The Quickest 24 Hrs in Houston

I arrived into Houston Hobby on Wednesday night, already wondering what my dear friend Thao would have lined up for dinner. On a quick trip into the city to participate in a Gilman scholarship panel, I had little time to visit my friend and less time to eat.

Anyone who has ever been to Houston knows the culinary landscape at work here. Most people back East are like, “Texas? Are you for real?” To be fair, we are in the middle of a political season, so I get it. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve been coming down to Texas since I met Thao & co. in 2004 and have seen Houston, Austin, Dallas / Fort Worth, San Antonio – and it all tastes good.

In answer to the question, “what do you want to eat?” – I answered “everything.” Thao knows I’ve been sheltered in sad, small Charleston so she texted me a menu for Oporto*. Vamos a tapear! Let’s go for tapas!

If you’re new to tapas – let’s get you acquainted. Tapear (the Spanish verb) translates to “to cover,” but is often used socially in Spanish culture – to get tapas. Originally, tapas were served at pubs and inns to literally cover the drinks of travelers. Pint of beer? Have some cheese. Glass of vino? Snack on some olives. The small-plate culture translated into a phenomenon in Spain and has — thankfully — made it’s way West.

So we dined on Piquillo Pepper Rellenos (peppers stuffed with awesome), Espetada de Carne (wine-soaked beef), and a special that night – Moroccan chicken cigaros (also stuffed with awesome). Wash that down with a Caipirinha and call it a night.

Or … go to nearby Amy’s* for some ice cream. THEN call it a night.

A shout out for a beautiful and outrageously comfortable hotel, the stunning Hotel Indigo* in the Galleria. Any hotel whose hotel smells like cotton candy immediately vaults to the next level among its competitors. (They told us it was an air freshener, but I have my doubts). With beautiful blues and a bed big enough for 4, it was a peaceful place to spend the night, guarded by the brand new dressers that lined the hallways. Also? I don’t know any other hotels who use haikus in their info books.

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Thanks, Houston! Hasta pronto…

Houston & the 2nd deadly sin

For those of you paying attention, I’ve been out of town for a week. Not basking in the sun on a sandy beach or climbing some exotic mountain range – but visiting Houston, Texas. If you’re thinking “what the hell..” don’t worry, I understand. What you need to know is that I had a conference in town, and yes, presumably someone consulted the climate charts before they made that decision. Aside from conferencing, I joined my best friend and fellow foodie Thao for a week of gluttony. So for those of you feeling sinful, pay close attention.

Houston skyline

Most of these restaurants span the Houston area from the suburbs (Montrose, the Heights) to downtown to the further reaches of civilization. Yes, I did have a car at my disposal. For lodging purposes during the week, I camped out at the Magnolia Hotel on Fannin and Texas. This hotel was positively brilliant – spacious, clean, modern. Add that to a rooftop pool, bedtime cookie and complimentary breakfast and I’m a happy camper.

BRC – 519 Shepherd - http://www.brcgastropub.com – If you want to know what BRC stands for, consider the brightly painted rooster on the corner of the property and consult a thesaurus. What jumped out on the menu? Ten dollar pitchers of sangria or mimosas .. and chicken fried spam. How could we say no? *

Fadi’s Mediterannean – various locations – http://www.fadiscuisine.com/ – This place was a bit overwhelming for a first timer. A long and winding line of cold and hot choices flank the side of the restaurant and chefs dish out whatever you point to. The fattoush was perfect for me, and more than six kinds of hummus dotted the line toward chicken, lamb and fish entrees.

Christy’s Donuts – 1103 W Gray (Montrose) – A recent review on Yelp says “If you blink, you could miss this place.” So, don’t. This tiny postage stamp of a shop reminds me of Bryant’s in Memphis – simple, quick, and possibly the best breakfast to go in this ten gallon state. Grab yourself a kolache, and chow down.

Pappasito’s - various locations – http://pappasitos.com/home/ – Nine times out of ten, I make a request to go here. I’ve been lucky to have friends pointing me toward several epic Tex Mex places, but this one never disappoints. Queso is the name of the game. This time I also had shrimp broschette and pulled pork tacos. Believe it.

tilapia tacos @ Irma’s

Irma’s Southwest Grill - 1314 Texas (downtown) – http://www.irmassouthwest.com/ – walkable from the GRB Convention Center and thank goodness, because I was stuffed with tilapia tacos and spicy white queso when the lunch hour came to a close. An interesting note – this place doesn’t have menus, and your waiter will tell you everything you need to know.

Max’s Wine Dive – 4 Texas locations – http://www.maxswinedive.com – Recommended by Thao and reserved for seven, we cabbed it to this wine bar and we were not disappointed. With a glass of cava in hand, Morgan and I split pan borracho (you read that right, drunk bread) and fried chicken. Also gracing the menu were favorites like “max” & cheese and strangers like roasted bone marrow.*

Mai’s Restaurant – 3403 Milam (fourth ward) – http://maishouston.com/- A little known fact about Houston is that it houses the largest Vietnamese population outside Vietnam. What does this mean? Residents can stand the heat, and there is damn good cooking on every corner. Despite the fact the waiter forgot to put in our order and we were stranded for over 90 minutes … the lemongrass beef sandwich and coconut bubble tea made it worth the wait.

Andalucia – 1201 San Jacinto (downtown) - http://www.andaluciatapas.com/ – hay que pasar la casa de Blues y sentarse aqui. If you’ve never had tapas, please start here. The small appetizer plates made famous in Spanish culture will make their way to your table at this cozy corner restaurant. Gazpacho, shrimp aioli, tortilla española, patatas bravas, tres leches cake .. you would swear my señora herself was in the kitchen.

Chocolate Bar - two locations – http://www.theoriginalchocolatebar.com/ - I may never recover from this place. The amount of sugar we consumed here gave me heart palpitations. A sweet talking salesman got us to go for the “Trinity” – cake, ice cream, chocolate covered fruit. I realize this doesn’t sound like a big deal, but get a load of that cake. This is a religion I could subscribe to.*

cake the size of a dinner plate

Sambuca – several locations in the South – http://www.sambucarestaurant.com/ – packed wall to wall during happy hour, we grabbed a seat at the bar to pick at shrimp & crab dip and chicken & beef satay. Perfect for the bar crawlers, as evidenced by the overly friendly lawyer at my elbow. A loud location, with prices up several octaves as well.

Liberty Kitchen – 1050 Studewood (Heights) – http://libertykitchenoysterbar.com/ – A haven for oyster lovers and new roost for hipster Heights dwellers. Our foursome sat down to quality cocktails and a serious quantity of food. Two sandwiches larger than the plates they were served on (open faced tuna melt, reuben with brisket); half a dozen oysters on the half shell; and a generous serving of mac and cheese. Go here, go hungry.*

Dacapo’s Pastry Cafe – 1141 E 11th at Studewood (Heights) - http://www.dacapospastrycafe.com – the perfect light lunch stop. Somehow we resisted the piles of baked goods (!) and settled on a pick two option – gorgeous Adam & Eve salad and half a chicken salad sandwich made me long for a Northeastern deli. Or any deli, if you’re coming from a midwestern index.. ok, and we did have a cookie.

Fung’s Kitchen – 7320 Southwest Freeway (Chinatown) – http://www.eatatfungs.com - My first introduction to dim sum, which Wing tells me stands for “anything your heart desires.” Paying homage to it’s namesake, little carts are pushed around by the waitstaff, bringing you exactly that. My heart doesn’t typically desire chicken’s feet or duck tongue, but those are available as well.

Miscellaneous:
Miller Outdoor Theater at Hermann Park – great shows in the great outdoors – http://milleroutdoortheatre.com/
Agora – 712 Westheimer – a small cafe / coffeehouse with character and a liquor license – http://www.agorahouston.com
Minute Maid park – 501 Crawford (downtown) – Home to the Houston Astros .. and as a result of their poor rankings, some really sweet ticket deals abound – http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/ballpark/index.jsp

Minute Maid park

* Kudos to local HTX tweeters:
@BRCgastropub, @LibertyKitchen, @winediveMAX, @ChocolateBarHTX

recipe: tortilla de patatas

Tortilla de Patatas

Makes one 6 inch round tortilla (serves 10-12 for tapas)

Ingredients:

small 6″ nonstick saucepan with high sides

large plate (bigger than the saucepan)

approx 4-6 Tbs frying oil (sunflower)

2 large white potatoes

4 large eggs

pinch of salt

* onions / green peppers optional

Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them in relatively thin slices (1/4 inch), and then dice them into bite size pieces. Add frying oil to the saucepan and put on medium high heat. Add potatoes and use a spatula to move them around occasionally so they don’t catch. Put a lid on the saucepan and let the potatoes cook (checking frequently).

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs together in a medium sized bowl and add a pinch of salt. Eggs should be thoroughly mixed and frothy.

Once the potatoes are soft to the touch and becoming translucent, remove them from the heat. Drain the excess oil from the pan. Add potatoes to the eggs and mix gently. There should be an even amount of potatoes / eggs. (If you’re using onions / peppers, add them here).

Heat the same saucepan you used to cook potatoes / onions / peppers. Pour the mixture into the pan. Using a wooden spatula, poke the edges of the tortilla so it starts to form into a disk. The top will be raw and you should have some liquid moving around.

Now the hard part! You are going to cover the saucepan with the plate, and flip the tortilla out onto the plate, then slide it immediately back into the saucepan with the uncooked side facing down. Yes, you have to flip it even when the top is raw. Don’t worry if it is lopsided on the first flip, it will even out. Wear an apron!

Continue poking the edges to be sure the tortilla doesn’t stick to the sides of the pan. The tortilla should start to cook through, so you can move the pan and the tortilla should slide around freely.

Some people only flip once, but Loli flipped several times until it was done and it turned out just fine. Continue to flip every few minutes, browning both sides. Poke the middle to make sure there is no excess raw egg. Continue to move the pan and keep the tortilla from sticking to the bottom.

Flip one last time onto a clean plate and let sit at room temperature. Best eaten at room temp.

Buen provecho!

Optional: Add onions / peppers. Before cooking the potatoes, sauté the onions and peppers. Use the same pan to prepare the potatoes so they take on the flavor.

I lost an hour in Ubeda

This Friday I took a train to the city of Jaen, a 22 euro fare and a 3 hour ride from Sevilla Santa Justa. In order to get to the outlying towns of Baeza and Ubeda, this seemed to be the best choice. On arrival I boarded a bus to Ubeda with a flood of university students flocking to their pueblo with dirty laundry and empty Tupperware. More on this weekend phenomenon in a later post.

By now the sky was darkening, but the hundreds, thousands, of rows of olive trees were still visible in contrast to the chalky soil. Neat rows of scraggly trees stretched across the countryside heavy with the region’s chief export and claim to fame. I made the decision to travel east because I’d never seen the province of Jaen, one of only two provinces I have yet to see here in Andalucia. A considerable bonus for my visit here was to spend time with a friend native to Ubeda. As with many of my experiences in Spain, the personal touch of a local family illuminates a city from the inside out. And so my weekend in Ubeda began with Rosana’s parents kindly picking me up at the bus station and driving me around the city for a nighttime tour of the muralla and the casco viejo (old city).

To stay in the Crespo family home is to stay in a palace filled with love, laughter and artwork. When Rosana joined us after work, we did the only logical thing: went out for tapas. At a beautiful pub only a few steps away, we settled in at the bar for one of Andalucia’s best offerings: free tapas! As in Granada, each time you request a drink, a plate of food magically appears bearing the most delightful treats: pork loin, ham, seafood salad, and a brilliant grilled asparagus – who needs dinner when you can tapear for the price of a drink? This would be the beginning of a weekend full of “Toma, Kelly” in which I am fed a piece of everything that materializes on the table or at the bar. It’s not long until I collapse under a down comforter in a dreamy haze of wine and good food.

In the morning I am treated to a guided tour of town led by the Artificis group that included the Capilla, the Ayuntamiento, one of the local churches and an informative walk around the old city. Young boys careen around in sailor suits while their female counterparts walk far more carefully to avoid dirtying their miniature bridal gowns – the spectacle that is the First Communion in Catholicism. We encounter a wedding in the ayuntamiento and a crowd of poshly dressed attendants and I am once again floored by the amount of females wobbling across the cobblestones in stilettos. The tour ends at a newly discovered marvel with special significance to the Crespo family: La Sinagoga del Agua, tucked away just off the main street. To give this interesting location its due, I will make a separate post detailing the history of this discovery. 

At Ana’s store one can find thoughtful souvenirs and beautiful ceramic pieces from local workshops. The traditional glaze is a startling green: the color of rainforests, springtime and jealousy.  From behind the counter, the workers procure a bag of ochíos filled with pisto and I happily munch my way through this snack similar to an empañada. After a tapas stop in a neaby plaza we return to the house to feast on homemade seafood soup and roasted red peppers with fresh bread. Already the Spaniards are wondering “where does she put it all?” There is nothing more satisfying to a Spanish mother than a guest, and an American one at that, who will clear her plate. With an appetite like mine, this is an easy request to fill

We embark on a siestilla (younger cousin to the siesta) and wake up bound for the neighboring pueblo of Baeza. It’s important to note that both cities fall under the mantle of the prestigious “Patrimonio de la Humanidad” title bestowed on them by the government that inspires a friendly competition between the two. Baeza is half the size of Ubeda (population 15,000 vs 30,000) but no less beautiful. The alleyways around the cathedral conjure images of royalty and peasants making their way to worship (through separate doors of course). Winding through the streets, the sounds of fife and drum can be heard nearby. This is neither fanfare nor celebration but practice, for the rapidly approaching Semana Santa. We make a stop so I can purchase some typical food from the region: a bag of ochíos (crunchy breadsticks from Ubeda) and a box of virolos (puffy pastries from Baeza). Before nightfall I’m able to catch a glimpse of the valley although its mostly shrouded in clouds, and I am rewarded another view of the landscape I traveled through earlier.

Back in Ubeda we meet with some of Rosana’s friends at a local bar. Several boys surround a guitar player and sing songs joking about the crisis and other topics befitting of a chirigota at carnival. Tapas follow – fried artichokes, and french fries with fried eggs (don’t make that face, its a delicious combination). It is only when we make our way to a local club that I hear the first strains of English I’ve heard since Friday morning. It should be no surprise that we encountered several American students from Sevilla on a weekend trip to the province. Defying the stereotype, one boy spoke to me in Spanish for at least ten minutes, something most American students can’t, don’t, or won’t do. So kudos to you, Andrew from Arizona – keep up the good work.

Fireworks sound in the distance when I wake up to my last day in town. I’ve lost an hour overnight, as we have just sprung forward into Central European Summer Time (CEST) here in Spain. I am loathe to lose the hour as today is the day la Iglesia de Santa Maria will open, after almost 3 decades without weddings, baptisms or masses performed within its walls. We will take a long walk around town waiting for the muncipal band to toot its final horn and for someone to please open the doors. Ultimately I will miss this event as we prepare to go back to our respective cities. But as they say you must leave something to come back to. We’ll meet again, Santa Maria!

With a bag of goodies, a book about the synagogue, a lovingly prepared bocadillo and a can of the miracle elixir (olive oil) – I travel back to the land of oranges. Where it will still be light by 8pm and summer is about to settle in for the long haul. By this time next week, it will already be April.

day tripper

Sicut Lucifer lucet in Aurora, sic in Wandalia Carmona
“As the Morning-star shines in the Dawn, so shines Carmona in Andalusia” [ Ferdinand III, 1247 ]

Carmona

The day trip is a beautiful thing. This Saturday we made our way outside of Sevilla to the small town of Carmona – population 28,000 (twice the size of Bollullos!). This area is commonly referred to as La Vega – or the vast plains in this region. Wordreference tells me the translation is “meadow” or “fertile lowland” – you can look at the photo and decide for yourself.

The pueblo is known for its Roman ruins – including an amphitheater from 1 B.C. and a necropolis with tombs from the 1st and 2nd century. At the very least, wandering around in these dark tombs gave us a welcome break from the blazing sun. Nothing like a day in mid March with the Andalucian sun on parade and the temperature in the 70s. Translation: sunburn for this blonde!

Flanked by two puertas or large stone doors, the town is quiet and unassuming. We claimed a spot outside of a local restaurant and chowed down on cheap and wonderful tapas. Flamenquines (think fried chicken cordon bleu), espinancas con garbanzos (warm spinach & chickpeas), and a new one for me: albondigas de choco (seafood meatballs). Several plates of tapas, a few drinks and a leisurely afternoon in the sun (yours truly in the shade) only added up to €16.60. We have begun to habitually lament the food prices in the United States every time we are blessed with a meal like this. An appetizer for 1.20? Unheard of.

Puerta de Cordoba

We witnessed botellón on horseback, which my roommate pointed out is probably what Feria looks like. We fielded some questions in broken English from Spanish teenagers sprawled outside the Puerta de Cordoba, and marveled at the fact we are still considered exotic creatures in places like these.

The bus from Sevilla costs a mere €2.35 each way, and stops just outside of Prado de San Sebastian. Walking home it was still warm enough to be without a jacket, and the nightlife was tumbling out onto the streets of Triana. I for one, tumbled right into bed.

The upcoming week will include making plans for Greece, shopping for flights home (HOME!) and deciding what to do once the program is over. If you’re curious about The Next Step, I’ll touch on that in another post sometime this week. Right now its time to rest up, overcome this cold and watch some basketball. While I can’t watch more than a few seconds without a hiccup in the internet connection, I will say NCAA March Madness on Demand has given me a small dose of the college basketball I love so dearly. Even though I can keep an eye on my bracket, I am still jonesing for couch time with my dad and trash talking text messages with friends. Thoughts of home do creep up at the strangest times!