Pic Of The Day - 12.19.15 - Stuffed

That's how I felt when the day was over.

It started with a group of us meeting at Gallery Furniture and then making our way to deliver furniture, clothes and gifts to a family. It was a collaborative effort between Legacy, Mental Health Association-Houston and Gallery Furniture.

After that little jaunt, I decided to reward myself with a Bellini, shrimp po' boy and shortbread cookies from Paulie's even though I knew I'd be having dinner with Margo at Harold's that evening.

Yes, I was well fed.

Pic Of The Day - 05.14.14 - Hey Cookie!

Pic Of The Day - 02.17.14

Do you ever drive by a place and think, "I want to eat there but I don't because they're always so busy"? That's how I feel about El Rey. They're always busy and no matter which direction you come from, there is usually a traffic jam in front, on the side or in the parking lot. There are only two restaurants that I'm willing to go through that much work for and those restaurants are Paulie's and Brennan's.

Restaurant City

I tried to find statistics on the number of Houstonians who eat out.  Houston is the 4th largest city in the United States and has oodles of restaurants...some good; some bad.  Unlike New Orleans, we don't have a standard.  For instance, in New Orleans if you can't make a good gumbo, you're going out of business.  And New Orleans is known for it's Cajun and Creole cuisine.  Boston is known for it's seafood and Italian cuisine.

Houston is so diverse, we don't have a standard cuisine.  This makes us a formidable player when it comes to cities that have the best restaurant scene.  Tex-Mex.  Barbecue.  Asian.  Italian. Southwestern.  Seafood.  Steaks.  The list goes on and on.

So we got a nod from Esquire Magazine who ranked Houston #7 in the top 10 of America's Best Restaurant Cities.  Thanx for the nod Esquire!

What are your favorite restaurants?  My list includes (in random order): Cyclone Anayas; Tony's; La Griglia; Paulie's; Jax; Phil's Barbecue; Barnaby's; Reef; Cafe Ginger; Mo Mong; Americas...just to name a few.  There is one restaurant that I still mourn its closing: Anthony's.  There will forever be hole in my heart.  Many a good meal was shared there.  And not dis chains, I do love P.F. Changs but you can find one of those in every big city...and I do!

So readers, let me know.  What are your favorite restaurants?