#92 - Cafe Mezza and Grille, Houston, TX

Quick recap on my tire dilemma during my trip to the Houston caravan.  I drove to Houston in a school rental, and the tire went soft about an hour from the city.  I called the campus motor pool and they sent me to Firestone to get it looked at.  The guy at the Firestone in The Woodlands was a jerk, and treated me like a dumb female.  Had he done his job, my tire would have been fixed that Monday evening.  But since he didn't, my trip to Galveston the next morning was ruined, I spent way too much time at the Firestone just down the street from my hotel, and the tire kept going soft.  Since it's an Enterprise rental, the garage has to get approval from Enterprise before they can replace the tire, and that approval can take hours to come.  Which to me is the stupidest thing ever.  Wednesday morning I happened to see an Enterprise office so I stopped in, hoping I could speed them along if I was standing in front of them.  And lo and behold, the approval has to come from corporate. Again, stupid.  They sent me to another garage, and of course by then the tire was ruined and had to be replaced.  By the time my tire was fixed, it was past lunchtime and I was starving and annoyed.  So I decided to just eat lunch before heading to Flower Mound. 

I found Café Mezza, and it was only a couple miles from where they replaced my tire.  It had gotten really good reviews on Trip Advisor, so I went with it.  It's located in a strip mall in the Galleria area.  Even though it was super hot outside, I decided to sit on the patio because when I went into the restaurant it was freezing.  Thankfully the patio is covered, and has ceiling fans that created just enough breeze to make it a great atmosphere in the oppressive Houston heat.  There are about 10 tables out there, mainly large, but also a couple of 2-seaters.  The down side is that you can smoke on the patio.  One guy was, but he was far enough away and the smoke is blowing the other way.  Inside is a big open kitchen, 12 booths around the perimeter, and regular tables in the center.  The music in the restaurant is also out on the patio, which I love.  The station was a great mix of jazz, oldies, and a little R&B. 

The first thing they bring out is crisp pita bread with seasoning, served with oil and extra seasoning. 

The bread is warm, and absolutely delicious.  I poured a little of the extra seasoning into the oil, and it added a lot more flavor.  I was starving and devoured almost the entire plate while I was looking through the menu.  I did get another serving, and then had to stop myself from eating too much.

The menu is huge, with so many different and unique dishes.  As usual, I couldn't decide what to eat.  The server said since it was my first time I should try the mixed grill platter.  I hesitated when I saw it takes 15-25 minutes to get it.  I was supposed to be in Dallas at lunchtime, not still sitting in a restaurant in Houston.  But she said that a lot depended on how you got the steak done.  Since mine was medium, she said it would be on the shorter side.

3 Skeweres of Filet Mignon, Shish Tawook & Kufta Kabob Served with
Saffron Basmati Rice & Grilled Vegetables

I don't even know where to begin.  First, I was super excited that the plate arrived in only about 12 minutes.  It's a huge plate of food--and the server did warn me about that.  But I loved that I had lots of different items to try.  The saffron rice was amazing.  So much flavor.  The grilled veggies were cut into huge pieces, and cooked tender crisp, just how I like them.  The Kufta (Marinated Angus Ground Beef Mixed with Diced Parsley, Pureed Onions & Garlic) was by far my favorite.  I didn't notice on the menu that it was ground beef so I was a little caught off guard with the first bite, but I quickly got over that.  It had really delicious flavor.  I'm not a huge fan of filet (I prefer more marbled cuts like ribeye), but it was very tender and cooked to medium.  Yes, I realize most people get it more rare than that, but I just can't do that.  The chicken was good and the marinade was excellent, but the pieces were a little dry.  The garlic cream sauce was amazing, and not overpowering at all, and you can hardly taste the garlic.

I ate all the kufta, filet, and veggies, and about half the rice and chicken.  And was absolutely stuffed. 

Will I go back?  No question!  The menu has so many different types of items, and I'm looking forward to checking more out.

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#91 - Le Peep - Houston, TX

The morning after the Houston caravan, the tire on my truck was soft again.  Big surprise.  So I stopped back at the Firestone place, they filled it with air, and told me I should be able to make it to Dallas.  So I decided to grab some breakfast before I got on the road.  JJ had told me good things about Le Peep, especially for breakfast.  And since she never steers me wrong with food, I headed that way. 

There are several locations, with 5 in the Houston area.  The closest one was in the Galleria area.  Thankfully the traffic wasn't too absolutely horrible, so I made it there pretty fast.  It's a cute place, and kind of reminds me of a grandmother's house, with plastic tablecloths and lattice on the separator walls. 

Quite sure this place is packed on the weekends, but it really wasn't bad when I arrived.  It's open for breakfast and lunch only.  The coffee is served in a bottomless carafe that they leave at the table, kinda like Ihop.  They serve water in a carafe too, which is pretty unique.  Don't usually see that, but it's good because I didn't have to keep asking for a refill.  It's a pretty big menu, and I was just going to be boring and get eggs & bacon.  But the Florentine omelette caught my eye, and I needed some green in my life. 

Fresh spinach, swiss cheese, sauteed  mushrooms and diced bacon.
Topped with swiss cheese and diced tomatoes

It was pretty good.  For some reason I had never really thought of spinach in an omelette before, but I really liked the flavor and will definitely do that at home in the future.  There was lots of spinach and mushrooms, which was really good.  A slice of Swiss cheese wasn't what I was expecting.  Most places use cheddar, and it's shredded.  But I was sold...it's an earthier flavor that is really good.  At a lot of places the omelette is massive and overwhelming, but this one was probably only 2-3 eggs, and it was just enough.  The potatoes were just okay.  They had good seasoning, but I wish they were crispier, more like hash browns. 

Will I go back?  Yes I will.  This meal didn't blow me away, but they're obviously doing something right because it's been voted best breakfast in Houston on more than one occasion.  So I want to give it another chance.

#90 - The Deck on Fountainview - Houston, TX

We are so lucky to have a ton of great donors at OSU.  I've been blessed to get to know so many of them, from the grassroots donors who are the heart of the POSSE, to the suiteholders who I work with every gameday to ensure they and their guests are having a first-class experience.  

Chad is one of our suiteholders who lives in Houston, and about 3 years ago he bought a bar called The Deck on Fountainview.  It's located in the Galleria area of Houston, and if you're not paying attention, you'll drive right past it.  The inside has about 40 tables, with lots of sports jerseys and memorabilia on the walls, along with a bunch of flat-screen TV's showing all kinds of sports, and even a few arcade games.  The back deck has about 20 tables out there, as well as a huge 97" TV.  The first time I walked in, my immediate thought was "total dive bar".  But every time I've gone, it's been a great time. The beer is cold, and the food is really good.  I've had wings, cheese steak, black & blue burger, fries, and have never been disappointed. 

Last year our first football game of the season was in Houston, and the team hotel was only about 5 miles away. Chad very generously offered free beer and wine to everyone wearing OSU gear the night before the game.  Chad told the other owner to expect 50-100 people...not sure what he was thinking, but I assured the owner it would be packed.  We didn't advertise free drinks, but word travels fast.  By the time we arrived at 6, there were already more than 50 OSU fans there.  The free drinks ran from 7-11pm.  By 8, I swear there were about 300 people in the bar, and they never left.  They just called their friends and more arrived.  I could tell the staff was completely overwhelmed, and asked a couple times if I could help.  They said no, but by the 4th time I absolutely insisted, and became a busser for the rest of the night.  I cleared off tables as best as I could. Meanwhile, my friends I was with were pounding down the free beers.  But I really didn't mind, because I got to see a lot more friends and meet some new OSU fans. A lot of other people were glad for the 2:30 kickoff because they were so hung over from all the free beers.  I was happy because when I woke up I was so sore and exhausted, and felt like I had worked a game day.  Pretty sure he won't ever do that again, but it was a lot of fun. So maybe he will. 

We usually go to The Deck after the caravan, to relax and unwind.  Even though there are appetizers at the caravan, I don't ever eat much there, and save myself for The Deck. This time Chad ordered crawfish.  

I've never seen crawfish that big in my life!  Chad gave us a quick refresher on how to properly eat them, and we dug in. Coach Singleton dominated them. Eating crawfish is a lot like eating crabs.  A lot of work, for not a lot of reward per fish.  But if you eat enough, you're gonna get full eventually.  They were really good, but I think someone in the kitchen took the top off the spice jar and just dumped the whole thing in. I guess that's so you order more drinks. The corn and potatoes were really good too, but I limited those so I could focus on the crawfish. We devoured 2 huge trays of these little beauties.

I shouldn't even have to tell you that I'll be going back.  I make sure I visit every time in Houston.  Would never pass it up.

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.

#72 - NEO Grill, Houston TX

After the game in Houston, we all went back to the hotel and were ready for a nap.  We also knew we didn't want to fight traffic and crowds to go to dinner, especially with a large group of us. So we agreed on a power nap, and then dinner at NOE Grill, which is in the hotel. 

We waited close to 90 minutes to be seated.  Don't know if they figured since the team had left they didn't need to staff up, but a lot of our fans were staying Saturday night so they still had a lot of people in the hotel.  And NOE was our only option for dinner in the hotel.  We were about to order some appetizers in the bar when our table was finally ready.  We walk in, and there were only about 4 tables even being used.  The rest of the restaurant was empty.  Absolutely ridiculous.  The server tried to be nice and thank us for our patience.  We were all annoyed, but it wasn't his fault they were so underprepared.

Joni ordered a glass of wine.  We realized after the bill was paid that it was $16...for a glass of Kim Crawford sauv Blanc.  Great wine, but certainly not worth that price.  And when I looked at the wine list I figure out how they get you.  They serve a 6-oz "splash" and a 9-oz "glass".  And instead of clarifying when she ordered, the server just brought her the glass.  Who the heck ever orders a "splash" of wine??  When you're ordering wine, you automatically just say a "glass". 

We were all hungry, so just decided to try and make the best of it.  I went with the "chicken fried" gulf oysters and the lobster & mascarpone mac & cheese

While I wish had been more adventurous the day before at breakfast, I wish I hadn't been quite so adventurous with this meal.  The oysters were just okay.  I've had much better.  The corn fritters were pretty good but room temperature.  So that was disappointing.  The sake & chili aioli was really very good, and helped the flavor of the oysters.  The mac and cheese had very good flavor, and I love that it was served in the little pot.  However, the lobster was overcooked and the whole dish had stayed in the oven too long.  Had it been cooked properly, it would have been awesome.

Everyone else said their food was decent, but nothing super exciting.

Will I go back?  Hmmm...I don't know.  I find it impossible to believe that any restaurant could survive with service like that, especially in a huge city like Houston and especially as the main restaurant in a large hotel.  So I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and try it again.  But, with all the restaurants in Houston, the chance of me going back there is pretty slim.  I guess if I'm there for several days and maybe try it at lunch.

#71 - Adair Kitchen, Houston TX

Friday morning in Houston I got up early and went running.  Well my plan was to run, but even at 8am that humidity was absolutely oppressive so it was more of a run/power walk combo.  The area where I went running had some incredibly beautiful and huge houses.  I was kind of hoping to see a rich, single guy to offer me some water, but no such luck.

After the workout it was time for breakfast. We had seen Adair Kitchen in the same strip mall as Ciao Bello, and my friend JJ said she had been there several times and it was good.  So we decided to try it out. 

It's a very bright and open concept restaurant, with high ceilings with exposed beams.  There's a ton of natural light, which I really like.  You order at the counter, take a seat, and then they bring the food to your table.  They have the menu listed on huge chalkboards above the register, but we opted for the paper menus. 

My mom was a little disappointed that there are no free refills on hot tea, and I have to agree with her.  I mean seriously... it's water and tea bags.  Regular coffee is always unlimited, so why not regular hot tea?   

It was mid morning when we arrived, but all of us still wanted breakfast.  The menu has lots of interesting and unique options.  But I wasn't feeling super adventurous so  I went the traditional route:  2 eggs, hash browns, wheat toast and bacon.

I asked for the eggs over easy and they were slightly overdone, which was a little disappointing.  The hash browns were good but creamier than I'm used to.  Almost like they used some mashed potatoes along with the shredded.  But I liked it.  The bacon was crispy and delicious. My meal was good, but in hindsight I probably should have gone with something a little more exciting. 

My parents both got the multigrain pancakes

My mom couldn't finish all of hers.  One bite, and I happily obliged helping her out.  The pancakes were light, fluffy and super yummy.  And the syrup was hot, which was fantastic.  I used some of it to dip my bacon in.  I mean, I didn't want it to go to waste.   The only negative with the syrup is that the container was scorching hot, and I'm guessing they microwaves it before bringing it to the table.  Our server warned us it was hot, but even after a few minutes I still had to use a napkin to pick it up. 

Will I go back?  Yes!  And next time I'll definitely be more adventurous with my choices.

#70 - Ciao Bello, Houston TX

The Cowboys kicked off the football season in Houston.  As soon as my mom found that out in early 2013, she decided they were going to the game.  Since my parents had both retired in the spring they had lots more free time.  They came to my house in mid-August, stayed 2 weeks, and then drove to Houston with me. I was glad to have them with me, because that 8 hour drive to Houston stinks. The drive there isn't bad, but the return trip is always killer, especially once we hit the halfway point in Dallas. All I want to do is stop and take a nap. Which I actually did, and had my mom take the wheel for a while.

We had arrived in Houston on Thursday night, which if course is a super busy restaurant night. We asked the concierge for recommendations and said a lot of places downtown would be really crowded and a reservation would probably be necessary.  But he also strongly recommended Ciao Bello, which is only about a mile from the hotel and they said it was delicious. 

I liked the place as soon as we walked in.  There's a small bar basically right at the door that wraps halfway around a huge floor-to-ceiling wall of wine and liquor bottles. I know they're maximizing space, but it's kind of crowded.  Especially because the hostess stand is just to the right.  The ceilings in the main dining room are super tall, going all the way up to the 2nd floor. The only exception is the right side, as that is upstairs seating.  I'd never seen anything like that before, but really like it.  I didn't see the upstairs so I can't speak to it, but I feel like the downstairs is the place to be.  The restaurant is on the end of a strip mall, so there's only one wall with windows--but they are huge and let in lots of light. 

Photo courtesy of Ciao Bello

We didn't have a reservation, but were still seated right away.  It wasn't the best table, as it was in the corner near to the kitchen.  But it was Thursday night, prime dinner time, and we didn't have to wait.  Sometimes you just have to make small sacrifices.

Our server was awesome.  I can't remember his name, but he was very friendly, and had so much personality.  He was born in Greece, raised in Italy, and has lived in the US for a few years.  Sometimes it was hard to understand everything he said, but that didn't detract one bit from the experience.

I started with a glass of Stephen Vincent sauvignon Blanc.  I had never heard of it, but it was reasonably priced and so that worked for me.  I love it!  Definitely found myself a new white.  It's almost got a little peppery bite, but it's absolutely delicious.

We started with an order of calamari.

Served with Calabrian Chiles ricotta crostini and crispy prosciutto

Love that it was served on a wood plank!  It comes with prosciutto, but my dad is vegetarian so we omitted it. My mom doesn't like calamari, so that just meant more for me and dad.  I usually don't like fried food that isn't crispy, but this dish was an exception to that.  The calamari was perfectly cooked, hot, and outstanding.  The chiles definitely added some heat, but the ricotta was the perfect thing to cool it down.  The ricotta was homemade, creamy and fantastic.  I could have easily eaten just a bowl of that.

As usual I was struggling with what to order.  Everything looked good, but I kind of wanted pasta.  I finally settled on the papardelle Bolognese

This has to be one of the best dishes I think I've ever had.  The pasta was homemade and you could tell the sauce had slow cooked for hours, and it was perfectly seasoned.  I was absolutely in heaven.  I still had sauce left after the pasta was done so I sopped it up with the bread.  And what I really liked is that it wasn't tons of food.  It was more than enough, but not a typical double-serving.

I wish I had room for dessert, but then I would have had to roll myself back to the hotel.  It was already close, with all the food we had eaten. 

Will I go back?  Absolutely no question.  The food, atmosphere and service were all outstanding.

#68A - Sprinkles, Houston, TX

Why is this post 68A?  Well, it's a bakery, not a full restaurant.  I did the same thing on the first day of this blog when we were in Bartlesville for a caravan, so I figure I should continue that tradition.

I had heard lots of things about Sprinkles Cupcakes.  I had even driven by one when we were in Scottsdale for the Fiesta Bowl a couple years ago.  Mary and I had actually seen the Sprinkles on our way to Brio, and Mary insisted that we had to go after lunch.  It's located in Highland Village, only about a mile from the Galleria. 

I would say the biggest down side is the parking.  Maybe there's a garage somewhere that we didn't see, but because it's kind of in a strip mall (a nice one), you have to be very crafty--and not be driving a huge car--to park easily.  But of course I was in the Tahoe.  Luckily I was able to find a space with another space next to it so I could maneuver in.

Man, this place is tiny!  Seriously, you couldn't fit more than 25 people in the place at any one time, and I think that includes the staff.  But I guess that adds to the charm and atmosphere.  We hit it at the right time, because there were only 3 people ahead of us when we got there, which gave me time to make a decision.  And as we were eating, the line was out the door.  As soon as you walk in the door the heavenly smell of baked goods hits you like a rock.  And they've got all of the treats on full display of course. 

Prince George had just been born, so Sprinkles was celebrating and I decided to get into the festive mood as well, and went with a Prince of Cambridge cupcake.  I also got a dark chocolate one...didn't really need it, but the one cupcake would have looked so lonely in the box

I forgot to take a picture of the middle of the Prince of Cambridge cupcake, but thanks to Sprinkles' Facebook page, you can see they were filled with blue icing. 

  

Wow these were so delicious!  Very moist, great flavor, and rich, but not overpowering.  Mary and I decided that the second cupcake would be our treats after the caravan--great call.

I was going to just get a water when I happened to look down under the register and saw that they had Mexican coke!  I thought that was extremely random to have that in a bakery.  But, it is Houston and there's a very large Hispanic population.  Well played, Sprinkles.  Not sure what it is about Mexican coke, but it is so much better than the stuff made in the US.  I rarely drink soda, but when we were in Playa in May I couldn't stop drinking those.   So of course I had to get my fix.

I probably didn't need the additional sugar from the coke, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made.

Will I go back?  No question.  The prices are a little high, but the cupcakes are made fresh daily.  And, the shop started in Beverly Hills, which probably has something to do with the pricing.  But it's definitely worth it as an occasional treat.

#68 - Brio Tuscan Grille, Houston, TX

Once again, I've failed miserably on updating the food blog.  However, this time I have a valid excuse.  Once August hits, my life gets absolutely insanely nuts getting ready for football season.  And for some reason this year was worse.  It shouldn't have been, because we had 2 more weeks before the first home game....but yet it was.  I brought a little of it on myself, since there were a few things I procrastinated on and then had to race to finish.  But most of it I couldn't do ahead of time. 

Anyways, I'm back on the food blog, and getting back on track.  The day of the caravan in Houston, Mary and I had to run a few errands in town.  We ended up near CityCentre again, but since we had eaten the night before at Houston Texans Grille, and would be eating there again that night, we didn't want to eat there 3 times in a row.  It was good, but with zillions of other restaurants in Houston, we wanted to do something different.

We finally decided on Brio Tuscan Grille.  I had never eaten there, and Mary said she loved it.  We had to drive to find a parking spot, and ended up on the top floor of the garage at the far end of CityCentre.  As we were getting out of the truck a car drove past us, and we literally felt the whole garage floor shift.  We looked, and there was a huge crack in the cement, and just our body weight made it move a little too.  We were convinced we would come back to no car--and no garage--so we moved the car.  So note to anyone going to CityCentre--don't park in the garage at the back!

Brio has to be owned by the same company that owns Bravo Cucina in Oklahoma City.  The look and feel of the restaurant is very similar, and the websites look almost identical.  

We were seated immediately, ordered drinks, and the bread was delivered. We got a small loaf of bread, as well as a couple of pieces of crispy flatbread. 

Both breads were really good.  The flatbread had lots of herbs and spices, and definitely had a kick. 

I started with the Brio chopped salad

Chopped greens with tomatoes, olives, onions, cucumber, Feta and red wine vinaigrette

I love when salads are served on ice cold plates.  I'm not a fan of olives, and forgot to ask them not to put them in there.  But the rest of the salad was really good.  The dressing was light and delicious, and the flavors all worked really well together.  The only thing I would have preferred was more romaine instead of mainly iceberg lettuce.

For lunch I went with the Pasta Yandolino, one of their lunch specials:

Chicken, spinach, mushrooms, Feta, diced tomatoes, and rigatoni in a light bercy with pesto bread crumbs

Spicy BBQ sauce, Mozzarella, yellow tomatoes, green onions, Feta and cilantro pesto

I have to be honest.  At first glance, I was disappointed.  This is going to sound really weird, but I like the meat in dishes to have a deeper color.  To me, color means flavor.  And this dish didn't deliver on the color.  But I figured I had ordered it, so I was going to at least give it a shot. 

I'm very glad I did, because this dish was really good.  I had never heard of bercy sauce before...it's a white wine sauce with shallots and butter, and a few other things.  There was quite a bit of sauce, and the pasta and veggies just soaked it up.  The sauce was so good I used a little of the bread to sop it up.  The dish was light and healthy--well, except for the butter. 

Mary had the BBQ chicken pizza, and of course I had to try a piece.

This was so good!!  I  love all of the ingredients on it.  Even though it says spicy BBQ sauce, it really wasn't.  I think the other ingredients toned that down a little.  If I hadn't just wolfed down my whole dish I could definitely have eaten that whole pizza...

Will I go back?  Well, unfortunately there's no Brio's in Oklahoma. So it will have to be the next time I'm in Texas.  But it is 100% on my list of go-to restaurants whenever I head down south.



#67 - Houston Texans Grill, Houston TX

Most of our Cowboy Caravans are in Oklahoma, but we also do Tyler, Houston, and Dallas TX.  We haven't done Dallas in a couple years, but Houston is an annual event.  Mary and I made the drive down last week.  We used to drive halfway, stay the night in Dallas, and then drive the rest on the day of the event.  But this year we decided to just drive all the way to Houston the day before.  In hindsight that was a really good idea, because had we encountered any issues we would have had another day to fix them.  And, we had all day Wednesday, which worked out to be a great thing this year because I was able to take care of a lot of things to get ready for the Kickoff Classic at the end of August.

Tuesday evening we did a walk-through of the venue for the caravan, which was at Houston Texans Grille.  It's located in CITYCENTRE, an upscale shopping and dining area in downtown Houston near the Galleria area.  One thing to keep in mind if you're going there...make sure you park in one of the garages or in a surface lot.  If you park illegally, they'll tow you in a heartbeat.  We found a garage right across the street from the restaurant, which was perfect. They do offer valet, but it takes quite a while to get your car back. 

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, and there's an escalator right behind the valet stand.  The whole place is decorated, no surprise, in Houston Texans from head to toe.  It's not owned by the Texans, but they do have an interest in it.  Just past the hostess stand is a large bar area with some pub seating to the left and a few couches to the right.  The main dining room is behind the bar, and it's set up in several different sections with air walls in between.  At first I thought that was kind of weird, but they do a lot of events and the air walls allow them to accommodate different-sized events while still remaining open for the public if the whole place isn't reserved.  There's also a really cool covered patio with a mix of pub tables and lounge seating.  Our event took up about 85% of the main dining room, as well as the patio. 

Mary and I were absolutely starving by the time we were done with the meeting, and decided to eat there.  We sat in the bar area and checked out the menu.  Our server greeted us immediately, and we both decided to have a drink.  We tried out a couple of the "specialty" drinks.  There was no price listed on the menu, which should have been a sign that they were going to be expensive...yep, $10 each.  I think they should have to list the prices on the menu.  I guess we could have asked, but to me that's still not right.  And it's not just this restaurant.  Many other restaurants do the same thing.

As usual, I had a hard time deciding what to eat.  I finally went with the Bangkok burger

Ground pork, sweet and spicy Asian sauce, fried potato straws,

avocado, wasabi mayo

This burger was HUGE!  I had to smoosh the bread down to take a bite.  But it was fantastic.  The Asian sauce had wonderful sweet/spicy flavor, without being overpowering.  The pork was cooked perfectly and still moist.  The fries were good, just your basic restaurant fries.  The only down side is that the bottom patty got really soggy and was falling apart, which I guess is a good thing cause that's all flavor.  And the patty did fall apart a little, so I just ditched the top bun and ate it with my fork & knife.

We were very disappointed with the service though.  Our server started out well, taking our drink order quickly. He took a little longer to take our food order.  And we never saw him again.  We finally flagged down another server and asked for our check.  She said she would find our original guy.  A few minutes later a different guy brought out the check.  We liked the last guy the best, because he was very friendly, fast and efficient.  I realize it was late in the evening and there were only about 2 other tables in the bar area.  But that's no excuse for the lack of attention to service. 

At the caravan the next night we had sliders, wings, and quesadillas.  They were all good, but the wings were definitely my favorite.  The were really big and meaty.  The first couple batches were spicy, but towards the end the new batches of wings were just regular.  I'm guessing they probably ran out of the spicy.  The service at the caravan was really good.  We had tons of servers, they took and served drink orders quickly, and never let the buffet pans run out. 

Will I go back?  Definitely!  The food was good, it has a great atmosphere, and I really like their event manager Matt.  We got along really well and he did a great job of running the event.

We'll be back in Houston at the end of the month for the Kickoff Classic, and Houston Texans Grille will be one of our "official party headquarters".  So I'll definitely make sure to go there.