I had lunch there once, I thought it was good!
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Iāve eaten at the one in Katy. Pretty good. Chicken very tasty. The bulgogi is only mediocre but thatās not why you came. Or at least it shouldnāt be. Chicken is their raison dāetre.
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The Signature Cafe at Randalls is a Safeway brand, I think. I have assumed you could walk into a Safeway anywhere and get the same fried chicken. Maybe not. Iām pretty sure I never tried the fc at Randallās before it became Safeway.
I donāt know. Safeway blows. I remember, when they elbowed their way into the market, they took over a beautiful, almost new Weingartenās on Edgebrook and excuse the language, turned it into a smoking turd seemingly overnight. I think they could screw up fried chicken.
Weāll at least theyāre gone now and Randallās is pretty much the same but the high prices and none close by keep me away, hello MY HEB Bunker Hill, but no fried chicken.
Never had Frenchys and I went to UH. Missed that boat.
I suggest an excursion, donāt forget the red beans and rice with andouille, in the same league as the chicken and some pretty good greens.
Iām up for any sort of excursion. Going out to SFO Bay area for few days. Back May 9th. Also got plans for Motherās Day. But other than that would love to meet any and/or all of yāall any time.
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I was looking at the pictures on Yepl; there used to be a fried chicken dinner for two on the menu. Apparently our fearless reporter hadnāt bothered to check out the current menu.
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I drove by the original Babeās in Roanoke about 10 years ago ---- huge line. Itās family style AYCE as best I recall. Theyāre all over the place now up there apparently.
There was a similar place in Abilene - Belleās??? - that I had on my list as possible last fall but passed it by.
The Rice Box was/is (?) a food truck specializing in Americanized Chinese food favorites. Hadnāt heard about the chicken. They had a stand in the Greenway Plaza underground, I think; donāt know if itās still there. They have converted a former Chirps in the Heights, on 19th a block or so east of Penzeyās.
I donāt know if itās been mentioned - I didnāt notice it above - but Gusās World Famous Fried Chicken from Nashville is coming to Washington Ave sometime soon.
Iāve never been to Nashville nor had Nashville style hot chicken. One Iāve been reading about and would like to see here is Howlinā Rayās in Los Angeles.
That would be why I havenāt heard of it.
How exciting! Iāve always wanted to try Nashville hot chicken!
edit:
Oops, from the Eater article:
"Gusās is known for its spicy fried chicken, not to be confused with Nashvilleās famous hot chicken "
Yeah ā I have no idea what that last comment means!
I love it - Italian Fried Chicken. I donāt see it on the menu - is it a regular Tuesday special.
I was thinking Tony Mandolaās was on one of those lists above but I must have gotten it mixed up with something. Another branch of the Mandola family.
Apparently they have daily specials not on the menu, but this fried chicken can be made to order any day. I arrived to meet a group who had already ordered this chicken (a whole chicken) as an āappetizer!ā Haha! Love my friends. It was delicious, super juicy and tender and well seasoned, at least the one wing I ate. Now I wonder if I can get it at my nearby Pronto Cucinino, the fast casual version of Ninoās/Vincentās.
Iām kind of a Mandola groupie. Ask for Sal if you go to Ninoās. Best server in town, hands down.
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Now thatās the kind of tip this board was made for.
Bout time!
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The best margaritas at El Tiempo Washington Avenue are made by Emiliano, ask for skinny. Ask for Arturo if you get a table and have him make the margaritas. He used to be a bartender.
The best waiter at the not the original Ninfaās, if you must go, is Omar, I assume heās still there but itās been a few years. His dad Ronnie took care of us starting in the late 70ās.
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I usually end up at El Tiempo on Montrose (1308) even though Iām closer to the Washington location, because my co-conspirators like the wait staff there.
I wasnāt a huge fan of El Tiempo due to their prices and used to talk to Texasredtop back on CH about it. She adored the crab quesadillas and once I tried it I never went back. Or actually I did, go back, many times. Super fresh crab piled on a quesadilla with cheese and bacon.
Maybe I should start a crab topic, especially with soft shell season here, but fresh crab is nigh on impossible to find anymore. I donāt know what it is, but it is rare that the crab is not ammoniated, indicating old seafood or very badly raised seafood. See for example, my formerly favorite dish at Churrascoās, the crab finger appetizers. Itās been many of years since I have had a whole order of fresh fingers there, thereāa always several that slap that ammonia in my face and up my nose in the most unpleasant way.
All that to say I have never, ever had ammoniated crab in the quesadillas, enchiladas or crab nachos at El Tiempo. For that they have my devotion at any location.
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