Brazil

Sunday mornings are one of my favorite times of the week, and I generally like to celebrate them by taking myself out to brunch.  It can be a chore to decide where to go, especially when there is a group involved.  This Sunday, we ventured over to Brazil, mostly because it was on the way to somewhere else.  

The brunch menu at Brazil is pretty weird and crunchy, like the restaurant itself.  There were items like flaxseed waffles, which I am deeply distrustful of.  I don't like it when places take a healthy word (flaxseed) and pair it with an unhealthy word (waffles) and then try to trick you into feeling good about making dubious choices.  I mean, really, if you drizzled omega 3 fatty acids on waffles, does that really make them healthy? I don't know.  So I went with a basic breakfast plate, and frankly, it was just ok.  The eggs came in their own oval-shaped bowl, scrambled with feta and a pretty garnish.  The bacon was greasy, but I don't really like bacon by itself anyways so I gave it to David.  The side of tomatoes came out lightly breaded and pan-fried, I would say a bust.  Probably should have picked potatoes.  

The really annoying thing about Brazil is that it's counterservice, and the coffee is BEHIND the counter.  So you have to go fight the line when you want a refill.  And the cups aren't that big to start.  That's really why I won't go back here very often.  Also, because I have really great cholesterol numbers as it is, so flaxseed can go fuck itself.

Beaver's

This lesbian-owned bar and restaurant has a stuffed beaver on the wall behind the bar, and it's a little creepy.

The restaurant, on the other hand, is very cozy and inviting, with a big wooden porch and friendly service.  So far, this is the best place I have been in Houston for cocktails.  I'd expect to pay and arm and a leg for options like habanero-infused vodka and gin cocktails with fresh rosemary, but they are all pretty reasonably priced around $7-$8.  There's also a drink called trash can punch, which was sweet and delicious, but definitely made me feel like a yuppie - who pays for trash can punch?

The food menu is kinda a gut-buster - lots of bbq, lots of fried meat, lots of heavy sides.  But you probably deserve a good meal from time to time, so there's no reason not to indulge in some mac & cheese and fried okra.  

Thumbs up, will go back!

Guadalajara

Guadalajara is the latest establishment to open up in the Pavilion mall downtown, and they were doing a trial run at lunch today.  So we got to try anything we wanted on the menu for free.

Like the rich little piglets that we are, the five of us pretty much ordered everything on the menu.  For appetizers, we tried the ceviche, the guacamole, quesadillas, chimichangas, and other weird fried tex-mex foods that I can't remember.  It was all pretty average, except the quesadillas, which were really good, but seeing as how it was free, it was exhilarating.   I had this creamy poblano soup with a fish taco for my entree.  The soup was really good and spicy and the fish taco was average (although, I think I hold fish tacos to the standard of Berry Hill, so I'm generally pretty tough to please on this dish).  

The decor in the restaurant is bright and colorful, but the hues are kinda 70s, which makes me think it will look really dated in about five years.  I will likely go back to this place due to its proximity to my office, but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to go downtown for dinner to hit it up.  

Hank's Ice Cream

My co-worker and friend introduced me to this small-batch ice creamery near Reliant Stadium.  

It is a small, family-owned business that has a lot of character.  There's about six small tables with plenty of extra chairs sprawled around an ice cream freezer, which displays over a dozen flavors, each label card scribbled in marker.  The walls are draped from top to bottom in pictures and posters signed by the celebrities themselves, including well wishes and endorsements.  You'll understand why after the first bite: the ice cream is as fresh as it gets.  I sampled several flavors before deciding on Sweet Potato Pie, and it tasted like the real thing (mostly because of the spices).  Other hits are oreo, butter pecan, banana pudding (with nilla wafers!), and some special versions of vanilla.  The ice cream is served in full size styrofoam cups with plastic spoons, so there's no skimping. 

Finding places like these makes me feel great about this city.

Whataburger

This is a special New Year's Austin edition of Cheeseboomboom.  Happy 2009!

I have often asked my friends and acquaintances to compare Whataburger and In-N-Out Burger, and I have gotten a decidedly mixed response.  Personally, I think Whataburger trumps In-N-Out for a number of reasons, and anyone who has ever gone to Whataburger with a drunk girl from Corpus Christi (the home of Whataburger by the Bay) will have to agree with me.

We (three hot drunk-ass girls) rolled (on a pedicab) into this restaurant at 2 am on New Year's Day.  We ordered:

• Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit
  
• Breakfast Biscuit (fried egg and cheese biscuit sandwich)
  
• Plain biscuit
  
• Hashbrowns (4 sticks to the order)
  

All that cost deliciousness cost $5.25.  Choke on that cost of living, California.

The Fish

The Fish is a sushi restaurant in Midtown that I believe people just call "Fish."  In fact, I'm not sure why I'm so committed to using the article, but I've chosen a course of action.

The sushi here is good, but my memories of this dinner are more fond because of the company I was with.  We ate and ordered and then we wanted to order more and then Lauren said just wait, the rice will expand and then you will feel full.  And she was right, that rice is so predictable.

I don't really have a review of this place.  The thing about restaurants in Midtown is that they are like steak houses for lawyers, you just go there because you don't want to think about it too hard. 

That review is a little harsh, this place is a pretty good deal, and while I was waiting for the rest of my party to arrive I played Wheel of Fortune with Matt Johnson and the tv contestants, which was fun.

Be-Wiched Bistro

This is a first dear friends: I actually ate at a place on my list of places I want to eat!  And listen, I don't want to brag, but I know how to pick restaurants.  

The best part of the meal was the pumpkin lobster bisque.  I know you think I'm just making this up to make me sound like  I'm really great at picking restaurants, but I'm not.  This was probably the best soup I've ever had.  Bright in color, creamy but with a texture.  I've always thought that lobster just tastes like butter, but this bisque taught me that no, lobster tastes like heavy cream.

The sandwich was actually pretty sub-par, but you know, with carbs and all, no one should really be eating sandwiches anymore anyways.  Do the soup with a salad and you have a $9 lunch that is worth every penny.

Cons: no dessert options, at all.

Pros: when you order iced tea, you get your own personal french style glass bottle.  I don't know if french-style is what you call it, but its the one where you clamp down the seal.  Katie, what do you call that?