Super Foods

Last year I read this book called "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall at the insistence of a good friend.

Don't be discouraged by the title. This book is not only for runners, and it's a great read for anyone into athletics or great story telling (or both).

McDougall's main focus throughout the novel is a tribe in Mexico called the Tarahumara- a group of "superathletes" who derive their unmatchable speed and endurance from seeds.

No, I'm not kidding.

For thousands of years, the Tarahumara have depended on a seed called Chia, a teensy tiny little thing PACKED with Omega-3's, fiber, protein, antioxidants, AND calcium. Basically these things make it possible for the Tarahumara to run sprint 100 miles (again, not kidding)... and enjoy it.

So I really shouldn't have been surprised when I was walking through Whole Foods and saw half an aisle dedicated to Chia. Chia seeds, chia drinks, chia powders, chia snacks, chia bars, chia shot packets.... the list goes on and on.

My mom and I, being runners and having read Born to Run, were pumped. We weren't saying it, but in my head (and I'm sure she was thinking it too) I was like "SWEET! Imma be a super animal beast runner, trick!!" So we bought a couple of things to try out the chia trend.

One being a drink called "Chia Mamma" (Cherry Lime flavor)

Ok, Imma say it. It was NASTY. Its slimy and tastes artificial, and I don't care if it gives me running super powers, I am NOT drinking that stuff again. However, if the idea of melted Jello is appealing to you, grab a bottle. But consider yourself warned!

Its funny how America is so bipolar in its eating habits. We're gorging ourselves on fast food, yet all these so-called "super foods" are showing up everywhere and being obsessed about.

The thing is, we can't eat like crap 90% of the time and eat super foods occasionally and expect to benefit from them. If you give your body crap, you'd better expect it to be crappy right back to you.

So here's my philosophy on food-

If a food has an ingredient that you cant pronounce- don't eat it.
If you don't know what an ingredient looks like- don't eat it.
If it's shelf life is suspiciously long- don't eat it.
If it's unnaturally technicolored- don't eat it.

Eat things that make your body FEEL good! If you eat something and feel sick or tired or nasty afterwords, listen to your body! Whatever you just put in it is no bueno.

Eat natural, eat fresh, eat simple, eat local- THAT is eating healthy, THAT is eating well, and I guarantee that natural, fresh, simple, local foods taste REALLY good!

Happy eating! And treat your body well :) Its the only one you've got!!
Martha

Summer Noms

Happy summer everyone!!

I've always loved summer (only a crazy person wouldn't)- the sun, the laziness, the traveling, the weather, the messing around, and, especially, the noms.

(noms= food)

This summer is really cool for me because I'm just chilling HARD instead of traveling all over the place like I normally do in the summer.

Except not really. I work five days a week for 7 hours a day in the oppressive Texas sun... and I LOVE it. Sure its exhausting, but I'm coaching sailing with some really cool people, and I'm basically getting paid (minimum wage... lawl) to mess around with my friends and some boats.

But I digress. People I write to you with heart-stopping, awe-inspiring, earth-shifting news.

....

I ATE SHRIMP, TRICK! AND TUNA, DOG!

Try not to die from shock.

It happened on the fourth of July. My incredible chef Uncle made us a primarily sous-vide feast of asparagus with prosciutto, French potato salad (in a vinaigrette, absolutely no mayo), ratatouille (courtesy of my Momma), shrimp cocktail and grilled tuna steaks.

The latter two things on the list made me go like this.... o.O

Except I was like, "Screw this. It's the 4th of July. There are no excuses on AMERICA'S BIRTHDAY, DANGIT!!"

So I ate some shrimp. And after my first bite, I was like "Aight, this is pretty good!" So I had some more.

And then I was like "Yea Shrimp I showed you whats up, Tuna you're going down!" And so I tried some and I was like "Where have you been all my life?!"

It was borderline magical. I would have eaten a lot more than I did, but it was such a new taste to me that I had to take it slow... that and I had already gorged myself on sides :3

But in all seriousness I'm not afraid anymore. Someone can put a shrimp in front of me now without sending me into disgust-induced scaredy cat lock down.

Eleanor, don't try anything!

Tuna salad, on the other hand, is going to be a different story.


Please comment and let me know about your summer eating adventures!!

Coming soon- a post on a famous Kemah dive with a whoooooleeee lot of quirkiness.

Martha

Kubo's

Sushi has always scared me. Raw fish? Seaweed? I was always like, "Count me out, y'all, I'ma pass on that nastiness."

So when my friends suggested sushi the other night for dinner, I wasn't pumped. At all. Because I KNEW they would pull the "for the blog!!" line and then I would be forced to choke down raw fish nuggets. Lord, I'm dramatic.

Anyway, we went to this joint called Kubo's in the middle of Rice Village because its "Cheap, fresh, and always good."

Much to my surprise, this turned out to be true. Kubo's was good, y'all! And while I chickened out a little bit and got the vegetable rolls, I wasn't afraid to try what everyone else ordered.

Biggest deal of all? I tried a crunchy eel roll. O.o

It was scary, but I did it! It had two different kinds of caviar on it, and it made me gag a wee teensy bit (not gonna lie) because it was big, but besides that it was goooood.

Please enjoy this photo evidence of me preparing to eat the eel roll (and pleassseeee ignore my atrocious chopstick skills and the fact that my left hand is apparently unable to operate in stressful situations)

In other news, I'm going to try and incorporate some other stuff into this blog besides food... so enjoy this cover of Pursuit of Happiness by Lissie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQMJCOT2wlQ

Cookies.

I am a cookie girl. Chewy, crunchy, chocolatey, nutty, peanut butter-y, crispy... you name it, I love it. Unfortunately, I was never much of a baker (my first chocolate chip cookie baking adventure produced burnt masses of dough with more eggshell than chocolate in them... sorry 6th grade English class!), so keeping my addiction alive and well was wasn't as convenient as it could have been.

Until I made these:

Hellooooo my pretties! These cookies are straight up the prettiest things I've ever made, and aren't a total pain in the butt to make. If you're like me, then you are the least efficient baker ever, so they take a while to make, but no fancy skills are needed.

They are, however, particular. If the butter is too warm, they flatten like pancakes and get all greasy. If you bake them too long, they get super flat and chewy. AND DON'T FORGET THE PARCHMENT PAPER ON THE COOKIE SHEET!! If you do then you'll end up with one giant sheet of dough (no bueno).

They're a big hit with everyone- chewy, spicy, and flavorful. They go great with vanilla ice cream... but just a warning: its really hard to eat only one!

Here's the recipe:
Makes 2 dozen, 5 mins prep time (HA!!), TOTAL: 35 minutes + cooling time

1/3 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (dark or light... I use light)
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup light or dark molasses (NOT blackstrap!)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp ginger (same thing as ground ginger root)
1/2 tsp ground cloves (use a coffee grinder, or buy ground at the grocery store)
1/4 tsp allspice
be liberal with the spices!!
1/4 tsp ground pepper (grind very fine so no one gets a peppercorn!!)
1/4 tsp salt

Adjust oven wrack to middle position and heat to 375.

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, spices, pepper and salt in medium bowl and set aside.

2. Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until combined, about 30 secs. Beat in molasses until combined, scraping down the bowl and the beaters as needed.

3. Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. The dough will be soft and pliable.

4. Using damp hands, roll 2 tablespoons of dough (I do a little less than this, about a tablespoon) into a ball and roll in granulated sugar to coat, then place on parchment lined baking sheets... leave about 2 inches between balls.

Bake ONE SHEET AT A TIME for 10-12 minutes, and rotate baking sheet half way through.

The cookies will be ready when they have cracks on the top. They will look underdone, but they continue to cook after coming out of the oven... just make sure the edges are set.

Enjoy and let me know how the come out!!

Happy baking,
Martha

Cafe Express

click the title to link to cafe express's website!

Who remembers the Zach Attack? It was pretty much my staple meal as a kid- shell pasta with marinara sauce and a side of fruit. Simple, simple, simple. No frills, just carbs (which pretty much describes how I ate ALL the time before I started to branch out).

If you remember the Zach Attack, then I applaud you. You, dear reader, are obviously as loyal to Cafe Yum Express as I am.

However, if you do remember the Zach Attack, you also remember Cafe Express in its early years. Whoever owned the chain sold the restaurant, and the new guys promptly screwed it up. The menu was boring, the service was sub-par, and the overall experience of eating there pretty much sucked.

So then the first owner got his head on straight and bought it back from those evil, evil people who ran it into the ground, and now its a better, more exciting version of its first self. Makeover!!

Cafe Express has something for everyone. Sandwiches, soups, salads, fancy-pants entrees, sides, and a SUPER simple kids meal (which is totally perfect). Its a true American menu, but with sophistication, prominent Mediterranean influence, and a side of awesome.

That being said, Cafe Express isn't perfect. The portions are on the large side, and sometimes the meals come out too quickly to be made 100% to order.

However, that doesn't keep me from eating there pretty much once a week. You can't keep me from those sweet potato fries (swoon) for too long until I start to get grumpy. Its so close to my house that its become my go-to, and I haven't been disappointed in the quality since I've become a regular.

My favorites are the Chicken Rustica sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries (lunch) and the Pasta Amore (dinner).

The sandwich is, no lie, one of the best ever to grace my taste buds. The acidity of the tapenade, pesto, and vinaigrette work perfectly with the carbs of the grilled chicken and ciabatta bread. And the red onions and spring mix salad top it off with a really fresh taste. Deeeeeeelish!

Pasta Amore is just that- LOVE. Olive oil+tapenade+artichoke heart= ZOMGYUM (OMG, YUM! I feel the need to explain some of my terms every so often)!!!

So the next time you're looking for a quick meal that's more on the healthy side, find your nearest Cafe Express (there's a good number of them all across Houston)... Maybe I'll see you there!!

HAPPY EATING!

PS- I'd love to hear about what you order, because my usuals are great, but I'm always looking for something new!

PPS- Tell me what I can do better! Leave a comment with suggestions on content, PLEASE... I'd appreciate any and all constructive criticism!

DEDICATED TO PAR, MINDY, AND ANONYMOUS x 2!

Ok, y'all are the cutest. This week has been 'rill (read: really) exciting for this little 'ol blog here.

My lacrosse girls showed my site to their Spanish teacher ("blog" was one of their vocal words) and she likes it! People seem to enjoy my writing, which is actually super awesome for me, because I recently figured out that I want to be some sort of journalist or columnist when I'm all growed up (sorry, 3 year old self, being a princess is out of the question, especially now that William is almost a married man :( ).

Anyway, I got on to my account just now on my phone and saw something that blew me away...

4 COMMENTS ON MY LATEST POST.

Guys? 4?!? You outdid yourselves!! Honestly, that made me so excited!! Especially since one of them was from a mysterious "PAR". I feel like I should know who this is... But I uhh... Don't.

Awkward. So, PAR, if you're reading this, THANK YOU. Also, shoutout to "anonymous",Mindy, and other anonymous- I love you guys!!

So the point of this post was to say Thank You! Thanks for reading, for sharing, for commenting (PAR, Mindy, and anonymous x 2) and for eating (LAWL felt like I needed another and "eating" sOUNDS pretty lame but it's there so oh well).

Keep checking back for a new post on Park City restaurants and one very popular Houston chain!

Happy Eating,
Martha.

PS- please excuse any words that look out of place. I'm on my phone and I'm too tired to fix the autocorrects/proofread

Haven

Sometimes, things are so wonderful and amazing that there is only one way to describe their existence.

Magic.

Literally, there must be unicorns and garden gnomes running around in the kitchen at Haven, because there is some serious mystical magical energy goin' on in that restaurant.

The folks at Haven describe their restaurant as "a seasonal kitchen." But I say enough with the fancy terms. They should just call it "really super duper yummy delish and fresh things that you will enjoy stuffing in your face." Because that's the best description there is (yeah, I'm not narcissistic... AND OH MY GOD I SPELLED THAT RIGHT ON THE FIRST TRY!!)

I've been to Haven a few times, and my parents go literally anytime they can. My mom swears there's voodoo magic in their cheese grits (she's probably right) and has ordered some for everyone at the table without being asked to on more than one occasion. People may protest, but once they get a bite of that carb-y, cheese-y, buttery goodness, they shut up real fast. One time my mom brought home leftovers and we FOUGHT each other for the last bite. I really wish I was kidding right now.

Anyway, the first time I went to Haven, I thought it was just pretty good. At that point, the restaurant was relatively new, so I'm sort of giving that meal a pass. Don't get me wrong, parts of it were INCREDIBLE (Hello, lemon/olive oil ice cream??)... I just wasn't blown away.

Well. The magic got to me. Last Friday my parents and I went for lunch, and holy moley I don't think it could have been better. Lunch came out super fast, Willie Nelson was playing, I had a coke with REAL sugar, and we talked to our waiter about all the best truck stops/gas stations between here and Austin.

Oh yeah, and our lunches were yummy enough to knock you over and leave you begging for mercy.

I had their chicken puffy tacos with avocado, queso fresco, salsa verde, and sliced radish with a side of black beans. Crazy good. Everything was super fresh and light, the flavors were strong but not overbearing and the tacos were so gosh-darn pretty. The beans got a "meh" (read: alright-ish) rating from me, but I'm really not a black bean girl to begin with. I did like the texture though, they were a little on the al dente side, which added to the lightness of the dish somehow. And the tortillas were the best I've ever had. I live in Texas folks, I've had my fair share of tortillas. These made me want to march into the kitchen and demand to see the chef (a wonderful wizard by the name of Randy) so I could thank him for his existence.

My mom had the pulled pork sandwich.

Texans everywhere- rejoice. This was the yummiest pulled pork I've EVER had. Again, magic is the only explanation. SO many flavors working their booties off in there. Let me tell you, they were WERKIN' IT. God, that sandwich was unbelievable. My mom loved the cilantro cider slaw that came with it (super light, little to no mayo). And everyone practically cried when they tasted the hand cut potato chips.

My dad had the fried shrimp and onion rings (no I didn't try any shrimp- I know, shame). And after the first bite he closed his eyes for a good long time and leaned back to let all the wonderful-ness of it sink in.

Haven gets an A++++++++++. As far as I'm concerned, Randy can do no wrong. On top of all this, Haven is a green restaurant and the majority of the ingredients used are locally produced. It does a great job of reflecting the classic tastes of Texas onto newer, more thoughtful plates and adding new twists to old classics. The dinner menu may be daunting at first, but I promise you, if you're willing to trust Randy, you won't be disappointed. The atmosphere is great, the service is impeccable, and the food speaks for itself (not actually, that would just be weird).

So, the next time you're looking for something new, duck off of Kirby and roll into Haven for some really incredible food!

Happy eating!

(PS- if you liked this post, or if you like my blog, please send it to your friends, post my link to your own blog, or share through Facebook! I'd really appreciate it!)

Gigi's (click for website link)

Good golly, how tech savvy am I (click da title foolz)??

Ok, I've added a new restaurant to my favorites. Gigi's is literally the bomb. Its this super cool Asian bistro in the Galleria and its all secret and there's mood lighting and Russian men doing shots at the bar and fabulous women in sky-high heels and oh yeah THIS ROOM.

(photo courtesy of Gigi's website)

The "Cherry Blossom Room" is smack dab in the middle of the room with 2 bars flanking its side and acting as the entrances. They also have a room with private tables with curtains to separate you from the rest of the restaurant if you so wish (hot date anyone?).

When I walked into the Cherry room I practically face planted on the gorgeous dark stained floors (which could be due to the fact that I was wearing heels- something I NEVER do). Actually though, this room is the prettiest, most amazing thing I have ever seen, and I could have spent all night sitting on the floor and staring at the ceiling. I lurved it.

Not as much as I loved the food however...

Good lord, I waddled out of Gigi's feeling like I had eaten for 4 people for a week. And its not that the food was heavy, its that the food was amazing.

Also, don't judge me. I don't know the difference between its and it's (sorry Mrs. W!!)

I was there for a girlfrand's 16th birthday party and I had heard good things about Gigi's... but I was still a wee bit apprehensive. My family has ok-ish Chinese pretty much once a week, and I've never been wow-ed by Chinese food.

Well, ladies and gents, prepare to be wow-ed. And to have your socks knocked off, and washed, and bleached, and tumble dried, and placed gently back on your feet by the heavenly deliciousness that is Gigi's food.

We had crispy spring rolls, pot stickers and shrimp dumplings to start.

Wait a second... whaaaa? SHRIMP? YES MAM PRESSED HAM (props to Mr. Thibs for that line).

I ate a shrimp dumpling. 2 in fact, because the first one was so scrumptious that my taste buddies were just begging for more. So I threw 'em a bone and ate another.

All of the appetizers were perfect. The flavors were great, the textures were balanced, and everything looked so pretty on the plate.

For the main course we had "RETURN OF THE PHOENIX" and if that doesn't describe how awesome this dish was, then I don't know what will. It was a lot like General Tsu's chicken, but with this great crunch. Only way to describe it with justice: Magical. Like, so magical it was on the same plane as garden gnomes and unicorns.

We also had shrimp pad thai (ate some of THAT too- whaddap?), Hunan green beans, and veggie fried rice. All were as delish as the main course.

All in all, Gigi's gets a bazillion million gold stars. The entire experience there couldn't have been better, and the food. My god, the food. Words aren't enough. So get your skinny little butt down to the Galleria and feast on the perfection that is Gigi's.

Happy eating!

FOR MADELEINE

Well, this blog should probably be renamed. Because a historical event occurred a couple of months ago, one that was so big and huge and crazy, you might have felt the Earth shake a little bit.

Are you ready kids?

(here's where you say "AYE AYE CAPTAIN!")

I ATE YOGURT! And I didn't throw up, gag, cry, scream, dry heave, faint, explode, implode, dissolve, OR die. Nay, I ENJOYED it!

(Cue earthquake)

Let me explain. A group of friends went to this Indian food place called Indika.

Indika= amazeballs. That's all there is to it. Great atmosphere, good service, AMAZING food. Actually.

Ok, I'll admit. I was scared poop-less when I heard we were going to an Indian restaurant. The only thing I could think was "Everything is going to be weird and spicy and funny colors."

Of course, it didn't help when I sat down, opened the menu, and saw "Baby goat brains" as one of the appetizers. I saw that and my heart sank a little. Sorry, my heart sank A LOT. I was like "Ok that's cool, goat brains. Not even regular goat brains, but baby ones. FROM A GOAT BABY. FROM A KID. THIS IS MESSED UP. I'll just eat Icees and popcorn once we get to the movie theater."

But that was all changed about 30 minutes later when it was decided that the cook would just serve us a "Best Of" meal- their best appetizers and entrees for the whole group to share. I was relieved, because that meant I wouldn't have to dig through the menu for something that I thought I might like.

The appetizers (we requested NOT to have goat brain) came out, and I got really excited. Like "Holy mother of pearl, this is all so pretty and yummy looking and I cannot wait to sink my chompers into every single one of these puppies" excited. BUT NOT REAL PUPPIES OF COURSE! Proverbial ones.

We had:
Slow roasted goat on an open faced crepe with spinach and walnuts
Lambchops with mint masala
Crab samosas with papaya ginger chutney
Warm spinach and paneer with a tandoori corn cracker type-thing
and Corn and Mint Chahat

This is where the yogurt came into play. They had brought everything out to the table when another waiter came up and was like "One last thing" and put the corn chahat right in front of me. Then he said "The is our corn and mint chahat with a yogurt dressing."

I eyed the chahat and was immediately trying to trade the goat plate over the yogurt one (yes, that is how much I detest yogurt), when Helen looked at me and said "Just do it, Martha."

So I did, and I'm really glad. It was one of my favorite dishes of the night.

Full disclosure: friends made this possible. If I hadn't had 6 pairs of eyes (YO DIZ A SHOUT OUT TO MAH GURL MADELEINE) trained on me while I whimpered about being scared, I wouldn't have had a single bite. Trusting new food and the people who introduce you to it is SO important.

I'm a believer in the power of food. Not like, "holy-crap this food has given me 5 extra pounds its so powerful" but like "I care about you, and I want to convey myself, so here's something that I am 100% responsible for, and I want it to make you happy".

I just went there.

Grumble Grumble Grumble.

You know what makes me sad?

When a good restaurant with a fun atmosphere goes down the freaking tubes.

For instance- Mission Burrito.

Once a fun, hip restaurant, Mission is now on the depressing side. The dingy tables, incompetent staffers, and sticky floors might add to this fall from the top.

I was there today eating lunch and I couldn't help remembering how awesome this place used to be back when my family ate here at least once a week. Instead of calling your name when your order was ready or delivering food right to the customer's table, Mission would give out toys.

"When your order is ready, we'll call out 'The Incredible Hulk'."

And then they would give you an Incredible Hulk action figure to mess with while you waited for your food.
Sweet right?

Not anymore. When I went today, the chick at the counter was like "Yeah, so y'all are 'sunglasses.' When we call 'sunglasses' your order is ready."

AND THEN THEY COMMITTED A HEINOUS CRIME.
They didn't give us a toy. Me, being a regular costumer, politely asked "Do we get a toy?" To which the crime-committer replied, "Oh we don't do that anymore."

Say what?

I wanted to punch a pony I was so angry. NO TOY?!?!

Ignore the fact that I'm fifteen years old and don't play with toys anymore. THIS WAS A PROBLEM. This restaurant that I practically grew up eating from was CHANGING ITS WAYS!?

I guess this is pretty indicative of my personality. Ok, so I'm not that open to change, I know that.

BUT WHEN A RESTAURANT SAYS YOU ARE "SUNGLASSES", THEY'D BETTER GIVE YOU SOME SUNGLASSES TO SOLIDIFY THAT FACT.

Argle Bargle.

Dolce Vita

For my friend Jackie's birthday, we went to this restaurant in the Montrose area called Dolce Vita.

Can I just say that if I had the chance I would eat at this place every night?

The restaurant is in this old 2 story, rickety floor board, fire-place-in-every-room, warm, cozy, house. I absolutely love the atmosphere- Everyone in the joint is laid back and there for delicious food.

Jackie's family is pro at everything food related- so we let them do the ordering, and I'll have to admit, I almost left the restaurant when I heard what they were ordering. Anchovie and bell pepper, calamari, octopus with rapini, and pumpkin and goat cheese rapini as appetizers.

Excuse me?

When the food came though, everything looked and smelled delicious. So I put on my big girl face, and with encouragement ("For the blog, Martha!") from my friends, dug into the foreign foods in front of me.

Anchovies? No problem.
Octopus? Bring it on.
Calamari? Hand it over.
Fried pumpkin and goat cheese things? Nom nom nom.

I tried everything folks... everything!!

That doesn't mean I loved everything, or even ate more than a bite of some of the appetizers, but next time, maybe I'll push on and eat more of the dishes.

For the main course, we ordered 3 different pizzas and gnocchi al ragu. Yum!

The pizzas were definitely way out there- Sausage, rapini, pecorino; tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto, and arugula; and telaggio, arugula, pear and truffle oil.

I ate a piece of each, and let me tell you, they were all DEE-LISH.

Needless to say, I was stuffed after this dinner, and had to waddle to the car after eating.

So what does this mean? Now that I've eaten anchovie, octopus, and crazy pizza does it mean this blog is over? After 4 posts?

Absolutely not. Because, duh, I haven't eaten shrimp yet! Or conquered other food fears for that matter.

However, this eating experience was a major turning point for me. I know I can eat anything and survive- all I have to do is pretend to be brave and take a leap of faith.

Because that's all that trying new things is really about isn't it- that leap of faith?

You've just got to grit your teeth, stab that sucker on your plate with your fork, and trust that this food won't hurt you.

No fear.

Second Review: The Lakehouse

So I'm not a very good blogger. The evidence is on the blog itself. When's the last time I blogged? Late January? Whoopsie.

Well I'm back, and I want to get this blog thing going. Anyone out there have tips on getting your blog known? Anyone?

Anywho, good news! I've been more adventurous in my eating. So what if that means being the mystery jelly bean taste tester (don't eat the tan speckly ones- they are DISGUSTING)? In advisory a while back, Coach Baber (one of my advisors extraordinaire) brought in this sausage that was stuffed with rice (I'm sure there's a name for it that I'm brain farting on right now..) and I was the FIRST to try it. We're taking small steps.

The best part? I LIKED IT! IT WAS YUMMY AND DELICIOUS AND HOTTER THAN LOGAN LERMAN, WHICH MADE MY MOUTH WANT TO JUMP OUT OF MY SKULL, BUT HEY! I liked it.

But this post is supposed to be a review (another testament to my lack of blogging skizzilz)
So here we go- The Lakehouse!

http://www.thelakehousehouston.com/

The Lakehouse is right smack in the middle of Discovery Green in downtown Houston, right next to this faux-lake where little kiddies can race boats- awwww! The building itself is uber-cool and modern, and they play GREAT music. They have a very simple menu- burgers, fries, and hotdogs, and GREAT lemonade. I tried the basil lemonade (go me!) but opted for the regular instead. I got the Lakehouse burger and the golden Yukon fries, which have to be some of the best fries in town- I kid you not. The burger is super yummy-delicious and simple- just like everything else in the restaurant. I'll admit, I should have been more adventurous and gone with something like the Texas Smokehouse- a sirloin, chuck, brisket, and BACON patty with white cheddar, mushrooms, and St. Arnold's stewed onions. Next time.

I really love the Lakehouse- there's something about the atmosphere that makes me happy. The food is yummy too, and the staff is great. If you're looking for something to do one sunny afternoon in Houston- hit the Green! Mess around in the park and grab a bite at the Lakehouse! And make sure to get the Vanilla Bean milkshake- it is DELISH! Ps did you know that vanilla beans are actually orchid seeds or something shiz-diculous like that? My Uncle Richard (crazy amazin' cook) knows all kind of crazy things like that.

First Review: Canopy

So besides this one review I did on a restaurant for French class, this is my first restaurant review. Can I get a "Woot!"?

OH! I forgot to mention- I live in Houston, TX. So basically all of the restaurants I review are going to be located in Houston, I do travel in-country pretty often, so I'll try to include some restaurants in other states when I can.

ANYWHO

On Saturday, I had a Tiny Boxwood's CRAVING (3614 West Alabama Street Houston, TX 77027-5906 (713) 622-4224), but when my mom and I got there, it was packed, and cold for Texas (read: it was 50 degrees and windy) so sitting outside was not an option. Not giving up easily on super yummy delicious food, my mom suggested we try out Haven, this new local-food-only restaurant (2502 Algerian Way Houston, TX, 77098 713-581-610). But alas, its not open for lunch. The hostess there suggested we check out Canopy in Montrose (http://www.canopyhouston.com/), so that's where we headed...

My first impression of Canopy was that it was a super hip, clean-lined, no nonsense joint on a mission to combine natural elements with modern eating. That impression was kind of shattered when an old couple in 80's style warm-up suits came into the restaurant bickering with eachother and sat down at the table next to us. My real first impression was that this restaurant was freaking BORING. The waiters looked bored, the decor looked bored, the menu looked bored, the music sounded bored.... You get the picture. The service was pretty slow even though there was hardly anyone there, and my mom and I were well.... bored quite frankly after we ordered. Only the brunch menu was available when we went, and there were slim pickins'...
I ordered on the safe side, a Canopy Burger with cheese, but for a little adventure I tried the garlic pickles that were on the side and even put arugula mayo on the burger! We're taking baby steps here....
Anyway, the burger itself came on a Challah bun, and was pretty good. That's all that it was though- a good burger. Not amazing, but pretty good. But the shoestring fries that came with it were excellent.

Bottom line-
Canopy is a good place to go if you're tired. Or if you're willing to settle for "pretty good" food. This place definitely isn't somewhere I'm super excited to go back to, but I'll keep it in my back pocket for when we're bored of all the usual places. Maybe the next time I go I'll be more adventurous and get the Sautéed Gulf Shrimp and Linguine....
Because I shouldn't fear food, and neither should you.

Martha

Hello World

Hi Everyone!

Go read the about me section so I don't have to repeat myself in this here blog.

So I'm afraid of some foods for very good reasons.

The Shrimp Fear
Not irrational. I have perfectly acceptable reasons why I won't eat shrimp.

Reason number 1- The first time I EVER ate shrimp, I was in the south of France, where sea food is apparently super amazing, except I wouldn't really know because I'm not a sea food freak. Anyway, my grandmother (who is an amazing cook) was making some sort of shrimp dinner for the fam. Except she didn't go to the market and buy fresh shrimp from some nice old shriveled up french man who permanently smelled like fish, she went to the super market. Instead of buying mediocre shrimp from their sea food section, she went for the frozen Brazilian shrimp that look like severed gray thumbs, not shrimp. Ick. Then, back at the house in France, she ordered me and my cousin to peel said shrimp, which were slimy and smelled like they had been sitting at the bottom of the sea of poop for eternity. After squeezing them out of their shells and getting shiz-nasty shrimp ick all OVER my hands, I had to eat them. And I almost threw up. But little did I know, my cousin's babysitter had stolen one of the uncooked shrimp, wrapped it in toilet paper, and employed my sweet, mischievous little sister to put said shrimp in my pillow case. I guess she was feeling pretty spiteful that day... So I ended up sleeping on this raw, previously frozen Brazilian shrimp all night. My head, the pillow, the blankets, the sheets, and the mattress all smelled like shrimp when I woke up. It took 3 showers and almost a full bottle of shampoo to get the smell out of my hair.

Reason number 2- Then, the next year, while fishing, my sister hooked me in the back of the head with the shrimp we were using as bait while fishing.

Reason number 3- Then, that same summer, I decided to be brave and try cajun shrimp. It was so spicy my lips almost fell off.


So I'm not exactly excited to try shrimp ever again. But hey, that's what this blog is for! I'm going to conquer my fear, eat shrimp, and learn to love it.

So there.