Lunching in Houston and a Postscript

Greetings and good evening to you. I have 37 hours left and will be heading back to Seattle and arriving just as the weather is getting warmer, but heck, it will still be cooler than here and a heck of a lot less humidity. So let me catch you up on the fun I am having here. Yesterday Kayla and Erin joined me at a great little BBQ joint called Hickory Hollow. Now you need to appreciate what we got for lunch. We are talking no more than $10 per person and this is what you get, if you look at the picture.

How could you not love any place that serves their beverages in jars? This place reminds me of my childhood and every time I return, I get a sense of nostalgia. They are well known for their BBQ and chicken fried steaks. Today was my first go at the CFS and yes folks it is served on a pizza tray! I kid you not. On prior visits I have had the loaded potatoes and rib dinners plus awesome BBQ pulled pork. Fried Okra is screaming and I have to tell you the salad bar makes you feel like you have jumped back to the 60's and that is not really a bad thing.

So today we totally flipped and went for La Madeleine and the whole office joined in as we ordered via phone and picked up. I went for a favorite of mine and that is the Rosemary Chicken Caesar Salade. Also I added the Strawberries Romanoff that come with a brandy sour cream sauce. Can you just say HURT ME!

The rest of the office had soup, salads, one tried Tomato Basil Pesto Pasta Salade which is bowtie pasta with basil, Parmesan, spinach, pesto, green onions and sun-dried tomatoes in a garlic Caesar dressing. Lane had a Croque Monsieur that is a baked classic French ham sandwich with garlic cream sauce and Swiss. Another tried the Chicken Friand which is a puff pastry filled with chicken, mushrooms and béchamel sauce, topped with mushroom sauce. Is your mouth watering or what? I was able to get Elizabeth to go for Rosemary Rotisserie Chicken that is their signature dish of chicken with a rosemary herb blend and she got to try their mashed red skinned potatoes. Kayla brought up the rear with a Turkey Bistro Sandwich made with smoked turkey, crisp bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, melted provolone and sun-dried tomato pesto spread on a sun-dried tomato roll. It was a very good lunch.

So tonight I am enjoying some dogs from James Original Coney Island, a Houston institution dating to 1923. Nothing like kicking back, chilling out and enjoying some good dogs. But seriously, a moment that will live is the back of the utensil wrapper from Chuy's last night. Yes, look closely and you will see Protestant, Catholic and Jewish pre-dinner prayers. Yes folks, I am in Houston. It is right up there with the bible verse note cards on an Alaska First Class meal. Amen!