Lee Ashwood's Profile
Driving From Austin to Tyler-Then to College Station & Back to Austin
Texas Monthly also gave a nod to Stanley's BBQ here in Tyler. I love love love their fish tacos. Tyler's not known as a restaurant town, but Stanley's is worth a stop.
Moving to Tyler, where do we eat?
Tyler isn't a great restaurant town by any stretch of the imagination, but there are a few places (mom n pops) that are worth going out for. The big joke answer to your question would be, "My house."
For something nicer, you should try Bernard's or Currents or drive a few minutes out to Kiepersol Estates. I saw the chef of Mansion on the Hill buying Select beef at the local grocery store a few months ago... sorry, that's the kiss o death if you ask me.
For a quick weeknight, Little Italy (Broadway), Don Juan's (west Erwin)(the old one, no bar, alas, better atmosphere for kids, however), Peking (5th St.), all great, family friendly and cheap. For lunch, Jersey Mike's makes a fine Yankee-style grinder sandwich. Shogun's sushi is fine, the waitress is a battleax and there's smoking at the bar (yuck) but the Lobster roll is to die for. The fellow who mentioned Southern Classic didn't really do them justice, it's really slap your mama good fried chicken, just get chicken and fries, it's what they do best, they don't make biscuits or very good sides, but their yardbird is fab. And one more really great lunch place is El Lugar, up on Gentry Parkway, the old one, I ate at the two new ones recently and was seriously disappointed. They don't take credit cards.
I know you said no bbq, but Stanley's BBQ (Beckham) is owned by nice folks who book bands sometimes and they have a damn fine fish taco.
Let me be the first to say, Welcome to Tyler.
What does catfish taste like?
I'd add that one should really not order catfish in the summer time, as when the water is hot, the fish will go deep into the mud and thus taste very muddy.
Also, food service catfish is sometimes from very far away places, Korea, Vet Nam, some such, and is really mushy and REALLY tastes like dirt. I'd recommend that you ask your fishmonger what their brand is fed upon. Some fish farmers feed dog kibble to their ponds (You know, chicken feathers, etc...). Blech. If the fish man doesn't know, shop elsewhere.
call for Thanksgiving debriefing: the good, the bad & the ugly. Please share your greatest successes and also any duds to learn by
I think our biggest hit was Soup of Two Squashes, buttercup and golden nugget squashes, roasted and then blended with an emulsion mixer with onion and garlic and butter (deglazed with French brandy) and hot stock and finished with cream and each bowl served out of a lovely new tureen, topped with a spoonfull of caramelized leeks.
Second biggest hit: clove scented creme brulee with maple sugar. Ten year old daughter made it in lovely old pre-occupation Japanese cups (her choice after a pirate mission to loot the china hutch) and her care and attention to detail made it taste even better. She strained the cream twice. Love that!
Biggest miss? Creamed peas. Peas were fine alone. Cream sauce wasn't thick enough.
Second biggest miss? Gluten free gravy. Corn starch will never even come close to approximating what happens with butter and flour and hot stock or milk. The taste was fine, but the texture was just so not gravy. Love the celiac, hate the sprue.
Best chow in Midland/Odessa
I'd have to put in a vote for La Bodega, and their rellano, it's an ancho pepper, and it's interior style. Finished with toasted pinones and rasins. Yum.
But their service is sketchy at times.
And we usually eat Taco Villa three or four times per visit. It's very fresh and simple.
TV Dinners, Are You Guilty?
When we need desperate dinner, we usually eat Amy's frozen food. It's really yummy. Their little Mexican-flavored bowls are delish. Pesto raviolis are divine. All of the dishes of theirs I've eaten have been great.
What are your least favorite Thanksgiving recipes??
Absolute agreement.
That sweet glop on the top is just nasty.
Even worse when put on top of *CANNED* yams or whatever veg it is in those cans.
I can't think of a more disgusting holiday side dish in existence.
Recommended Indian cookbook?
Lord Krishna's Cuisine is a lovely, lovely cookbook. Highly recommended.
Sushi in Houston
I second Oishii on Richmond. Nice mom n pop ambiance.
The rice is good too!
Are a chowhound even when you are sleeping?
I dreamt last night of rows and rows of lemon tarts.
And *someone* was licking the top of each one!
"Oh NO," I thought in my dream, "he's going to lick MY tart! He's only supposed to have one!"
You know you're a Chowhound when....
I once broke up with someone I had sent to the grocery for butter who returned with something called "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter". Furthermore, I shamed him for this telling him, "You RUINED my Easter dinner, now get out!"
