Repeats with a Twist - Lupe Tortilla - Houston, TX

I know I've mentioned it on this blog before, but until I moved to Oklahoma I rarely ate Mexican food.  I'm really not sure why, especially considering my parents live near several Hispanic parts of town.  I also never ate avocados until I moved here.  Now I buy avocados weekly and eat them straight, almost always order guacamole at restaurants, and eat Mexican food pretty regularly.  I still hardly ever eat Mexican when I go back to Maryland, but I'm on a mission to change that starting this summer.

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Texas is Lupe Tortilla.  The first time I went was 6 years ago on my first Houston caravan trip.  We met one of the coaches there, and he introduced us to the platinum margarita.  Quite possibly one of the best margaritas I've ever had.  

I've tried to branch out and try other Mexican restaurants while I'm in Houston, but I always end up back at Lupe Tortilla.  The others I've been to are very good, but this one is hard to top.

The day of the caravan I had planned to get up really early, drive down to Galveston for a few hours, and come back to town in time for lunch at Lupe Tortilla.  Very long story short, I had issues with a tire on my rental car, hit lots of traffic, and never made it to Galveston.  But I wasn't going to let that stop me from lunch.  I found a location only a few miles from my hotel, and headed out.  

As always chips come out almost immediately, and they're served with borracho beans instead of salsa.

The chips are warm and fresh, and the beans put them over the top.  I could seriously just eat a huge bowl of the beans.  The broth is so flavorful.  Who needs salsa when you have this deliciousness?

The platinum margarita is really delicious but also super potent.  So I decided to be kind of good and go with the skinny margarita instead

Man, I wasn't prepared for the kick!  It was so good.  And they still use fresh lime juice. I'm always going to have a margarita when they make them with fresh juice.  Since I had to get back to the hotel and then on to the caravan, one was more than enough for me.

The regular portion of the fajitas is massive, and enough for 2-3 people.  So I was going to pass on them, and try something else instead.  But then I came across the lunch menu and there they were.  Sold.

I don't know what they do to the fajita meat, but it is like biting into heaven.  The meat is so moist and tender.  The spices and flavor are just amazing.  The lunch portion is absolutely the perfect size, especially when you've been munching on chips and beans. They've also got this cheese sauce.  It's more liquid than queso, but still really delicious. It has a little bit of a kick.  They only give you a small amount, but it was just enough.

The tortillas are homemade and huge, and served warm.  There's nothing like homemade. I was full, but I kept munching on the tortillas.

The rice and beans were good, but I concentrated so much on the fajitas and tortillas I only had room for a few bites of each.

Of course I'm going back.  As soon as I go back to Houston.

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#89 - Ruggles Green, Houston TX

I love Houston, but don't think there's any way I could live there.  It's blazingly hot and humid half the year and the traffic is an absolute nightmare every single day.  When I first started going to caravans down there I was shocked that we didn't have huge crowds, considering Houston and Dallas are our largest alumni bases outside of OKC & Tulsa.  It only took driving down there myself just once to understand.  No chance I would drive to the other side of Houston to an evening event.  What should be a 10-15 minute commute would take well over an hour during rush hour, which seems to last until late at night. Not even worth it.  

The past 2 years the caravan has been at Houston Texans Grille in CITYCENTRE, so I try to find a hotel nearby so I'm not fighting too much traffic.  I found a great Courtyard just a few miles away, and it was perfect because I could get to the venue in under 10 minutes. The hotel isn't too far from the Galleria area, but just driving around there can be even more ridiculous.  

After doing some searching online and consulting with my friend JJ who lives in Houston and has never steered me wrong when it comes to food, I decided to try Ruggles Green. It's located in CITYCENTRE, right in the center of the shopping/dining area.  I love all the shops and restaurants in the area, but parking kinda stinks.  There are a couple of garages, but getting in and out of them really isn't a whole lot of fun.  And a lot of the spaces in them are reserved during the day.  But eventually I found a parking space and walked over.

The restaurant is located pretty much in the middle of the area, right next to a big open air plaza.  Ruggles features a large menu with a lot of gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian items, and they also focus heavily on local and organic foods.  Thankfully I don't have food allergies or restrictions to deal with, but I love places that cater to that population. And I'm also a fan of places that do local.  The inside has about 20 tables & booths, and there's a nice outdoor patio facing the plaza with about 15 tables.  You order at the counter, and then they bring the food to you. The menu was huge.  In my opinion, too huge for ordering at the counter.  It's one thing if you've been there before and know what you want. But for a first-timer like me, it made it even more overwhelming than I already feel with a really big menu. And I felt a little rushed to make a decision.   I must say I do appreciate that they encourage guests to not take a table until after they order. I'm sure that would be a big problem in a place like that around lunchtime, when people are saving tables for friends.  But then those that have already ordered have nowhere to sit.   All the condiments, drinks, and serving utensils are along a huge wall.  I'm sure this cuts down on inventory, as they don't have to order condiments for every single table. And they can refill items faster that way too.  

I finally decided on the spicy chicken tacos and sweet potato fries

All-natural Zaatar-crusted, roasted chicken, topped with sauteed red onions, red and yellow peppers, fresh avocado, queso fresco, cilantro, and spicy Sriracha-peach chipotle sauce on corn tortillas; with a side of house-made habanero hot sauce

The tacos were delicious but definitely had a serious kick!  Sriracha, habanero, and chipotle all in one dish.  It was hot, but not overpowering.  Thankfully the habanero sauce was on the side so I was able to use it very sparingly.  The avocado was yummy and creamy and helped tone down the heat.  The first taco I ate with the tortilla.  The second, I just ate the filling.  I did use the habanero sauce for my sweet potato fries, and really like the combination of flavors.  I had originally picked up some mustard to eat with them, but I liked the taste of the habanero better.  I was a little disappointed because they weren't screaming hot; however, they were still really good.  These fries have been voted "best in Houston".  I haven't had them anywhere else, so I can't compare.

I enjoyed sitting on the patio, but after a little while the screaming kids became a bit much.  So I wasn't able to relax and enjoy as much as I would have liked.  But then again, I needed to get back to the hotel to watch the Thunder game, so I guess it all worked out.

Will I go back?  Definitely!  They had so many unique and interesting items on the menu, and I really had a hard time deciding what to get.  Next time I'd like to go with someone, spend more time, and maybe enjoy one of the local beers or wines.

#88 - Kaji Sushi & Grill - Lewisville, TX

Last month I was headed to Houston for the caravan.  I traveled on my own this time, as Mary was out of town and couldn't go with me.  I usually stop in Dallas for lunch when I'm going all the way to Houston, because it's a good midway stopping point.  And I like driving all the way down in one day, because then I can relax the next morning and don't have to get up and finish the trip on the day of the caravan.

I had gone onto TripAdvisor to find someplace not too far off the highway, and a location near Lewisville/Flower Mound, since I knew I'd be hungry around then.  I came across Kaji Sushi & Grill, which was rated one of the top restaurants in the area.  I hadn't had sushi in a while, so I decided to try it out.

Coach Meacham always refers to Lewisville as "the hood".  I've been on the 'hood side, but I've also been on the very nice side.  Kaji Sushi is kind of in the middle, in a strip mall.  It looks very non-descript, but the parking lot was crowded enough that I had to park in the back, and again it was one of the top rated restaurants.  The interior isn't fancy, but it's very comfortable.  Even though I was there well after lunch there were still quite a few people there. 

This is an all-you-can-eat restaurant, which when you hear sushi might seem a little creepy.  I mean, the last thing you want is sushi that's been sitting around for a long time.  But I went to a sushi buffet in Vegas and it was awesome.  And even the Chinese buffet here in town has sushi, and it's really good as well.  It's all about turnover.  And when it's good and fresh, it will turn over really fast.  

What I really like about Kaji is that you order from a list and they bring it to you.  The "buffet" costs $13.99 per person, and they charge you $1 per piece for wasted food.  What a fantastic idea.  The waste that goes on at regular restaurants is bad enough.  But the waste at buffets is absolutely ridiculous.  I wish more places would go to this policy.

They also offer an a la carte menu, but I was craving sushi so I went with it. The guys at the table next to me both ordered off the regular menu, and their dishes were served in mini woks.  Love that.  Their food came out steaming hot, and I heard one tell his friend after just one bite, "man this freaking good".  

I started with a salad.  

The "dressing" was pureed veggies mixed with ginger. Yes, it looks like baby food.  Yes, it has a baby food consistency.  I do wish they had added a little something to add a more dressing consistency.  But, I have to admit I like any concept that adds flavor and moisture without extra calories.

I had a really hard time deciding.  So much looked good, but I didn't want to get too much and have to pay extra.  And most of the rolls come in sets of 4-6 pieces.  So I had to be careful.  I finally decided, with the help of the manager, on the shrimp tempura and Kaji rolls.

The shrimp tempura was good.  Your typical, standard shrimp tempura.  The Kaji roll was awesome.  It has the same kind of flavors as California roll.  I can't remember exactly what's in it though.  It was deep fried, so I was initially hesitant to order it, but the manager said it's one of the most popular.  I'm so glad I listened to her.  It's served warm, and I seriously wanted another 2 orders.

I was still hungry so I tried the Thai Garlic Beef.  

I love that it comes in such a small portion size, and without rice, on the all-you-can-eat menu.  It came out steaming hot, was absolutely delicious, and not very garlicky at all. They've got some other "menu" items like that.  

My last choice was a spring roll.

Small, freshly fried, not greasy at all.  Perfect as either an appetizer or to end the meal. 

I momentarily thought about getting some ice cream, but I think that would have put me over the edge.  So I decided to leave well enough alone, and call it a day.  I did make sure to tell the manager I had found them on TripAdvisor, and she really appreciated that.  

Will I go back?  No question!  I definitely want the Kaji Roll again, and would like to try some of the other menu items.