulous appetizer dip is a reason to travel, you can also make this sauce yourself at home (you just need access to tomatillos and some quality avocados). One of my favorite bloggers, the Homesick Texan, has a recipe for the sauce on her blog. It’s a time consuming recipe, but worth every minute.

But, I digress. Back to dinner. In addition to the guac, we decided to order fajitas which lend themselves to family-style sharing. We ordered beef, pork, and chicken. Two weeks ago, we ordered fajitas at Lupe’sTortilla, so it was hard not to compare between the two. On balance, I would say Lupe’s wins on the beef. There’s just nothing like it. But, El Tiempo Cantina takes the victory on the chicken breast which is tender with a delicious citrusy marinade. El Tiempo Cantina also wins on the tortilla front. Though both Lupe’s and El Tiempo Cantina make their own tortillas, the ladies at El Tiempo take the gold. The tortillas are warm, flaky, and fresh. Having always considered tortillas a vehicle for whatever they happened to contain, I was excited to discover that tortillas can be a culinary masterpiece in their own right.

Overall, El Tiempo Cantina is a solid Tex Mex restaurant with extremely friendly waitstaff. The festive atmosphere makes you feel like you must be celebrating. Best of all, El Tiempo Cantina also serves breakfast. Two words: pecan pancakes. Okay, two more words: breakfast tacos. Yes, there’s no doubt we will be back to sample the breakfast offerings. Hasta Luego, El Tiempo!

A FRYday Night Cajun Dinner

RAGIN’ CAJUN

9600 Westheimer #80 Houston (one of several locations)

Let me start with a confession. I don’t know much about Cajun food. Growing up in Southeastern Virginia, we didn’t eat crawfish (aka mudbugs) and the only gumbo I ever encountered came in a can and was made by the good folks at Campbell’s. But, Hubby loves Cajun and is quite Cajun savvy. H-town’s proximity to Louisana’s culinary scene is certainly something that we see as positive. I’m excited to explore Cajun cuisine and to learn all there is to know about file powder and boudine. So, perhaps it isn’t that surprising that on one of our first Friday nights in H-town we decided to try Ragin’ Cajun.

It just so happens that the Woodlake Square location is quite convenient for us, so after collecting the kids from school we headed out for an early dinner.  Walking into the restaurant, I was impressed by the open and casual vibe. This is a perfect family venue. The tables are large and the Zydeco music drowns out much of the kid-generated noise. My daughter immediately started dancing once we selected our seats. In an unusual display of culinary submissiveness, I allowed Hubby to order the entire meal with one condition, fried pickles. I love fried pickles. There’s nothing better than the salty briny taste of a dill pickle deep fried in cornmeal and flour with a touch of spice dipped in ranch goodness. If I see fried pickles on a menu, I’m pretty much required to order them. Hubby knows this and willingly agreed to include fried pickles in our order.

Unfortunately for our arteries, that’s not the only fried delicacy Hubby decided to order. Before I proceed with my review, I will admit that, in the words of that creepy specter from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, we chose poorly. In addition to the generous (and delicious) fried pickle appetizer, we also had fried crawfish tails and Mardi Gras (fried) oysters. I also had a cup of gumbo and the kiddos had a very traditional Cajun meal of mac and cheese with french fries.

Let’s start with the gumbo. The word “gumbo” means okra. I should add here that I love okra (more than I love fried pickles). Okra is a comfort food for me – a food of my childhood. I love it in all preparations and forms. I was a bit suspicious when, upon review of Ragin’ Cajun’s menu, I noticed that okra was not listed as a side. But, I was actually shocked to discover that my cup of gumbo did not contain a single sliver of the viscous veggie for which it was named. Otherwise, the gumbo was just okay. It was the beautiful, rich brown color that gumbo is meant to be. But, it lacked something – oh, wait…it lacked okra.

Onto the fried fish options. As mentioned before, I don’t have much (any) real experience with crawfish. I know there is a crawfish “season.” I think it occurs in the spring. I know that as a child I used string and bits of raw bacon to (unsuccessfully) catch crawfish in drainage ditches. But, since I never met a crustacean I didn’t like, I was eager to try them. At first bite, I thought these crawfish to be a little under seasoned. Hubby agreed and we added some salt and started dipping them in a tartar sauce-hot sauce combo that Hubby whipped up at the condiment bar. Once we added the salt and sauce, these little fried mud bugs became a taste morsel.

On to the Mardi Gras oysters, presumably named as such because they were served with a festive pico de gallo. I’m a fan of oysters and pretty picky about when and where I order them. These oysters were good. Served on the half shell and with the pico, they were aesthetically pleasing as well as tasty. The flour-cornmeal breading combo paired well with the acid of the pico. This was my favorite among the dishes that we ordered.

So, the take away – As a Cajun neophyte, I think Ragin’ Cajun provides a wide variety of casual Cajun culinary adventures. In the future, I think we will depart from the fried foods and branch out into some of the broiled seafood delicacies. I’m particularly interested in some of the catfish offerings. No doubt we will be back, once our arteries clear out a bit.

Bananas for Blue Bell

Most of my friends and family who are Texan (or who grew up in states that border Texas) are crazy for Blue Bell Ice Cream.  Those who live far from home are usually disappointed to discover that Blue Bell is not widely available throughout the U.S. According to Blue Bell's website, the brand is only available in about 30% of grocery stores in the U.S. Living in Washington, DC, the primary spot to snag a scoop of Blue Bell is Hill Country. But, now that I'm residing in Houston, Blue Bell is widely available. I was so impressed by the selection at my local grocery store that I stopped in the freezer section and took a photo.

After I posted the photo above on Facebook, several people inquired about Blue Bell's Banana Pudding Ice Cream. I'm not a huge fan of banana pudding. My Grandma made it best, and pretty much nothing else compares. But, when Hubby came home with a half gallon a few nights ago, I wasn't going to pass up a chance to try it. 

After doing some research on Blue Bell's website, I learned that the Banana Pudding flavor is a "rotational flavor," meaning that it isn't available year round. So, I guess I'm fortunate that I just happened to arrive in the Lone Star State when it is available. Blue Bell has a wide variety of seasonal and rotational flavors. The details of available flavors in a given month are available on the website.

The Banana Pudding Ice Cream is a beautiful shade of pale yellow. The ice cream is creamy and delicious with a pleasant banana flavor. Best of all, the ice cream is permeated with crushed Nilla wafers providing a pleasant contrast to the ice cream and great "mouth feel" (a term I've embraced having watched every episode of Top Chef). Basically, this is heaven in a bowl. Taking a big bite, my 2 year old son exclaimed, "My tummy is happy!" Even more amazingly, my entire family enjoyed this flavor. I can't recall a time when the four of us ever ate the same ice cream flavor.

I'm hopeful that over the next few months, I will have a chance to visit the Blue Bell factory in Brenham. But, for now, I'll just continue to explore the flavors available here in Houston. 

On Bisons and Unicorns

GOODE CO. TEXAS BAR-B-Q

8911 Katy Freeway, Houston

Full disclosure: I’m a Virginian who can trace my family back to Colonial times. I also have some North Carolinian family ties as well. So for the first thirty years of my life, barbecue was pulled pork with vinegary sauce. Sometimes, we topped the pork with creamy coleslaw and ate the whole thing on a bun. Then I met my husband (aka “Hubby”). 

Hubby was born and raised in Texas. His maternal grandfather resided in Tulsa, Oklahoma and was a talented grill master and smoker of meats. Hubby is a talented hobby pit boss who knows his way around a smoker and makes his own rubs and mops. Shortly after we started dating, we hosted a Texas Independence Day party featuring imported Elgin sausage and Hubby’s brisket. This was my first experience with Texas-style barbecue and I felt my exclusive loyalty to North Carolinian barbecue waning with each bite.

We spent our first weekend in H-Town in unpacking and organizational mode. On Saturday, we met family for dinner at Goode Co. Texas Bar-B-Q. The exterior of the restaurant resembles a saloon. Inside, the décor is Western full of saddles and taxidermy. My East Coast born son took one look at the bison head above the menu and exclaimed, “Look! A unicorn.” Yep, we got a lot to learn about Western fauna, little guy. Let’s schedule that trip to the zoo ASAP. 

Goode Co. has a cafeteria style set-up where you place your order at a long counter and friendly workers fill your plate with barbecue goodness. Based on a review I read prior to visiting Goode Co., I ordered the turkey breast.  For sides, I selected the rice and Texas green beans. Hubby opted for ribs, and our kids ordered ham. My sister in law and brother in law ordered ribs and a baked potato filled with toppings. We were loaded down with two trays filled with food and drinks (including our precariously placed glass bottled adult beverages) and two exhausted kids. A kind employee saw us struggling and offered to carry our trays to the table. It was such a kind gesture and I was reminded, again, of how nice people seem to be in Texas – even in a big city like Houston.

We settled in and sampled the barbecue. The turkey was excellent. I generally despise the word moist and avoid it at all costs, but there’s no better description for Goode’s turkey. So, there you have it, the turkey was moist (don’t expect to see that word on this blog with any frequency). The sides were okay. The rice was not especially memorable. I took a bite and decided to save my calories for dessert. The green beans were spicy, but so much so that I lost the flavor of the beans. I also sampled the much lauded jalapeno cheddar bread. When I first learned that Goode Co. featured jalapeno cheddar bread, I was really excited. But, this bread left me a little flat. I wanted something densely cheese. But, this bread was more of a white bread with little flecks of jalapeno and cheddar throughout. It was perfectly fine, but I was a bit underwhelmed. So, I focused on the turkey and felt very content.

I didn’t really want or need dessert. But, Hubby is a sucker for a slab of pecan pie and we’d heard that Goode Co. does pecan pie well. For those who don’t know, the pecan tree is the state tree of Texas. Hubby’s family has a pecan orchard in Tulsa, and he knows a thing or two about pecan pie. He took one bite and shoved the plate toward me instructing me to take a bite. So I did… and then I took another and another. This was easily the best restaurant pecan pie I've ever had. Let me reiterate: Best. Restaurant. Pecan Pie. Ever. The pecans were crunchy and the filling was a perfect balance of sweetness for the pecans. In short, the perfect ending to a hectic day of unpacking.

I have a feeling there will be many more barbecue adventures for our family here in Texas. I’m looking forward to really hitting the Barbecue Trail once we settle in a bit. But for now, Goode Co. provided solid meat offerings and fabulous dessert just a few miles from our new base of operations. We’ll be back to visit again, Goode Co. Hopefully, the next time we return, our kids know the difference between a bison and a unicorn.

Tex-Mex Tastes Best When You are Officially Texan

LUPE TORTILLA MEXICAN RESTAURANT
2414 Southwest Fwy., Houston

This was not my first trip to Lupe Tortilla Mexican Restaurant. In January 2014, we had dinner at Lupe after a day of touring Houston. At that time, we were hoping we might be able to relocate to H-town in the future. We spent the day driving around and looking at various neighborhoods and getting a sense of the city. A move to Houston seemed a distant dream. Nine months later, we found ourselves at Lupe again, this time approximately 36 hours after officially becoming Houstonians.

Lupe is a quintessential Tex Mex restaurant. The décor is festive and fun – think colorful papier-mâché jalapenos and light fixtures made of sombreros. When we arrived on a Friday evening, the parking lot, which is shared with a shopping plaza, was hopping. Our party was rather large (7 adults and 4 kids) and we waited about 30 minutes for our table. It was worth it.

We started our meal with chips and salsa, queso, and tableside guacamole. I’m no stranger to tableside guac. The concept combines several of my favorite activities – watching food preparation and eating the results. But, few places do tableside guacamole as well as Lupe. The avocados are fresh and creamy and perfectly paired with a burst of fresh lime juice, onion, fresh tomatoes, and salt. In one word: delish. I could make a meal out of Lupe’s tableside guacamole and a skinny margarita, which Lupe also does quite well.

But, for our family the main reason to come to Lupe is for the fajitas. Fajitas are ordered by weight in pound or half pound servings of meat. The options include beef, chicken, shrimp, pork tenderloin, and a combination of meats. You can also add lobster tail to your order. On both visits to Lupe, we opted for a combination of beef and chicken. The beef, marinated in lime juice, is nothing short of amazing on its own. But, when combined with Lupe’s homemade tortillas and tasty toppings, you enter Tex Mex perfection.

Piling beef on my plate and sneaking an extra bite or three of tableside guacamole, I looked around the table at my family. My daughter laughed with her cousins. My two-year old son ate a meal of mostly queso. My husband tucked into his fajitas, a Texas resident once more after many years spent far away from home.  The 1500 mile road trip from Washington, DC was behind us and we were ready to start our adventures in Texas, just a little bit sooner than we imagined. I was glad to be home and to be celebrating our arrival at Lupe.