Caracol

Caracol
220 Post Oak Blvd
Houston, TX 77056
caracol.net
Yelp

I was thoroughly impressed with Hugo's simple, yet refined Mexican cuisine.  The food was so well executed and nothing too over the top.  I don't think Houstonians or even Texans would fare well with anything that was in the style of Alinea or Eleven Madison Park.  Maybe I'm being unfairly simplistic in my view of Texans, but I think its fair to say BBQ, tacos, and kolaches reigns supreme there.  I am glad there are places like Hugo's and Caracol to brighten up the scene a bit.  Both restaurants are from the same chef/owner Hugo Ortega.  Caracol serves up Mexican coastal cuisine that is very seafood centric.  Who does not like seafood?  If you don't we cannot be friends.  Once upon a time, I went on a date with a guy who had a shellfish allergy.  I knew it was never meant to be.

Ceviche de Caracol conch, pineapple, ginger, red jalapeno
It's not often you seen conch on a menu stateside.  It was everywhere in the Bahamas.  The conch itself was nice, but I found the seasoning of this dish to be too sweet.  I guess what was I expecting with pineapples right?  I like my ceviches to be acidic.  The Annoyer liked this one a lot.


Ensalada de Pulpo spanish octopus salad, roasted potatoes, celery leaves, pumpkin seed dressing

We were hesitant to order this one because it didn't sound all that spectacular.  But our neighboring solo diner gave it very high marks.  I am wary of the recommendations from a lone stranger, but I think The Annoyer and I didn't want to insult him by not taking his advice.  This turned out to be my favorite dish of the night.  The texture of the octopus was not too chewy or tender.  The tentacles got the best char.  Calling this a salad is a misnomer, there being as much starch and protein as there were veggies.  There were 3 different kinds of potatoes, I think some onions and leeks.  The dressing was like nothing I ever tasted before.  I did not see anybody on Yelp order this.  Definitely an underrated dish for sure.

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Hugo's

Hugo's
1600 Westheimer Rd
Houston, TX 77006
hugorestaurant.net
Yelp

Our next meal was supposed to be something fancy schmancy.  BHD must think that's all I like to eat.  In fact, most people think that's all I like to eat.  I'm a food blogger, not a strictly 3 star Michelin eater.  Yes, I blog about the finer foods in life, but really I will blog about anything delicious and/or special.  It just so happens that most food that is delicious and special is $$$$$.  Anyways, I said let's forget about another couple hundred dollar meal and just eat something good.  Hugo's is such a place.  BHD takes the out of towners here too.

Peanuts

A little spicy, a little sweet.  The chips 'n salsa was quickly laid down next so I ditched these fast.

Chips salsa, guacamole

Standard fare, but still delicious.

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Dia de Campo

The South Bay is an upcoming foodie area.  It seems like there's always something new and cool opening up.  I really liked Little Sister so I was excited to hear that the chef/owner was opening up a Mexican/seafood themed joint just down the coast in Hermosa Beach.  Who other than Smooth Obturator and Triple T, who call the South Bay their home, would accompany me to this very hip and happening spot?  I totally loved the ambiance.  It was both relaxed/laid back given its beachside location, but then also vibrant, hip, and happening.  

Oysters

I was a little bummed these were cooked instead of chilled.  I'm not sure why cooked oysters just never taste right.

Hamachi Uni green papaya, mango, ponzu, baby cilantro, smoked pasilla

I don't think it's fair to list uni as a main ingredient here.  There was only 1 little lobe of uni!  Other than that, the dish was fine but nothing spectacular.  The fresh passionfruit was a nice touch.

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Del Seoul

Almost all the Chicago restaurants I tried were recommended to me by various friends and family.  Del Seoul was a place I found on Yelp.  It looked pretty delicious and reminiscent of Kogi.  It was a bit far from our hotel but we cabbed it pretty easily.  Seriously, we spent so much in cab fare in the short 5 days we were in Chicago.  Buff Bear and Mega Man joined us once again for a casual lunch at this order-and-take-a-number type of joint.

Seoul Style Street Dumplings

Meh, pretty average.  I have better frozen store bought dumplings at home.

Kimchi Fries kimchi, onions, pork belly, scallions, melted cheddar and jack cheese, sour cream
Buff Bear was a big fan of these. While they were pretty tasty, they were kind of a gut buster.  Surprisingly, the cheese and kimchi went together and wasn't too overwhelming.  I could have skipped them though.

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Xoco

With 5 restaurants, including 1 at O'Hare International Airport and the Macy's flagship store off the Magnificent Mile, in addition to the title of "Top Chef Master," Rick Bayless is a Chicago based chef with quite the empire on his hands.  Who knew a guy from the Midwest could master Mexican cuisine and elevate it to the next level.  Granted, I didn't get to try that "next level," which I imagine is what Topolobampo represents given the $$$$ price rating on Yelp.  Xoco actually represents the other end of the dining spectrum, being a casual joint focused on tortas and caldos, or sandwiches and soups/stews.  It made the perfect lunch spot!

La Prive and Dumpling Man were able to step away from their educational endeavors to meet me at Xoco for lunch.  Lucky for us the line was only up to the door instead of out the door.  We probably waited a good 15-20 minutes before getting to order and get a table.

Chips, Guacamole, Salsa tomatillo and 3 chile salsa
Nothing too special here, but you can't have a Mexican lunch without this.

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Sushirrito

I love that people are constantly trying to innovate in the food world. People coming up with new twists on old ideas.  People mashing up cuisines from different parts of the world.  It's fun to discover all these new things.  I wouldn't exactly say these innovators are always so successful.  Sushirrito seems like it would be one of the more creative and delicious ideas.  Imagine giant sushi rolls as big as burritos, and you have Sushirrito.

It's caters to the lunch crowd being located in the financial district of SF.  It's more of an eat and go or take and go place.  There are no places to sit and eat and only a small area to stand and eat.  It kind of works like chipotle where you order you food and you watch them make it on a line.

The fish looked decently fresh.

As did the veggies.

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Ferry Building Farmer's Market

So after an awesome dinner at Gary Denko, we woke up the next morning wondering what our next food adventure might be.  We had reservations for Bottega in Napa Valley at 5pm, so we didn't want to eat anything too heavy or too filling.  Triple F suggested the Farmer's Market where we could just try some small things here and there and still have space for carbo loading later in the day at Bottega.  I had been to the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building before, but never to eat real food.  

I remember watching Anthony Bourdain feast at Primavera.  I was having a craving for Mexican food, so I figured now was the time to see if Anthony Bourdain knew what he was talking about.  As you can see, this ain't no $1 taco stand.

Primavera Chilaquiles Guanajuato organic local scrambled eggs, refried beans, sour cream, avocado, white onions, cilantro
Everything was kinda whatever.  I think I've had better chilaquiles.  The other members of the H.o.P. could not understand what possessed me to stand in such a long line for such unimpressive eats.  I blame it on Anthony Bourdain, but maybe I shoulda had the tamales which is the more popular option here.

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The Mission

For our last meal in San Diego, we decided to brunch it up at The Mission.  What's up with brunch places always having some crazy wait?  Why does everyone love brunch soooooo darn much?!  It's just breakfast, but at lunch time.  For some crazy reason, people get way too excited about eggs and pancakes at noontime.  I like brunch, but I don't love it.

CMac Attack kicked off the meal by ordering a caramel machiatto or latte.  The nice waiter brought her a freshly made hot drink, with a smiley face made in the foam.  CMac Attack kindly conveyed her disappointment in the error since she wanted a cold drink.  The waiter surprisingly brought her another drink, cold, but with a sad face this time.  Haha!

House Quesadilla Grilled chicken, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, salsa cruda, green onions and sour cream served with Mission black beans 
CMac Attack did what she did best, attack!!!!  Haha, jk.  I think she enjoyed this dish.

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Lucha Libre

A few weeks ago, the high school crew (+ The Toothbrush Sharer) and I celebrated Dubabo's birthday in sunny San Diego.  Much to my surprise, after too many years post-graduation, were all still good friends.  Most of them still hang out regularly (DJ SuCha, HemaSh, CMac Attack, etc) but I'm just too far and too busy to hike it down to the OC to hang out most of the time.  But when I do get to meet up, it's like time never really passed.  It's just good times through and through which makes me really happy.

HemaSh lived in San Diego for 3 years so she pretty much served as our trusty guide.  She suggested Lucha Libre for lunch.  It's a pretty funny little joint with pictures of lucha libre fighters all over the walls that serves fancied up tacos, burritos, etc.

They even have a special golden booth that get's table side service and a special fight bell to ring to call the waiter.  We were sad we couldn't sit here since it was already reserved.  We just ordered at the counter and found some regular seats.

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