TX takes TX: Around the World in a Long Weekend

by Rachel Hamburger, intern

For LSU fall break I made my way back home to Houston. I used this as an opportunity to eat at a lot of my favorite restaurants I’d been missing while at school. Lucky for me, Houston is a major foodie city with thousands of delicious restaurants to choose from. I’m a fan of different cuisines, so naturally my favorite restaurants reflect this. Here’s some of my faves that I was lucky to stop at over the extended weekend:

Tex-Mex: Chuy’s

Chile Rellenos, Refried Beans and a Soft Taco at Chuy's

Chuy’s Tex-Mex is one of my absolute favorite spots for Tex-Mex. Although it has grown into a chain, it originated in Austin and the location I go to in Houston is one of the first franchises. I go to different Tex-Mex restaurants for different things: Los Tio’s for cheese enchiladas, Lupe Tortilla for the fajitas, El Real for nachos, etc. 

My reasoning for loving Chuy’s the way I do is for its chile con queso and chile rellenos. The queso has roasted green chiles, which gives it a great smoky spicy flavor. The rellenos are roasted and perfectly fried Anaheim peppers stuffed with delicious melty cheese.

My go-to order is a soft ground beef taco and a cheese chile relleno, double refried beans and no rice. Chuy’s has THE BEST refried beans. I don’t usually end up being able to eat the double serving of refried beans, but I always order it for leftovers.

Mediterranean: Fadi’s

Gyro at Fadi's

Fadi’s is a cafeteria-style line, with so many options. For example, they have about 10 different types of hummus alone. This time I got gyro, hummus, pomegranate eggplant, and dolmades (rice-stuffed grape leaves). Gyro meat is cooked on a vertical rotisserie. The most common is beef, which is what I ordered. Fadi’s has delicious homemade pita bread, it’s about 10x better than pita bread from a package-- hot, doughy and delicious. I try to order differently every time I go to Fadi’s, because everything is so good and I like to try out different things.

Houstonian: Local Foods

The Seasonal Harvest Salad at Local Foods

While this isn’t an ethnic restaurant, it can be considered “Houstonian” cuisine, kind of fits, right? The first Local Foods location opened in 2011, and they already have 3 locations and are working on a fourth. Their concept is just what the name entails: the use of local ingredients. 

Each location is spectacularly designed, it’s the type of restaurant you love to go to because of the atmosphere (as well as the food, obviously.) Their menu consists mainly of sandwiches, salads and soups but they also have tons of delicious sides, as well as multiple vegan options. 

Houston is a city full of food, but the focus on local organic foods has become increasingly popular, and the fast expansion of Local Foods is proof of that. I got the Seasonal Harvest Salad with chicken. I love getting this salad because it really does use whatever ingredients are in season, so it’s different each and every time I order it.

Indian: The Bombay Brasserie 

All of the things at The Bombay Brasserie

I have been going to eat at The Bombay Brasserie since I was a little girl. It is my absolute favorite Indian restaurant on planet earth. My parents both love Indian food, and introduced me to it at a very young age. I have loved it from the start and consider the Indian cuisine one of my favorites. Every day, Bombay Brasserie has a lunch buffet (typical of many Indian restaurants.)

I know that many people frown upon buffets, as they usually aren’t the best quality, but this is not the case with Bombay Brasserie. Silver ornate chafing dishes and white tablecloths are what you get at this lunch buffet.

Why do I love going to the buffet versus going for dinner? The Indian cuisine has so many different dishes and unless you go with a larger group for dinner, you won’t get to try different ones. It is a cuisine best served family style, but I typically am eating out with one parent or the other. That doesn’t enable you to be able to order in typical “family style” fashion so the buffet is perfect.

It’s all served with warm Naan, traditional Indian flatbread similar to pita, and poppadum, a thin, giant, round Indian cracker (typically made from lentils or chickpeas.) My all time favorite dishes are Saag Paneer, a creamed spinach with cubes of paneer cheese (a cheese used in many Indian dishes), and Chicken Tikka Masala, cubes of roasted chicken in a creamy tomato and butter sauce. I also can’t go to the Bombay Brasserie without ordering a Mango Lassie to drink. It’s a mango yogurt drink that is perfect in cooling your mouth down from the many spices in the food.

Thai: Thai Cottage 

Red Chicken Curry

My last stop of the weekend was Thai Cottage, my favorite Thai restaurant. I almost always order the Red Chicken Curry; because it is so good I have a difficult time straying from it. Thai red curry is very different from Indian curry. It is soupier and made with red curry paste, coconut milk, bamboo shoots, peas, carrots and basil served with rice. If you didn’t know any better you would think it was full of cream, but its smooth, velvety texture comes from the coconut milk.

When ordering, you tell the waiter which spice level you want, from one to five. I opt for level three, which is pretty spicy but not so spicy that you can’t enjoy the food. Thai cottage has nine Houston area locations, so no matter what part of town you’re staying in, there will likely be a Thai Cottage in the vicinity.

These are just a handful of my favorite Houston spots that I miss dearly when I’m in Baton Rouge. I hit up most of these places every time I’m back in H-town. If you find yourself in Houston anytime soon, check any (or all) of these out. You’ll thank me later.

Get Your Slurp On: Soupspiration in Baton Rouge

by Sydney Blanchard

Baton Rougeans: what have we done to deserve this? Who have we displeased? 

Because I am 1000% done with this weather.

I want to run errands without worrying about my car turning into a boat. I'd like to leave my house without getting soaked to the bone. Ideally, it would be cool if people could stop getting into wrecks.

Really, I've only come to one conclusion here. We all need to just stay in and sleep. Skip work, play hooky from school, and binge watch the newest season of Hemlock Grove.

We're not going to judge you.

Here's some local soupspiration to either fantasize about, try to recreate at home, or heck, have GoButler deliver it straight to your door.

Lemongrass Soup at Thai Kitchen

This soup is guaranteed to get your sinuses right. Trust me.

Pho at Dang's

By now, you should be aware of our obsession with Dang's. They're even using this blog post as their listed website on Facebook.

Black Bean Soup at MJ's Cafe

Since we all just found out that red meat is "carcinogenic" to human, I figured I'd include a vegetarian option for those of us affected by the new Red Scare.

Duck and Andouille Gumbo at The Chimes

No one makes gumbo as well as my grandma, but The Chimes is a pretty close second. 

Curried Pumpkin Bisque at Latil's Landing

This curry, pumpkin, and crawfish blend is both seasonal and life-affirming.

My "Best of 225" Ballot

I had the privilege of being randomly selected to vote in the Best of 225 poll a couple months back.  Now that the selections have been published, I thought it would be appropriate to reveal my ballot... as it relates to bites and boozes anyway.

First of all, the Best of 225 is nominated and voted upon based on randomly selected individuals who are plugged into the 225 electronic media outlets.  The nomination forms are blank and ask for just that: nominations in each predetermined category.  After the nominations are tallied, the top nominees are then listed on a ballot and sent back out to a random group of readers.  Here were my picks that warrant noting:

Boiled Crawfish:
Randy Montalbano's Seafood and Catering

Tony's crawfish are under seasoned on purpose.  They self-admittedly don't over heat the mudbugs because they boil so many and have such a large, broad market.  I don't blame them, but I also don't think they're the best.  Sammy's is where my friends and I go most often... but I still think the chances of them being fresher and spicier are higher at Montabano's on Florida Blvd.  You can check out my 2010 crawfish tour for more info.



Brunch:
Mason's Grill

Mason's came in second place to The Chimes.  I'm okay with that.  But Mason's has Bloody Masons and bottomless mimosas.  Mason's Grill, FTW.



Burger:
Tramonte's Meat and Seafood

There are plenty of local burger places that deserve to be high on this list.  Plenty.  My choice goes to Tramonte's.  Many people don't even know of this place, but those folks are just missing out.  It is easily the best back yard on the grill style burger in town.  Side by side with Tramonte's I'd have any burger from the Curbside Truck.  I know there was a separate category for food trucks, but Curbside's burgers are no joke!  And what about the Cajun Shrimp Burger at Mason's?? And if I wanted a flat-top burger, I'd certainly pick Dearman's or Roul's Deli over Five Guys.  I'm ashamed at our voters.



Deli:
Anthony's Italian Deli

My pick pretty easily goes to Anthony's Italian Deli.  Their muffaletta is certainly one of the best in town.  And it is just real.  It is a locally owned, tiny, hole in the wall Italian deli and market.  You can't beat that.  I'm a fan of the Maxwell's Market selection in Best of 225 though.  They do a great job.  I imagine that by this time next year the Swine Market at Marcello's will be on my list.  And finally I'd put AM Mart on towards the top of my deli list.  They make a mean Cajun turkey sandwich!



Exotic Pizza:
Pastime

First, define "exotic pizza."  Then, tell me what is more original and unique to our cuisine than the Boudin Pizza at Pastime?  I do LOVE the Around the World at Fleur de Lis, but what makes it exotic?  Anchovies?  And I'd also like to at least mention the Duck and Andouille Sausage Gumbo pizza at Oscar's.  That's pretty exotic in my book.



Frozen Treats:
Latte e Miele

*photo credit to Latte e Miele's facebook page

Easy choice.  Never been?  Fix that, fast!



Meat Lover's:
Doe's Eat Place

Mmmm.... meat!  Some of the best steaks in town.  Locally owned by great people.  Handcut.  Prime.  Cow.  I wrote a whole article about them that you can find on Bite and Booze: Get Your Steak on at Doe's Eat Place.



South Asian:
Rama

This little hole in the wall at the Perkin's Road Overpass is excellent.  Well, I like it anyway.  And yes, I'll count Southeast Asian as "South Asian."



Sushi:
Sushi Yama

If you've never gone into Sushi Yama, sat at the bar, and asked the talented chefs to just make you something unique, then you aren't really experiencing sushi in Baton Rouge.



Sweets:
Strand's Cafe

I feel sorry for anybody who doesn't know about Strand's Cafe downtown.  You want to talk about some amazing sweets?  Well, here you go.  It is gourmet, but it is also expertly crafted by some great people with constantly smiling faces.  The chocolates are delectable.  Go stop in and tell them I said hi!



New Restaurant:
Beausoleil

Beausoleil got robbed by not winning this category in the Best of 225, but rest assured that they got my vote! I've still only been for lunch and brunch, so if anybody would like to join me for dinner some time soon, let me know.  First glass of Smooth Ambler craft distilled whiskey is on me!



Cold Beer:
The Chimes

$2.50.  Tin Roof.  Tuesdays.  Yep, they've still got it.



Happy Hour:
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar

This pick may seem a bit odd, but I challenge anybody to find a better happy hour.  If you do, please let me know!  What you get at Fleming's for the price tag during their 5-6-7 daily happy hour is the best deal I've found in town.  They have 5 appetizers, 5 glasses of wine, and 5 cocktails for $6 from 5-7 PM.  Plus, their burger is also $6... and it is an incredible burger compared to anything else I've ever found for $6.  It doesn't take much to get me to go to Fleming's for happy hour, so if you're in the mood, just let me know!



Live Music:
Varsity

I saw Willie Nelson at the Varsity within the past year.  I don't need to say anything more than that.



Party/Event Venue:
Roux House

The Roux House has a nice indoor space, a great patio area, and some of the friendliest bar staff around.  Plus it is on Third Street, so it is a great place to have an event and then bar-hop if you're so inclined.



Wine Bar:
Enoteca Marcello's

I like Enoteca Marcello's as a wine bar because of the atmosphere.  The wine list isn't incredibly extensive, but it is really good.  And the place is more my style than other "wine bars" in town.

Agree on some of these?  Disagree?  Have some thoughts of your own?  I'd love to hear them!  Please leave a comment on this post or hit me up on Facebook and Twitter.  These were my picks for 2011, but they've been different in years past and will certainly continue to evolve in the future.  Also, stay tuned this fall because the BRFoodies will be releasing the BRTop100: 100 favorite dishes from 100 original Baton Rouge restaurants!  It'll be posted in groups of 10 on Bite and Booze to count down from 100 to 1!

Rama Thai Cuisine

Sometimes, well, a lot of the time, I'm in the mood to find authentic hole-in-the-wall restaurants that make Baton Rouge such a great food town.  The Red Stick doesn't get enough credit in the culinary world due to all of the national chain signs that you see while driving down the interstate and New Orleans being only another 60 miles down the road.  However, if you hop off the freeway and hit a side street, you'll find some locally owned eateries with some exceptional flare.  One of these quaint places is Rama Thai Cuisine.  The Perkins Road Overpass area Thai restaurant is one of the forgotten gems in Baton Rouge, and it is time I give it some respect on Bite and Booze.  Eusebio and I dined at Rama a little while back, and we couldn't have left more satisfied!

Rama Thai Cuisine on the Inside and Out

It only felt natural to begin my meal with some Thai beer, so I ordered a Singha and started to get my taste buds ready for some Asian flavor.  Singha is a fairly standard lager with that Asian bite that you'll recognize from other Japanese beers like Kirin Ichiban.  It is pretty tasty, but I'd rather get to the food.

Singha Lager Beer

To wet our appetites a little more, we ordered a couple of appealing appetizers.  First up were the fried wontons.  These were nothing too special but they were fried to a nice crisp and had pretty decent flavor.  We had the shrimp chips for second app.  The chips were light and delicate with a great shrimp taste.  They came served with a delicious peanut sauce to dip the chips in.

Fried Wontons and Shrimp Chips with Peanut Sauce

The next dish to leave the kitchen and make its way in front of me was the lemongrass soup.  This fantastic soup was sweet and spicy with a citrus flavor.  It came loaded with shrimp and mushrooms, and I ate every bite.  I love a good, simple soup like this!

Lemongrass Soup

For an entree I called on the Rama Duck.  This delightful half of a duck was seasoned with Thai herbs and spices, then roasted until fork tender.  Each bite of duck put a smile on my face as the flavors filled my mouth and tickled my tongue.  The duck still tasted like duck meat should, and was only complemented by the sweet and savory Thai seasonings.  Steamed vegetables were served with the duck, and they tasted alright, but the duck certainly highlighted the plate. 

Rama Duck with Steamed Vegetables

For dessert, Eusebio and I couldn't decide between the fried apples with ice cream or the fried bananas with ice cream.  So, we did what any good person should do: we got both!  These fried-fruit desserts each came with three scoops of homemade ice cream.  Rama offered a selection of ice cream flavors, of which we ordered all of them: vanilla, coconut, and durian.  Yes, that's right, that durian! 

Durian Fruit as eaten by Andrew Zimmern in Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel

Eusebio and I were a little nervous to try it as an ice cream flavor, but it was actually quite good.  The vanilla and coconut icecreams tasted pretty standard.  They were not very rich, but still had a smooth texture and the right amount of flavor to provide a condiment to the fried fruit and something sweet to end the meal with.  The durian icecream certainly had a unique flavor but it was nothing offensive.  I actually think I liked it more than the other two, even if it was just for originality alone.  I wouldn't hesitate to order it again next time I go to Rama, that's for sure!

Fried Apples and Banana Topped with Ice Cream, Durian Ice Cream on a Fried Banana

You can also check out the Cuisine Rouge post about Rama to see what they have to say about this little Thai Restaurant!

Thai Kitchen with Megan

Thai Kitchen stands tall on the list of Baton Rouge Thai restaurants, though there are several other places that I like equally well for different reasons.  Thai Kitchen is the larger, more corporate feeling Thai location that always has a crowd and serves what I thought was consistently good food.  They are not a hole-in-the-wall like Rama and they do not offer a buffet like Thai Pepper.  Instead, Thai Kitchen serves their sushi bar and Thai cuisine in the well-known Southdowns Shopping Center, right next to Spectrum Fitness and around the corner from a popular watering hole, The Bulldog.  The tables at Thai Kitchen are made from carved wood with an Asian flair that matches the rest of the decor, and they also feature karaoke bar which is prominately advertised around the building.  Megan accompanied me on a recent trip to Thai Kitchen to see what we could find to satisfy our appetite. 

Neau Nam Tok

For an appetizer, our knowledgable server recommended the Neau Nam Tok.  This marinated and charbroiled beef came out sliced thin and seasoned with Thai herbs, hot pepper, and fresh lime juice.  The beef and herbs were served with crispy cabbage to make "cabbage wraps" out of the dish.  I have to say that this was my favorite part of the dinner (It was almost better than the company, but not quite!).  Not to say that everything else tasted bad, but rather, this appetizer is one that I can see myself getting over and over again.  The tender slices of tasty beef oozed with juices that brilliantly blended hot, sweet, and sour all together into one outstanding bit.  The hint of lime, the spice of pepper, and the tang of the herbs mixed in a symphony of flavors that orchestrated my taste buds.  Yeah, I'm getting that again!

Singha, Thai Lager Beer

Naturally when I eat at a Thai restaurant, I like to get a Thai beer.  For the selection available around here, it doesn't get much better than Singha.  Singha is a light lager beer with a sweet, distinguishably Oriental taste that is common in many East Asian beers.  The head quickly disappears from the glass and it can easily be mistaken for cheap American swill with many of the same tendencies.  All in all, the beer is good, but I don't really drink it except for when I'm eating Thai food.

Panang Curry

One traditional dish in Thai cuisine is curry.  Megan and I shared the panang curry with shrimp.  The dish featured a panang curry paste with coconut milk, green beans, and Kaffir lime leaves served with steamed white rice.  The panang curry is rather mild and the coconut milk and lime flavors stood out and very much complemented the shrimp.  I thought it was pretty good and would certainly recommend it or eat it again.

Pad Thai

The other quintessential Thai dish that you find in America is Pad Thai.  The popular dish at Thai Kitchen has stir fried rice noodles with shrimp, bean sprouts, scallions, tofu, ground peanuts, and eggs.  This particular Pad Thai did not impress Megan and I much at all.  I like Pad Thai a lot, but the taste of Thai Kitchen's dish on this night seemed a little off.  It remained edible, but not the special, delightful dish that it usually is.  Oh well, I guess you can't win them all.  I'm sure that I'll still go back and when I do, you can bet that I'll order the Neau Nam Tok.