Cheflambo's Profile
Visiting Houston
Don't be confused by the "Farmers Market" name - at City Hall on Weds from 11 - 1:30 is a collection of food purveyors ready to offer you any kind of lunch item you might want. The food trucks are there too (as many as our silly regulations will allow). There are also booths selling flowers and food items you can take home (or back to your office/hotel room) for later. The Mayor occasionally makes an appearance, and there are always a few special interest groups there to entertain or inform (Recipe for Success, etc). Although there is a shortage of veggies and farm-type items, you usually dont have to dodge strollers or small children. There are a few (but never enough) shady spots to sit while you eat and a very friendly vibe.
Fresh Roasted Coffee, Houston
Katz on 34th roasts every day (I live so close I can smell it). They sell at the Farmer's Market but you can also go directly there and buy minimal quantities right from the warehouse. I have also visited the Lola Savannah and Java Pura roasters and I do know you can buy small quantities on site from them too.
Himalaya Restaurant Houston report
I had lunch there yesterday with 5 others, and truly enjoyed the food and friendly treatment we received from Kaiser. Yes, he is a colorful character - he IS the reason we go there. Thanks to generous portions, I had the rest of my chicken tikka masala for lunch today. He directed all our servers himself (in spanish) and we held down a big table for more that two hours. We were never rushed, and I believe he even comped our shared desserts (the flan is really unique). When the bill came we divided it among the 6 of us, and even with gratuities, it was $18/person. It will be interesting to see if things run as smoothly when he is on vacation in the next two weeks - the first time since 1999 he's taken any time off.
I understand how people can be put off by their experience there. This restaurant is deep in Indo/Pakistani territory, and its not a white-tablecloth kind of place, with obsequious servers and overly attentive busboys. Local custom prevails, and sometimes communication is, well, garbled. I see my friend Joydreamz upthread - I know her experience was less than favorable, but hope she'll give them another try. My suggestion to anyone who has not yet been there is to go, and make friends with Kaiser. He's a great fellow, and treats his friends like family. Mutual respect is a win-win in that cultural situation.
Do you have family/friends who don't appreciate good home cooking?
I fully appreciate your sentiments, HighHeels. It is so disappointing when people just can't graciously accept a gift, whether or not they want it. There are plenty of folks in my life who just don't care about these things. I don't take it personallly - life is too short!
Teaching chow pups moderation
I wish my parents had thought this way - I might not be the size I am today. Back then the "no dessert unless you eat your beans" mentality made vegetables seem like punishment; sweets a reward. (those grey canned green beans, cooked to death, were indeed vile). Big family meant only 1 serving of any main; as an adult, I gave myself as much as I wanted, and am now wearing most of it. I don't have any children, but if I had, I suspect I would have taken a very different approach.
Cleaning up after dinner.
I can, and often do, sleep with a few dishes in the sink. When Mr. Cheflambo is around, he likes to hand wash stuff and leave it in the dish drainer -- they are seldom really clean, so I follow behind and put them in the dishwasher. When he is traveling, I just put everything in the DW and run as necessary. He insists it cannot be "launched" until it is FULL -- I find things actually get cleaner without everything jammed into every corner.
I do take issue with people who feel the need to clear the table when THEY are done, rather than sitting still for a few moments and enjoying their coffee and guests. I can recall many a Thanksgiving dinner with my mom up to her elbows in suds at the sink while my dad and brother and I were just taking our first bites of pie. Sisters were snatching up salad plates and silverware while shooting me the stink-eye because I wasn't "helping". Its true -- dishes CAN wait.
Do you have family/friends who don't appreciate good home cooking?
Oh HighHeels ... i feel your pain. If you'd brought me those macarons, I would have swooned in gratitude. There are a few in my family (we'll get to the in-laws in a moment) who don't really care about such things, and when i visit them, I just eat the Fritos and enjoy the company. My sister (a very uninspired cook who cooks everything to well-done) has a daughter who decided to become a vegetarian at age 9. She is now 17, still a vegetarian, and when I asked her casually why she made this culinary change in her life she said "have you ever eaten my mom's cooking?" Im proud to say she's received a full scholarship to college and will be studying nutrition this fall.
The in-laws invite us to their Thanksgiving dinner every year, and since we fly from our home to theirs, bringing food is really not an option. I've been eating this foodie-significant meal with them for 13 years straight now, and have yet to really enjoy it. Our hostess (cousin's wife) is a delightful woman who is more concerned about food SAFETY than flavor. Ergo, the turkey is cooked. to. death, with all possibility of live bacteria (or flavor) long gone. She uses glass cutting boards (easier to sanitize) and listening to SIL beat the knives against them just breaks my heart. Each year hostess shows me her beautiful china, and yet we eat from paper plates with plastic forks. The meal is all the standards -- some jello concoction, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes paved with a generous layer of marshmallows, potatoes cooked the day before to save time, dressing cooked outside the bird = flavorless, and pies from the nearby Publix (baked, probably, a week before). They made it clear the first year I attended that they did NOT need my help in the kitchen (I've even offered to sharpen the knives, and show them cutting skills). One year I suggested a nice green salad as a side dish, and they looked at me like I had sprouted antlers. "No room on the table" was the excuse I got. Our only contribution to the meal is whatever decent wine I can find at the nearby liquor store. Hub always says "no need to spend more than $10/bottle - they won't know the difference". I buy the best I can find -- since I will be drinking most of it as the day wears on.....
Birthday dinner within an hour of IAH
Does this meal have to be steak? Close to IAH and locally owned, Jimmy G's on SH Pkwy North has the best local seafood you can possibly find. It should accomodate your budget, and you won't get lost in the Woodlands.
Dining in Northern NJ - Sunday Brunch?
We will be in the Andover/Budd Lake area during the first weekend in June to attend a Sunday afternoon wedding at Crossed Keys Inn. I suspect the evening before we will be involved in some sort of rehearsal dinner event, but Im hoping for some Sunday brunch suggestions for a pre-wedding escape from the family brou-ha-ha.
Trader Joe's-I don't think Central Mrkt has anything to worry about
Oh Im sure its NOT trying to be a "Central Market" ... I've heard TJ's prices are quite good on many items. (I've ony visited one -- in New York City -- so I would not judge them based on the prices I saw there). Since the TJ in the Woodlands will open first, I suspect a lot of us will make a trip up there to check it out, and expect to find basically the same things in the new stores on Alabama, and Voss.
And. as much as I love Central Market, they've seen a lot less of me since the opening of the HEB @ Bunker Hill. They are equidistant from my home, but when shopping with a budget for basics, the HEB gets my business -- same food, same source, but usually at least 15% lower prices. When I just want the foodie "experience" I'll visit River Oaks.
Trader Joe's-I don't think Central Mrkt has anything to worry about
I hear you tlegray -- I lived in CL for 18 years, and made the hajj to CM about once a month. I think TJ would be a wonderful addition to the Bay Area, and would draw from Galveston, Texas City and the Friendswood areas. I will be excited to see what TJ has to offer (I've heard they're somewhat more affordable) and I think it will breathe new life into that strip on Shepherd.
Chef Upset with Customer Complaints
About two years ago, a local restaurant owner here in Houston visited a table to discuss the "doneness" of a lady's steak. She felt it had been overcooked; he disagreed, but not too respectfully. Things got loud. The patron was asked to leave. No big deal? Well, the patron in question happened to be the restaurant critic for the Houston Chronicle. Within 48 hours, everyone had heard about it.
Good Food near Reliant Arena
Near Reliant and within a reasonable walking distance is DiMassi's buffet on Kirby. There is always a good, fresh selection of food, it is vegetarian-friendly, and as with all buffets, you can have as much as you want. Lunch will cost you about $10, including beverages. The hummus & za'atar bread can be a meal itself. I used to work nearby and my colleagues and I visited at least once a week.
So WHY were we forced to sit at the table till the food was gone??
I, too, faced down many an overcooked vegetable well into the evening, after everyone else had been excused. Back in the 60s, most of our moms only had access frozen or canned vegetables; I didnt taste a steamed green bean until I was in my teens, at someone else's house. But as others have pointed out here, there were two mitigating factors involved:
The Depression syndrome - my parents were children during the Depression, raised by parents who conserved, repurposed and never wasted anything. The starving children in (choose a 3rd world country) were often invoked, and I was firmly reminded that they would go through their own garbage to eat the mushy carrots and grey green beans I was turning my nose up at.
Control: "Because I said so" was the only reason I ever got for anything they wanted me to do. "A choice" was something I was told I had to wait until adulthood for. As a rebellious Indigo child, with a stern career-military dad, conflict was inevitable. If they let me "get away with" being disobedient at the table, it was perceived as a gateway to other (far worse) largesse.
Last year I was visiting a cousin of mine (who had similar parents) he was preparing dinner for his 2 kids, aged 6 and 8. He was asking each one "do you want chicken or hamburger? Do you want corn or carrots?" etc. I told him I thought it was nice that he gave them a choice, as my mom had so often served up a big steaming bowl of "just eat it" every night and we were expected to comply. As he prepared a serving of chicken, a serving of hamburger, a serving of corn and a serving of carrots, he looked up and said "Sometimes I think your mom had the right idea."
Okay, I may be a cheapskate, but what to do with Costco....
Pour them over shredded cabbage inestead of a mayo-based dressing for an interesting cole slaw.
Chris Shepherd's Underbelly on Westheimer opens today
Full opening to the public is March 5
Kitchen/Chef's Table
Triniti also has two long tables near the open part of the kitchen. Its a delight to watch the smooth ballet of trained servers and chefs turning out their fabulous food.
The decline of Food & Wine magazine, Dana Cowin's fault or my own?
It really depends on what you're looking to get from these magazines. Bon Appetit has been getting thinner and thinner, a wispy substitute for Gourmet; F&W seems to have more and more "advertorials" masquerading as legitimate content. Saveur is getting better, but I am biased -- it features photography by a friend of mine, and as far as Im concerned, she may as well be the only reason I read it. I continue to subscribe because they've always been part of my life, but like the OP, some are a VERY quick read.
Pierson & Company BBQ
Gatlin's will certainly give you ribs without the sauce. (If you have any doubts about how things are served, you can call the restaurant - preferably during non-peak hours - and ask.) And since not all restaurant websites are created and maintained by professionals who do nothing else (for a hefty fee) some sites (especially for mom-and-pop type places) are done on the fly, or by the owners themselves, or by a generous 3rd party who may have been paid w. food, The best way to judge a place for yourself is to actually go there and eat the food.
Yes, we all want to see the menu before we go and spend our hard earned money in a place we might not already know. And I have acquaintances who get locked into what they see on a website, then have a snit because the menu they were handed when they sat down was in any way different from what they were expecting. But honestly, I would rather think that any restaurant I spend my money in paid more attention to their food than anything else.
Pierson & Company BBQ
Folks ... please .... do NOT rely (solely) on Yelp. There are so many other (more reliable) sources for information about local restaurants. Make the effort to get to Gatlin's -- its another little hidden gem that is worth the trip.
Pierson & Company BBQ
If you use Facebook, check out and "like" Houston Barbecue Project, maintained by J.C. Reid, who writes often (and well) for the Chronicle on this topic. If anyone knows whats going on with Clarence Pierson, its this guy,
Houston Specialty Markets
Please don't call it "trash fish" ... its known as "by catch"
Hey y'all ...Dying for some fried clams in h-town
Just about the only place for fresh clams is Cape Cod. There was a place on the main drag in Hyannis called the Clam Shack (surely long gone by now but back in the day) that served them hot and fresh with incredibly crisp fries. We'd beg our parents to take us there every. single. day. I can still taste them just thinking about it,
Hey y'all ...Dying for some fried clams in h-town
I had Long John Silver's fried clams (under duress) a few weeks ago. They were meh. Red Lobster might have them, but they are surely frozen, so might be on the same level w. LJS.
layover: need good food for our overnight
Does it really have to be Tex-Mex? If so, you'll probably be happy with Pappasitos (15380 I-45 North) easily accessible by taxi. If you want really excellent local seafood, I strongly suggest Jimmy G's (307 N. Sam Houston Pkwy) also a short cab ride from the IAH area.
wrapping up the leftovers
I love leftovers but if the food is good enough, there usually arent any! That said, I let the situation be my guide. At a business dinner ... no. But if there is half a bottle of good wine, I will either send it back to the kitchen for the chef, or take it with me. In more casual situations, its cool. I draw the line at bringing my own containers, however. I have a friend who does this consistently (makes me wonder what else is in that backpack-sized purse of hers) and sometimes its downright embarassing.
Paula Deen's may have "type 2" (aka lifestyle) diabetes - surprise, surprise, surprise!
So at this point it is all heresay? Really people ... why don't you CONFIRM your rumors before putting the poor woman's head on a spike? I'm not defending her cooking skills or recipes -- there's plenty of butter & sugar in a lot of other cookbooks too. She's not a "shill for diabetic meds" - Novartis has confirmed it. IF this turns out to be true, it would put a new face on diabetes, and make even a few more people aware of it. She could advocate testing, and help an even wider *ahem* audience understand the disease. Its not ALL about money -- its about health and prevention.
