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!