I'm back!

This has been a crazy time for a lot of us. Things beginning and ending, hurricanes and loss. Yes, my skinny comrades it has been trying, but the Fatman is back now, so fret not.

I just thought I'd share some of the places I have been to in the last few months, briefly, and then get to work on processing all of the different Mexican food places I have been surveying in Houston(I should have the results of my little experiment up by next week).

One place that was pretty cool as far as mom/pop joints here in Tejas I stumbled upon by chance while searching for gas during the recent disaster. Going to Brenham is never a frequent occasion for me, but there is a little pizza place on 290 going through town that was pretty damn good. It is called Rebecca's Cafe, and it serves a variety of home cooked sandwiches and pizzas that are well priced, and well made. The service was friendly, and they had free wifi, which after days with no power or Internet was like drinking spring water in the desert.

Another place that always impresses me is Vespaio in Austin (check out the menu/pics at www.austinvespaio.com). Their take on Italian food is very well executed, and always fresh. Now this place is not for the thrifty-hearted, but the plates are very well designed with food, and cooked perfectly. Another cool aspect of the food was the portion sizes. They were filling, but NOT overcrowded and heavy. One thing about Italian food, is that some places love to kill meats and pasta dishes with sauce, diminishing the effect of some basic skill mastery(ex: tasting the pasta in ravioli, or the subtle nuances of flavor in delicate seafood) The chef at Vespaio is able to bring out very well balanced and powerful meaning in the food without over doing it. I had a hangar steak there, and it was the first time in over a year that I received a perfectly cooked piece of beef when it arrived at the table. Also, though in the middle of the Texas hill country they still had some of the freshest Malpac oysters I have ever been privileged enough to eat. Even the wine list and service were outstanding. In the end, the bill wasn't pretty, but the satisfaction of really being treated like someone special was well worth it.
Hope you all are well, and you will hear from me soon

-mk-

Tore-Tillah Madness

This one goes out to my friend from Buffalo...

When I was a kid, there were few comparisons to the smell of bacon frying just before I got up in the morning. Wafting in through the air, the sweet smokey smell was a sign that someone had gone out of their way to do something special for me, no matter how simple that one action was. The same was and is true for biscuits, or fresh baked cookies, or a number of other pungent comfort foods. Becoming more ideas than food, they are all attached to a pleasing smell that sets off our taste buds and floods our thoughts with pleasant memories past associated with them. (Man I could really go for a fresh baked cookie right now)

Thinking of all this reminded me of a conversation that I had with a friend where I listened to him describe a little taqueria near his house with great enthusiasm(called Taqueria Laredo I believe). The focus of the excitement wasn't based on the main stream type of Mexican food highlights you come to expect, like the salsa, or the so-and-so tacos, or the price of the Margaritas or even Queso(which is Tex-Mex by the way my skinny pals).

No, this was more sincere and as my culinary mind soaked it all in I thought of those comforting foods and smells from years ago and their profound affect on me. He was talking about the fact that they have a station set up for hand-made tortillas with three or four different ladies cranking them out in some Spanish grandma symphony of movement. My eyes glazed over and I could almost smell the delicious smell of the tortillas toasting to perfection on the hot griddle as he described the process. It was but a fleeting moment in a description of some one else's food fantasy, but I am now motivated to say the least.

So, I have decided to spend the next month or so going to as many REAL Mexican food places in Houston as I possibly can, and will put out my top ten at the end of August/beginning of September. This will include taco carts, Taquerias, and even some in between places that claim to be authentic Mexican food. We're gonna put them on the griddle and see what sizzles, people! It is my duty as a Fatman, as a blogger, and as a lover of frying smells and gooey cookies to succeed in the face of this great task.

Have a place in your hood you think should be included? Know about a "secret" location for the perfect Torta? Found the best taco cart in town?
Write me and let me know. I want to be knee-deep in your ideas, you skinny supporters of mine.

Until next time los Amigos Flacos,

mk