Greek On The Go

Go figure Eric has found his way to yet another Greek dining establishment here in Houston, I may or may not have a problem.  But, quitting is for losers, so tonight we are hitting up Papou Jerry's, a food truck that hangs at the West Alabama Ice House on Alabama just east of Shepherd.

The menu here is simple, all pretty much based around gyro meat with a few variations here and there.

The gyro itself was good, simple flavors but quality meat topped off with some flavorful vegetables, and a creamy tzatziki sauce.  The real star of this dish though is the fries, thick cut fries, covered in a Greek seasoning mix that made them simply irresistible.

The next dish we sampled was the Greek Pizza, a pita topped with a tangy tomato sauce, feta, veggies, and of course gyro meat.

The twist of the night was a grilled cheese with gyro, sounds simple but the tender gyro meat tucked into the melted goodness of a grilled cheese was a surprisingly delicious combo.

All in all Papou Jerry's was not a bad stop, but what makes it even better is that if you find yourself throwing back a few cold ones down at the West Alabama Ice House you just have to stumble out to the curb for some good Greek grub.

Fancy Pants

For those of you who avidly follow this blog you might realize that I tend to err on the side of cheap.  I am not exactly a regular of fancy restaurants with high class menus, but today we are stepping out of the norm.  This is about a trip to The Bird And The Bear part of the Ouisie's family here in H-town.

To say that the decor in The Bird And The Bear is different, might be an understatement.  Yes, those are chairs hanging from the ceiling and I do not know how to fully accept that but it is fine, the food made up for the oddity.

The meal starts out with a awesome cracker bread, coated in spices and sesame, served up with an olive oil dip filled with herbs and peppers.  I could literally eat this stuff all day and be perfectly happy.

We were in a celebratory meal this day, and so the appetizer of choice was escargot.  I am a big fan of escargot, sure it is snails, but that is aside the fact, this dish was served up in an amazing brandied butter sauce, giving the escargot a much more tangy flavor than the usual butter and garlic sauce I am used to.  The flavor as so much deeper than what I am used to, but that change up made this some of the best escargot I have ever tasted.

Brunch option #1 was The Green Benedict, the idea was brilliant, eggs Benedict with fried green tomatoes and tasso (a Cajun version of ham that is amazing).  Unfortunately, the practice was not as good as the theory, the actual dish is a whole fried green tomato (obviously the fried part did not hold up as well as it should have), and a minimal amount of Hollandaise sauce (Cardinal sin in this guy's Benedict book).  

Once again, good concept mixing in all of these flavors, but I think it would have been better in a more standard Benedict form (sauce, egg, meat, bread) with maybe a slice of fried green tomato, but that is not how this came out, and it was definitely lacking in something.  The home fries and fruit however, were a good side, but it did not make up for the rest of the dish.

The came brunch option #2, for some reason we were stuck on the fried green tomato idea today, and opted for BLTC, a sandwich topped with bacon, fried green tomatoes, and MJ cheese all on some homemade brioche.  Once again, great concept but it was just too much going on for a sandwich, although the house made potato chips helped to lessen to blow.

I cannot recommend The Bird And The Bear for the simple fact that the food was not worth the costs.  The escargot was amazing, but the rest that we ate was mediocre at best and definitely not worth the high end bill that was handed to us at the end of this meal.

Hub of Deliciousness

For those of you who don't know, Houston has some lovely weather, high humidity and a mild winter night means a nice pea soup fog will be drifting in most evenings, but it also means a decent time to sit outside and not sweat for once.

This was definitely the case one hazy night when we wandered up to Hubcap Grill on 19th Street in the Heights.  The Heights location is home to a great beer yard, perfect for lounging outside and sipping a few cold ones in between downing an amazing burger and fries.

Hubcap had me at hello the moment I saw their beer selection, that choice alone took about 5 times as long as deciding which of their amazing burgers to order.

My theme of the night for beers was to relive my days in Utah, enjoying a Squatters Hop Rising, a 9% double IPA full of bitterness and flavor.

I followed that up with a Wasatch Polygamy Porter, a rich dark ale from the same company, with a great motto of "Why have just one?" nothing like a little Utah humor on a beer label with the flavor to back it up.  As ironic as it may be to some, Utah has a great micro brewing culture that is pumping out some of my favorite beers that I like to indulge in anytime I visit my dad in Salt Lake.

Now on to the burger, I decided to go kinky with this one and selected the Cheeto-Burger, a patty topped with Cheetos and cheese sauce.  The flavors were crazy and the texture blew my mind, but the meat quality and the bun that seems to be made from a pillow makes me think that any combo picked from this broad menu is sure to please the taste buds.

Now do not come here looking for a veggie burger or a whole wheat bun, you come here looking for flavor and a kick ass product that does not end at the burgers.

Their fries are hand cut and ridiculous, and come in an untold number of varieties no matter what your taste may be.  We opted for the Stinky Fries, an aptly named dish of spuds topped off with malt vinegar and garlic.  The bitterness of the vinegar and the pungent garlic are great flavors on these thick cut fries, that seemed to match perfectly to my beer and burger.

Basically this place is perfect for burger lovers and beer lovers alike, and if you are like me and love both it might be just what you imagine heaven to be.

It's All Greek To Me

Let's start tonight's blog post off with some humor...

Ironically their burgers are made from the same material as the costume.

Now on to some real grub a dub dub.

Niko Niko's is a pretty awesome Greek joint on Montrose here in Houston, so good even Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives rolled up here one day. This has become one of my favorite Greek restaurants in all of Houston (rivaled closely by Yia Yia Mary's but you will have to wait for that write up) and so far I have not found an item on the menu I have not enjoyed.

The hummus may have an odd green hue to it but do not let that distract you from everything this plate has to offer. First of all, the veggies are a great change up from your standard pita as a dipping device, especially the crunchy bell peppers.  But wait, that is not all they mix up in this dish, you also get some pita chip so once again change up that texture and flavor and BOOM.  That does not mean the pitas are not good though, far from it, they are basically like little pillows from heaven that come out hot and fluffy, so dangerous.

Sea salt and oregano...  they keep it real on the Niko's tables.

Here is the crown jewel, the gyro, one of those absolutely awesome pitas full of tender meat, veggies, and a delicious tzatziki sauce. For those of you not in the know, tzatziki is a yogurt based sauce with cucumber and other flavors adding a cool creamy topping to gyros.  The gyro is fantastic, but look at those fries, fresh cut fries covered in flavor with just the right level of crunch.  Basically, this dish is amazing.

For those of you who may not be a fan of the gyro (not sure if we should be friends anymore if that is the case) they have a pretty amazing menu of Greek fare.  This is the Pastichio / Mousaka Combo, and of course there is a side of pita and fries because they do not want you to leave hungry.  Pastichio is kind of like a Greek version of lasagna, layers of pasta, meat, cheese, and sauce.  Mousaka is another baked item but this it is almost more like an eggplant casserole and is very hearty.  Both of these come cooked in a bechamel sauce so you know it is healthy.  If I had to choose one of the other the Pastichio wins hands down, you really cannot go wrong with pasta.


I have only hit the tip of the iceberg in my multiple trips to this little gem, but Greek cuisine is quite frankly amazing.  The flavors are rich and varied and you can gnaw on anything from lamb to delicious veggie items, basically the whole crowd would be pleased.

They Can't All Be Winners

So I generally try to only cover places that I enjoy.  I mean why would I want to put out all of the effort to write a blog on something that I did not even enjoy eating?  Then again there are days where I have to prove that quite frankly I do not enjoy everything, and some places are just that bad that I should probably issue a warning.

I had one of these experiences at Frank's Grill (1915 Mangum in Houston), I stumbled on this place while looking for a bank and a greasy spoon to fill my stomach.  The parking lot was full so naturally I figured that it must be a decent place, boy was I wrong.

I decided to go with the Southern greasy spoon staple of biscuits and gravy.  I mean really, it cannot get much simpler than some good old B&G but evidently not.  While the biscuit was decent I have no clue what that stuff on top of it is.  I mean I have seen white gravy but usually it at least has a few specks of pepper in it or something and instead this was simply a gelatinous blob ruining a perfectly good biscuit.  Strike 1.

After seeing the giant pile of hash browns cooking up on the flat top I at least had a little higher hope for my sides.  The eggs were once again flavorless, but then again eggs really are not rocket science.  The hash browns however did have some unique flavor to them, I am 90% certain that they season their hash browns with some for of cleaning product, they certainly tasted pine tree fresh... Strike 2.

I decided I did not even need a strike three to write Frank's off and there you have it... One place this guy will never be grubbing at ever again. Boom.

Chillax

It is no secret that I have an ongoing love affair with Mexican breakfast cuisine.  In my previous post Lost In Translation, I hinted briefly at one of my favorites here in Houston known as Jarro Cafe.  I first became aware of this little gem from an article in Texas Monthly suggesting the 50 best Mexican restaurants in the state.  Jarro may be known for its tacos which you might find in the trailer out front...

 and crazy salsa tray but I have fallen in love with this brightly colored joint for other reasons.

This is the home of not only numerous homages to the Beatles and a good selection of classic rock, but an amazing breakfast known as Aja Baraja.  The Aja Baraja is a version of my favorite breakfast chilaquiles, fried tortillas soaked in salsa, on steroids.  The plate comes loaded with chilaquiles covered in Mexican cheese, two eggs, and a thin strip of fajita meat.

The flavor is intense to say the least, a green tomatillo salsa with some kick to it really just ties the entire dish together and has me coming back as often as I can.

Dozynki or How I Learned To Love The Polish

Festivals in my mind are a great way not only to experience the different cultures but also to get a wide sampling of food from said culture.  In that spirit, I attended the Polish Harvest Festival (Dozynki) and had a great time taking in the dancing and food, along with a beer or two.  The festival is held annually at Our Lady of Czestochowa on Blalock north of I-10 in Houston.

We were greeted by some welcoming people made from hay bales, although the ground was muddy and the weather was not exactly pleasant the festival atmosphere was still very present. 

The beer of choice for the day was Pilsner Urquell, it was cool and crisp, and perfect on a warm muggy day, if only they served it in glasses that were not designed for an 8 year old.

I certainly felt out of place in my shorts and a shirt, but it was very cool to see all of the various Polish dress and the dancing that was put on by the children.  I personally would like to have a dance off between the Polish kids and the Greek Festival kids, people with power let's see what we can do to make this happen soon.

Now on to the food, which is of course why I came here in the first place.  My love for perogies made this festival an instant attraction to me, and these certainly did not disappoint.

I went with the sampler plate to get the best variety I could, it contained bigos, Polish sausage, three types of perogies, and a cabbage roll.  Bigo, is also known as hunter stew, it is the brown pile on the plate, and contains cabbage and a variety of meats that provide unique textures and flavors with each bites.  The cabbage roll was rather bland compared to the other dishes, and the meat seemed under cooked at first look, but the sauce was rich and overall was good for a cabbage roll. The real stars of the dish were the perogies, one was meat, one was potatoes and cheese, and another was sauerkraut, all of them delicious.

All in all the Polish Harvest Festival was a blast, it was great trying some new foods that I otherwise would have never had the opportunity to try on my own.  Definitely reminded me that I need to make another trip to Polonia and get a big plate of perogies the next time I find myself near Blalock.

Not Your Typical Pizza

I have found my favorite pizza thus far in the city of Houston, and tonight I have decided share this with you.

Candelari's Pizzeria is located on Washington Avenue, just west of the roundabout located at Westcott, there are other locations around town if you check their website and do not really feel like driving.  I have been here a few times now, the beer is always a good selection, and the food is even better.

They carry two types of pizza at Candelari's, Euro-Style and Signature, the Euro is a thin pizza with some different toppings, and the signature pizza is more traditional with your standard toppings in heaping piles.

My personal favorite is the Euro, the thin pizza is amazing and the simple toppings work wonders. My personal favorite is the Quattro Formaggi pizza, a pesto pizza with smoked provolone,  gorgonzola, mozzarella, and grana padano.  Pesto is definitely my favorite pizza sauce, the smooth flavor of olive oil and basil works wonders on a pizza. The cheese create a bold blend that complement the pesto excellently, a bold kick in the mouth with each bite.

For a Signature pizza I recommend the Papa Albert's, their version of the supreme pizza, a pie loaded with Italian sausage, black olives, onions, pepperoni, bell peppers, mushrooms, and my new favorite pizza topping green olives.  The ingredients are fresh and full of flavor from the bold sausage flavors to the tangy zip of green olives, the pizza is a home run.

Candelari's claims that they are "Not Your Typical Pizzeria" and they live up to that oath, from their salads to their wide variety of pizzas, even the pasta dishes that I saw walking past me all looked delicious.  As I said earlier, Candelari's is my new favorite pizza in town and I will definitely find myself walking through these doors from time to time.

Austin Meets Houston

The Creek Group family of restaurants must be doing something right, as the 4 of them always seem to have a crowd clambering for some good grub or a good drink.  Their restaurants all bear a name of waterways in the Austin area, as well as a theme focusing on the quirky city.  I was a big fan of Cedar Creek until they got rid of the outdoor fire pits and replaced them with fountains.

I found forgiveness in my heart though and decided to patronize one of their other restaurants, Canyon Creek, located on Westcott near Memorial Park. 

As you can see, the art work on the exterior of the building celebrates life around Austin, with the floaters, musicians, and even some annoying UT fans. 

The interior is no different, an eclectic mix of decorations, and yes even some annoying UT duct tape.  I don’t know if you are catching a theme here, but as a Kansas State fan I have the right to pick on those Longhorns (sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I am still riding high from my Cats beating the Horns yet again this Saturday... BOOM!).

Now on to the more important aspects of Canyon Creek, the grub.  The theme of this breakfast outing was omelets, I rocked the chorizo omelet and my mom ate the spinach omelet. 

The spinach as thick and hearty, almost too much greenery for the omelet, but the flavor was good and the cheese definitely helped counter the overload.

The chorizo was spot on, a greasy Mexican sausage that just adds great spice and flavor to any breakfast dish.  Now as per my side, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and force myself to eat something that I usually refuse to even consider, grits.  I do not see the appeal to this southern breakfast staple, I mean it is bland flavorless mush, which requires either a ton of butter, cheese, or some other flavor to make it edible by most standards.  That being said, I decided to try their cheese grits, loaded with cheddar, thus proving my point, but my bowl of cheddar with a side of grits was delicious none the less.

Canyon Creek is not a bad spot for breakfast, they have lunch and dinner as well, but you have got to hit the place at the right time, or a parking spot will be next to impossible to find.