A Taste of South Texas

The Texas Gulf Coast; it's hard to imagine a more perfect storm of foods that I love. It's where you can find a mix of great seafood, steaks, barbecue, TexMex and even authentic Cajun food.

There's everything from good BBQ at a chain like Rudy's to really great barbecue at a local one-off like Killen's Texas Barbecue.

Rudy's Texas meat market style barbecue

Rudy's Green chili stew

Killen's Beef Rib and Brisket

Killen's Ribs and Sausage

All the great TexMex is like my idea of heaven.

Everything good about a TexMex breakfast

Freshly made tortillas

Breakfast tacos

Some of the best TexMex we had was at Lupe Tortilla. The best veggie fajitas and awesome margaritas. Just so good.

There's a place in Houston called Abe's Cajun Market. I can't even remember all the times that we ate there. It's a local place, off the beaten track, but for Cajun influenced cooking it was our go-to.

Cajun spiced boiled shrimp (image from Abe's website)

Crawfish Etouffee and Seafood Gumbo (image from Abe's website)

Image from Eater Houston

Besides a barbecue joint, Chef Ronnie Killen also helms Killen's Steakhouse. A gem of a restaurant located in the Houston suburb of Pearland. I had a wonderful meal there highlighted by both a perfect Manhattan and a perfectly prepared steak. Definitely worth the drive.

Another favorite is Perry's Steakhouse and Grill. Although we never did have a steak at Perry's, their signature Famous Pork Chop is amazing.

While there are a lot of places to find fresh seafood in the area, one of the nicest is Pappas Seafood House. Wonderful fresh fish cooked simply and a fried stuffed avocado appetizer I love.

A short and sweet list of the places the Dining Companion and I enjoyed. If you find yourself in the Houston area any of these places would be well worth a stop.

When I think about places with a food culture I think about a place like Southern Louisiana with its creole and Cajun flavors or coastal New England with its great seafood. Houston, for me, hadn't been a part of that conversation before. It is now. If you're looking for a place with a great mix of some of the best food cultures look no further. You'll find it in the Lone Star state, on the Third Coast, where the best of land and sea come together.

Happy dining!

Deep in the Heart of Dixie

Once again our merry little band is hitting the road. The East Coast is beckoning once again.

We had a good time in Texas. All that barbecue, all those icehouses, all the great seafood and TexMex cuisine. (I sense a theme here!) We've often vacationed in Texas and with all of our new found knowledge those vacations will be more fun than ever.

But, for all that, there is something about the East Coast that keeps calling us back.

So off we go. Heading east along I10 and into the Atchafalaya Basin, crossing on the Atchafalaya Swamp Freeway and its 18 mile bridge. East through the cities of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. And finally north towards Georgia and the Carolinas. 

We took our time and stopped a few places on the way. The Blow Fly Inn in Gulfport, Mississippi had been on my radar for a while. Too many Diners, Drive-ins and Dives viewings I suspect. But in any case, I wanted to check it out and the Dining Companion was kind enough to indulge me.

There wasn't much of a crowd the day we stopped for lunch. We were warmly greeted and seated at a table by a window.

I spotted a favorite of mine on the menu, a pimento cheese burger, and just had to order it. The Dining Companion ordered a Gulf Coast staple; a shrimp po'boy. 

Pimento Cheese Burger

Shrimp Po'boy

Lunch was good but I honestly didn't see what all the fuss was about. Maybe this place lights up with a crowd? Hard to say. I'm glad we stopped and that I had the chance to cross if off my list.

It's strange and comforting to travel along roads both familiar and made new by the haze of a capricious memory. Was that place there before? Did we stop here on a previous trip? It seems known and unknown at once.

Which, in a way, is nice. We get to rediscover old friends and discover new to us places along the way. But travel can be like that. It can make the old and familiar seem new and the new seem like an old friend.

Happy travels y'all!

Little Daddy's Gumbo Bar - League City, Texas

Image from Little Daddy's website

What do you call a two location restaurant with franchise opportunities available? It's not a chain yet but might grow up to be one someday. Whatever you call it the Dining Companion and I had lunch there recently, Little Daddy's Gumbo Bar.

The space is nice; decorated with quirky murals and art pieces. Our waitress mentioned that the murals were painted by a friend of the owner.

I liked the tin ceiling, exposed brick and the overall color scheme. It all works to give the dining room a comfortable feeling.

Little Daddy's serves beer and wine

 

The main feature of Little Daddy's Gumbo Bar is their Steam Kettles. These are used for their made to order gumbos and seafood items listed on the menu as "from the kettles".

Steam Kettles

We looked over the menu and made our selections. The menu features, besides just gumbos, also burgers and po'boys. I decided on the Seafood Platter and the Dining Companion ordered the Cioppino. We got to watch the Cioppino being made in one of the steam kettles.

The shrimp and oysters on my seafood platter were cooked perfectly, light and crispy. Sadly, the fish I was served was overcooked. A few minutes fewer in the fryer would have made all the difference.

Seafood Platter - shrimp, oysters and fish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cioppino was really good. Clams, mussels, fish and shrimp all in a flavorful tomato based broth. Cioppino is an Italian-American seafood stew that has its origins in California. Despite that it's right at home along side the Gulf coast staples on the menu.

We finished lunch with the house-made bread pudding. The rum sauce was the star of this dish. The bread pudding was just ok. It needed a little more...something. Maybe vanilla and cinnamon? Next time I'll try the Red Velvet Cake.

Overall Little Daddy's Gumbo Bar was good. In fact we plan to get back here again to try the gumbo. It's an interesting concept and a unique way to feature what is being called Gulf Coast comfort food.

If you're planning to visit the Gulf Coast region make sure to try the local seafood. Whether stuffed into a po'boy, cooked up in a gumbo or fried to perfection, you really can't go wrong.

Happy dining!