We make our way through the picturesque farm and ranch country of central Texas, headed for downtown Austin and then to the north shore of Lake Travis. It’s a spur of the moment road trip. An impulse to get out of town before the summer slips away, do a little wining and dining someplace fresh […]
Banh Appetit! The French-Inspired Vietnamese Po-boy is Booming in Popularity
If you’re from Louisiana, you know the dead seriousness involved in finding the ultimate po-boy sandwich. People, including me, will travel far and wide to get what they like. (See our Delicious Detours post here.) You get the same feeling from those who love the French-influenced Vietnamese sandwich known popularly as the banh mi. Like […]
Cheese Spotting at the Local Farmers Market
We were up bright and early last Saturday to visit our local farmers market. The tables were piled high with colorful root veggies, leafy greens and bright tomatoes. But I was on a mission–in search of late summer artisanal cheese.
Cupcakes for Breakfast. Is That So Wrong?
(Update: Unfortunately, this bakery is permanently closed.) It’s mid-morning, and I’m on my way back from dropping my daughter at day camp. On one side of the road, cows graze in an open field, on the other a large banner ruffles in the breeze. Its bold red lettering has been working on me each day, […]
Farewell to Strack Farms: Restaurant was Klein, TX Landmark
Strack Farms Restaurant passed into memory last month, a Klein, Texas cafe and barbecue joint which came into being three generations ago when the family began selling barbecue sandwiches out of its country store adjacent to the Strack vegetable farm. The restaurant served for many years as one of the dwindling connections to the history […]
Allo, Sunshine!
11:15 a.m. on a bright summer Tuesday morning. The Texas heat was already claiming victory as my friend and I slipped inside the doorway of Allo French Rotisserie, a new bistro in the Vintage Park shopping center, Louetta Road at Highway 249, just northwest of Houston. Vintage Park is an interesting phenomenon, one of those large, rambling […]
The Zydeco Chef Dines at Houston’s Peli Peli
So where do you take a chef for dinner? Ohio chef Johnny Schulze of gourmet food truck Zydeco Bistro made his way to Texas with his family last week for a little R&R and to get a taste of Houston’s booming restaurant scene. (Note: Johnny is married to my sister.) Chef Johnny grew up in Baton […]
A Texas Smokehouse Fourth of July
The north shore of Lake Travis, not far from Austin, Texas, is a great place to spend a summer holiday. And getting there from Houston is half the fun. The trip along Highway 290 West takes you through the ruggedly scenic, rural hill country of central Texas. Best of all, this part of the state […]
2014 Wine & Food Week Tasting in The Woodlands
The setting sun cast a warm glow over a sea of Chardonnay as we celebrated Wine and Food Week in The Woodlands, Texas. The vertical tasting of Jordan Winery Chardonnays and Cabernets at Refuge Bar & Bistro was hosted by Houston wine expert, Denman Moody.
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