Mama's Day Out

Town and Country Village
12850 Memorial Drive, Houston

On Halloween this year, I found myself with a few hours to spare between various Halloween events at my kid's school. It just so happened that Halloween in H-town was simply beautiful this year. Yes, it was 80 degrees. But, the morning was cool enough to justify my traditional orange sweater and the air was void of humidity. So, with time on my hands on this beautiful day, I decided to spend a few hours by myself at Town and Country Village on Houston's west side.

Like most Houston shopping plazas, Town and Country has already started decorating for Christmas. So, embracing the holiday spirit, albiet the wrong holiday, I ran a few errands in the shops. Before I knew it, I was starving and ready for lunch.

There are several lunch options in Town and Country. But, since it was a day of luxury, I decided to opt for sushi at Nori Sushi Bistro. The restaurant was fairly busy with the lunch rush, but the hostess seated me immediately. I perused the menu; the selection was extensive. Many of the rolls were Texas-themed including: the Hushpuppy, the Rockets Roll, and the Rodeo Roll. I ordered miso soup as a starter. The soup was flavorful with fairly generous amounts of tofu and seaweed. For my main course, I played it straight with an order of tekka maki rolls and an order of salmon sushi. But, I couldn't resist ordering at least one Texas themed roll, so I ordered the Cowboy Rolls. The tekka maki were good as was the salmon sushi. I especially enjoyed the minimal rice to fish ratio on the salmon sushi. 

The Cowboy Roll consisted of shrimp tempura with a mayo hot chili sauce. The tempura was tasty and the sauce hot enough that it didn't warrant the addition of wasabi laced soy sauce. My only complaint was that the rice was just a bit to sticky for my tastes. Of course, sushi rice needs to be sticky so that it adheres in the roll. But, this rice was just a bit too glutinous.Overall, the sushi tasted fresh and the prices were reasonable for a substantial lunch. Plus, I was able to eat in silence while reading my Kindle. It was basically like a vacation.

After lunch, I decided that since it was Halloween, I deserved a sweet treat at Ooh La La: The Dessert Boutique. Pastry Chef Vanessa O'Donnell is a Texas native who has opened 3 boutique bakeries in the Houston area (and she's not even 35 yet!). From the moment I walked up to the storefront, I was impressed by the super cute decor. The shop is girly, girly, girly! It's the perfect place for a sweet treat with your daughter or your girlfriends. 

But, the pastry cases were even more impressive than the decor. Huge, beautifully decorated cupcakes, a wide variety of cakes, and french macarons. I'm very picky about my macarons. I was spoiled in Paris years ago, and ever since I'm pretty selective. But, since it was Halloween, Ooh La La had special ghostly macarons. I had to try one!

This macaron was pure perfection. The texture was fabulous -- not too firm, not too squishy. Excellent. The macaron was toasted marshmallow flavored. It tasted like warm vanilla and brought back memories of the best campfires on cold autumn nights. Paired with a cup of coffee, I felt like I had take a vacation to gay Paris! (all for the bargain price of $5). I see many mommy breaks at Oh La La in my future.

With only crumbs remaining of my macaron and all of my shopping complete, I decided to call it a day and head home to wash my daughter's Elsa costume before trick or treating. Every so often, Mama needs a break. Rested and rejuvenated, I felt ready to tackle Halloween night!

Happy Diwali Y'all!

Bombay Pizza Company

636 Hwy 6, Suite #100 Sugar Land, Texas

Before I moved to Houston, a good friend in DC, who is Houston savvy, gave me a few restaurant recommendations. Bombay Pizza  was on the list. Bombay Pizza is a restaurant that I would design if I were in the restaurant business. It combines pizza, which I love, with Indian food, which I really, really, really love. Since our arrival in Houston six weeks ago, I had been eager to try it out. So, on Friday night, we headed out to Sugar Land in search of tandoori pizza.

It just so happened that we selected the week of the Hindu festival of Diwali to sample Bombay Pizza. There was a festive "Happy Diwali!" sign  on the chalkboard when we entered the restaurant and as the evening passed, a family dressed in colorful saris strolled in for pizza. In addition to the festive feel of the Diwali celebrations, we also happened to hit Bombay Pizza on one of the most beautiful evenings we've experienced in Houston. The air was mild and totally free of humidity and mosquitoes. We decided to eat outside and midway through the meal, the staff turned on festive red lights strung above the patio. Somehow with the lights and the exotic pizza toppings, it felt as though we were on a mini vacation.

The main event was the pizza. The kids ordered a plain cheese pizza. Hubby and I studied the menu for a bit and decided on the Slumdog. Really, I knew I was going to order the Slumdog from the first time I read the menu at my dining room in Washington, DC. First of all, there's the name. How can you not order it? But the toppings also make it an easy decision: pepperoni, Spanish chorizo, beef, Canadian bacon, mozarella, grilled chicken, jalapenos, red onions, and Bombay sauce. Here's a photo of a slice of Slumdog.

All of the toppings were fresh and delicious. The crust was cracker-like and very crispy. Chicago-style lovers may disagree, but it my mind, this was the perfect crust. If I could change one thing, it would be to swap the grilled chicken for the tandoori spice chicken elsewhere on the menu. Next time. Next time.

We were pretty full from pizza, but Hubby had noticed something of interest on the dessert menu. Bombay Pizza serves one of my favorite desserts in the world -- gulab jamun. 

What is gulab jamun you may ask?  Gulab jamun consists of fried balls of dough (like cake donut holes) served in a rose water, cardamom infused syrup. The dough balls absorb the syrup. which gives them an amazing exotic, sweet flavor. I have very powerful food memories of eating homemade gulab jamun made by Indian friends with whom I've lost touch. So since it was the week of Diwali and also a Friday night, I decided to give Bombay Pizza's gulab jamun a try. They were the perfect ending to a perfect evening of food and family. 

Yes, Bombay Pizza will be added to our ever growing list of favorite foodie places in Houston. Thank you, dear DC friend for giving me the recommendation. You know who you are. It took us a while, but we got there eventually...just in time for Diwali. 

It's Easy Being Green

Ruggles Green
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.

Official Declaration of Fall by a Native Virginian

We moved to Houston in early September, and I fully anticipated that we would have a few weeks of heat and humidity before fall began. But, I didn't anticipate that 90 degree temperatures would last into October. My four year old has learned the definition of humid and uses the word appropriately on a regular basis (as in, "Mommy, I am grumpy because it is so humid").

I keep telling myself that upper 80 degree Octobers are the price you pay for 60 degree winters, palm trees, and year 'round flip flops. But, I miss those crisp autumn East Coast mornings. I miss cranking up the seat warmers. I miss the bright red maple tree located just outside my former Metro station.

This week, I found myself asking everyone,"Is this normal weather for this time of year?" I've received a variety of responses. My kid's teachers both confirmed that this is normal. The checkout guy at Target today  said this is to be expected. The lady in line behind me at Target also said this is typical as did the native Houstonian I asked at Jazzercise. In fact, it's only the UPS delivery guy that said this is unusually warm weather for October. Since he works outside all day, I'm hoping he's correct.

Regardless, I have decided to declare fall. My family picked pumpkins last week. My children have been doing Halloween-related crafts after school. This weekend, our entire family is headed to the family farmland to paint pumpkins. So today, in anticipation of our weekend gathering, I'm pulling out all the stops. I'm making Pumpkin Squares.

To make Pumpkin Squares, you need this:

Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter is simply divine and can be used in numerous recipes, as evidenced by the Muirhead website. You can either purchase the pumpkin butter from Muirhead directly or pick up a few jars at William Sonoma. According to the Muirhead website, the Pumpkin Square recipe was actually invented by William Sonoma. These treats are very easy to make and are always popular. They can even be served on Thanksgiving instead of, or in addition to, the traditional pumpkin pie.

I've provided the recipe below. Enjoy! Here's to hoping that by baking Pumpkin Squares today, fall will arrive soon in Houston!

Ingredients:

1 package yellow cake mix (set aside 1 cup)
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs, large
1 jar of Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Divide yellow cake mix, placing all but one cup in a mixing bowl. Stir the melted butter and one egg into the cake mix. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9X13 inch pan.
3. Mix the jar of pumpkin butter with two eggs and milk. Pour this over the cake mix.
4. Stir the reserved cup of cake mix with the flour, sugar, softened butter, and cinnamon. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over the pumpkin layer.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Cool. Cut into 2 inch squares. Serves 24

Recipe credit: William Sonoma

So Good Pho You

Pho Ga Dakao
11778 Bellaire (near Kirkwood)

Last week, Hubby and I were both recovering from summer colds. After a long day of annoying errands including flu shots for the kids, everyone was exhausted and cranky. With prickly dispositions and stuffy heads, this seemed the perfect night to test out one of Houston's Vietnamese restaurants.

When I lived in Arlington, Virginia, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by tons of great Vietnamese places and Pho 75 was my go-to place whenever I was feeling under the weather. There's just something restorative and comforting about that slow cooked beefy broth steeped with jalapenos and a healthy serving of Sriracha. But, when I moved to Maryland, I was disappointed to find a lack of fabulous Vietnamese venues. Knowing we were moving to Houston, the city that boasts the third largest Vietnamese population in the U.S., I had high hopes for finding fabulous pho once we relocated.

After conducting some pho-related research, I decided on Pho Ga Dakao. Pho Ga Dakao is located in a shopping plaza in Houston's Chinatown. Unlike most American pho places I've encountered, Pho Ga Dakao serves chicken pho instead of the usual beef variety. In fact, the name "pho ga" is Vietnamese for chicken pho. I was a bit unsure about chicken pho, but according to the ever reliable Wikipedia, chicken pho has been served in Vietnam since the 1930s and may have been invented as a result of the unavailability of beef in the marketplaces on certain days of the week. Ultimately, I decided that since pho has medicinal qualities and chicken soup also has medicinal qualities, combining the two could only be a good thing.

We picked up takeout from the bare bones, family run establishment. Hubby selected the dark meat pho, and I opted for the white meat variety. We also ordered some spring rolls and two iced Vietnamese coffees. With the early October temperatures soaring up to 90 degrees, the creamy, rich iced coffee was the perfect beverage to enjoy on our ride home.

Once home we unpacked the plastic takeout bags and started the search for our largest serving bowls. You need a big bowl to eat pho properly and we've found that we each require serving bowl-sized vessels when we do takeout pho. The broth, meat, and "fixin's" were each packaged separately. Here are a few action photos:

Delicious chicken broth.

Adding the broth to the chicken and fixin's -- Thai basil, vermicelli noodles, cilantro, generous portions of lime juice, hot sauce, and jalapenos.

The perfect bowl of pho.

While the pho flavors melded, we enjoyed some spring rolls.

Full disclosure: While perhaps not "cool" to admit, I really prefer the deep fried spring rolls that occasionally appear on Thai and Vietnamese menus. But, these spring rolls were very fresh and the shrimp were flavorful. These were an acceptable appetizer before the main event.

Finally, it was time for the pho. We tucked in with our chopsticks and spoons. Our sinuses cleared and we slurped our noodles loudly. At one point, I just picked up the entire bowl and started gulping down the broth. "This is the best chicken soup I've ever had in my life," Hubby said. Perhaps that's not surprising. According to an article that appeared in the Houston Press in 2011, this particular restaurant's broth simmers for 14-16 hours, which allows for plenty of time for the rich, salty, chicken flavor to develop.

We ended our meal with very full stomachs, clearer heads, and the belief that the next day, we would be feeling much better. The summer colds provided the perfect excuse for an initial journey into Houston's Chinatown. As anticipated, we were quite pleased by what we discovered and eager to return for more Vietnamese culinary adventures in the near future.

Road Trip 1: ISO Pumpkins and an Excuse to Eat BBQ

Houston to LaGrange

Ever since my daughter was born four years ago, Hubby and I made an annual trip to Brookfield Pumpkins in Thurmont, Maryland for a day of fall fun. I received my "pumpkin season has started" postcard in the mail recently (apparently that mail forward is working well), and realized that we needed to find a Texas venue for fall activities. So, relying on one of my favorite web resources, I started researching pumpkin and apple picking options near Houston. Here's what I learned: 1. you cannot pick apples here. Yes, I knew from Southern Living that I now live in Zone 10 the "Tropical Zone," but I didn't really realize that meant no apple picking until Pick Your Own crushed that dream. 2. Pumpkin picking here doesn't usually mean actually picking a pumpkin. Most pumpkin patches feature pre-picked pumpkins that are placed in a field surrounded by moon-bounces and little train rides. I abhor moon-bounces in any setting (germs), but I really didn't want a commercialized pumpkin picking event. So, I broadened my search toward Austin, and we settled upon a day trip to The Jersey Barnyard in LaGrange.

Of course, no road trip is complete without at least one meal and some road snacks. Once we selected LaGrange, barbecue savvy/hobby pit boss Hubby miraculously knew "just where we needed to go" for lunch. So before we headed to the farm, we fortified ourselves with lunch at Zimmerhanzel's BBQ (307 Royston St.) in Smithville; Smithville is home of the Tigers, y'all!

On a Saturday afternoon, the line at Zimmerhanzel's wrapped around the entire perimeter of the restaurant. Yes, we had two kids in tow, but we had driven an hour and a half for this barbecue experience and the smoke smelled amazing. There was no turning back now. So, I took a seat with the kids and we occupied ourselves by looking at the taxidermy that lined the walls.

Hubby had been waiting in line for about 30 minutes when they announced that they were out of chicken, ribs, chopped beef, and brisket. They had plenty of sausage left though, so we stood strong. Finally, Hubby came to the table with plates of sausage, beans, the last of the potato salad for the day, and a few slices of brisket. 

The portions were very generous at Zimmerhanzel's.  Each sausage plate included three links of homemade, Czech style sausage. The sausage was peppery and delicious, the kind of sausage that spoils you when you go to pretty much any other establishment. We gave most of the brisket to the kids, since it's pretty much the only meat my curiously vegetarian four year old will eat. But, we saved a piece or two for ourselves, and I'm so glad we did. I've eaten a moderate amount of Texas barbecue during my visits and this was by far the best brisket I've ever had in a restaurant (Hubby's still takes the prize for best brisket ever). It was perfectly smoked with a beautiful pink smoke ring around the edge. And, like any good Texas barbecue it didn't require any sauce (though Zimmerhanzel's sauce is quite good). The potato salad, despite being a disturbing bright yellow color, was filled with hardboiled eggs and sweet pickle relish and provided a nice alternative to meat, meat, and more meat. With an icy Dr Pepper on the side, it was pretty much barbecue heaven.

One quick tip, I spoke to a very sweet worker at Zimmerhanzel's who informed me that, yes, it is this crowded every Saturday. She said if you want to make sure you get the meats that you desire, you should call a few days ahead and place your order. We'll remember this for future trips.

Before we left Smithville, we drove around the town a bit because Hubby had read that the house used in the movie Hope Floats, was in Smithville. Neither of us have seen the film, but hey, this was an unexpected sightseeing opportunity! As we snaked around the beautiful neighborhoods in Smithville, our four year old daughter kept asking,"Are you sure this is the way to the pumpkin patch?" and "Do you have the GPS on?" We answered yes to both. With some difficulty, we located the house on 8th and Olive:

Also, before leaving Smithville, we encountered this guy:

Apparently, Smithville found its way into the Guiness Book of World records in December 2006, when they baked the worlds largest gingerbread standing at 20 feet tall and weighing over 1308 pounds.  Sadly, Smithville no longer holds the record, but this statute of "Smitty" remains in a town park.

Our bellies fully of barbecue, we pressed on to The Jersey Barn. The Jersey Barn is primarily a dairy farm establishment. Their claim to fame, among the agro-tourism business they have, is that one of their cows was in a Bluebell Ice Cream commercial! The farm is in a beautiful Texas countryside setting with a field of longhorns across the road.

We parked the car in a field and started to explore the farm. A very nice worker showed us where the pumpkins were located. The Jersey Barnyard pumpkins were pre-picked and stacked festively inside a small barn decorated with white Christmas lights. The kids loved selecting their pumpkins from several different varieties while making friends with chickens, roosters, and guinea hens that shared the barn space. The pumpkins were beautiful and priced reasonably. After we selected our pumpkins, the kids ran around the farm meeting various animals -- pigs, extremely friendly dairy calves, rabbits, and goats. All of the animals were very clean and well socialized. After some time on the farm, we enjoyed a cup of Bluebell before heading back to Houston.

On the way home, we had to make just one more stop. On our way to Smithville, Hubby spotted a kolache  restaurant on the side of the road. There was no way we could have a Texas road trip without stopping for kolaches. Since we were still full from lunch and ice cream, we decided to make a quick stop at Hruska's in Ellinger, Texas. Kolaches are a Czech pastry that are very popular in Texas due to the large Czech population in parts of the state. They are a perfect breakfast treat consisting of a dense, sweet dough filled with fruit fillings (apricot, apple, prune, cherry), cream cheese, or savory varieties (ham or sausage). Hruska's has been in business for over 100 years and traces its kolache recipe back to a single Czech baker. 

While Hubby fueled the car, I ran in to select the kolaches. The selection was overwhelming.

I settled on apricot, apple, poppyseed and a savory variety consisting of jalapeno, cheddar, and ham. It was hard not to devour the kolaches immediately, but we saved them for a Sunday breakfast. They were well worth the wait and better than any kolaches we've encountered in the larger chains. Worth an hour plus drive? Yes, most definitely. 

And, so concluded our first official Texas road trip. We hit all the required elements: kitschy sight seeing, quaint small towns, barbecue, and kolaches. Oh yes, and we found our pumpkins which were the entire impetus for the adventure. It was a perfect Saturday and I hope we have many more such Saturdays in our future. Texas forever.

*Photo credit for "Smitty" the Gingerbread goes to Larry D. Moore.

That Great Persian Place By the Big Lots

Kasra Persian Grill
9741 Westheimer Road, Houston

Houston is known for being a very diverse, cosmopolitan city. It boasts the third largest Vietnamese population in the U.S as well as the eleventh largest South East Asian Indian population. It is truly a melting pot of cultures and cuisine. I'm not going to claim that culinary diversity is the reason we moved to H-town, but it certainly was a very attractive fringe benefit.

Having devoted quite a bit of time to researching restaurants in Houston, I've learned that many culinary gems are hidden in random strip shopping areas of which, thanks to an almost total lack of zoning in the city, there are many. So, when I pulled into a plaza with a Big Lots and a Tuesday Morning en route to one of Houston's best Persian restaurants, I wasn't that surprised.

I met Hubby at Kasra Persian Grill for an impromptu lunch. We arrived a bit before noon and the restaurant was already packed. Despite the crowd, the hostess quickly led us to a table and within seconds a plate of hot, crispy taftoon bread and a second plate of fresh herbs (mint, basil, parsley), radishes, and cubes of salty feta cheese arrived. We were off to a very good start.

We ordered some hummus while we perused the menu. The hummus was very smooth and packed full of garlicky goodness. We quickly finished our first serving of taftoon bread and polished off a second with the remaining hummus. 

For the main course, I ordered the chicken kabob and Hubby ordered the kubideh, skewers of ground beef and Persian spices. We both upgraded our rice sides; I opted for the basmati rice with dill and fava beans, and Hubby selected the sour cherry basmati rice. The chicken kabob had a tangy, delicious marinade. The menu didn't provide us with much clue regarding the "secret" ingredients, but I have a feeling yogurt may have been involved. The kubideh was spicy and rich and paired perfectly with the tart cherries and cranberries in the basmati rice. The portions were generous and we both took home leftovers which reheated nicely for dinner.

After finishing our lunches, Hubby and I walked back out into the late September heat to our respective vehicles. I passed the Tuesday Morning, which seemed to be featuring fall decor, a random Chinese restaurant that didn't seem especially packed during the lunch rush, and a drive-thru Tex Mex place. Back in my car, I cranked up the AC and headed home, impressed by this city and excited for future international foodie adventures.




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