Food and Drink in Houston

Just about every Friday my daughter Patty and I meet for lunch.  Just about every Friday we start the day planning to meet at Sweet Tomatoes, my favorite super salad place.  Just about every Friday right around 11:00, about the time we are both starting to think about lunch, the texts start…. Patty, “Salad?”   Me,  “Is that what you want?”    Patty, “???”   Me, “what then?”   Patty, “GRINGOS?”  Or this can be reversed depending on who started the break from eating a healthy salad for lunch that week.

The USA, Houston not being an exception, is made up with streets of fast food.  Every neighborhood, town, country road, has its typical fast food places.  Patty knows that I wont break from the salad bar for just any fast food place; UCK!  But Gringos, I have a week spot for their nachos, tortilla soup and especially for their green sauce.  Yes she know how to get me to break my good eating habits almost every Friday. 

Yes I have a weakness for Mexican or TEX-MEX as it is call in Texas.  There is Mexican fast food – Taco Bell for example – and there is good Tex-Mex like Gringos.  The building was built just for them.  It has a Spanish hacienda look and feel.  There is a patio seating area that we use in the 3 or four months a year when it is not too cold or too hot to sit out….. can’t think of any other reasons that I like the place, the green sauce speaks for itself…. I tried to get the recipe for you all…. couldn’t find it online and nothing substitutes for it.  So maybe someday when you get to Houston…..

From the Gringo’s Facebook page …..”Gringo's Mexican Kitchen Unfortunately we can't release the exact recipe for our green sauce but I can provide you with the ingredients so you can take a stab at it! Avocados, sour cream, tomatillos, serrano peppers, jalapenos, salt, garlic powder, cilantro & water”

 

 

Here are a few pictures so you see the atmosphere I enjoy so much.  (And Yes they Have good Margs)

     

   

FSO – rush hour

This time of year it is all about rushing.  Rush to work, and home; company parties, shopping, children’s plays, recitals, shopping, dinner parties and more shopping. There should be no limit to the possible photo ops and I have found myself with ZERO photos on the camera.  I carried the camera with me all week.  Nothing.  Two days ago I began looking through the Houston archives.  Nothing. 

I suggested this topic.  Surely I had an idea for a photo to post.  Nothing comes to mind.  Last week Patty and I went shopping for Thanksgiving dinner supplies, the lines were miles long, everyone in a rush to get home.  Did I take an interesting photo – NO.  On Thursday night we went to Wal-Mart to see ‘black Friday’ activities.  It was a madhouse people acting like idiots, rushing about then standing in a line that wound around the store, probably  a quarter mile long.  No dollar saved was worth standing in that line.   Did I take photos – NO.  Are you getting the idea that this is a disclaimer?

Right at this moment in time I don’t work.  In fact, I avoid going out between 6 – 8 am and if I do go out, I try to be back at the house or hiding in a coffee shop between 4 and 6pm.  Houston is a ‘get there by car or don’t go at all’ town.  Missouri city does not have any mass transit options.  Avoiding rush hour out this direction is a matter of survival.   Today I took two photo – snap shots really – that can give you an idea of what a society driven by cars means on a daily basis.

looking south

looking north on a Saturday afternoon.

and inside a store… we were 10th in line