El Real #7

It seems that all I've been reading lately are write ups about the new Rob Welsh/Brian Caswell throwback to old school Tex-Mex restaurant El Real #7. So I'm sure everyone has heard plenty about the food, ambiance, decor, and feel of this place, but I don't have too many readers anyways so here's my opinion.
The Food:
Anytime I go to a new Tex-Mex restaurant I always try the staples...salsa, queso, cheese enchiladas, house margarita, ships, tortillas, etc. I honestly believe the food can be summed in in the first few bites of salsa and cheese enchiladas. If these items are on point then so will be the rest of the menu. Sadly, I didn't go with my routine on the enchiladas and I opted for my second favorite T-Mex standard...fajitas (later to hear that the the cheese enchiladas are the highlight of the menu). The thick-cut juicy and well seasoned strips of beef fajita meat were reminiscent of Pappasito's including the frothy mexican butter that accompanied the carmelized onions. Not a bad comparison in my opinion. (Sidenote: I like thinner strips with a nice crunchy char and a very red center---->only place that does this right is the original Lupe's out in Katy).
The salsa was fantastic! Surprisingly mild and fresh with flavors of roasted tomatoes and pepper with just a hint of chipotle. I could drink it from a water glass, although Matt didn't like it at all. I've heard people are either loving it or hating it. The queso was good but nothing special and was topped with white grated cheese and some herb I can no longer remember. Reminded me of Austin "Kirby Lane" style queso minus the guac.
Tortillas, when done properly, should start to harden over time. El Real had very flavorful tortillas but started to harden and crack before I even before I even finished my second fajita. It either sat out too long or had far too much oil. Really yummy but their shelf life is maybe 3 minutes.
The rice was....eh :( but the beans were fantastic. Refried and creamy and loaded with the flavor of meat. I remember thinking that they pureed bacon and fatty cow parts to get the fresh from the farm carnivorous flavor, but then I remembered that they cook with rendered animal fat. It's not a flavor I was really accustomed to per se, but very good and I loved it more with each additional bite.
The house margarita was good...very limey, and pricey at $7.25 in a relatively large mug.

I'm excited to see how this place really comes into it's own over the next year or two. I think it has potential to be something very special!

Breakfast Tacos ((revisited))

I love Teotihuacan in the Heights! The legitimacy of any new mexican restaurant can generally be tested within the first five minutes....the chips and salsa. Teotihuacan won me over over almost immediately, and such a great patio to sit on those rare Houston days that it's cool and dry enough to actually enjoy being outside. I've always loved this restaurant for food and service to location and atmosphere. But recently I had heard, from a viable source, that Teotihuacan has "the best breakfast taco in the city." Now I've been around and tried all the typical taco joints such as Chilosos, Tacos a go go, Bob's Taco Station, Brother's Tacos (ick btw), etc so I really do know what I'm talking about when throwing around the term "best in Houston." Nonetheless I made the trek out to the Aztec themed eateria the put their tacos to the test.

Now I've already written a blog about tacos so I'm not going to go into detail about what makes a good breakfast taco, I will simply tell you about the taco at Teotihuacan. First, don't order the "breakfast taco." Order the Huevos ala Mexicano. You get very well cooked scrambled eggs mixed with fresh tomatoes, jalepenos, and green peppers, a side of creamy refried beans, 4 pieces of meat (I chose bacon, crispy and dark), roasted seasoned potatoes, and a tamale. On the side you should also order shredded cheese and possibly some extra tortillas. Trust me! Put all the items together into the tortilla quickly because they will harden pretty quick (as is a good quality in a tortilla...my opinion). It is Fabulous!!! If you are really feeling cheesy I would order the queso instead of shredded cheese. yummy!!

I didn't expect for these tacos to compare but immediately after the first bite I had to consider if they actually were the best. After further consideration...and this is a huge compliment because I've had many many tacos...Teotihuacan are the new 2nd best breakfast tacos in the city. Only second to Solis out in Stafford across from Dulles HS.

Happy Taco-ing :)

New Grocery

Sunday morning I woke up and went to Revival Market on Heights Blvd. Don't you feel as though all Sunday mornings should start early buying fresh produce at an all local, organic market? If you don't then...find another blog. My favorite mornings in my 20's were waking up at daybreak and heading to the grocery for fresh veg and meats to have breakfast at the ready when my boyfriend got up. Anyway, back to Revival...

It was my first trip to Revival Market and certainly won't be my last. As I walked in I was greeted with baskets filled with crispy warm baguettes. I had to have one...or three, and in true Parisian fashion I broke off the tip and started to snack. I quickly made it over to the barista to order my go-to double shot macchiato and a fresh buttery chocolate croissant...no one in Houston seems to get this quite right, but Revival's is pretty good.

I continued my perusing through the space looking first at local organic steaks and lunch meat (1/4 pound of coppa sliced thin to go with my baguette) and then on to the fresh veg (baby carots like ones I pulled straight out of my dad's garden still coated with dirt abd cute little onion bulbs). I wanted everything, it all looked so fresh and delicious, and with every label reading "Texas..." I couldn't help but feel the need to support all the local growers. Then to finish off the sammy I bought 1/4 pound of a delicious gruyere...mmmmm. It's definitely all gone.

Basket full, I headed to the opposite of the store where I found an in house mustard (omg! so good, but there was definitely a little honey in there not mentioned on the label), in house bread and butter pickles, bbq sauce, and locally produced honey. I was in heaven! Then I turned around and there was a giant piece of glass about 5 feet high and 7-8 feet wide revealing their very own meat curring room. You don't see a lot of these around, and it was a beautiful sight :)

It's costs more but I would definitely recommend that you pay this market a visit. Although if you're anything like me you may leave having purchased enough food to make a $30 sandwich. :) Totally worth it!

New Job Search

Well, as you know, the state of Texas has been slashing the budget for the upcoming year especially in education. I'm amazed that state officials would even consider cutting funding to such a critical part of society. How can we fuction without good schools? How can students learn to have successful lives without teachers taking them there?
I've always thought that being an educator was such a noble profession, and as a music educator (Choir) I've always felt that what we do for these kids is much greater than even the core classes. Music impacts people on an emotional level. It digs deeper than memorizing information and learning formulas. In many cases music is the only thing that keeps kids in school. But, when fine arts are the first areas where cuts are made, I can't help but feel that people don't value what we are doing. It's sad to give so much and believe in something so deeply and to be so expendable.
My school had 11 all-state choir members this year. Ridiculous!!! We took 6 choirs to UIL and got 5 sweepstakes and missed the 6th (sub non varsity treble) by one point in sight reading. It sucks that even though we could not have been more successful this year, it was not enough to make a difference.

So what now? I am trying to find a new position and deseprately trying to keep my position at Clements, but I'm afraid I may not be able to find a job at all. So does this mean I need to find a new career? What would I even be qualified to do? Is there a job market even out there? Will I have to move to a new city?

I guess we shall see. Cross your fingers

Best Breakfast Tacos in Houston

I am a little concerned about HoustonPress and their claims that "El Rey" has the best breakfast tacos in the city. Let me be clear, I am a fan of El Rey and their breakfast tacos are pretty good, but in no way do they compare to the #1 breakfast taco.
The rank for best breakfast tacos in Houston are as follows:

4. Taco's A Go-Go - this place is right off the light rail on Main just behind "the breakfast club." It's a bit of a steal from the very tasty "Maria's Taco Station" in the south side of Austin but a very good steal. If you like hot salsa then this is your place.

3. Chilosos - In the Heights off 20th in between Shepherd and Main. Hot fluffy flour tortillas filled with a very proportionate amount of crispy thick cut bacon and a sprinkling of sharp cheddar makes this place unbeatable. It's in a old home turned taco station jamboree. Check it out for sure!

2. Bob's Taco Station - it's a bit far, in the downtown area of Rosenburg but it's well worth the 30 minute drive. I recommend the Carne Guisada breakfast taco. You won't find one better anywhere! Also, if you find yourself there in the summer then get a snowball from around back. Bob's Snowballs are amazing!

1. Solis - across from Dulles High School in Sugar Land/Stafford. What I love about this place is that they don't overload the tacos with egg. The proportions are always heavy on the bacon which is why we like breakfast tacos in the first place. Just throw some bacon in a tortilla and i'll be happy...and Solis almost does!! Great fresh salsa and hot fresh tortillas. Solis can not be beat!!!

Favorite saying...

"so it's whatevs"

It's not Christmas until Ella says it's Christmas

This is my favorite Christmas Song. Ella does Jingle Bells. Especially the very end where she says..."I'm just crazy bout horses." Classic. Enjoy!