brucesw

Restaurante y Taqueria San Juan, 501 W. Main, Baytown I first happened across this place by accident several months ago owing to a confusion over North, South and West Main streets in Baytown. It's located just west of the intersection of South Main and West Main and a couple of blocks east of the original location of the Baytown Seafood Co. I was attracted by the sign, actually on the building next door, proclaiming they serve trompo and cabrito, among other things. I remembered the series Robb Walsh did in the Press a year or so ago on the search for authentic trompo in Houston, which he found to be impossible due to health department restrictions. Outside of the purview of the Houston Health Department, I wondered if San Juan did authentic trompo and if I would be able to tell the difference. I finally went there this week on another trip to Baytown. The tacos de trompo come 5 to an order, small, 4" sized corn tortillas, and contain both beef and pork according to the menu. They're topped with a generous portion of grilled, sliced onions and cilantro. The tortillas were quite greasy. The salsas, in squeeze bottles, included a mild red one and a heatless creamy green one. The owner wanted to make sure I knew this was authentic Mexican food, not Tex-Mex. The meat was probably the tenderest I've had in tacos like this but not the most flavorful, although the red salsa helped. I definitely prefer chopped raw onions to the grilled onions and a hotter salsa to top them off, and they were just okay. The frijoles charros contained a very generous amount of pork fat and skin along with the beans, some chopped tomatoes, onions and jalapenos; they were good. The chips were medium thick. I never buy chips in a grocery store so I can't say if they were store bought but they were smallish and preseasoned, perhaps cooked in a seasoned oil ?, but not fresh out of the fryer. Despite the exterior sign I saw no cabrito on the menu. One of the posters on b4 indicates the owners have had to cut back on a more ambitious menu. I did see tacos de molleja (sweet breads), tacos a vapor (steamed tacos with potatoes, beans, meat and cabbage) and tacos de barbacoa among others. They also have tortas and rellenitas - gorditas - with the same selection of meats. The restaurant is quite small on the inside but there's a covered patio with booths and also tables scattered about a landscaped courtyard and at the rear a covered, open-air bar (mixed drinks available). It's a picturesque setting and almost makes me wish I lived in BT so I could spend more time there. I have found another taqueria in BT which is pretty good - Taqueria El Sol de Mexico, one of six by that name around the Houston area - on Business 146, where I've had some very good breakfast tacos with hand-made flour tortillas and a good firey, smokey salsa and a very good lunch of enchiladas rojos con pollo which, much to my surprise, came with a beautiful fried chicken thigh, one of the best pieces of fried chicken I've had in some time. There are some other interesting looking taqueria shacks around BT also that I haven't gotten to, mostly on the E and SE side it seems. Good to know you don't have to resort to Chili's or Ryan's if you have to have a bite in BT. I won't hesitate to go back to San Juan for another visit but I'll try something else off the menu. Maybe I'll delay my return to Houston into the evening hours so I can sit out in the courtyard and soak up some of the nitelife of old Pelly.

Nortenita - carniceria, fruteria, etc. 10880 Bissonnet, just before Wilcrest, outbound Used to be known as Celaya # 5 I had 3 tacos - al pastor, pollo and chicharron. The meats were dry and overcooked but the tacos were saved by a pretty good salsa, medium heat +, blood orange color. I was checking out the rest of the store while she made them and didn't see if it came out of a jar but I'm guessing they make it themselves. They had lengua and barbacoa on the menu also and from the signs tamales are a weekend specialty so I think I'll go back to try them soon. No English spoken by the senorita but some customers were helping out, though they really didn't need to, I know enough Spanish to get by. I'm guessing not many Anglos come in here from the looks I got.

La Sani, Pakistani, 9621 Bissonnet, 1 block off 59, behind a Burger King. The foodinhouston blogger recently named this one of the 10 best cheap eats places in Houston and linked back to his 2006 review; I've also found a very positive review by Robb Walsh in the Press from 2003. This is in the same center with Lo Nuestro and New Filipiana but easy to miss; it's actually right at the intersection of Plainfield and Ponderosa and surprisingly has a Bissonnet address. Lunch buffet - $9.99. Better than half Anglo customers when I was there. Besides the typical Pakistani salad there was the option of a tossed salad with tomato wedges - only one dressing, though. The best dishes were the beef masala - very, very spicy - and chicken jalafra (?), which was not quite so spicy but still very good. Both could have been braised a bit longer to tenderize the meat. Also good was the kari palora (?), described as a traditional yoghurt dish and which looked an awful lot like Swedish meatballs and gravy, lo'ola (?), a ragout like vegetable dish, and the kheer. The chicken chargha and daal were not that impressive. I did not try the brown rice or chicken corn soup. The naan, pita sized, comes out hot and fresh as needed, cut in wedges, and was very good. I appreciated the clear signage identifying each dish on the buffet - just wish I was better at remembering. They did not have a copy of the menu for take away and their website (lasanirestaurant.net), listed on the business card, appears to just be parked, so I don't know what else is on the menu. The buffet is served 11-3. I did not encounter anything as spicy as both Walsh and the foodinhouston blogger remarked upon. After just one visit I'd rate it the best Pakistani I've experienced other than Himalaya, and worth more visits. It's very convenient to me.

Thanks for the recs, they both sound good to me. I've just had this at a couple of our quick casual places and was very impressed with one of them, haven't tried it yet at either of our white tablecloth Persian places but expecting great things and will try it at home. Bruce

Jordan Imported Food and Bakery, 5922 Hillcroft, next door to and co-owned by Bijan Persian Grill. More reminiscent of a boutique kitchen store than a typical Middle-Eastern grocery on entering as you are confronted with a view of cooking utensils. A wide array of products that included such things as Hunt's Catsup, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Kraft Sandwich Spread, and Concord grape jelly but also Golchin and Sadaf spices, tubs of Bulgarian sheep's milk feta and another French sheep's milk cheese I can't remember, some entrees in the freezer case perhaps from the restaurant next door, bins of roasted nuts and seeds I presume done in-store (forgot to ask), CDs, DVDs, samovars, and a case of interesting looking pastries. I've been to Phoenicia twice in the last week and was surprised to find a couple of the items I had purchased at a savings over Phoenicia, about 5 cents on the dollar, but can't say if that's true across the board; also found one item I hadn't been able to find at Phoenicia (they probably had it, I just couldn't find it) and was happy to find a black currant nectar.

Recently I have been sampling our city's Persian restaurants and found I like the stews ghormeh sabzi and gheymeh and want to try the former at home. I've gathered all the ingredients but have a question about the meats. I've found the meat in the dish a bit disappointing. I'd guess the places I've had it are using select grade round - I would tend to use chuck or brisket in a stew and none of the recipes I've found suggest a cut to be used. Anyone know what the cut should be? And how about the use of lamb? Some on-line sources suggest lamb or beef. How about goat? Any other tips will be appreciated too.

I saw the review of Cafe Inka in the Press last week and since I've been investigating South American eateries the last few months I planned to check it out when I went to Phoenicia Saturday (it's just a little farther out Westheimer). But I wasn't hungry enough for a big meal so just stopped in the coffee/sandwich shop next door. They have a small selection of sandwiches, Hawaiian, Cuban, turkey, a couple of roast beefs. I tried the Hawaiian - honey ham, prosciutto, provolone and pineapple. It was on a soft bun that was heated in a press but not toasted, the cheese was the predominant taste. Okay but nothing really special. They serve Katz coffee however and it was very good. I chose the Crescent City Blend and had a small cafe au lait (12 oz) for $1.80. I think the sandwich was $5.50. Young, enthusiastic and friendly staff. Looking forward to hitting the resto soon.

Saba’s - Kosher/Dairy, Fondren @ South Braeswood, Houston Moroccan Cigars ($8.75) - the generic term is cigarim. Crispy, crunchy, deep-fried Kosher veggie taquitos (potato fillings). I loved these. The hummus was a little grainy and the spices flat on this occasion. The simple Israeli salad is just diced cucumber, tomato and bell pepper. Sabich Plate (sah BEECH)($6.95) - I understand from Wiki this dish is from Iraq. Eggplant (sabich), hummus (much better this time), Israeli salad, harissa, hard-boiled egg and a piping hot, thick and almost fluffy pita that was excellent. The eggplant was chilled - I thought it would be better warm - but I made 2 very satisfying veggie gyros out of this and could have made maybe 2 more. Next time I’m going to ask for a second pita and maybe zap the eggplant briefly to heat it. The egg was unfortunately a standard issue, tasteless supermarket egg, a disapointment. Malawach pizza (mah LAH wah)($5.75). Wiki says this is from Yemen - malawach is multiple layers of thin, deep-fried crepes. The crust on this was close to a half inch thick before the toppings went on and it went in the oven; unfortunately it not only collapsed but got sodden and wasn’t as interesting as I expected it to be. The only place to appreciate the flakiness of the crust was around the edges. Maybe pizza is not the best way to experience malawach - they also have a malawach roll (wrap?), malawach plate and plain malawach. I’m thinking of maybe getting the latter and sprinkling some herbs and spices and grated cheese on it after it’s out of the oven and making a pie that way. My favorite items on the menu so far have been the cheesecake ($4.25 a slice) and spinach bureka. The full size burekas ($2.75) fill most of an 8" paper plate and are made with phyllo. They are also available in potato, mushroom and cheese and snack-sized for $.99 each. I’ve found the snack sized ones have very little filling and aren’t that satisfying. They have many salads, pasta dishes, and fish, including fish and chips and Moroccan Style Salmon. Also egg dishes; I was planning on trying the shakshuka which is supposed to be the Israeli version of huevos rancheros, but I hate eating tasteless eggs so I’m thinking I’ll pass. They have regular pizzas (9" and 12"), cheese, veggie, deep dish, stuffed crust and bagel varieties. The worst thing I’ve had was a reheated slice of veggie pizza which was badly over cooked and I’ve seen others served like that - if you want pizza here, get a whole one, not a re-heated slice. The dining accomodations are very plain - there’s a counter and tables; often they set tables on the sidewalk outside but it’s a rundown, mostly empty shopping center with a pock-marked parking lot and there isn’t any view. Dining-in means paper plates and plastic utensils so mostly I’ve gotten take-out. The restaurant is open at 9am until 7:30 or 8, closes mid-afternoon Friday and is closed on Saturday and was closed 10 days for Passover. Being kosher it’s a bit pricey but it’s been very satisfying and it’s only 3 minutes from my house so it works for me; I can even hike it in nice weather.

Just happened to notice today - b4-u-eat lists the new place on W. Gray in Houston as Luling BBQ, not Luling City Market, and lists the two separately. A copy of a copy? I know this has been talked about before but I can't find the thread.

I'd like to know the answers to some of your questions Jay. I think Kent's dichotomy makes some sense but I can't follow it through since I'm not familiar with the restaurants in Austin that are being referenced. Perhaps we need our own thead about Tex-Mex in Houston - you can lead the way as you undoubtedly know more. You were quoted by Robb Walsh in a review last year observing 'everybody serves everybody else's food' or something to that effect. That makes it even more difficult to analyze the situation. I can hardly think of a taqueria that doesn't have Tex-Mex dishes on the menu, most commonly cheese enchiladas. I first experienced Tex-Mex ca. 1957 I think, when Monterey House came to our small Texas town. We loved it. Mom cooked all our meals from scratch but she never attempted Tex-Mex and it was virtually our only dining out experience other than when we were traveling - though we always just did take out. I don't think there was any guisado on the menu and I was surprised just a few years ago to learn it's considered a Tex-Mex dish. I assumed it was added to menus post-Diana Kennedy, as Mexican restaurants sought to up their 'authenticity' creds. Who had the greater influence on Houstonians' perceptions and expectations of Mexican food - Kennedy or Ninfa? I've been concentrating the last several months on restaurants in the SW quarter of the city, anticipating the coming days of $4 and $5 a gallon gas. I've been amazed at the number of eateries whose names indicate a connection to Jalisco and Michoacan. I understand there was an influx of Jaliscans to the US dating to the 1920s thanks to the bracero program - were there taquerias in Houston offering food en estilo Jalisco as far back as that, perhaps under the radar of Anglo diners? Okay, that's not a Tex-Mex question, but I'd like to know. Re spaghetti - I haven't been in years and only went once (not a fan of old-style Tex-Mex anymore), but I think Larry's in Richmond had Mexican Spaghetti on the menu?

Saffron Persian Cafe on Hillcroft, between Harwin and Westpark, on the second floor. I've been wondering about this place for some time and someone finally posted a review on b4 that was pretty positive. I was surprised to find it's a counter-service type place, and pretty nice for that genre. The man was very friendly but difficult to understand. I had the tah deeg appetizer - the crispy rice - topped with Gormeh sabzi - stewed beef with parsley and kidney beans. The complimentary appetizer plate included onion wedge, radish, walnut, mint, curly leaf parsley, cilantro and panir, the Iranian version of feta. Apparently with the paid appetizer I also got a cup of thick soup that might have had rice or orzo in it, a pot of hot tea (about 3 cups), and a thin, crispy Persian bread about the size of a deflated football, I think nan-e-lavash although the waitress said it was taftoon. I liked this bread better than the taftoon I had a Kasra last year. The tah deeg was crispy throughout. This is my first experience of this - I thought it was supposed to be fluffy on one side, crispy on the other. By the time I finished the appetizers (only half the lavash), I was full, but I had also ordered the kabob kubideh - on Persian bread rather than rice since I wanted to be sure to sample the bread. Then I understood why the man had asked if I was sure I wanted it on bread rather than rice. The menu board does not spell out what all comes with the appetizers! I wound up with a lot of food to take home including 3/4 of the bread I was served, all for $10. My waitress was very good. Even though it's a counter service place she regularly checked on me and was very friendly. I had guessed she was Hispanic from her looks until she spoke. This would make a good quick lunch spot except for the perpetual traffic jam on Hillcroft and Harwin these days. Perhaps things will improve when they finish that construction along there. There are stairs, an escalator, and elevators, and additional parking in a garage in the back. I'm looking forward to returning. There are some pretty pictures of the food on the website, although unfortunately not identified.

Lengua Sudada, beef tongue in sauce, $8.50 - no tacos here. Best thing I've had, and apparently their most popular offering, is Bandeja Montanero, or Mountain Tray, chicharron, plantanos maduros, frijoles rojos, arroz, fried egg, avocado, sobrebarriaga (skirt steak) - $5.75 on the lunch menu, $8 on the regular menu. My first experience, several months ago, of any Colombian food other than rotisserie chicken at Dodo's or Pollo Rico. Recently had it again after trying it at several other Colombian restaurants and wasn't as impressed, though it's still good. Portions seem to have shrunk a little. This is the lunch plate, a generous amount of food for the price. I wanted to try the chorizo which isn't included on the plate here like at other Colombian restaurants so I ordered it off the breakfast menu - $3, including an arepa. It was pretty good, mix of coarse and fine ground, not as much fat as others - not as juicy, so not quite as good. I've been very impressed with Colombian chorizos, though. It's a family run place, similar in feel to Cafe Pita +, and I like it for that reason, but the kitchen does seem to have its ups and downs. I had a craving for a hot dog today and James Coney Island wasn't going to cut it so I headed over to Bubba's Texas burger shack under the Westpark Tollroad for a bison chili dog - pretty good. A much more substantial and satisfying wiener than any at JCI; I've had it before with a crispy French bread roll but it was just a Mrs. Baird's sandwich roll today, a disappointment. On the way home I stopped off at Holy Land Halal Meats, 9801 Bissonnet, across the parking lot from Finger Lickin' Bukateria. The signs in the window list an impressive array of items for sale but there's no printed menu and all I can remember that was unusual was Fish Tea Soup? A small selection of canned goods, many with Goya labels, some that have been on the shelves for ages and have faded labels, Grace products, which I think are from Jamaica, even canned Gebhardt tamales. Bags of herbs and spices I couldn't identify - probably either Caribbean or African; they have fresh and frozen meats. Hot food deli/3 small tables. They start serving at 9am and by the time I got there very little was left. I tried a Jamaican style beef pattie - piping hot, very good, though not at all spicy, perhaps baked rather than fried? A nice quick snack. They still had some goat's feet and a beef dish and smoked fish. On the weekends the lady said they have a bigger choice including jerk chicken. Interesting place - I'll try again. I had a craving for fried chicken the other day and visited Pollo Campero on Bellaire for the first time in a long time -- very disappointing. The chicken had been under the heat lamp too long and was dry - I don't recall ever having that experience before. Noticed saltiness of one piece but the others were okay by me. Fries also had been out of the fryer too long. No where near as good as I remembered but it's been a couple of years perhaps.

La Fogata is across from where Mangola's used to be - Colombian. I've had several good meals there but it varies. They have lengua sudada but I haven't tried it and I don't see any barbacoa on the menu. There's a place at Wilcrest at Bissonnet, Nortenita, a carniceria. Used to be called Celaya # 4?, was mentioned in Robb Walsh's carniceria blog last year. Always busy. I've been meaning to try it but haven't gotten around to it.

Robb Walsh's Eating Our Words blog in the Press hit the Russian General Store recently. I love this place and have been 5 times since I 'discovered' it a month ago. I haven't had any problem communicating with the staff. It's gonna take a couple of months to sample all the sausages I think.

FWIW I think it's the first time I've ever seen any burger in Texas other than Kinkaid's make such a list. It's certainly my pick in Houston for best but I go for the beer battered onion rings rather than the fries and I can't imagine downing a double meat. The author does appear to have some food credentials.

Great topic. Texas sausage makers are too often overlooked as an important part of our culinary heritage. My current favs are the dry sausages from Maeker's and Patek's in Shiner. I also like Vincek's in East Bernard and Austin's in Eagle Lake. Locally I know B&W on North Shepherd makes a wide variety of sausages and Guy's on OST makes some good ones. Let's not forget the Cajun sausage makers too. I like Veron's up in the Atascocita area - very good andouille, crawfish and pork and venison and pork. Just realized I've never tried their boudin. Their stuff used to be carried at Spec's downtown (a small selection) but I haven't seen it in a while. The guy told me Spec's would never notify him when they were out so he'd have to drive in to town to check for himself. Burt's on Lyons has great boudin, ready to eat or take home and heat yourself. Hebert's Specialty Meats with three locations around town also makes their own boudin.

Suya Hut revisit. I tried the jollof rice with lansir and beef suya with masa as a side. The beef is cube steak and there was still a little pink in some of the pieces. The exterior was kind of pasty from the powdered groundroot that is part of the coating. The chicken suya is better. I have a week and a half’s worth of leftover rice! That was about 4 cups worth. The lansir was not as dry, probably because of being steamed, closed up in the box on the way home. Lime and evoo helped a little, especially with the passage of a little time. Maybe some more chopped tomato would be good, too. The beverages in the cooler included Emu, a Top Palm Juice according to the label, palm wine according to the sign on the cooler door; there’s an article on palm wine in Wikipedia. Also, Star, a lager from Ghana, and Smirnoff Ice. A small but eclectic selection. Kerr I have to get down and try Zydeco.

Hit BBs for lunch today - it was dining out for Aids day and they were participating. Very good roast beef poboy - better than I remembered. The requisite amount of messiness for a RB poboy and very filling. I hit them very soon after opening, I wonder if maybe before they had their act together? Veggie bisque was also good. I was thinking I was going to try putting some of the Cajun Chef hot sauce on the sandwich - I've been eating mostly South American lately and it's not spicy - but forgot. Kerr - good idea on the lime juice. I'm craving some more of that and want to try the beef suya for sure. Maybe I'll get some larsik to bring home and try it. The groundnut powder just soaked up any moisture in the cilantro or tomatoes. I was thinking a light spritz of some oil but lime might be better.

There was an interesting article in the Chron Dining section this past week about the foods at the International Festival listing some of our city’s African restaurants. I’ve never been to Finger Lickin’ Bukateria due to the negative reviews on b4; Shanae’s, formerly Kenny’s Café, right across Bissonnet is just recently reopened (and never seems to do any business). I had never heard of Suya Hut however and decided to check it out. This is just a 4 table hole-in-the-wall in a very new strip center, spic-and-span. The lady was very friendly and helpful. I tried the chicken suya (kebab) and it was very good, very juicy and flavorful with all the spices. I also had the masa, a fermented rice cake that puffs up when fried and has a mild sour taste - very good. I also tried the larsik, the green salad. I didn’t think anybody used more cilantro than Chef Kaiser at Himalaya but this is nothing but chopped cilantro, kuli-kuli (defatted groundnut flour) and some diced tomatoes and onions. The picture on the menu looked like a moist green salad but it was quite dry and could have used some moisture of some sort. I think this would be fine as a small side accompaniment to some of the plates but was a bit much as a full salad. I had ordered a beef suya also but the lady didn’t write anything down and I didn’t get it, but I’ll be going back. The words peanut and groundnut seem to be used interchangeably but she showed me a groundnut that looked quite a bit larger than any peanut I’ve ever seen. Apparently this groundnut flour is used a lot in the foods here so I think if you had a peanut allergy you might need to avoid this place. There are shakers of cayenne on the tables and toothpicks, which are used for eating many of the foods, apparently. Among the beverages offered (not listed on the menu or on the website) are Bud Lite, Heineken and Guiness. There were what I assumed to be bottled waters also but as I was leaving another customer was asking about the alcohol content so I’m not sure what they are. The website has a menu and some helpful pictures. For future reference, when the link no longer works, it's on W. Airport about 1/2 mile west of 59S.

Middle East Halal Meats, 9600 block of Bissonnet, one block outside 59, in the same center with Lo Nuestro (Guatemalan), New Filipiana (Filipino), and a new you-buy-we-fry seafood place and Filipino grocery I haven't tried). I've been meaning to go to this place for some time but keep forgetting it. I had read somewhere on line this place had a hot deli but they don't serve food anymore. A large selection of spices and spice mixes for Indian, Pakistani, and Middle Eastern dishes, cooking oils and vinegars, teas, etc. Only a very small selection of halal meats and some unattractive produce. I noted smaller packages of spices than I've seen at Phoenicia - a plus for me. I picked up some Syrian pickled vegetables - I'm a pickle freak - that are very sour. Includes cucumber, wild cucumber, carrot, turnip, cauliflower and more, and some locally produced sesame halawa with pistachios. Really disappointed they don't have the deli anymore.

There was a sign - can't remember if it was inside or outside - mentioning doubles. Check 'em out on b4 and give 'em a call to find out. Also, I've seen rotis on the menu at Caribbean Cuisine, 7433 Bissonnet, just down from Sharpstown Hi, but haven't tried them. This place is very popular. I've just had the jerk chicken and tried the small buffet Wednesdays and Fridays. No doubles on the menu. 713-774-7428 - closed Sundays. I've also heard they're on the menu at Island Resort (or Island Cuisine?), much further out Bissonnet, around Boone, I think?

Eliya's Sabri Nihari - Decided to hit this place today on a whim. The buffet wasn’t very impressive looking but I decided to try that instead of taking a chance on one item off the menu, with mixed results. None of the dishes were labeled so I’m just guessing at items: chicken tikka breast - thin curry, not spicy and not very impressive, the meat was quite dry; beef nihari - ditto except the meat was falling apart tender but this was a very disappointing dish. Goat curry - one of the best dishes but lots of bones in my servings. One aloo dish was good, a non-meat biryani also was good, the other best item. Naan is cooked within sight of the dining room, also some other items cooked to order such as kebabs. I liked that feature and the naan was good. Kheer was also good - I had just a couple of tablespoons as I was quite full. There was a different salad - carrots, tomatoes and lettuce, plus the usual cucumbers and onions. I don’t know what’s happened to the other Sabri Nihari - a banner over the door says Chinese Halal dishes are now served. I wonder if there’s been a change of ownership? I haven’t been there in over a year, perhaps, and only went once. This place was nicer inside than I remember the other - apricot colored linen tablecloths and napkins on the tables - but not fancy by any means. The menu has apparently been recently revamped; the lady didn’t have a current one to give me but gave me an old one. The buffet is $7.99, at least on weekdays, may be more on weekends. A strange offering - on the old menu and a sign in the window: cheese steak sandwiches? I’ll probably give this place another try and need to get back over to Sabri Nihari sometime. This wasn’t something to rave about but not bad enough to write off on one visit. I wouldn’t bypass Himalaya for this but sometimes the speed and convenience of a buffet is just what’s needed and I think I would hit this over Bombay Sweets down the street unless I just wanted to go vegetarian for the day. The address is 3509?? Hillcroft, next door and connected to the Indo-Pak Supermarket at 3511.

A question for eGulleteers re: Jerusalem Halal Deli, on Hillcroft s. of Richmond. I just recently heard of this and stopped in to check it out and was overwhelmed - about half the size of Phoenicia, very cramped and crowded aisles, shelves groaning under merchandise, everything from tortilla presses to goat's feet to injera. I walked thru the deli in the rear but the place was packed, the line at the check-out counter up front was long and I didn't have enough time to I decided to come back when I had time to explore the place. Anybody got any recs? What's good, what to look for.....what to get in the deli?

Golden Grain, 5406 Birdwood Dr., n. of N. Braeswood, w. of Chimney Rock This is a apparently a former location of The Russian General Store now called Golden Grain. It’s listed under both names on b4. It’s a larger but not as well stocked store. There’s a smaller selection of meats and cheeses, some pre-sliced and in vacu-paks and many products that are made in the USA though the labels are in Russian. There is very little English signage so you’re stuck asking lots of questions. I got some potato salad in the prepared foods department - a very good version of Russian potato/Olivier salad with crispy diced celery and carrot, peas and I believe diced ham. This is a little creamier than the Olivier salad at RGS which has bologna in it. The menu over the deli case is only in Russian. There were some very good looking breads and I picked up a Russian rye. Given the name of the store I was surprised when the lady told me they didn’t bake them on premises but got them from a local bakery but I couldn’t understand the name of the bakery. I got some very good lemon meringues, a sugar-free Kvass, and some smoked herring (tinned) on my first visit. On subsequent visits I’ve gotten more of the potato salad - I like this version a little better than the one at RGS but my favorite version of this is at Phoenicia - some shortbread like cookies with chocolate cream filling (she just calls all her baked goods pastries) and tried the home-made pickles. These cucumbers in light brine are excellent, with peppers, garlic, celery, dill, green beans and I think flat-leaf parsley. I’ve also come across a very tough stalk that appears to be a small bamboo stalk. I’ve also tried the tomatoes in light brine which also includes red bell peppers, garlic, celery, parsley and peppers, mushrooms in light brine, and seaweed salad.. The pickles and tomatoes are very reasonably priced but the mushrooms and seaweed are kind of pricey, $5.99 and $6.99 a pound, respectively. All are very good and I’ll be a regular here just for the pickles if nothing else. The store is on a side-street that does not go through to the major thoroughfare (Chimney Rock) and you’d never find it if you weren’t specifically looking for it. There is a forlorn, tattered folding card table and a couple of folding chairs outside on the sidewalk for al fresco dining but otherwise it’s all to-go. They have a domain name parked at goldengrainhouston.com so maybe someday soon there’ll be a website to peruse and find out more about what they have to offer. After I had made my purchase including the bread and was driving away it hit me what the name of the bakery was that I was hearing as Haulfuhd! Balkan/Bosnian Food Store I’ve only been here once, several months ago, but thought I would go ahead and list it in this thread, though I’m not sure of the name. It’s across the street from Café Pita +, the side street, not Westheimer, run by the same folks and carrying lots of the foods served in the restaurant. I went specifically for the lepinja which I believe is also now available at the Russian General Store on Hillcroft. They also have the brand of ajvar served in the restaurant, a version with more eggplant than the ones I’ve picked up at Phoenicia, I think. They also have kavjak, the creamy condiment which Robb Walsh originally wrote they were having to make a substitute for since it was not available in the States, soujuk, pastrma, cevapi, the little sausages used for the cevapi sandiwich which is their signature dish, other sausages and meats, canned goods, cookies and candy, etc. A very interesting store and I’ll probably make a stop every time I’m at Café Pita +.

I headed out to Mi Pueblito yesterday to sample some Colombian fare but didn’t look up the address and mis-remembered where it was and what it looked like so I passed right by the shopping center it’s in a couple times without seeing it but I did spy El Paisa in the 9300 block of Richmond and decided to try that. This is a former hamburger or ice cream stand with walk-up window service only. I tried the bandeja paisa for $6. Bandeja means tray or platter and these dishes are common in cuisines across the region. The meal included frijoles, arroz, chorizo, chicharron, skirt steak, fried egg, plantanos maduros and an arepa. It came with a soda and I chose Colombiana, a cream soda that was very weak. The beans were nothing special, probably pintos, but the chorizo was excellent - very spicy and similar in texture to an andouille or chaurice, not Mexican chorizo. The skirt steak was also good but the chicharron didn’t impress and the plantanos were a little underdone and not caramelized enough. The arepa was so tough as to almost be unchewable. I didn’t get a take-away menu but I remember they had empanadas and morcilla, which would be a blood sausage. The Bandeja Paisa Grande is $10. The outside eating area was clean but I took the meal and headed for home. I’d definitely go back for the chorizo. As I was leaving the parking lot I saw Blue Nile at the other end of the center and next to that another Colombian restaurant that’s not listed on b4, La Cazuela, el palacio de la sopa, specializing in seafood the signs proclaim, and, right across the street Dodo’s and the place I had originally been looking for, Mi Pueblito. Must be a concentration of Colombians in the immediate area.