Curious Notions

If you haven’t an idea what I’m talking about, read these entries first:

1. Sneak Peak/Introduction
2. First stop: Kolache Factory

For our second stop for progressive lunch (third for me if you want to count the lunch I had with mom), Willis drove us to Antones, the original one. I used to LOVE Antones (3 locations in Houston) in high school. They’re famous for their po boys. I alternated between the tuna po boy and the original po boy. Dad often would get them for me while in high school and I often met up with friends junior and senior year of high school at Antones. It’s been years since I’ve had their sandwiches but man, it was one happy reunion. The three of us split one tuna po boy and one Original Po Boy (ham, salami, Provolone, chow chow, mayonnaise & dill Pickles). This rekindled my old flame and now I have another place to haunt when I go back to Houston.

Well I’m really past my bed time. Here are photos!

I think he’s trying to show us what’s inside…

Photos in this entry were taken by Thomas.

Over Thanksgiving, I was lucky to get to spend a day with Thomas who’s hardly ever in Texas. He and his brother and I went for lunch. What was supposed to just be a one restaurant lunch outing (aren’t they usually?) morphed into a very painful back to back eating event that spanned three restaurants. I have to also add that I was in more pain than the boys because I had eaten lunch with my mom 2 hours before meeting them up for lunch. It’s a common occasion for me to eat 2 meals per meal time when in Houston. One with mom, then one with friends. Above is a photo of Thomas and me at our second food stop, the original Antones. Taken by Thomas himself. I will post more in detail about our eating adventure once Thomas forwards me photos. Hint hint! ;)

Mike and Patty’s
12 Church St
(between Tremont St & Fayette St)
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 423-3447
www.mikeandpattys.com

Mike and Patty’s teeny tiny storefront.

I originally added this on my to do list for Boston because I yelped around. Then a friend suggested it on my facebook profile so it augmented my already eager determination. We took a very scenic walk to 12 Church St. That’s something I really appreciate about Boston. The cobblestone streets and pots of flowers on the sidewalk and hanging from lamp lights. I forgot how romantic Boston is. Perfect for strolls. I literally have stopped to admire flowers several times today and yesterday.

The miniscule interior.

I took this photo to try demonstrate how tiny this place was! Note the distance between the door and the counter. At the very most Mike and Patty’s can seat 6 people.

The menu!

After poring over the menu on the wall, I was most drawn to the Bacon and Egg, Fancy sandwich. I asked the super friendly and down to earth girls what was their favorites and or most popular. They said definitely the Bacon and Egg, Fancy. That was enough to sell me!

bacon, egg, cheddar, avocado, red onion, house mayo on toasted multigrain bread (I held out on onion.)

Seriously the BEST egg sandwich I’ve ever had. I kept reliving the memory of this sandwich ALL day. Everything fit perfectly. Mmm, the bacon. I love me bacon. My vote for new food groups are chocolate and BACON. The house mayo gave it a pleasant tang and my taste buds thoroughly craved every ingredient of that sandwich. I was skeptical about the multigrain bread but even that just fit the sandwich. I can see (taste? hee) why it’s Mike and Patty’s most popular sandwich. Mmmmmmm.

egg, salsa, cheese, roasted poblanos, potato, refritos and avocado

Pictured above is Mary Ellen’s order, the Breakfast Torta. I’m usually not a fan of tortas as the bread is usually too starchy for me but when asked to describe her sandwich, Mary Ellen boldly claimed that it was the best egg breakfast sandwich of her life. She said the combination of the salsa, beans, and avocado gave the torta kind of a Southwesterny taste but not and the bread was light. She said everything about the sandwich was divine. The egg was slightly runny and the roasted poblanos surprised her with how well it went with everything.

Definitely worth a visit!!

I finally found a Vietnamese place that has Bun Rieu. I first wrote about it here. It is a Vietnamese noodle soup that is tomato and crab based.

Nisreen, Bro, Deesh, Bing and I were walking around the Chinatown looking for a “new” place to eat. We were on our way to Wok on Fire when we passed by Lilly’s Sandwiches. On the window there was a sign that they have Bun Rieu. Excited, I changed our destination so I could try my first bowl of restaurant Bun Rieu. There’s coagulated pig’s blood in this version whereas my mom’s never had pig’s blood in hers. Their version is also much sweeter than what my palate is accustomed to. I much prefer my mom’s but am appreciative that they even have it to begin with. Here’s a photo of what their bun rieu looks like.

The others had Vietnamese sandwiches. All enjoyed their orders.

Last weekend, I tried out three restaurants.

A sandwich shop that’s apparently a Southern chain. Firehouse Subs. I wanted to grab a quick bite before heading to Ikea with Jennifer and Deesh met me up here at the Braker location. He recommended the Engineer, a turkey sandwich with Swiss cheese and sauteed mushrooms. It was delicious. The mushrooms are a nice touch, the bread perfectly toasted. The place itself is kind of cute. They had Firemen uniforms hanging on coat racks and Dalmatian spotted tables. Each cup has a firemen bio on it. Nice break from Quizos, Subway, and ThunderClouds.

Kenobi
New sushi restaurant in the Arboretum. I had my group birthday dinner here last Saturday. With exception of Deesh and Brittany, it was a new place for everyone. What’s most striking about the restaurant is its decor. Very trendy, dark, grandiose, beautiful, reminds me of Vegas. The sushi tasted fresh and they had our table sectioned off so it felt intimate. Food was good. I do feel you’re paying a little bit more for the ambiance. Overall the experience was pleasant :) I’d try it out again.

Gumbos
On my actual birthday, I was treated to a really nice dinner at Gumbos. I’ve heard about this place for a couple of years now and never gotten around to trying it. Had the spicy calamari and the crabcakes for appetizers. I think it’s the best calamari I’ve ever had and I think it’s due namely to the seasoning. Then I had the Spinach, goat cheese, pecan salad and my date had the Caesar salad. He ordered a steak (the Robert) and I had Shrimp Victoria. Blackened shrimp on artichokes and cherry tomatoes. My mouth is watering typing this out. There’s a picture of his steak on the website.

The restaurant is located on the ground level of a historical brown building (can you tell I read the website? haha) and I fell in love with the host.Maybe 70 years old? He was struggling with one of those china markers that was pulled and unwound until a tiny little nub.

“How do they expect me to write with this thing?”

He kept us updated on his status when I went to the restroom and then when we left. He must have liked us too since he seated us on the second floor and we pretty much had the floor to ourselves despite many more tables on the more bustling first floor. I found the seating romantic. Overall, I definitely recommend Gumbos.

My last new thing of the week, I joined a writing club! They just had their second meeting last Sunday. Ink Spots meets the last Sunday of every month. So far I love the dynamic and the personalities. One girl wrote a 150 page fan fiction for the Twilight series. Another girl wrote journal entries that pondered everything from her lotion bottle being easily excitable and her love handles. So the rules are you can write about anything you want and there are optional prompts. This next month’s prompt is embarrassment.

My problem with writing is that I can’t make shit up. I can document the shit out something and flesh out a memory but it’s never fictional. Maybe I can strengthen my writing muscle with Ink Spots’ help.