Belly up- AT THE ZOO??

For Christmas this year the Houston Zoo had ZOOLIGHTS. We actually went on a lightly rainy night which was good. It was less crowded and only serious Christmas Light lovers were there. First excitement- going to the zoo in the dark. Everybody has thought about that at least once! In fact some of the exhibits were open. Like the reptile house- extra creepy! And the giraffe house, with it's glass wall. The sleepy giraffes were peering back out at us. They definitely had a "Bah- humbug" attitude!

All of the zoo was wrapped in lights. Then there were animal silhouettes in lights corresponding to every animal habitat you pass. AH- and the main walkway was all done up in lights that were synchronized to music. It was the most fun I'd ever had at the zoo! You have to stand there, enjoying, but waiting for your favorite Christmas song to play. Then seeing the trees dance to it!
But the most amazing part was the concession stand! You know the one- with all the outside tables by the lake. It was all decorated for Christmas. Even the servers were dressed as elves!  You could buy giant Gingerbread Men and decorate them yourself. There were "make your own" s'mores! And really, really good Hot Chocolate. And then, they offered you a shot of Kahlua or Bailey's or something peppermint to put in the Hot Chocolate. They didn't have that on the Polar Express! Well, we said "yes" to that and finished out tour, warm and toasty, of the lights and the zoo in the night.

Kahn's Deli

There's a little sandwich place in The Village, on Rice. It's one of those skinny store fronts that look like nothing. A couple of tables are loitering out front. And when you walk in you are reminded of the old soda fountains in the Bronx. Brick walls and a few more tables inside lead you up to a bar/counter the length of the building. Kahn's Deli has some of the best home made sandwiches in town. Of course, it's way more fun because the combos all have interesting names. There are five kinds of Ruebens including the Mike Kahn, Alpine (turkey), Biggio, and Olajuwan (with knockwurst). Corned beef and turkey seem to be the common thread in most of them. The (Rice) Owl's Hoot is turkey with pepperoni, ham, salami, and provolone. Who can argue with that? I've never been for breakfast but I hear they make killer omlettes!
There were even the token characters inside. There's the girl at the counter who takes the orders and serves. She doesn't talk much and sits by  the cash register surfing the net when no one is looking. Dare I say What do you expect from a New York Style Deli? It's part of the ambiance. Maybe she is an aspiring actress hired specially to play the part.
 A guy was sitting alone at a table having lunch. He was a typical looking teenager, dressed mostly in black, big jacket with some sports team. His cap had a flat "cool person" brim.
So we're looking at the menu blackboard and hat guy sits up straight and says to us "hey, get the sliders", (today"s special), "My girlfriend is the chef and she created them all". What? There's a whole OTHER blackboard with a dozen even crazier slider combinations! And you get three- perfect for trading with a friend for their sliders! Pork Pops are three seared pork belly pieces on a stick. Gourmet? At a Jewish -but not Kosher- Deli? The salmon slider has so much salmon on it, and the capers. Flavor plus!
We take a seat at the bar. And yes, a bar it is! They have nine beers on tap, except the three that were out,
plus a large selection of bottled beer in a glass case behind the bar. I even saw fixins to serve flights and take home growlers. They had the Karbach Yule on tap that has been recommended to us again and again. The Yule is dark and holiday tasting but not over the top. A great beer for a cold day for those who don't usually drink stouts or even IPAs.
The bar experience was great. There are a lot of chachkis behind the counter to look at. And the beer menu. I have to come back again and again just to try all the beers and all the different sandwiches. If I lived in the neighborhood, I walk over and hang out for lunch all the time. I'm sure hat guy is a regular. Maybe there are other regulars that like to hang out over a 50/50 and a beer. I could do that.

Brek's Mex

Our very favorite breakfast taco hang out is Mi Madre's in Austin. Well, I'm here to tell you that I have found a local Houston spot that is just as good, if not, better than Mi Madre's. Chilosos is on E. 20th Street in The Heights. It's a little house with outdoor tables on a covered front porch that must have once shaded a porch swing.  Inside it still has the little rooms, peppered with tall bar tables. Our table was in the corner, watched over by Audrey peeking in at us from the window of Tiffany's, coffee and cruller in hand. A very good sign. There's an open kitchen behind glass where you can see all the breakfast tacos being built to order. Now, many places make tortillas in their kitchens but these tasted like they made them fresh with each order. There are five or six different varieties....and the kitchen got every one in our order wrong. But we didn't care-because every one was better than the next! Whether filled with chirizo, bacon, Chappel Hill, or Owens, the "egg and meat and potato" combo was excellent. Top it with the super green or red salsa and you are in heaven. When I asked for orange juice, I was asked "bottle or fresh squeezed?". Definitely splurge the $3.25 for the fresh!!! Huge glass mug with ice and orange juice that was so fresh it could have been growing out back a minute before. Bliss.
 Now, be sure to get out there before it's discovered!

Frenzy Ballet

Stopped at PeiWei for a quick bite. I'm always confused at what to order there. "Some people" always order the same thing so it's no biggie. But I like to change it up. So we walk in and I'm ready to decipher the menu that I never can understand-which is a freestanding sign while you are in line. And lo and behold! We're behind a couple on a date who are standing close together, deep in conversation, and smack in front of the menu. They order:not much time to think: so I punt! Mongolian Beef. Spicy. The spicy part was a little disappointing until I realized there was chili oil and chili mash over by the tea station. So what if it looks like it's part of the wall decoration all pretty and tucked away in the bric-a-brac! Consider that a culinary revelation! Did you know that you could sit at the counter overlooking the open kitchen? No friendly conversation here! The six chefs have a carefully choreographed whirlwind going on back there. Four men sweating at woks. Two stir frying, one tempura, another making soup. The expo gets the order puts the rice and all the ingredients in a bowl and passes it on. #1 throws some oil in and wok and it bursts into high flame. Nobody is talking. Every station has a little dripping water faucet at the back for a quick rinse of pans or to add some steaming liquid to a steamer. Occasionally someone brings cold bottles of water to the chefs and they sneak a quick drink. It was amazing how quickly they got the orders out.And without lighting each other on fire! I found I was eating at a frantic pace just because they were moving so quickly.It's taking me three times as long to write this as they took to do it. It was like a short evening of dinner theater, watching them cook. If anyone has ever gone out to see STOMP, you'd know what I mean. Now I understand their logo. The dancing man is really their chefs performing their version of Dancing With The Stars!

 

The Last Concert

There's a little road just under I-10, right where it meets 59. And on that road is an old house with a red door. It's so close to the street there's barely a sidewalk. There's no sign,  just "Knock To Enter" written in Sharpie on the red. This is The Last Concert Cafe.
I've been there a few times. I have friends who's kids used to sneak out there when they were in High School and College. And I just recently met someone (my age) who's mom confessed to having gone there in her younger days..
There's a small bar area that is always full of  the regulars who check you out when you come in. Are you worthy? Then there's a small dining room which is really out back. Every time I've had dinner here there's been live music in the dining area. I always feel like they're guys from the neighborhood  who've wandered in to play their guitars and sing a little. It's never disappointing.
The food is good, nothing exciting. If your Mom was from Mexico and you came home from college, this is the kind of cooking you'd be craving.Not gourmet. Home made with love. I recommend the Enchiladas. There are so many choices!! Four kinds of cheese enchiladas, all named after someone. Then you really have to squint to read the descriptions. After the sun sets, it's pretty much mood lighting. But the margaritas are cold, and sour, and satisfying.
But now the real reason to go to The Last Concert (Besides atmosphere!). What used to be the back yard of the house is now filled with sand- like a beach volleyball court- and picnic tables, and tonight: gas heaters. There's a stage to the back and here's where the magic happens. Almost every night.

 TR3 Warming Up

 If you don't know Tim Reynolds, you MUST have heard of The Dave Mathews Band. Tim is Dave Mathews' guitarist. www.timreynolds.com  Dare I say, his talent far exceeds the talent of Dave? He tours as TR3 when not touring with Dave. His guitar skills are the best I've ever seen in a live venue- this includes my many go-rounds at Madison Square Garden. And to see him at a little place with less than 100 people! I wonder if he prefers the intimate places once in a while to the huge concerts he usually plays?
The audience was very casual. One guy came in on his bicycle. There was the dancer with the lighted hula hoop. And plenty of beer. It's outside, so the smokers (of all types) are happy. I can see us coming back for a little Jazz with a cigar and cognac at our side. I really could go on and on about this place- but I won't. It's hard to describe the feeling you get there. It's like a secret part of Austin has come to Houston. Or maybe it was here longer. And it's not "in your face". Just a little oasis- if you can find it.                                                  

Martini and Pizza                            

 Friday night we headed out to celebrate the gorgeous weather. First stop was The Wine Bar  on Lake Houston in Kingwood ....or Kings Harbor to the locals.
We didn't sit at the bar because we wanted to sit on the patio overlooking the water. The lake was quiet and the sun was setting. There were a lot of people just relaxing with a glass. The waitstaff are very sociable.   They have a really nice happy hour with $4 limited appetizers and $2 off glasses of wine. It's fun to mix and match wines from the glass menu, especially when you can chat wine-speak with the staff. They also sell wine by the bottle unopened to take home. Interestingly the waiters are also "retailers" and I think get a little commission on the sale.  The manager is charming and adorable- in spite of the fact that last time we were there he promised to create wine "score cards" so we could keep track of what we tried and liked, a la Crue.

Next stop we went into Humble to Zio's. The bar area there is kind of nice and we usually have a good time. There's actually two bar areas to choose from. There's the Pizza Bar with a view looking straight into the pizza oven (fun for the foodies).. And there's the bar, itself.
The bar tonight was completely empty and the bartender, Jordan, was kind of lonely. Zio's isn"t a big cocktail business. Their loss! Jordan makes the most incredible, olive-flavorful dirty martinis you could imagine! He tends bar almost every Friday and Saturday nights so pay him a visit. There we met Brad, who said he taught Bartender-Jordan how to make those ever so dirty martinis. Brad is a chemical engineer who at one time was a dancer at La Bare. Yes, he had pictures to prove it! Brad was with a group of his in-laws (5th marriage) so he was glad to hang with us for a while. he also introduced us to Cody Pogue, who is running for Texas House HD127, Humble/Huffman/Kingwood. Cody seemed pretty normal, actually. Not political or salesman-like. You can check him out at www.codypogue.com to see what he's all about.

Finally, to answer your question: Pizza With A Martini? Yes, YES, YES!. It's like wearing high heels with jeans or cowboy boots with your best suit. I don't have to explain. If you know what I mean then give it a try!

For The Faint Of Heart

You may never have thought about eating at the bar! Yes you can! The first time I realized that eating at the bar was great was at Babin's in Kemah, on the gulf outside Houston. It was crowded and we sat at the bar for a drink until our table was ready. Other people were eating, so we ordered a few appetizers. Then we struck up a conversation with the couple next to us. They also had run away from their kids for an afternoon out. We had a great time talking to them! Can't remember their names. "Two Ships That Pass In The Night" as they say.
Some places actually have "Bar Menus" with just appetizers. Some will serve the full menu. Sometimes they even have special pricing for diners at the bar. Happy Hour is a great thing!
You still don't believe me? Well, I have spoken to two professionals that are reliable sources who can convince you. I'll randomly call them "Amy" and "Jenn".
As a bartender, "Amy" preferred bar customers to eat at the bar- it's great for tips. "Jenn" compared waitressing and bartending. The people who eat at the bar are way more friendly and fun and also tip better! There you have it! Bartenders love you to eat at the bar! Go forth and enjoy!