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Dominican Dining at Punta Cana!

5/31/2012

Only Dominican Restaurant

You have to drive an hour towards Tomball, if you live in Sugar Land and want Dominican food. But it was worth it!

Food Adventure with my Sister

I have actually done a lot of adventuring with Jennifer since we were kids. But this is the first SIT-DOWN-DINING-BLOG-ADVENTURE together.

5 bonus points for that!

Welcoming Smiles...worth 10 bonus points!

When we entered at 6 pm, the owner Jarlis Lugo greeted us with a huge smile from the kitchen window. He took time to tell us about some of the wonderful dishes from his homeland, Dominican Republic. After we ate, he spent more time telling us about his background. Although he has spent the majority of his life in NYC where you will find the largest population of Dominicans, Jarlis prefers Houston. "There's a lot of evil in NY...more God here." He sort of laughed. I agreed that Houston is a pretty friendly place and that if we were in NY at that moment, we might not be having this conversation!

Rebecca, another big smiler!

It took about 5 times of pronouncing her name, until Rebecca laughed and told us the English version of her name. Rebecca grinned each time she repeated...and continued to greet us with a huge smile each time she served us a dish or refilled our drinks.

Rebecca is actually from San Salvador which got us off on an enthused conversation about yummy pupusas! But when I asked her favorite dish on the Punta Cana menu, she chose Mofongo de Queso!
This is my 43rd entry on my dining blog list and I must say Jarlis and Rebecca did more smiling and welcoming than any other restaurant on the list!

Mofongo...! A crazy amount of food for two, but there was so much to try!
We had to have mofongo, which is a popular Puerto Rican and Dominican dish. Below on the left, you see a rounded cakelike shape. This is mofongo, which is fried green plantains, mashed with broth, garlic, oil and pork cracklings. Jarlis made us a special spicy garlic sauce to enjoy with it. The Dominican fried chicken served with it was crispy out... and moist in! Perfect.

Sampler Our favorite on the sampler plate (upper right) was the shredded pork! So moist, it melted. The pepper steak had an Asian tanginess and the stewed chicken, along with 2 rices and a bowl of beans...was hard to beat.
Tostones! These flattened and (I believe) double fried slices of plantain (lower right) had a nice flavor combination of sweet and salty.

5 points (the max I give for food) for our meal at Punta Cana!

Dessert Bonus!
What a special treat when Jarlis presented us with complimentary dessert! Almond Flan and Coconut Flan! And look at the nice presentation. A strong 5 bonus points for bonus dessert! (coconut flan was my fave!)

Authenticity...music, language, decor...

I always give an extra bonus point for a flag! The Dominican flag in the window was a good reminder of the represented country! 2 bonus points for great merengue music playing. At least I think that's what I heard. Merengue has roots in DR! And 2 points for hearing lots of Spanish. It's not hard to be surrounded by the Spanish language in Houston, but it's fun knowing that many who dine here, as well as Jarlis have Dominican roots!

Atmosphere

5 points for a comfortable atmosphere. I feel pretty comfortable in lots of places, but I really relax when things are clean. I relax even more when I see nice colors and decorative pieces that represent the culture. Next time, I'll ask Jarlis more about the small instruments and the beautiful photographs that were on display! I'm sure I will be returning.

The food, friendly atmosphere and a bit of culture gave Punta Cana a total of 35 POINTS in the Dining Blog!

Update in September!

I said I would return and I did a couple days ago with my son. Scott was excited to try the mofongo and we also tried chicken filled passtelitos. They were delicious, empanada-like treats! Rebecca was our great server, once again!

And thanks to Carlos for seeing the blog and answering my questions about the instruments. In his comment below he describes the instruments that had intrigued me on my first visit!

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Portuguese Dining at Portugalia!

5/24/2012

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There is only one restaurant in Houston that serves Portugese food!

Patio Dining on Westheimer!

This is the last street in Houston you want to dine next too. Noisy! Not NYC traffic jam, car honking style. But, "I've got a super loud car and I love drag racing" kind of noisy! However, there's a water fall, rustling palms and even some Portuguese music trying to drown it out!
We wondered about the sign on the rocks. "6 Feet" As if they were tempting us to dive. Our server claimed children get playful at Sunday brunches and parents need to be warned how deep they will sink! 4 bonus points for patio with waterfall and pool!
( I won't subtract a bonus point for each mosquito bite I acquired!)

Clink!
We were in time for Happy Hour prices! Portuguese wine for $4.00 a glass!

4 bonus points!

Appetizers

Free bread and pate! ! (2 bonus) The meat and cheese plate had a nice variety of pickled veggies, flavorful smoked sausage, prosciutto and cheeses.

Portuguese Favorites
Sigi is showing a bowl of Caldo Verde. This soup is a National favorite. The pureed potato and kale soup, looks watery, but the flavor is very nice with a touch of garlic and smoke from the Chourico. (smoked sausage brought in from Portugal)

Bacalhau!
That would be smoke cod. Seafood is not my thing and especially one that is strong in flavor and odor. But this is a Portuguese staple and it shows up on the menu in many forms. After my last agonizing food encounter with Mutton Stew, I took the easy route and ordered potato and cod cakes! Mmm! Not bad! Kind of like plump tater tots with some spice and chewy morsels of fish. 3+ points for our Portuguese sampling!

People Encounter

Sadly the chef had a day off. (He has trained his kitchen well) He is from Portugal so 2 bonus points there! Our server, Christina is not from Portugal, but she was a charming, talkative young woman from the Ukraine. She laughed about difficulties in communicating with the chef, since he speaks no English and she speaks no Portuguese or Spanish!
Note the formal dining room. We'll have to try this another time, when we're not in patio clothes!
3+ bonus points for Christina who liked being behind the camera lens better than in front! Good sport!
TOTAL OF 19 POINTS FOR PORTUGALIA!

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Traditional Hopi Dining

5/23/2012

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This is Ernie, our guide at the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. He played his flute for us after our 4 hour visit to the Hopi Villages and a number of spiritual sites.

Our tour was done, but Ernie continued to share. He shared his music and more stories of growing up on the reservation. He spoke about living in California where Native American children were sent to be educated. He gave us an opportunity to "meet" his Kachina mask with some special words and food offering. He gave us each an eagle feather to keep.

Ernie also gave me my first taste of Hopi food!

Piki Bread

Ernie shared some of his piki bread, made by women in the village...as a gift for performing at a Village Ceremony. It takes days to create this bread that's made from blue corn and ash. It tastes a bit like it looks...rolled up newspapers, toasted over a fire! But it flaked off like a very thin chip. Maybe some salsa would have helped.

Lunch with Ernie

This is as much as I can share in a photo of our lunch experience with Ernie. (no cameras allowed) He was eager to take us to the village store that is packed with much more than groceries. The deli in the back of the store unfortunately served more Mexican food than Hopi. Traditional Hopi food is still cooked by some of the village elders, but more and more Hopi have turned to Americanized foods. So I'm unable to give points for the burritos and tamales we devoured, but I'll happily give 20 points for dining amongst the locals. Ernie chatted and laughed with friends here and there and quietly murmured stories about some of the folks he spotted.

Found! Traditional Hopi food!

We parted with Ernie after lunch and headed towards the Grand Canyon. We stopped for gas at Tuuvi's gas/cafe in Tuba, AZ, on the edge of the Hopi Reservation. When I went inside, I was delighted to see, a cafe menu featuring traditional Hopi food!

Even though I had just eaten, I was eager to buy some Mutton Stew, to go! Mutton and dumplings! How about that? I would be able to add Hopi (representing North America) on my list of 50 International Dining Experiences!

Better than Piki!

And how about Fry Bread...with a little honey! Kind of like a sopapilla maybe? It filled the car with the smell of funnel cakes!

So how did the stew and bread taste? Even with the honey, all I could taste was grease. I couldn't eat very much of the Fry Bread.

The mutton stew? Honestly out of my 42 international dining adventures this is the only food I have not been able to stomach! Even the Taiwanese Stinky Tofu was a bit easier to swallow. I was never so glad to be nibbling in my car and NOT surrounded by Hopi Villagers or cooks. I'm not used to being stumped by a food! How could I not like a dumpling? Maybe it was the atmospshere of my car that made me not push to enjoy my sampling. But after 3 bites of glue-ish, gray gravy and rubbery, pungent meat of the "mature sheep", I replaced the lid and set it aside...which I could not have done in the presence of Hopi!

30 POINTS for HOPI DINING
No negative points for my mutton, because I have a MUTTON MEMORY and that's worth 10 points! 20 points for the People Encounters. I will never forget my varied experience with food on the Hopi Reservation! I hope I get to give it another try some day!

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Regional Dining in Marfa, TX

5/21/2012

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Marfa is not just the tiny town where Giant was filmed.

This small town of 2,200 has some pretty amazing dining options as well!

At Miniature Rooster, you can sample a little Indian & Southern fusion in a building that was once a gas station. (they may be just catering now...?)

Mando's is too busy to fix the sign.

Not too long ago, you could still be served in your car at Mando's. But now you can soften the hard seats in the booth with a pillow and enjoy breakfast with the locals. Lots of chatter amongst a few nuns, some border patrol and some retired men wearing cowboy and trucker hats.
Angel served us breakfast tacos and chatted with us when the crowd thinned. She's used to rising at 3 am for work, but Wednesdays are the hardest, with laundromat and getting kids to evening church.

Food and Drink in a 150 Year old Building!

This old building has served many purposes. It was a funeral home at some point. 3 years ago it was bought by a Priest and now offers a full bar, food and live music!

Cool Interior

Chandeliers and old church pews add a little fun to this bar. But we had to work pretty hard to make ourselves feel welcome. Our bartender was a young woman with no chit chat abilities and some of the quirkier Marfa locals offered no help when I claimed I couldn't figure out the complicated juke box. I have no pics of the quirksters (don't think I can consider them hipsters) but they are mostly artists and musicians who have left bigger cities like Austin and NY, to open galleries, studios and restaurants in this small dusty town. They often have a few children in tow, with perfectly faded overalls and cute peasant dresses with striped tights...adorable, free spirit kiddos! These slightly older, carefree, quirkster parents would be sad to know that what I observed was really no different than watching Country Club Kids...running around like they own the place while the parents socialize. Amusing!

People Encounter

I did strike up a conversation with Rod Ponton, who was eating a bowl of gumbo at the bar. He was much friendlier than other folks...but maybe that's because he was running for 83rd District Attorney. He was actually a pretty decent guy...maybe I'd vote for him if I lived in the area!

A place that hardly looks friendly...

We found ourselves the most comfortable at Borunda's bar and pool hall. Pancho Borunda warmed up after we ordered beers at the bar. He proudly showed us some of his recipes, which are featured in Robb Walsh's Tex Mex Cook Book. This burley guy with gray beard and tattoos won us over with stories of his grandma's restaurant next door. (now a shop called Fancy Pony Land) It was the oldest restaurant in Marfa.

Pancho still uses the old family recipes...

...and even the china (striped) from Grandma's old restaurant!

The chicken taquitos and brisket tacos were amazingly good!

The most unique dining and actually the best food...

What a great food experience at the town pavilion! We ordered our food from the Food Shark truck, then took a seat inside the old Blue Bird bus while our food was cooked.

Worth the wait!

It took about 20 minutes till my name was called over a speaker in the bus. I didn't mind killing time, staring out the windows. I watched the line grow longer at the food truck, and I gazed at the nearby train tracks, hoping a train would rumble by. The twinkly lights and a nice mixture of blue grass and static on the radio, added some warmth to the cozy wait.

The food was excellent, but incredibly messy! We orderd BLT with avocado, a Greek salad, plus the Marfalafel sandwich. Crispy and oozing with fresh toppings! Nothing better than munching away while eavesdropping on conversing locals. Mostly newcomer locals talking about their galleries and film festivals. I think the longtime locals like Pancho and Angel were too busy or tired to stop for lunch at the Food Shark!

I rate 50 points for the overall food experience in Marfa!
Unusual people encounters and great food variety, in a curious small town in West Texas!

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Russian Food from Russian General Store

5/9/2012

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This is Not Russian food...but it lead me to some!

I am with Rebecca who made me some "Vegetable Soup". She is from Nigeria and wanted me to experience authentic, non-restaurant Nigerian food! It looks scary, but it was a tasty adventure...with more than vegetables. Spinach...collard greens...dried shrimp...goat meat ,turkey and jalapenos! After sampling her soup, I was off to Ghana House, recommended by Mercy, from Ghana. I hoped to try a different African soup and compare!

But Ghana House is...Gonna!
Rats! This is getting hard. They are always closing restaurants before I get to them!

But luckily on my drive home, I spotted this! A store, not a restaurant. But at least I might finally find someone who could tell me if there is a Russian restaurant in Houston. The famed Russian Bear closed before I had my chance.

No Tables or Kitchen

But lots of food! A deli counter with long sausages and meats and cheeses! And lots of beers and wines from Russia and many other places.

And lots of non food items, too!

There were shelves upon shelves of dolls, toys and dresses.

They even had a section of used books and records , all in Russian of course! Why didn't I just get a book? They were only a dollar?

And best of all...Russians!

Everyone was speaking Russian, except me. I had lots of help from the owner, picking out the best foods.

I brought the food home.

Some Russian bread and ravioli, both made in Brooklyn with Russian ingredients. I couldn't resist the cute packaged cookie at the counter. (After a tasting, I'm afraid it might be a teething cookie or something.) Oh well.

And for dinner!

Baltika beer, cabbage pastries, ravioli with vinegar and sour cream, bread and cookie! Goes against all rules of color and nutrition balance I learned in 8th grade Home Ec...but it was delicious!
Total of ?? Points for Russian Dining...inspired by a Nigerian lunch!

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Ekko's - Greek Dining at a Gas Station

5/4/2012

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Fuel for the Body and Car!

The Bouboudakis family no longer owns this little oasis of food and fuel, but the Greek recipes live on! Imagine the convenience of filling your tank and grabbing a plate of Beef Souvlaki!
5 bonus points for the first GAS/RESTAURANT on the blog. (must admit, in pre-blog days I dined on great Thai food at an Exxon Station in Burnett, TX!)

Who would even notice?

When you drive by this place on Richmond near the Galleria, there is little to lure in hungry diners. The station sign says "Shop & Deli", but that makes me think of microwaves and wilted hotdogs on slimy rollers. Ekko's has an actual, fold-out menu!

People Encounter... Plus Chess!
There were only three tables outside and one was occupied by Kevin and Terry.

I decided not to waste my People Encounter Time with restaurant owners or servers. I had a lot more fun jumping in and playing chess with my new friends... than learning about the history of gyros.
I must give 3 bonus points to Kevin and Terry, for allowing me to mess with their chess pieces. Kevin looks like he might slap my hand any minute. And Terry is giving me a tense sideways glance.

Good Sports!

But in truth, Kevin and Terry were incredibly good fun. They even wrote down some great suggestions for future dining adventures. Terry also offered some useful information about dining with Groupons. Kevin on the other hand seemed a little puzzled and asked more than once, "Now why again do you do this blog?" He is one of those people who makes me ponder why I do the silly things I do. I mostly shrugged and said something about the blog forcing me to explore...and chat with people...which I don't ordinarily do when I dine. 3 bonus points for a People Encounter that provided me with some dining advice and encouraged me to rethink my goals in life. Hmmm? Just how much time do I waste on this dining blog?

Interior!

Ekko's was hopping inside! There were people paying for gas, buying lottery tickets, ordering food and even eating at a couple tables tucked into corners! I love a restaurant that has window washer fluid for sale. And I love a gas station that has framed food awards, newspaper articles and maps of Greece! 4 bonus points for the best of both worlds!

The Food

It was crazy busy inside, so I could hardly chat with Jamal the owner. But Marco, brought our food outside to the table and graciously posed with Cheryl for a blog photo.  2 bonus points for their cooperation!

I ordered the daily special of Beef Shish Kabobs, Pita and "Greek Potatoes"...which seemed to be French fries. Cheryl ordered the Gyro sandwich.  The pita was spongy good and the tender beef was especially tasty with the Tzatziki sauce. The fries...were fries. I would give our food 4 points with maybe an extra .5 for being served on real plates!

Authenticity?

I'm afraid I must give a minus 2 points for meeting no Greeks and hearing no Greek music.   Can't have it all!

Food with a View

I do love dining outside...even when it's almost 90 degrees in Houston. Here are all the things we got to experience as we nibbled and chatted. 1- bus stop! Hissing of buses and folks loading up at the bus stop. 2- Sirens! Excitement zooming right down Richmond! 3-People gassing up with throbbing tunes on their radios. 4- Non-stop roar for 20 minutes while a fuel truck loaded the pumps! 5- Fumes? Luckily we didn't smell any. 6- Police excitement! I acted like an 11-year-old Harriet the Spy and slipped inside to buy some gum to do some eavesdropping. But the policeman and the counter clerk halted their intense conversation until I left. Wish I had a bigger story there.
But all together, I will give Ekko's 6 bonus points for dining amusement!

TOTAL OF 23.5 POINTS FOR THE EKKO'S EXPERIENCE!

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Houston's I-Fest...foods from around the world!

5/1/2012

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Smells of exotic foods filled the air of downtown Houston!

But I couldn't find a food booth from a country that's not already on my list!

So we had some Argentine food and Columbian food and even some gelato...but I can add nothing to my list. I needed some Swedish cuisine or some food from Ghana! Even Brazil would have worked. As you can see from the photo above, I'm less than thrilled about some fat on my Columbian sampler plate. And the food's expensive and you have to buy those tickets... In other words, Houston's I-Fest is not my favorite way to enjoy international foods.

However...