jscarbor

I drank great tequila just about everywhere I went in PLaya outside of the hotel. I maybe had one or two people bug me about a timeshare or selling merch. 5th ave, although touristy looked great and had a fun vibe for those more squimish people. I only had decent food with the exception of some really good ceviche at la floresta. Nothing I couldn't get in Houston outside of some great sopa de lima. Where was the great food just outside of playa?

My carnitas seems to be a big hit. Its so easy and I love making them. I usually have carnitas one day and have some salsa verde going and make carnita enchiladas verde the next day. For dessert its creme brule.

My dh and I have just started making these. They are positively addictive! ← Which did you make the SR or the Rissoto balls?

I would second heading to San Leon for some seafood. Its a cool joint with good food.

77027 is the Greenway/River Oaks area. You are pretty central in that respect. For the two specific suggestions you have asked for I would say Williams BBQ for the Ribs and Brisket. Ask for sauce on the side. For Shrimp I might say that BBQ Inn could be a good bet for that along with the fried chicken and the chicken fried steak, all are top notch. although I do prefer Frenchies Fried Chicked a little more. Other suggestions: The seafood overall is much better at Denis' Seafood out west on Westheimer. Its a 15-20 minute drive from 77027 area. They always have fresh fish and the accompanying sauces you can add to the fish are outstanding. Its a little pricey but worth every penny. Bread pudding is also noteworthy. Tampico on Airline for the Snapper alla plancha is one of houston's best dishes. You can get fresh shrimp here as well and its good but the snapper is great. Order a whole snapper al la plancha with shrimp on the side. On the weekend(fri and sat night) you can ask to sit upstairs in a little more relaxed atmosphere. Ask for a michelada (spicy/tart beer drink) and relax. Ask for Suzzana as a waitress. For breakfast I would check out the Breakfast Klub on Travis near downtown. Its down home southern breakfast of chicken and waffles, catfish and grits... Another breakfast would be Picos on Bellaire. The machacada con huevo al la mexicana is great. So are the chilaquillas. You can get even better chilaquillas at Otillias on long point in spring branch area.

The food editor of the houston chronicle did a great piece debunking the organic myths a few years ago, naybe in a new years resolution piece. I can't find that article but would love to see it again. I'm neither pro nor con organic but it was an interesting piece nonetheless.

The last few years my wife an I have been going to my dad's lake house in Marble Falls/Horseshoe Bay Texas and cooking up a nice meal and shooting off fireworks into the lake. The house was recently sold so it looks like we will be at home with my 19 month old son cooking something nice. My wife wants tuna in a wasabi cream sauce. Maybe I'll make that? We'll see.

Tell us more about this? What makes it so good?

Yes I made the short ribs on lovebenton's rec and they are great. The recipe is for 6 but could probably be cut in half or you could have some great leftovers.

I second short ribs especially since you can make ahead and re heat next day so that you can focus on putting kids in bed. How about fried rissotto balls for appetizer. You can make basic risoto night before then shape and fry on spot. I like to make mine with peas prosciutto and stick in a little piece of mozzerella in each ball. Fry up then roll in some parmigianno. Dessert creme brulle or bread pudding both easy do ahead prep dishes.

I knew there was already atopic started. Thanks for merging I was to lazy to find it. I tried the oaxacan yesterday and have to agree that I would stick with the tamales. On the board it says it can't translate what a oaxacan is but I can, it merely a big tamale filled with chicken cooked in some spice. Its not that its bad its just the tamales are so good.

I have found tamale nirvana at Dona Tere Tamales. There are two locations for this little spot one at 8331 Beechnut and the other way out on Bellaire. Dona Tere's tamales are big, plump, tender tamales with an intoxicating corn aroma and filled with big chunks of your preferred filling. I chose the pork and green chile and the chicken mole. While both were very good I think I prefer the pork tamlale. you can get a 12 oz side of mole for $4.50 or verde salsa for $2 or so. Since I am so cheap I picked up 1/2 dozen of the chicken, 1/2 dozen of the pork and 12oz of the verde salsa. I just couldn't bring myself to paying that much for the mole after already spending a small fortune for my dinner party. Here is a link to Robb Walsh's review of this place about a year ago: http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2003-11...ml/1/index.html

I was at Central Market yesterday and did not notice Bergamont oranges.

I would think that if anyone had them it would be Central Market or Whole Foods.

French toast topped with peanut butter and maple syrup with freshly made boar(killed a couple days ago) pan sausage.

I guess the point of the whole do you get the tyoe of fish you ordered debate is 1. people pay more for snapper (which isn't the case at E P since it is so cheap and 2. if you ordered a filet and received a sirloin you would be pissed.

Quattro is excellent. You should make sure to get a table in the back part of the dinning room. Its been awhile since Ive eaten there but I completely trust the chef. In fact he cooked a great meal for me and my wife the night I proposed. What about Simposio, I have always had great meals at simposio. The grilled calamari is excellent and so is the pork in balsalmic sauce. The rissotto's are the best I have had. Never been to trevisio but it is owned by the same person as Zula downtown and Zula has always pleased me.

If the Snapper really isn't snapper (which is quite possible) then the fish they do serve is a very close relative because it certainly looks like snapper and tastes great. I guess the filet is about 6 oz or so? What does a pound of snapper filet run? $10? That would certainly make you wonder if it is snapper. Its too bad we cant get a true explanation from restaurants on what kind of fish we are served.

Little MS How did that butternutt squash flan come out? I was thining of making that this year for thanksgiving until I was told that i didn't need to make anything this year.

Sounds like a great party. I'm planning on a more sit down party for 12. I was contemplating a couple things though. First off I would like to do something special, Ive really been doing low end stews, braises, and mexican food for the last couple years so I have really felt that I lost my touch in coming up with a nice menu. My guests really wont care what I am serving(I'm doing this for my own ego really(how dumb is that?) but a couple will appreciate it. It seems that ive lost my creative force. Anyway here it goes: I was thinking of starting off with a mushroom soup with as many chanterelles as can afford. I'm thinking of a beef stock/cream base. I was thinking of adding something to the soup ie poached egg yolk(in this case would it be good and 2 would you omit cream?) or a ravioli of some kind? Next would be a roasted tenderloin. I was really thinking of doing a port wine cranberry sauce along with a roasted shallot sauce. I'm kind of stuck on a veg My wife wants to make a sweet potato galette And for dessert I saw Gale Gand making a custard and soaking brioch over night then folding in cranberry's and baking. It looked really good but since my tenderloin will have a cranberry sauce I was thinking of going to a pumpkin ice cream. Any thoughts? I really am stumped and wouldn't mind trying something else?

Nit noi is so uninteresting to me that I wouldn't put it on the list. Perhaps Thai Corner at Bellaire and B8 could be added? Erawan looks like a contender. I will give a few more dishes a try.

This year we hope to start a tradition of having a seperate tree for are 18month old son and adding a Christmas picture of him to the tree every year. Sounds cool now but I wonder if it will be embarassing to him when he is older? And does it really matter?

Sorry, El Pueblito is on Richmond around mandell. They have a really cool patio.

I have to say that this place turns out consistantly good fish at bare bones pricing. Over my last couple visits (many people I know like the outside area) i have tried some non fish items that were merely avg. Today I had the crazy snapper and it was great. And on top of that it was a big ass filet for only $6.50! The crazy snapper is a filet with a lemon artichoke sauce and it is tasty. If you go make sure to get the fish! Otherwise its really not worth messing with.

The chicken and waffles is a favorite of mine. I believe the chicken is marinated in a buffalo wing style sauce then dredged then fried. VERY tasty. I would love to try other stuff but its too hard to pass up n the chicken.