Another Pause

There's been a shooting here, in this town.  Everyone in my family and friends group is fine.  The entire town is in shock. 

At this point one death has been confirmed.  There have been at least 6 other injuries. If you're inclined to pray or send positive energy please do that.

I ask that everyone please handle this with respect and dignity.  Thank you.

Churrascos - Westchase

As I discussed in a previous post, we're in the middle of Houston Restaurant Weeks.  Yes, other cities have Restaurant Week, but Houston is not other cities.  It has a full month of Restaurant Weeks.  But it's all good because the money raised benefits a worthy cause: the Houston Foodbank.

The Lovely Spouse and I decided to drive down to Houston yesterday afternoon to take advantage of the Hatch Chile Festival at Central Market, pick up our case of Hatch Chiles, and to enjoy a restaurant participating in Restaurant Weeks.  Yup, it was a total and complete Foodie Day (tm). And I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

First off, Central Market has decided to extend the Hatch Chile Festival to August 28.  More on that in the next post. This post is all about where we decided to eat for Restaurant Weeks: Churrascos Westchase.  We made the decision base on several criteria: the awesome menu listed at the Restaurant Weeks website, great reviews on Trip Advisor and Urbanspoon, and Violet von Mickelsburg's recommendation.  Seriously, anyone who makes a foccia as good as hers obviously has great taste.

Churrascos has three locations around Houston: River Oaks, Westchase and Sugarland.  The River Oaks and Westchase locations are both on Westheimer.  So when you make reservations (highly recommended!) make sure you have the correct location. Houston is known for some very large, very successful restaurant conglomerates and the parent company of Churrascos, Cordua, is no exception. They are the same people who bring you Artista in the Theater District, Amazon Grill and Americas in The Woodlands and River Oaks.  As well as Cordua Catering.  All are highly rated restaurants and services. Churrascos was the first restaurant opened by this wildly successful chef family and features their native Latin American cuisine. 

Mmmmm...plantains with sauces.

Dinner at Churrascos begins with a complementary dish of fried plantains served with two sauces: a spicy red sauce and herb and garlic infused chimichuri.  The plantains on their own are quite delicous and will be refilled as long as you ask.  But be careful because there's plenty more food to follow.

We were seated in a back room so things were kind of dark. This will be reflected in my pictures.  My only strong criticism of the restaurant is the level of noise.  It was LOUD back here.

We ordered off the special $35 dinner menu for Restaurant Weeks.  Many of the items were abbreviated items off the regular dinner menu. I started with the bacon wrapped shrimp taquitos and The Lovely Spouse started with the scallop spoon bread. Actually we ended up splitting both.  As you do.

Bacon wrapped shrimp taquitos.  Miniature tacos with an interesting flavor combination.

Scallop spoon bread.  The scallops were cooked perfectly.  The corn bread was light and delicate.

Next we ordered our entrees.  The Lovely Spouse got the Churrasco, their signature steak.  I ordered the Parrilladas, or lamb chops.  And we were very pleasantly surprised at what we got.

The Churrasco, a 6 oz flat iron steak cooked to a perfect medium rare.  Cut with a butter knife and melts in your mouth.  Served with a potato cake and pickled onions.  The Lovely Spouse didn't care for the pickled onions, and I can't eat them. The potato cake was nice, but, as you'll see, there was plenty of food and we ran out of room.

The Parrillada.  Two lamb chops that were cooked the way lamb should always be cooked. Flavorful and not at all gamey.  And tender as can be.  Served with a grilled meat and veggie skewer, fruit and meat sausage, flavorful veggie rice, mixed veggies, AND a potato cake with pickled onions.

IN ADDITION TO EVERYTHING ELSE they brought us a plate of grilled veggies and rice. And, yummie!, more plantains.

No, we didn't finish everything, in spite of our best efforts.  But, dessert was still coming!  The Lovely Spouse ordered The Original Tres Leches (tm).  Not sure how it's THE original, but that doesn't really matter.  And I ordered the Pio X, a tequila soaked bread pudding.

The Original Tres Leches (tm). It was creamy and delicious.

The Pio X. It's their name for a tequila soaked bread pudding that reminded me very much of a tiramisu. Thankfully this wasn't very large, after that huge meal.

The restaurant is quite lovely so I took a walk around to give some better images than the dark back room where we sat. This restaurant is set up for hosting lots of parties as it has lots of little rooms that can be closed off from the rest of the restaurant.  And it has a very nice bar area.

The entrance to the restaurant.

And VIP approval.

In all it was a pleasure to dine at Churrascos. My only real complaint was the noise.  There were a number of fairly large parties there, including a Pamper Chef group at the table next door.  This made it impossible to talk with each other at times. The service and food were great.  And the decor was nice.

Would I go back?  Of course!  The food and service were fabulous.  The regular menu prices aren't that bad.  But I would definitely go back for Restaurant Weeks.

Would I recommend Churrascos?  YES!  Go there now!

Note to those who might go for Restaurant Weeks: the bill arrives itemized instead of just showing $35 per person. 

Hatch Chiles!



Hatch Chiles are traditionally roasted in large drums over gas heat.

It's that time of year again.  It's freaking hot outside but foodies in Texas know it means one thing: time for Hatch Chiles! 

Wait, what? Hatch Chiles are specific peppers that are grown in the tiny town of Hatch, New Mexico.  Every Labor Day Weekend the small town hosts a Hatch Chile Festival celebrating the harvest of their best known crop: Hatch Chiles. Botanically the chiles grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico are the same as the Aneheim pepper, but the specific growing conditions and hybridization work done at New Mexico State University have led to several cultivars resulting in unparalleled flavor. They have names like Nu Mex 6, Rio Grande  21, Big Jim and Nu Mex Joe Parker (source).  Of course you'll only find those names if you purchase seeds or plants from the growers.  In the grocery store they're known as Mild or Hot Hatch Chiles.

In a stroke of marketing genius Central Markets across Texas host a Hatch Chile Festival every August.  Like moths to a flame, foodies across the state flock to Central Markets, and some HEBs, to stock up on these unique chiles for the year.  They're only available fresh and freshly roasted during the festival: August 8-21.  Store employees spend hours every day roasting the chiles in large metal drums over a gas flame by the caseload.  You can purchase by the pound or by the case and you can choose whether or not to have the store roast them for you, at no extra charge, or take them home fresh and roast them yourself. And you can choose between mild or hot chiles.

In addition to the chiles themselves Central Market has a large variety of items throughout the store featuring the peppers, that is, if you can find them before they sell out.  And they sell out of the best items fast.  I highly recommend the strange-sounding-but-delicous Hatch Chile Dolce de Leche Ice Cream.  Found only in small, freshly made batches in the freezer section.  The Hatch Chile salsa is delicous and can be found in the salsa section of the store (yes, there's an entire section of Texas grocery stores dedicated to salsa).  The fresh-made Hatch Chile Cheese Bread in the bakery is OMG amazingly good.  And bread freezes really well - just sayin'. :-) The Hatch Chile potato chips are actually quite good.  I would avoid the Hatch Chile Brownies.  They're exactly as awful as they sound.

NO! Can't say I didn't warn you.

The in-house food section is gearing up to have unique and newly created dishes featuring Hatch Chiles available as well.  Last year there was a huge selection of salads, meat dishes and other items using the ingredient quite well. 

We usually purchase a case of roasted hot chiles.  We take a huge cooler with us then pack them on ice for the drive home.  Once they're home we remove the skins and seeds and vaccum pack them before freezing them in about 1 cup bags.  The chiles work very well in omelettes, potato pancakes, polenta, mashed potatoes, black eyed peas, cornbread, or just about any other savory recipe that can benefit from a bit of heat. The peppers also impart a complex flavor that can't be found in peppers that are cultivated just for heat's sake. It is normal for the chiles to vary in color from very green to yellow or even red.  It's recommended to not freeze them over a year, but we've had no problem with peppers frozen for 2 years or more.

[All of these images came from a google image search.]

Edited to correct the university mentioned above.

Well done, Oreo. Well done.

Image Source: internet meme.

Houston Restaurant Weeks

Other cities have a Restaurant Week.  But Houston isn't other cities.  It has a Resaurant month known as Restaurant Weeks.  And it's already begun.  If you are in the Houston area (including The Woodlands, Sugarland, etc) any time during the month of August check it out.

So what is Restaurant Week?  Go to this link to check out participating restaurants.  Each one will host lunch, dinner or brunch.  Dinner is required, lunch and brunch are optional, so contact the restaurant you want to visit to make sure they're participating for the meal in which you're interested.  Dinners cost $35 (before tax, tip and drinks) and include at least 3 courses, sometimes 4.  The restaurant will donate $5 to the Houston Food Bank for every dinner sold.  Lunches are at least 2 courses with $3 donate from each meal.  And brunches vary according to restaurant.  Additional donations may be made via a text donation system listed on the webpage.

If $35 or $20 sounds like a lot, check out the restaurants participating.  Some are among the best of the best Houston has to offer and, normally, a lunch or dinner at them would cost much, much more with none of the money, that we know about, going to the Houston Food Bank.

I've only been to a fraction of the participating restaurants but I recommend Max's Wine Dive, Ruth's Chris Steak House, McCormick and Schmidt (any location), and Sambuca. I haven't been to the other places but wouldn't mind trying just about any of them. Check urbanspoon or tripadvisor for reviews. Also, click here for a list of restaurants, including the menus during Restaurant Weeks.

Call the restaurant before visiting to find out if reservations are necessary.

I wonder if I can convince The Lovely Spouse to take a trip down to Houston for this? :-)

Also!  The Houston Theater District Open House is Sunday, August 26 from noon - 4 pm.  Enjoy tours of the theaters, including the costume and prop shops and music libraries, interact with cast and crew, and see special short performances from the Alley Theater, Houston Ballet, Houston Opera, Houston Symphony, and others.  All for free.  Parking, of course, does cost money.  Everything is family and kid friendly.

On food allergies and intolerances...

There is nothing more frustrating for a foodie than to not be able to eat everything that's placed in front of you.  Nothing.  Food allergies and intolerances are very real and very frustrating for the people who live with them, for their loved ones, and for anyone preparing their food. 

First off, what's the difference between an allergy and an intolerance?  An allergy means that a person eating a certain food or ingredient will develop an allergic reaction to it.  Usually immediately, but sometimes delayed.  The reaction can be anything from burning in the mouth to a trip to the hospital for anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.  Food intolerance means that a person cannot digest something in the food.  Reactions can range from mild abdominal discomfort to very serious gastic distress to a reaction that looks very similar to a food allergy. 

I take food allergies and intolerances very seriously. 

And I have a strong intolerance to garlic and most members of the Allium botanical family. So this hits very close to home for me. There are between 240 and 800 members of this family, so it's prevelant.  In addition it's found in many, many foods of all different genres.  Most people will tell you that allicin is the compound found in most Alliums that's responsible for this reaction, however allin and alliinase may also be involved.  Garlic produces all three and onions naturally produce alliinase as well.  My TMI dose-dependent reaction to garlic is immediate and can last up to a couple days.  I have found I can eat small amounts of shallots so I'm not as bad off as I might otherwise be.

So eating out can present a challenge. Everyone with any sort of food aversion deals with it differently.  I prefer to avoid garlic and onions, etc. when I can but understand I'll come into contact with some and accept the risk.  This is because my reaction isn't so severe as to put me in the hospital or kill me.

When eating at fine dining establishments I immediately and descretely tell the service staff that I'm unable to eat garlic, onions, etc.  And I've never had a problem at nicer restaurants. 

At mid-range restaurants I depend heavily on the menu descriptions, which often leads to problems.  I don't blame the service staff or even the kitchen staff.  I blame whomever writes the menus for these dining establishments.  Many, many people absolutely adore garlic and onions and there's a growing number of us who avoid it at all costs.  So it would make sense to list them on the item descriptions.  And plenty of places do.  But it's frustratingly common for many places not to do this.

One friend of mine has a long, long list of food allergies.  She had the wonderful idea to print up cards listing the allergies, which she hands out whenever she eats out.  While this has ended up in her being unable to eat at some restaurants who have been unable to help her, it has also saved her trips to the hospital. 

So what is the point of this blog post?  Just to ask for some understanding.  Those of us who are trying to avoid certain foods aren't doing it just to be a pain in the butt.  Believe me, there are far easier ways to be deliberately annoying. Coping with an allergy or intolerance is far more annoying of the person who would suffer from eating that food than it is for anyone who might have to wait an extra few minutes. 

[All of the images in this post are from a Google Image search]

BJ's Brewhouse

What would happen if the foodie phenomenon of gastro pub was given the corporate America, mass-marketing treatment?  The answer is BJ's Brewhouse.

Recently The Lovely Spouse and I returned to the local BJ's for the third time since their recent opening. He was in the mood for fried food.  I was in the mood for beer.  Turns out you can get both there.

 Can't complain about the decor. Although what you can't see is that I had the sun in my face as it was setting through the windows in the front of the restaurant.

BJ's has a selection of their own brand of beers, ranging from a lite beer to a gluten free sorghum beer (not very good) to a dark stout with heavy coffee notes.  Samplers are available. You can choose from their lighter or darker beers.  I chose the darker ones.

I preferred the amber to the dark stout.  Some of them are unbalenced towards coffee notes. Not that that's a horrible thing, but the beer snob in me would be remiss for not mentioning it.

Because The Lovely Spouse was in a mood for fried foods and such he ordered a couple appetizers.  I nibbled on them. 

Spinach Artichoke Dip.  Not quite as good as my own, but pretty good for a pub.  Even with both of us munching on it there were far too many chips. 

Fried Artichokes.  The menu says these are new, but I remember having these during the restaurant's opening week.  I liked the artichokes, even though they were fried. The briney flavor of the artichokes goes well with the crispy breading. But didn't touch the ranch dressing. Ranch is defined as containing garlic so it's a no-go for me.   

The Lovely Spouse got Fish & Chips for his entree.  The fish was pretty good and the breading was tasty. They just made the same error you commonly find with this dish and there was too much breading for my taste.  However it worked well to sate The Lovely Spouse's craving for fried foods. So mission accomplished.

On a previous visit I tried a pasta dish on the 500 calorie menu that was alright, but definitely inferior to what I can make at home.  And on another visit I tried the portabello mushroom pizza as it was the only one on the menu that didn't have garlic. It was a deep dish pizza and, in my opinion, too heavy on both the gooey carb-loaded crust and just a tad too greasy.  So for this trip I wanted something that wasn't either of them.  Unfortunately the extensive menu, which looks like the Cheesecake Factory's massive book of a menu, has very, very few items that are free of onions and garlic. And only one that is also low in fat/oil: the pasta dish on the 500 calorie menu.  So I decided on a compromise with one of the burgers.

This is the California Burger.  Served on toast with avacado and grilled peppers.  I got it without the ranch dressing.  It was tastey but the one thing that bugged me is just how heavy and fatty the combination was.  They could have, in my opinion, improved the texture, without distracting from the taste, by not buttering the toast and using lite mayo.  Avacado adds significant fat to any dish so it's important to balence that.

Every dish served with fries comes with a choice of them. I selected the thin, shoestring fries.  They were excellent, except that the oil was heavy enough I could taste and feel it on the fries. They either need to be better drained or they need to be finished better. Great fries can make or break a gastro pub.  These are very close to greatness. 

We didn't order dessert as we weren't hungry after all that food.  We also took quite a bit of it home. The Lovely Spouse assured me the fish and chips were good reheated as well.

The service, in spite of UrbanSpoon reviews, was great.  Either we caught them at a less-busy time or we got a great server.  I don't know.  All I know is that in the 3 times we've been to BJ's the service has been great. So I can't agree with that aspect of online reviews.

Will we be back?  Maybe? The prices were kind of high for the resulting dining experience.  Again, the service was good.  But there are far better burger places in town that serve Texas microbrews for a better price.  I know some of you are saying I should just stick with salads if I'm going to complain about grease on fried foods.  But the salads were even more expensive than the burgers, and often don't pair well with beers.  In addition to often having more calories even than the burgers.  If I was to return I think I would try one of the thin-crust gluten-free pizzas.  Not because I'm eating gluten-free, but because I prefer thin crust on my pizza.

Would I recommend BJ's to my friends?  I don't see why not.  I'd give them the review just as written above and let them decide for themselves if they want to eat there. It is one of the few places in town with gluten-free beer and pizza, so that's something. The fried artichokes are a nice appetizer.