brucesw

Here's the Ladies menu (no prices). I'll have to go to try the chili.

Deviled ham was a favorite childhood treat, on white bread with mayo (probably Blue Plate). I liked it even better than American cheese and mayo on white or canned tuna fish and mayo on white with dill pickles. I picked up some Underwood a few years ago on a nostalgic whim. Some childhood treats are best as memories. I picked up some deviled Smithfield ham once in Richmond, I think at the airport while waiting for a flight. It was better; I just ate it out of the jar or on crackers.

I've been doing this for a couple of years now. I was shocked when I started when I couldn't find any of the old brands in the store - Jiffy, Jolly Time. What is this world coming to? I tried a couple of generic store brands (WM and HEB) and they weren't very good; tried an organic popcorn from WF and it was an under-performer. Now, I've been using Orville for several jars and it works good. Will have to give the Newman's a try. I use canola in a Calphalon skillet covered with a pasta pot lid with openings - I've always understood you need to let the steam escape for fluffier popcorn. Have I got that wrong? I don't pop that much so I won't eat too much. I never have the burner on high, not with my stove (30 year old GE electric cooktop) and Calphalon. For seasoning, kosher salt, sometimes a little finely ground black pepper, sometimes a Cajun spice mix, sometimes a seasoning salt from a local butcher shop that I like. No butter and definitely no popcorn salt. I have an old Westbend Stir Crazy that made great popcorn but was too much trouble to use for just one purpose and took up too much space. It's in the bottom of a cabinet somewhere.

Thanks for the report. I haven't been in longer than that - used to live in the neighborhood and could walk to it back when there was plenty of parking (crowds much smaller). Probably the best Greek food in town, like the old Czech fest at the Fort Bend Fairgrounds had the best kolaches, etc. Yes, have to have dolmades. I usually buy some everytime I'm at Phoenicia and have to have them when I go to Dimassi's.

So tell us what you had! Me, I love the tzatziki (?) sauce, and almost everything I've ever had identified as Greek. I remember Zorba and also Athens Bar and Grill on the Ship Channel, although for the dates, not the food. There used to be a great little Greek bakery/sandwich shop out on San Felipe at Voss when I worked in that area -- many, many years ago. It was my favorite lunch spot. Spanakopita, moussaka, souvlaki, etc., etc. I remember it as better than Niko, Niko's. I've been to Bibas Greek Pizza on Memorial, not very memorable. Have always meant to get to Bibas and Alexander the Great Greek but Niko, Niko's is too hard to pass up when I get a craving for Greek. I would not recommend Roadster Grill in Bellaire; I went once when a Press or Chronicle review mentioned this hamburger joint had added Greek items to the menu and I thought it was mediocre and never went back. Andros Deli on Fondren has only a few Greek items on the menu and I wouldn't recommend going out of your way for. If you like Greek you ought to try some of our town's Turkish restaurants. EDIT: Just happened to remember. What was that place around the corner from Niko Niko's that was run by the same people? Mama Eleni's or something? I went there a couple of times and remember it was good but don't remember what I had. Is that even still there? Missouri street was probably the name of the street.

The best as far as national fried chicken chains go. I've never liked KFC. Our local institution, Frenchy's, for decades had only one location and there were always long lines so it wasn't really fast. Apparently the founder has retired, however, and the children want more money from Daddy's culinary genius so locations are popping up all over town and the quality has gone down. I've been sampling alternatives, from chicken and rice places to gas station/convenience store purveyors and Central and South American places serving pollo frito although those are cooked when ordered and take 15-20 minutes at least. That's true also of the Toreore Korean Fried Chicken inside Super H Mart, but it's really good. A good alternative are a couple of pollo asado trailers/buses. Half a chicken is the smallest order, $5-6, includes half a chicken hacked into 5 or 6 pieces, frijoles charros, rice, 6 or 8 tortillas, lime wedges, salsa, and a roasted onion and 1 or 2 large roasted peppers. Enough food for 2. El Pollo Loco was here maybe 15 years ago but I think there's only one left. There's another one that's apparently a chain, El Regio; I've seen 4 or 5 around town and tried one once. Smallish pieces and pretty bland compared to the trailers/buses I frequent.

Glad you enjoyed it. I'm not sure where Goode Co. gets their oysters under normal circumstances but given Jim Goode's pride in things Texan I would guess Galveston or Matagorda Bay. Circumstances are not normal, however. This is the only thing I've seen on the oyster industry since Ike. I've been told the best oysters from Texas waters are from Smith Point on Galveston Bay and I've found them to be very good.

I haven't ever had any of his chicken and will look forward to trying the turkey. I bet they're both good. I haven't been to Pierson's in a couple of months.

I was at a market with a Kosher meat department today and checked out their prices - $6.99 a lb for whole, Cry-o-vac brisket. They did not have flats. At non-kosher supermarkets here whole brisket is usually below $2 a lb, flats by themselves are at least 50% more. I usually buy whole briskets and separate them myself to fit in the pots I have. It's been years since I did brisket much although earlier this year I did buy one to make carne deshebrada with part and corned the other half. I can't remember ever serving brisket sliced unless it's smoked but maybe I did many years ago. Usually I serve it 'chunked' or shredded.

All the ones mentioned so far are on the near Southwest side.

Goode Co. Texas Seafood Pesce Another vote for Goode Co. Seems to me what you're looking for. Everything recommended is inside the Loop 610. What part of town will you be in? Houston is very spread out.

Okay, just wondered. I knew someone who wasn't above climbing in a dumpster out back to look for what supplies were being used and passed off as home-made; thought you might have seen something with a label on it. I never used sauce when I barbequed (smoked) other than years ago Woody's sometimes. The guy told me they use oak and pecan; around on the back side of the trailer, down low, is a smoke box, I think. Here's the open-faced brisket sandwich. You can see why I described the sauce as like a glaze. This was melt in your mouth tender. If you liked Boogie's beans I think you'll like Pierson's.

Wow Jim, I've only been twice but obviously I've got to go back. I saw a new container of ps being opened and a container of sauce with no label - how do you know the sauce and the beans are store bought??? I'm just not that familiar with bottled bbq sauce or canned baked beans. I went out last weekend to Midway in Katy which has been reviewed both by Walsh and Francis in the Press - very good stuff, incredibly meaty ribs, brisket a little underdone to my taste; I also liked the sausage there. It's just a little far for me and I probably won't go unless I'm out that way. Today I tried Pollo Bravo, 6015 Hillcroft #2800, just off 59 in the same center with Tortas Las Llardas and Manolo's Cuban Cafe. I had been once back in May and tried the Pollo Rostizado which was very good as were the maduros. I had a taste for ceviche today and was looking for a Peruvian place and Pezcalato has closed but this showed up on b4. The menu I picked up back then doesn't have the word Peru or Peruvian anywhere on it but now the menu does identify some dishes as Peruvian, some as Mexican. I had the Ceviche Mixto which included fish, calamari, octopus, corn, red onion, lettuce, cilantro, lime and camote (sweet potato) and was very good. This was accompanied by a very creamy salsa verde which I didn't think it needed. I also had the Aquadito, the house soup, with chicken, corn, onions, tomato and peas - a little bland until I saw another patron adding some of the salsa verde - bingo, a winner. I tried the Chicha Morada, a drink made with purple corn, pineapple and cinnammon classically but I think their version had pear in it. It was rather bland and not sweet at all (but it's supposed to be good for your blood pressure I think?) I wanted to try one of the desserts but I was stuffed with 2 appetizers and the drink.

The original Press blurb seemed like a lot of hype to me but the pizza was surprisingly good so I thought I'd try. Live and learn. I'm sure many people do like it. You've found several good things down there in SL.

I generally prefer thin crust but I really like Rizzi's crust. Fortunately it's only a little more than 10 minutes from where I live. Also tried the fried chicken - beautiful golden color, smallish pieces, very tender, not over cooked and dry but I personally didn't care for the seasoning. Likewise didn't care for 'those potatoes.'

I have been into home-cooking and comfort foods since Ike and only going out about once a week with several misses and 2 finds: The Local - 120 Circle Way, Lake Jackson - owned by the people from Cafe Annice this is a very nice upscale sandwich shop, bakery and small boutique. Boogie's Chicago Style BBQ, 9244 W. Bellfort @ Gatlinburg - a bbq trailer open only Th-Fr-Sat serving some pretty good bbq. Home-made beef and pork sausage was very good, ribs a little underdone when I had them, brisket very, very tender. Oak and pecan woods used; sauce is very, very, very sweet, ditto the baked beans; potato salad is an institutional product and almost runny but this is perhaps my best Q option in this end of town. A little more info on both and pics of Boogie's on my blog. Misses: 3 P's bbq - 9409 S. Gessner - not ready for prime time. Brisket was tough, ribs on the verge of being dried out, not enough rub; very faint 1/8" smoke ring on the brisket; sauce pretty good but maybe a jarred product; potato salad one of the highlights of the meal but possibly institutional. A plus is that they use a beef, pork and jalapeno sausage from Poffenberger's Bellville Meat Market. Only open a couple of weeks and doing no business - I'll try again in a month or so. D'Village African restaurant, S. Gessner at Westbrae Parkway, just down from Makola Imports - Nigerian - unpleasant aroma (like bathroom deodorant) in the restaurant which was spic and span, very dark, with red linen table cloths. Cook and waitress thrilled to see me and at great pains to explain the food to me in her limited English. Took a chance on egusi, a staple soup (porridge like) with beef, chicken, fish and cow's foot. Edible, but not very interesting. A side of a huge glob of fufu - like putty and apparently used like injera in Ethiopian cuisine as an edible utensil - can't say anything nice so won't say anything at all. Jouy's Tamales - Clute - home-made??? Aroma of stagnant water on the plate; left most of the food which was unmemorable anyway.

The Press had a blurb this week about a new Vallone restaurant going into one of the spaces in the River Oaks Center that Weingarten demolished. OT: I wonder how many River Oaks socialites and preservationists will boycott it as threated for anything going in if the historic center was razed?

Textile

Southwest Houston is becoming quite an international neighborhood. Raindrop Turkish House just opened near me on W. Bellfort just off Beltway 8 and a few blocks away India House, also recently opened. I was looking at Raindrop's website and see there us a Turkish Festival coming up the first weekend in November in front of City Hall. There will be food, of course, perhaps a good opportunity to check out various restaurant's offerings? Edit: Correction - that's a Turkic Cultures Festival - the foods of several nations may be represented.

I've been back to Suya Hut a couple of times (before the storm); best things are still the chicken suya and waina or masa, the fermented rice cake, which they haven't had the last 2 times I was there. I tried the shrimp suya, very small shrimp, coated with the groundnut paste; much spicier than anything I've had there but not very good otherwise. On another visit I wanted to try the Pepper Fish Soup with tilapia. I was warned it would take about 15 minutes but it took 35. I think they either had to go out to buy the tilapia or the spices for it. Thick tilapia steaks (very bony) in a very spicy broth and that was it. Not worth the wait so I decided to try to find the spices so I could do it at home which led me to investigate African grocery stores; I've posted about that in the Ethnic groceries thread. I took the left over broth from the soup home and used it with some reheated rice and to simmer some greens - very tasty. I like fish soups/stews; mine are usually Creole/Cajun influenced and this was a nice change but there were a lot of bones.

I may not stock my freezer until after hurricane season! I'm tired of throwing out food. One of the upsides of Ike was a much needed cleaning out of my fridge and freezer; I found some pasta sauce in the bottom of the freezer dated 1991. I'm thinking about downsizing my freezer so I won't have so much to throw out next time and I'll definitely have a gas cook top when I remodel the kitchen.

After a recent visit to Suya Hut where I tried the Pepper Fish soup I wanted to try making it at home so I started looking into African grocery stores and came across this list. I noted they seem to be clustered in the southwestern corner of town where I live and that a couple were real close to me so I checked one of them out. Makola Imports on S. Gessner at the Westbrae Parkway is a Ghanian place, clean, well lit, though not friendly. There were many basics including fufu, ground nut and egusi powders, dried herbs, ground nut paste (peanut butter), rice, frozen vegetables including okra, beans, including some black-eyed peas that were smaller than what you typically find, frozen smoked fish, cooking oils, loaves of various kinds of breads, beverages including Guiness and Heineken and palm wines, and some English and Goya brand products. I got some Pepper soup spices and powdered egusi (melon similar to pumpkin I understand) to try some soups; also some red wesa - African red peppers smaller than pequins, smaller even than peppercorns - and a little bag of felsimo chin-chin, a fried snack of flour, butter, water, sugar, salt, nutmeg, yeast, vegetable oil, baking powder and egg that is meant to be consumed like salted nuts I gather. CKC on the list is just a couple of blocks away so I plan to visit that. I've also been to Maru Grocery on Bissonnet that is not listed here; it is Ethiopian. The only one on the list with a website seems to be Akunna over on Telephone which I haven't been to.

I thought we could use a topic like this for Houston. A couple of notes from the Chronicle's Dining section this week - Scott Tycer's newest and the re-opening of Kahn's in the Village next week. Kahn's will be open for breakfast and in the evening for wine and tapas according to the story but the website shows a menu only for breakfast and lunch.

Tried another grocery today - amazing how little beef there was for sale: some bacon wrapped filets and briskets was about it. Besides CenterPoint, the beef industry seems to have been under-prepared to make a quick recovery from Hurricane Ike. I made some chili with frozen ground turkey, chopped up smoked sausage that survived in an ice chest, a can of pintos and Williams chili mix - actually, not bad. Hadn't thought about making chili after throwing out numerous containers last week.

Thanks for the recs. Yeah, I was looking for some place to go. Too much time spent trying to charcoal on a makeshift hibachi last week and shortage of groceries now. Stores are probably a little better stocked now than a couple of days ago but I'm just not into cooking right now - I want to get out. Today's comfort food was a Whataburger with cheese and jalapenos; tonight I really craved enchiladas. I've had power for several days but the grocery store nearest me still hasn't opened and the others were poorly stocked for any kind of meat except frozen chicken.