This week I went to Lopez for the first time in many many months, and it seemed as though the cheese enchiladas were covered in chili gravy that was more reddish than the last time I ate there. They were good though, with lots of onions.
This year I have been consumed with Tex-Mex for some reason, and became enamored of El tiempo 1308. They closed Sunday for good. The replacement El Tiempo on lower Westheimer has a larger menu, but not quite the ambience.
I also re-discovered Los Tios as you know. And have order the number 6 several times. That place has improved vastly since the last time I was there a couple of decades ago, but they are now owned by a local restaurant brother and sister team, Adair Family Restaurants.
I also tried Superica this year, and liked some aspects more than others. I may have been a bit harsh on the recounting of the visit, Iâll probably try again.
With the year drawing to a close, is there anything else I should try before the mood passes?
Two of my favorites are in the East End barrio, El Jardin way east at Harrisburg and 78th in the shadows of the 610 Ship Channel bridge. We go for queso flameado and carnitas.
The other is Merida at the head of Navigation just west of the fake original Ninfaâs. We like super nachos with chorizo with the excellent refried beans on the side. They do a nice cheese enchilada but youâll have to ask for onions, we get it a la carte.
Not Tex-Mex but the cochinita pibil tacos are outstanding and again we do them a la carte.
I got auto scolded for responding to you too many times. Who am I supposed to reply to, what they donât want me to post?
Forgot to ad, they have two salsas, one is a puree that I love and the other is chunky with veggies and spicier which must be asked for unless you have an Hispanic wife in tow and even then itâs no guarantee.
Totally on my list now (El Jardin), tho itâs a fer piece. Ignore the Bots.
Interestingly, the manager at Superica, when asked his favorite Tex-Mex when NOT dining at Superica, answered Mi Sombrero. Looks like a real hole in the wall eatery not far from Superica on Shepherd.
Looky here, if you havenât been to Los Tios lately, you havenât been to Los Tios! I ran into some LT folks testing out fancy new plates at the Westheimer Los Tios last month, likely for this new âflagshipâ location.
I went to Pappasitoâs this week, what the heck to they think theyâre serving? $9 for a small (1 cup maybe) queso, $20 for chicken quesadilla, $16 for two cheese enchiladas, $35 for the smallest (medium) fajitas. As much as I like their food, they have jumped the line with these prices and I wonât be going there much in the future. I donât like feeling like a chumly.
So, popped into Los Tios yesterday for lunch. We stopped into the Westheimer and Tanglewilde location and I should mention it was Good Friday. I mention that to add that despite our arrival at 12:10, the place was almost empty with only two other tables occupied the entire time we were there.
(I also want to mention before I forget that the old Ace Hardware store a few doors down is being redeveloped as an Aldi.)
We didnât see any sign of any new or upscale offerings, just the same old TexMex weâve been eating for years. I got the combo plate with taco, tamale, cheese enchi, R&B. It was decent but not spectacular. The green table sauce was great as was our waiter, David. As I said, we were his only table, but he was efficient and personable. I suspect he would be likewise if he HAD been busy.
It wasnât bad at all, but I didnât really see anything new on the menu.
As an aside, does anyone remember the last time I gave a place a glowing review? Is it just me? Am I curmudgeoning before your very eyes?
Maybe I just need to get out less!
Man, itâs a beautiful day in Houston. Iâm off to the grocers to find something to grill.
Nothing new, just better ingredients and flavor, imo senior curmudgeon. Number 6 is my order. Strange about the crowd, itâs typically full at lunch. I saw that ALDI sign, and was lifted in spirit. Thereâs not one near me yet.
I just took a long drive in this gorgeous weather to find some meat to grill at a new meat market. I bought some ribs and stopped at a little HEB for some fresh green beans, where they were featuring the same ribs at less than half the price I just paid. But there WAS the lovely drive to the store. Thatâs why people work, you know, to get bigger caves and better meat to put on fire.
Los Tios, have you been to Kaneyama? I always wonder about it. I looked at it on Yelp once and it appeared to have diminished in quality in recent months.
I visited the new Flagship Los Tios on San Felipe last week and really liked the enclosed patio. There was a 20 minute wait at 1:00 p.m. on a weekday. Itâs mostly the same food, but they have added a few upmarket items like the carnitas Sir Lamb ordered. Lets just say Lopez carnitas still have the top spot in his heart.
On the other hand, I heard about a new place on Richmond that I am headed to next, Candente by the Pit Room people.Eric Sandler says heâs had their carnitas 3 times already and they seem to be his âright nowâ favorite carnitas in Houston. Itâs meat-centric Tex-Mex.
Mine are at El Jardin on Harrisburg but you have to really want them as they are deep in the barrio. Theyâre the sliced and fried variety rather than the braised ones Senior Lamb got.
We went a couple of moths ago and they were a bit overcooked but went back recently and they were perfect.
