PJ's Coffee

We now have a PJ's Coffee in our neighborhood. I stopped in to give it a try with their classic combo--a chicory cafe au lait with beignets. Beignets are rare in this neighborhood, but I've had them at the Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. 35 years ago. Would these hold up? Absolutely. I came in at 2 in the afternoon, and they made the beignets fresh. Light, crisp and tasty, with plenty of powdered sugar (Cafe du Monde gave me a ridiculous amount, like a half a cup). The beignets were well coated and there was more than enough sugar to sweeten the coffee. Also plenty to get on my pants--beignets are messy things. The coffee was good, I would say the chicory was on the light side which might suit this area better. Also got a flat white which was just fine.

The place is inviting inside. There are outlets at every table, encouraging you to stay awhile. The seating area up front where you'd wait for a to-go order is very comfortable. Lots of nice coffee-themed decor. There are two identical any-sex restrooms, so no gender-based waiting. They were clean and ready when I was there. Service is friendly. They have lots of other pastries, and list sandwiches on the online menu, thought I did not see them on the in-store menul.  The only other place I've seen beignets in this neighborhood is Walk-Ons (those are good also). If you like beignets you need to try this place.

My Yelp Review

Agape Cafe

I stopped in to try this new coffee shop on a busy Saturday. Got a mocha latte, a sausage and egg frittata, and a chai latte to go.

The mocha latte was done with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle, so was nice and sweet--almost more like a hot chocolate experience than a coffee, but very good. Nice and rich. The chai latte was also on the sweet side but quite fine. The frittata was a disappointment--dry and not much flavor, I would get something else last time.

The shop is very attractive, with a large world map on one wall and murals on the other. The furniture is quite comfortable. They have lots of games for families, and several tables were playing. It's inviting to stay for awhile, but BYO power--the only outlet I found was at the to-go waiting table. The restrooms (gendered but identical) were clean and ready.

The cafe bills itself as a brunch place, but they do have small sandwiches in addition to the frittatas and baked goods, so one could make a light meal there. The baked goods appear to be their strong point.

As is apparent from its name, the cafe is Christian themed, stepping into the niche that the Sweet Inspirations tea room and Heavenly Cups (both now gone) filled. Hopefully they can overcome the awkwardness of the location--I find the strip mall they are in hard to access. Things look good for them so far.

My Yelp Review 

Brazil Plus Acai Market

I stopped in to check out this new Brazilian market in our neighborhood. I got an acai bowl and a coxinha (chicken croquette) with cheese. Chased it with a guarana soda.

The croquette was quite good, a unique experience. Shredded chicken, potato and cheese wrapped in a pastry coated with cornmeal and baked. At first I thought it was a bit soft, but the more I ate the more I liked it, it grew on me and I can recommend it. My acai bowl was made with a base of acai sorbet. I selected granola, caramel, and condensed milk for my toppings. The bowl was delicious--I'm not a huge fan of whole acai berries, but this sorbet was excellent. The server (the owner, I think) and I talked about cupuacu fruit, another base on the menu. It's a white, chocolaty fruit. You write your choices on a menu sheet, and I asked for cupuacu, but I got acai. Not sure he actually had cupuacu. But I was happy with it. The interior is very inviting, tasteful furniture and seats to linger if you wish. I did not see a public restroom. Service was friendly and enthusiastic. It's great to have this option in our neighborhood.

My Yelp Review

Everything You Ever Wanted, by Luiza Sauma

I'm going to give this a 3.5 and round up. There's a lot to appreciate in this book. The author's description of our protagonist's (Iris Cohen) life is the perfect buildup to her decision to emigrate to Nyx. She leads an apparently privileged (she has a job that pays enough for her to live decently and party) but absolutely hellish (meaningless work, meaningless relationships, drinks hard and eats horribly because all her friends do and then feels awful later) life. She hates what she does and it seems like an endless treadmill. Her family relationships are not enough to keep her there. Though she would have liked them to be. So off she goes.

The world of Nyx seems artificially constrained in a way that makes it feel like it's fake. Sauma spends no time explaining the science at all, just says one gets there through a wormhole and briefly describes what it looks like. It's all about what Iris goes through. The participants are weirdly cut off--they can (and are required to) post about their lives on social media, but they are not allowed contact with Earth and so never get feedback on what they are doing.

[You keep waiting for the book to relent, and it never does. Nyx is not a fake.  Once the perspective shifts fully to Nyx, the situation just grinds all the participants down until everyone is dead. Iris is hopeful at the beginning, Nyx seems to strip away all the distractions that kept her from having a good life. But the social media and livestream lose support and eventually the colony goes downhill. One expects a reveal or a rescue and it never happens. At the end I reflected on the book and it made me incredibly sad. It also reminded me of the early American colonies--some ended exactly this way, and for most it was a one-way trip with little to no contact with those they left behind. (hide spoiler)].

The writing is excellent and I feel like I understand Iris. It's not a book to lift your spirits but it's worthwhile.

My Goodreads Review

Kuksu House

This food truck recently moved from Sawdust Road to La Plaza de los Food Trucks behind the Gosling Express on Gosling.  We stopped in the other night to try them out.  It's Kuksu House so I got the kuksu, and we also got the hanum.

Kuksu is an Uzbek-Korean dish--a cold noodle soup from ethnic Koreans living in Uzbekistan.  It's made with wheat noodles, rice noodles, garlic broth, pickles and beef.  For $17 they give you a great big bowl of it.  The flavors are intense and really tickle your palate.  There's a whole lot of flavor here and I couldn't eat a whole lot at once--I think it works better as an appetizer soup than a main course.  You could get 8 appetizer servings from the order.  Just for grins I warmed up some of what I took home, and it wasn't bad that way either.  One thing I found lacking was the beef--I couldn't find much.  But it's a fascinating dish if you're looking for a unique combination of textures and flavor.

Hanum is another dish from the same region.  It's a steamed dumpling with layered pastry and a meat and potatoes filling, topped with stewed tomatoes and onions.  This is a hearty, satisfying savory dish--all melts together in your mouth.  There's plenty to share or eat later, and it keeps in the fridge just fine.

We wanted to get fries but they were sold out.  Service was friendly and enthusiastic.  They do have more conventional foods--chicken thighs and Korean tacos.  But if you are tiring of Tex-Mex and want something really different, this is worth a try.

Mi Rancho The Woodlands/Gosling

This new, custom built Mi Rancho location is now open in our neighborhood. The official name is Mi Rancho--Woodlands, but it's a bit south of there bordering the Northampton neighborhood.

For an appetizer we got the corn ribs, a new item since the last time we've been to a Mi Rancho. These are absolutely amazing, a must try if you like corn at all. They take an ear of corn and split it four ways so the corn is still on the cob. It's then fried and dipped in butter sauce and garnished with Cotija cheese, and served with tajin mayo. I ate way too many. I also ate too many chips with the salsa, which is served warm. I think it's now one of the better salsas around, nice big chunks of onion and tomato.

For our entrees we got the chile relleno with beef fajita meat and the El Valiente combo plate with chicken. The El Valiente is a stuffed and fried avocado and a cheese enchilada. The avocado was great--the coating was crisp and tasty, adding a nice texture to the creamy avocado, cheese and chicken inside. The chile relleno was very good--the fajita meat was flavorful and tender. The green bell pepper was a bit firm, didn't cut with my fork too well, but was very tasty. The rice was also very good, nice flavor. Beans were fine.

I chased my food with a jamaica agua fresca. Theirs is nice and strong. The server brought an extra glass of ice so I could cut it, which was very helpful. We wanted to get the tres leches cake for dessert, but they unfortunately were out so we ended up passing on dessert.

Our server was friendly and fun. Our drink server deserves special mention. She was very attentive and observant. We were next to a baby at the stage where they throw things on the floor, including a china plate. She was on it very quickly with a cleanup team.

The setting is very attractive. Bright, appetizing colors and high ceilings set the mood. It's less noisy than their Spring location, still pretty loud on a busy evening but overall very nice. The bathrooms were clean and ready, one soap dispenser was out but not bad for a very busy evening. 

My Yelp Review

Taqueria El Rancho

This new food truck on Spring Stuebner has been in preparation for awhile. Stopped in for a to-go lunch now that they are open. We got a chicken quesadilla grande, a fajita taco on corn, a barbacoa taco on flour, an elote, and a jamaica agua fresca to finish it off.

The tacos were excellent, each good in their own way. The fajita meat was diced small and cooked until caramelized, which makes for a great bite. I like fajita tacos that way. The barbacoa taco was great also, nice and tender and full of flavor. The green salsa tasted homemade and had a nice slow burn. The chicken quesadilla was different from what you would find at other restaurants. They use white Mexican cheese instead of mozzarella like a lot of places. For me it had good flavor but ate somewhat dry.

The elote was a real standout for me. Plenty of parmesan, butter and white cheese. They gave me the chili topping on the side, which is great for me because I can't handle a lot of heat. I was able to mix in just what I wanted and it tasted great. I finished a big cup. The jamaica agua fresca was a good representation, and a generous 32 oz serving so you really have to share it or save some for later.

The front of the venue is nice, with pretty decorations and all, but there's a surprise around back--a beautiful dining area under a spreading oak tree. When I was there it was decorated for Halloween/Day of the Dead. They rent it out for parties. This place was worth the wait and I can recommend it.

My Yelp Review

Sushi Central

Sushi Central is a new Japanese place in our neighborhood. It's a Mexican chain, and this is the first location outside of Mexico. We went for a family dinner the other night and had a Sushi Tower, the Avocado Crush Roll, the Crispy Rock Roll, and the vegetable hibachi. They offer dessert, which is different for an Asian place. We got the banana tempura.

This place absolutely takes the Japanese mantra that you eat with your eyes seriously. The Sushi Tower was beautiful, a molded tower of rice, crab, avocado and tuna, drizzled with unagi sauce. Beautiful to look at, I took a minute to admire before diving in. The Crispy Rock Roll is topped with what they call Rock Shrimp, but it's more familiar as popcorn shrimp. The crispy shrimp was well cooked and very good. It was also a gorgeous dish. The Avocado Crush roll was also very attractive, but in my mind kind of one note--just avocado and cream cheese. The vegetable hibachi was quite pretty and a nice complement to the other dishes.

The menu tends to use banana and plantain interchangeably. The description of the bananas tempura dessert says it is plantain slices in tempura. And the latter is correct--it's plantain, not sweet at all. But it's very good with the vanilla ice cream.

The atmosphere of the restaurant reflects the aesthetic of the food. Lots of fixtures done in lightly finished wood. No TVs (except one over the bar) and no pictures--nothing to distract from the dining experience. The service was good, understated and in line with the decor.

It's not the absolute best sushi I've had--the flavors are mostly mild. But it all tastes great because you've been prepared by the beauty of the food. Definitely go for the visual experience.

My Yelp Review

Taquiza Jireh

This is the latest taco truck to set up at Dave's Express on Root Road. Picked up dinner for us the other night. We had a fajita burrito, the Papas Locas with al pastor, a chicken taco and a chicken gordita. Washed that down with a jamaica agua fresca.

The people are very friendly and there's a menu with pictures on the side of the truck. It has no prices--I guess if you have to ask...

They gave me a good sized sample (about 6 ounces) of the jamaica to drink while I decided on my order. It was very tasty and we got a 32 ounce cup for the full order.

The food was fine. The burrito was a big one, a good pound and a half. The meat did not have a lot of flavor on its own and was somewhat gristly. It was helped by very good salsa. The red salsa has great depth of flavor and a heat that builds over time. It's actually pretty spicy.

The Papas Locas is a loaded french fry dish, with parmesan cheese and a cheese sauce on top of the al pastor meat and the fries. The fries were very fresh, but to make this dish work they need to be super crisp--breaded ones work best. These were not so crisp so ended up kind of limp with all the moisture. Decent flavor.

The taco and gordita were fine, good representations.

The truck has a professional look and feel. I would say it's fine if you're right there and hungry. They also have Salvadoran hot dogs on the menu, I would try those next time.

My Yelp Review

HiPot

This is an unusual review for an AYCE Korean BBQ and hot pot place--I went by myself. I had my reasons--no one around me currently is familiar with this concept (including me) and I wanted to test drive it before bringing friends and family.

I ordered both the hot pot and bbq, since it's only a $5 upcharge to get both. Got a selection of meats, seafoods and vegetables for both. What I'm going to do here is share lessons learned that are specific to this restaurant--I don't think the general guides helped enough.

My server was friendly and encouraging but didn't give me a lot of guidance--she was a young woman and I'm an older man and may have given the idea that I knew what I was doing, even though I told her it was my first time. Standout items for the review would be the shrimp, the HiPot pork chop, the vegetables, and the bulgogi beef.

I started with the hot pot. The idea is to put slower-cooking vegetables and meats in first, then add the faster cooking items. I got a chicken broth base, feeling like that would be relatively neutral. I kind of thought about it like I was making soup, but that's probably not the right approach. I don't make soups often but when I do they simmer on the stove or in a crock pot for hours. So I put some seafood and some pork belly in with the noodles and veggies and let it go while I did my bbq. But in the end I kind of gave up on the hot pot.

The bbq went much better. I felt pretty competent cooking the meats on the grill, and they were very tasty. Not so much on the veggies--I didn't get them seasoned properly.

What stood out well:
I got the HiPot pork chop, a marinated loin cut chop. That came out beautifully and was delicious. The other meats were good as well.

Not so good:
I got shrimp as part of my hot pot order. I received two beautiful large prawns--head and shell on. I don't eat them that way, but what to do? At home I'd shell them, remove the head and de-vein them before adding them to the soup pot. That seemed awkward in the restaurant. Don't think I'll order shrimp in the future.

Learnings:

1. I need more specific guidance on what comes out well in Hot Pot, where you don't have all day to let the soup come together.

2. At this restaurant the seasonings and sauces are available at the sauce bar at the back of the restaurant. There are no seasonings at all at the table. In the future I would want to consider the ingredients I was ordering and prepare a mis en place of sauces and seasonings. Pretty much as though I was making it at home. That's a bit daunting if it's busy, which it always is.

3. You don't get a knife by default, they are available at the bar.

Other notes:
There's an appetizer bar with some standard Chinese buffet appetizers. These were quite tasty. There were also some buffet dessert cakes that were much better than average.

They have a fairly large selection of drinks. I got the Thai milk tea and it was a good representation.

There's ice cream available when you're winding down. The green tea ice cream was very good.

The restrooms were clean and ready. The ambiance is perfect for table conversation--the acoustics reduce noise and TVs are not obtrusive.

The place has been busy since opening, so the demand is absolutely there. I feel more confident that I could have a good experience with a party now. I plan to go back.

My Yelp Review

Sea and Lemon

We stopped in to try this new Mexican seafood place--they are still in the soft opening phase. We got a Horchata Nutella refresher (offered free with the meal but likely that's over by the time you read this), a fish al pastor taco, a Zarandeado shrimp roll, a signature Zarandeado fish taco, and a mango and avocado ceviche.

The service deserves mention up front. The staff are all in on the success of the restaurant, which is great to see. It is a counter service place, but since they were slower and wanted to show us the refreshers they took our orders at the table.

The way the refreshers work at present deserves explaining. There are about a dozen refreshers on the menu. Not all of them are available on a given day. They brought out samples of the refreshers available. I ended up with the Horchata Nutella refresher. Both flavors were apparent and it's a nice tasty drink.

The tacos and buns are done kind of like a tapas menu--small items that encourage you to order multiples. The ceviches and aguachiles are more full-size dishes that are shareable.

I'm not 100 percent clear on what is in a Zarandeado sauce, but it is a mild savory sauce that doesn't interfere with the flavor of the other ingredients. The shrimp roll was like a small po' boy. They offered it with cheese--I was a little skeptical but went for it. The cheese is mozzarella and actually pairs well, adding savory flavor and a grease factor. Quite good. The shrimp was done perfectly. The fish taco was similarly mild. All of their food is just a little shiny with oil, not severely so and this is a feature for me.

The fish al pastor is tilapia with pineapple and onions. The al pastor flavor is very mild, which is a plus for me as I'm not a fan of strong al pastor flavor. The staff was happy to make salsa recommendations for the items. They have mild, medium and hot salsas--I tried the medium ones and they packed a serious punch. Be ready for the hot ones. Excellent homemade flavor.

The menu has a plant-based section with several tasty-looking options. The mango and avocado ceviche was definitely the highlight of the meal. The seasoning they use created an absolutely unique and delicious flavor in the mango. I've never had anything like it. Combine a bite with mango, avocado and onions on the provided tortilla chips and you've got a near perfect flavor experience. You really need to try this.

The decor carries forward the seafood theme. Some fake lemon trees and a fun mermaid sculpture. The effort really shows. The issues that keep it from being perfect are minor. Their salsa is in squeeze bottles in a cooler, like the ones you'd use for ketchup. Ketchup is smooth, salsa has lumps and seeds, so it doesn't dispense real well. The way they are handling refreshers is a bit confusing. They will figure that stuff out. The gendered but identical bathrooms were clean and ready. Two of us had a nice meal for about $30. Definitely worth a try.

My Yelp Review

Lebanese Cuisine Aileen

This food truck recently moved to La Plaza de los Food Trucks on Gosling Road. We've been in a couple of times to try them.

On my last visit I ordered a chicken bowl, which comes with chicken, tabouli, and hummus on a bed of rice with babaganoush and tahini sauce. To go with it we got an order of falafel, an order of baklava, and a blossom lemonade. The service is gracious and generous. I was given a plate of hummus and pita chips to enjoy while I waited for my to-go order. The chips were well seasoned and cooked to a nice brown--very crisp, just like I like them. The hummus was well-seasoned and the whole chickpeas were a nice touch. Really good start.

We got an order of falafel and it was very good. Crisp on the outside and fluffy inside, with great flavor. If you specifically want falafel I would say this is a great place to go. The rest was not quite as good. The chicken had decent flavor but was on the dry side. The sauce helped some, but not really enough. The hummus with chips was great, but hummus on rice mixing with the tabouli, babaganoush and tahini sauce ended up having too much going on. The baklava was tasty and sweet but not too sweet. The bottom was very firm and it ended up coming apart as I ate it. They have two floral drinks, a rose water lemonade and blossom lemonade. The rose water has rose water, of course, and I believe the blossom lemonade is flavored with jasmine. When using floral flavors in foods you have to be very careful--just a hint. These were both way too floral for me, pretty medicinal. The only other place to get mediterranean around here is Nadia's, and I don't think this would displace it as my preferred place. But they are super nice folks and your mileage may vary. I wish them well.

My Yelp Review

Below Deck

We went with some friends to try out this new bar in our neighborhood. It's where Pichurro's Mexican Restaurant was, briefly. It's a bar with food (as opposed to a bar & grill that advertises food), but the menu has lots of entrees and is a reasonable dinner choice. Our party had the Bacon PB&J burger (a featured item), a classic burger, a chicken sandwich, Buffalo wings, and Bacon Jalapeno Firecrackers. We ordered our entrees with tater tots, but they have fries too. We washed it down with a margarita, a Cucumber martini, and a couple of draft beers.

The Bacon Jalapeno Firecrackers were a real hit. Nice and crisp, with delicious flavor from all the ingredients. Top notch bar food. The chicken sandwich was also really good--nice crisp outside and good flavor. The Classic Burger was a perfectly good burger, done properly and as ordered (though we did have to wait for the mustard).

Our Buffalo wing expert (raised in Buffalo) thought the wings were well cooked but the blue cheese dressing was a little on the mild side. The PB&J burger is complicated. This is an unusual but legit burger. The staff enthused about it. I ordered it in a triumph of hope over experience--I actually don't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I liked this burger better than a PB&J sandwich--the jelly kind of serves as ketchup. The bacon should balance off the sweetness of the jelly. If you like PB&J you should try this burger, but I'd probably get something else next time. Something fried.

The tater tots deserve special mention. They are fried in beef tallow, like all the other fried items. The high smoke point means they get really crisp on the outside. They are finished with ground salt and a few other seasonings, and they are the best tots I've had.

The Cucumber Martini was quite tasty--the cucumber and mint flavors made it very refreshing. There's an aftertaste that stays with you. The margarita was on the sweet side. The drafts were $5 on special which was nice.

The waitresses were absolute sweethearts. They spent time with us and made recommendations, and made us feel very welcome. One even went next door to Kroger to get a cucumber when they found they were out. They don't serve like a restaurant--each item was brought out as it was finished, which was a little awkward.

This is probably the cleanest bar I've been to. The tables were shining, the floor was spotless, the restrooms were 100% clean and ready.

A dive bar tries to establish an atmosphere to attract and keep a particular clientele. This place definitely does that. There are flags from all the military services as well as some nautical decorations. Sports on TV over the bar and a UFC neon sign. Frying in beef tallow is the best if you're a meat eater, but it means there's nothing but drinks for vegetarians and that's likely deliberate. I think it's working. We were in early but by the time we left the place was buzzing.

My Yelp Review

Nadia's Mediterranean Grill - Update

Nadia's recently moved to the strip center on Gosling south of 2920. I stopped in to give the new location a look and get lunch. I got the fried cauliflower, a mixed gyro and chicken pita, and the baklava.

The fried cauliflower is famous and remains delicious. It was nicely presented on a bed of chopped lettuce and pickled veggies. The yogurt sauce adds depth to the flavor.

The pita sandwich was tasty, generous and filling. It comes cut in half and is two good sized servings. It would hold up well and be good for another day or so if you want to save that half for later. At $10 I would say it is a bargain.

The baklava was a good representation. Nice crisp layers and yummy hints of cardamom and pistachio. This version is less sweet than many, something I appreciate--baklava can be pretty heavy stuff. A firm bottom that was interesting to bite through. You should not skip this.

The new strip center has high ceilings and a modern look. Nadia's decor is subtle and tasteful. Service was fine, you order at the counter and they'll bring your food out. The restrooms (identical but gendered) were clean and ready. Overall I'd say not much has changed, and that's a good thing.

My Yelp Review

Fatima's Pupusas & Snacks

This review is for the recently (a few months) rebooted food truck. Not sure if the brick-and-mortar location further east on Spring Stuebner is still open. I stopped in to try their new iteration--got a sampler with a pupusa (fajita), a taco (al pastor), a gordita (chicharron) and a Mexican hot dog. Washed it down with a jamaica agua fresca and finished with some churros and ice cream.

The pupusa was very good, a nice combination of fajitas and beans. Combined with the pupusa makings and fried on the grill it made a nice savory treat. The al pastor taco was OK--the meat was a bit chewy but with the salsa it had good flavor. Not sure about the gordita--it's two firm shells around your filling. The chicharrons were rich and indulgent as they should be, but they were not easy to eat on the shell. Probably my favorite item was the Mexican hot dog. A hot dog with all the traditional Mexican trimmings--crema, ketchup, jalapenos, and a little parmesan. The bun was toasted on the grill. Perhaps just a bit stale but it didn't fall apart. All these items are available on their own for a smaller meal, and I think the hot dog is a great deal.

The churros were freshly prepared and looked gorgeous--a nice golden brown, crusted with cinnamon and drizzled with caramel sauce. The outside was great, nice and crisp. Unfortunately the inside was squishy--they had been filled before frying, and that always leaves the interiors too moist, lots of what tasted like undercooked dough. It's better if they sacrifice a bit of freshness and fill the churros after cooking. The jamaica was great, though.

What stands out for me is the upgraded menu. Well organized and lots of new choices, much more professional than the first go-round. All in all it was good but a few too many execution errors to really rate it highly. Definitely worth trying though.

My Yelp Review

Regio Grill

This food truck recently moved from a gas station on Kuykendahl to La Plaza de los Food Trucks on Gosling Road. I stopped for some street tacos and a basket of curly fries.

The curly fries were great. They had a little breading for crispness and they were cooked perfectly. Definitely would get those again.

The street tacos were offered as a platter of five. They only have two protein options--beef fajita and pork al pastor. The meats were both cooked nicely, appropriately tender. Made a good bite with the corn tortillas. They had two salsas, green and orange. Both were about the same heat level, moderately spicy. The al pastor flavor on the pork was pretty mild--I don't mind that at all as I find al pastor pretty acidic if it's real strong.

The two proteins are offered in a variety of formats--quesadillas, burritos, etc. They also do burgers, and I would probably try one of those next time. It's a solid option at our local food truck place.

My Yelp Review

Tacos El Torogoz

This food truck recently relocated to the My Family Vet lot on Kuykendahl. I stopped in the other day and got a Surf and Turf burrito. I would have gotten the corn (elote) also but they didn't have it that day. I did get a side of taco rice.

The burrito was plenty in itself--a large, neatly wrapped package of beef, shrimp and chicken goodness. It also had rice and cheese. The shrimp were popcorn shrimp but were cooked nicely--hard to do with the little ones. The beef was a bit chewy but tasted great and ate well when mixed in with everything else. You could easily divide it three ways. The burrito came with three salsas--a traditional red, an orange sauce that mixed ranch with a little chili, and a creamy green avocado sauce. The green sauce had the most kick, it brought the heat well. The orange sauce was mild but the flavor went really well with the burrito. The red was in the middle and more liquid. The rice was fine.

I also would have ordered an agua fresca, but they don't carry those. They do have Mexican soda. Service was fine. A good choice if you're nearby. It is on the My Family Vet lot but don't use that entrance--look for their flags on the next entrance north.

My Yelp Review

Hippo Burgers

This local chain has now opened a location in our neighborhood. We stopped in recently to try out the burgers. Got the Mushroom Burger and Bacon Cheeseburger combos and fountain drinks. One combo had tater tots, the other had fries. Also got a chocolate shake for something sweet.

A couple of things got my attention right away. First, they have a whole lot of options on the menu for most everything. Many ways to make your burger, including custom built. Second, they have aguas frescas as refillable drinks at the fountain (dispensed like the tea). I was able to get my fill of jamaica, and looking forward to that got me off to a great start.

The burgers were first rate. The bacon on my burger was nice and crisp, so it ate neatly. The patty was tender and had good flavor. They were served on sesame seed buns, which I believe were potato buns. They were toasted and held up well. The mushroom burger was pretty drippy, but that's how mushrooms are.

The tater tots were fine, cooked just enough to be crisp and a generous serving. No seasoning on them. The fries were seasoned and were quite good fresh. They have lots of other options for sides, including onion rings, sweet potato fries, and fried pickles. The shake was a good representation, very chocolatey.

The restaurant is pretty spare inside, no real decoration but brightly painted. Several tables but the atmosphere is more take-out. We asked to eat there but still got the meal packed to go, as some places do. If you're eating in you order at the counter then sit down and they bring it to you. We got our shake first, but leading with dessert is OK with me. Service was fine and the place was clean.

They have lots of other fast food type options--hot dogs, wings, chicken sandwiches and salads. The burgers are not cheap but are delicious. We'll definitely be back.

My Yelp Review

La Cocina de Rosita at Dave's Express

There's a relatively new taqueria operating in Dave's Express now, I decided to come in and give it a try. The operation is pretty simple and standard--a variety of meats and sides on the steam table, and they'll make them up as tacos, burritos or tortas. I got a 2 meat plate with pork roja and beef fajitas, with rice, beans, tortillas and salsas.

The pork roja is pork in a red sauce. It looks quite delicious on the steam table. The pork is well cooked and quite tender. The sauce is savory but has no spice. The beef fajitas were good, cut small and quite tender with good flavor. I got orange and green salsas with my tacos--the orange salsa has a major kick, the green a minor one. Both were fairly sharp but were fine with the meats. The flour tortillas that came with the meal might have been store-bought and were a bit overdone.

Overall the food is fine, if you are there and find something appealing it will satisfy you. Service is better if you have some Spanish but I got by OK in English. The store hasn't changed much--it is clean and ready.

My Yelp Review

Nuestro Corazon Mexicano

I've had my eye on this food truck for a while now and just got around to giving it a try. I stopped in on a hot day and got some street tacos, arroz con leche, and a jamaica agua fresca.

The street taco plate comes with five tacos and charro beans. They only let you choose two proteins, so I got fajita and barbacoa with cilantro and onion. The barbacoa was tender and juicy as expected. The fajita meat was exceptionally tender and tasty. The tacos are served on corn tortillas. They advertise homemade tortillas but I think they mean the flour ones, these looked purchased but they were quite good. The charro beans were fine, nothing particularly noteworthy.

The Arroz Con Leche had plenty of leche--nice, not too sweet milk with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla, topped with nuts. It was pretty liquid, one could almost drink it. It was a very generous serving but would be tricky to share, I am sure you could ask for multiple cups and they would do it for you. They had five different dessert items on the menu, most places will just have one or two. The jamaica was very good. It was a large serving (24+ ounces), not too strong but perfect for washing down the meal. I was grateful for the coolness and drank it all.

This is a place that puts aesthetics on par with the food. The dining area is attractive, lots of nice clean tables and a cute patio/dance area decorated with pink umbrellas. If you eat there it will be off a beautiful ceramic plate. My tacos were served on red tortillas and nicely arranged. There are other food trucks that pay attention to atmosphere but this place probably does it the best.

Service was polite and prompt. I've driven by several times and the truck has always been open when they say it will be, which is very important for a standalone, "destination" food truck. There was another food truck I was planning to review today, but it wasn't open when it said it was.  

Overall, I can't find any real fault with Nuestro Corazon Mexicano. Go give them a try.

My Yelp Review

Made in Medellin - Woodlands

Made in Medellin has recently added a food truck at La Plaza de los Food Trucks on Gosling road. I drove through the other night and stopped to try it out. I got the Salchipapa Medellin, which is a loaded fry dish, and this one is seriously loaded--chicken, sausage and bacon with a house sauce on top of french fries, capped with a load of mozarella and cheddar cheese. It's at least two pounds of food and you should easily get three portions out of it. It came with three sauces--a white sauce that reminded me a little of tartar sauce (but not strongly), a pink sauce (the white sauce with ketchup) and a relish/chutney that had a complex, just barely sweet flavor. All went well with the dish. The fries are cooked nice and crisp and hold up to the layered goodness on top. The dish took awhile to make but when I dug in I understood why, it's a complicated concoction. I would say the chicken was just a bit overdone but all the sauce and moisture made it eat just fine. Delicious! While I was waiting I had a Lulo, one of their juices. Also called a naranjilla. The juice is a commercial product with lulo and pear pulp and a lot of artificial treatment (some artificial flavors, and artificial "cloudifier"--ingredients to make the juice cloudy. Never had that before.), but if you can get past that it's pretty tasty. They have a full range of other beverages.

Their menu is quite large, with a variety of appetizers, burgers, and plates. They know how to cook and it's clear why they are successful.

My Yelp Review

Madras Curry House

We've gotten food a couple of times from this new Indian restaurant in our area. On our last visit we got the onion and spinach pakora, the potato samosas, chicken tikka masala, saag paneer and chicken dum biryani. Had a side of naan as well.

All of these were very good versions of these dishes--we've had them at several restaurants and these are up with the best. Nothing unusual, just very well executed. The saag paneer had a pretty good kick, which it's supposed to. I usually can't eat biryani because it's too spicy, but this version was just tame enough for me to handle.

What stood out for me was the portions. Massive! Entrees are in the $16-18 range but each one could serve 2-3 people. We had leftovers for days. Service is enthusiastic and friendly, they are serious about building their business. I think they will do well, and can recommend them as a great Indian option.

My Yelp Review

Koto Sushi & Ramen

We have been watching this place and stopped in now that it's open. We got the tempura mix appetizer, a Negima skewer (chicken thigh and scallions), the Unagi Don entree bowl, the curry chicken Ramen, and the Yaki Udon noodles with shrimp. Finished with a green tea Japanese ice cream sandwich and a bowl of ice cream.

Japanese dining is all about aesthetics so I'll start there. The restaurant is very nicely furnished, with subtle decoration and appetizing colors. The dishes also paid good attention to presentation. The ramen came with a large monogrammed wooden spoon, entertaining but a bit hard to manage. The Unagi Don bowl was beautiful, laid out in stripes with great care. The serving plates and dishes have a beautiful handmade look and are designed for what they serve--for instance, the appetizer dish had its sauce bowl built in. So a high score there. The bathrooms were attractive, clean and ready.

The tempura was nice and crunchy but didn't have much flavor on its own. Texture of the shrimp was OK, the vegetable texture (onion, sweet potato, and zucchini) was spot on. It was served with soy sauce for dipping. Fine if you want tempura but not a big attraction on its own.

The Robata skewers are a nice addition to a meal, under $3 for most of them. The chicken thigh on the skewer was salt-forward on the seasoning but quite tasty. There were some green onion slices scattered on top. Overall pretty good.

The Yaki Udon noodles with shrimp were a little disappointing. The noodles and sauce were very good, but the shrimp were overcooked and chewy. The chicken curry ramen was a reasonable representation, overall satisfying.

The Unagi Don bowl was the highlight. A nice serving of Unagi (grilled eel) with eel sauce, some seaweed salad, a pickled vegetable, and crab meat salad. The seaweed salad was as good as any--personally I think it's very tasty for a few bites, and you get a bit more than that so I was happy. The crab meat salad was very tasty and creamy. The Unagi was well cooked and the sauce was delicious. All on a nice bed of rice, it was a tasty and satisfying meal, I can recommend it.

The Japanese ice cream sandwich is an experience worth having. We got a green tea one. The waffle exterior has little flavor and is a bit chewy, but it's a perfect vehicle for what's inside. The inside of the waffle is lined with chocolate and complemented the green tea ice cream really well. You should definitely get this. The chocolate ice cream is ice cream, it was fine.

Service was enthusiastic but stressed. They are having growing pains, it was a pretty full house but they only had one server on duty. He was still learning as well. We had a fairly long wait for our check and our drinks (water and iced tea) were not refilled. The manager tried to help and I saw some other staff coming out front, but they were outside their lane. I think they will get better on all counts, and overall we enjoyed the evening.

My Yelp Review

Rusty Horseshoe

I hadn't been in this place since the change from Bareback. We went in early on a Saturday and got dinner--chicken tenders with and without Hot Honey sauce and a couple of Rusty burgers, all with fries. Followed that with a waffle sundae for dessert. Got a couple of beers and soft drinks to wash it all down.

The burger is a nice thick patty and was very well cooked. Got crispy onions and bacon on mine, and it all held together and ate quite well. The tenders were cooked perfectly, done but still juicy and tender, I would say they were above average. The hot honey sauce is quite tasty and has a pretty good kick.

The fries are unique, I can best describe them as kind of short, curly steak fries. They are lightly breaded and nicely crisp. Would be a great late snack with a beverage. Some of the best I have had.

The dessert deserves special mention. The waffle sundae is a very crisp cinnamon waffle topped with vanilla ice cream and a very light caramel sauce. The waffle holds up very well to the ice cream and made a great combination. We ate it all up!

It's not quite perfect. When we were there they did not have pizza or the pulled pork quesadilla, items we would have been interested in. Other reviewers have had negative things to say about the service. Ours was fine, but I can see where that might have been different--our server was very engaged with her buds at the bar and might have left us for awhile if not for some intense staring. And we didn't all get utensils with our food. Just needs to tighten up. I like a draft beer with dinner at a bar, but all their beer is in bottles.

Overall I'd say they come close to delivering on their promise of a family-friendly sports bar. The place was clean overall, with comfortable outdoor furniture and a nice play area for kids. There are two stages for different levels of bands. There's an all-gender (no changing table so not family) restroom at one end and large facilities by the dance floor. They appeared clean and ready, though I also did not see a changing table in the men's room. I would go again.

My Yelp Review

Viva Jalisco #5

We decided to try the latest Tex-Mex place in our neighborhood. Viva Jalisco has moved in where most recently Sona Glocal Cuisine was located, next to Sprouts grocery store. We got the enchiladas Suiza and the carnitas, and followed with sopapillas for dessert.

Service was OK but there were several small issues that took away from the experience a bit. When we ordered drinks, we ordered an iced tea and an Arnold Palmer--half tea, half lemonade. I usually explain that to the server and she repeated it back to me. She then said "OK, two tea". And that's what we got. When my wife ordered the enchiladas she asked for charro beans instead of refried. She got both, and we got charged extra for the charros. So a rough start.

We started off with chips and salsa. The salsas had a different, less complex flavor than we're used to. The green salsa was the one with the kick. The chips were heated so they were nice and crisp.

The enchiladas were OK. The green sauce was on the thin side and formed a pool that surrounded the rest of the food on the plate. But they ate fine. The charro beans were very much a bean soup, but quite a good bean soup, perhaps the best item of the evening.

On the menu the carnitas say it is deep fried pork. Our pork was not deep fried, it was a smoked pork shoulder. Not a huge thing, I like them either way. The tender bits were quite delicious but about half of it was tough and dry. The tortillas that came with it had been warmed up a bit too much, they were also on the dry and chewy side. The rice and beans were fine.

The sopapillas have lots of sugar on them and are drizzled with chocolate sauce. We also got honey, not quite sure why. The sopapillas were pale, done just enough not to be raw. But they were good with the chocolate sauce and sugar and we ate most of them.

The interior walls are painted an appetizing yellow, no decoration except over the bar. And there's a world map left over from Sona Glocal in the hall to the bathrooms, which were clean and ready. The furniture is quite impressive. The wood tables are polished to a high shine. The chairs and booths are also polished wood and are very comfortable. Every piece of furniture has a router depiction of the restaurant logo, and the booths have different Mexican icons and scenes. They spent serious money on that furniture.

The restaurant has a large menu of all the usual Tex-Mex favorites for breakfast as well as lunch and dinner. I don't think this would displace any of our regular Tex-Mex places. Might be worth a visit to see that furniture, then you can decide if you like the food enough to come back.

My Yelp Review