RA Sushi

Last Sunday we went out to eat with Jonathan and Brian. The hardest part about going out to eat is deciding where to go! Especially with these two.... they don't make it easy lol. Brian first showed interest when I mentioned sushi. Jonathan only offered up choices that consisted of Mexican food, Mexican food, Mexican food, or... Mexican food. I gave choices of American, Spanish, Italian, Sushi and was immediately shot down for all four choices! Jonathan and I were trying to decide where to go, while Brian was sending the text message "FOOD" over and over to Ryan. I don't remember how we ended up deciding on sushi, but when we did, Jonathan and Brian both said it's what they were going for the entire time... Not sure how I was suppose to know that but it was a fun dinner. We decided on RA because of their Sunday specials. 1/2 off some of their sushi and appetizers. We got one too many rolls and were stuffed. The Viva Las Vegas one has too much going on but it was still good. It was good sushi, but I would probably prefer to go to other places like Azuma, Oishii, or Zake instead. We couldn't finish it all and decided to make sushi art with the left overs in the end (that Ryan didn't approve of but the three of us did it anyways).

Appetizers: edamame & pork gyoza
Sushi: yellow tail, California, spicy tuna, lobster and shrimp, viva las vegas, toostie, and shrimp tempura.

Baby Barnaby's

So we were too hungry and forgot to take photos of our food, but I decided to post about it anyways- especially since Ryan just posted like 4 times! We didn't even think about taking photos until we ate about half of our food and Jonathan reminded us that we didn't take pictures. Normally on Sunday's - Ryan and I are usually with my family and we go out to visit my mom and have lunch with my dad and sister. Dad has been working crazy amounts of overtime lately and ended up going into work at 6am this Sunday so our normal routine was postponed. I drove down to Ryan's and wanted to get some brunch. Jonathan, Ryan, and I were going to go try Black Walnut Cafe, but they stopped serving breakfast at 11 and it was like 12:30. So, we ended up going to Baby Barnaby's instead. The original Barnaby's and Baby Barnaby's are actually right next to each other- we walked in, sat down, and saw a lunch menu and realized we were in the original Barnaby's instead of the Baby one that only serves breakfast. We got up and went through the door and we're now in the patio area of Baby Barnaby's. You write your name on the wait list on a clipboard hanging on a post and just wait... It's a pretty small place but had good food. I had corn beef hash and eggs, Ryan had green eggs (eggs with spinach and artichokes, chicken apple sausage - probably the BEST sausage we have ever had) and potatoes, and Jonathan had french toast with bacon and potatoes. The other one we wanted to try was the Lox platter (smoked salmon, tomatoes, red onion, capers, cream cheese, and a toasted bagel). I wouldn't mind going back here for breakfast/brunch again, but there are so many other good brunch places out in this area to try that we might not.

Here are some photos taken from google:


and someone took a photo of their green eggs so I stole it:

Pagoda Vietnamese Bistro

One sentence review by Kimmy: Mediocre Vietnamese food that's overpriced, but in a pretty restaurant.

Agreed. We tried a couple of their soups, not pho, but Bun Bo Hue and Hu Tieu, which we usually like, but these were bland. I think it's just because they cook them quickly and not for a long time, like it should be done, since they're not doing a high volume - it was pretty empty on a Friday night. They were also a few dollars overpriced from what they are at the good - more authentic - Vietnamese holes-in-the-wall with plastic table cloths.

One good point - the egg rolls were pretty good and had all the right ingredients. There's just no need to try to fancy up that kind of food with dim lighting and orchids and candles and cloth napkins (and separate places for each different vegetable to put in the soup, what the? at least their dish washer has some job security). I actually mentioned that I wanted to have the thin paper napkins that Vietnamese places usually have, it's hard to eat a giant bowl of soup without them - the starched cloth napkin wasn't cutting it.

Beaver's (again)

Brian and Jonathan and Lindsey talked me into going out for a couple beers at the Darkhorse Tavern last Thursday after work. Okay, it didn't take that much convincing, but anyway. Darkhorse was a bar we hadn't been to, it was pretty cool inside but there was no one there. We sat there for a little bit and decided to go to Beaver's for dinner. We went there a month or so ago and really liked it, but Lindsey had never been. Ryan O. met us there and Kimmy showed up eventually after she got off work. Thursday night is Culture Club night or something there, and part of the proceeds that night were going to the Houston Chorale something or other. They have a drink and food special on Thursdays to benefit whatever cultural group is there, and there was a Texas beer on there, Southern Star Bombshell Blonde, brewed in Conroe, that we had never tried, so a few of us got that. Jonathan tried the "Forecast" - cocktail with habanero-infused vodka, cucumber, and lime - it was pretty good, I know because I drank the last half after he decided to go with another "Currant Affair" like he got last time. Ryan O. tried their mint julep made with smoked whiskey. Our waitress was pretty cool and made some good recommendations on the food for us, and Brian tried his best to offend her.

One side of the table got BBQ, which they smoke every day there. Kimmy ordered the culture club special, prime rib carpaccio. I got another daily special, the Grouper cake - like a crab cake but with grouper - with potato dumplings, and Ryan O had a crawfish cornbread salad - made with their crawfish that apparently they do every Wednesday night. Everything was really good. Kimmy and I are really starting to like this place. They have really great food with different fresh specials every day, and a nice beer and drink list, but everything is still very casual.

If that doesn't sound like enough, we had heard about their candied bacon ice cream and Kimmy and I decided to get some for everyone to try, and while looking at the dessert menu I noticed the Beaver Balls - basically fried brownie batter - still plenty raw or just melted in the middle, I'm not sure which. We were waiting for the dessert for just a bit, had finished up our drinks, and I jokingly slapped the table and said "I sure could go for some Beaver balls," just as apparently they were being brought out right behind me, and the guy bringing them out said something like, "Well how about that, here you go..." It was funny, but you probably had to be there for it to make sense. The ice cream was good, I could have handled more bacon flavor, but I guess I can understand that it still needs to be ice cream-y enough.

We will definitely be going back again, I just wish we had found out about this place sooner, since it's so close to my house.




(We aren't really regulars yet, I guess, but it has to have the highest rating now, and we will be going back a few more times, I'm sure of it)

Baked Chicken

I've had some chicken legs in the freezer for a few weeks, and have been wanting to do some BBQ chicken, but we're never in the mood for it. Instead, we decided to just bake it and empty out the freezer and pantry with some sides. Thawed the chicken and coated it with some olive oil, lots of garlic, italian herbs, salt, pepper, etc. and roasted it in the oven at 475 for like 45 mins. Then just cooked up half a bag of frozen green beans I had left, some frozen corn, and mashed potatoes. Kimmy came over after work, and it was a really good meal. The chicken was flavorful and very juicy. I'll be putting this one into the rotation. As long as you have the time to cook it, it's a really easy meal.

Cyclone Anaya's Brunch

This was actually a few weeks ago, we've just had the pictures sitting in the camera.
We went to Cyclone Anaya's on Durham for brunch one Sunday morning with Brian and Jonathan and Kat. We ordered some ceviche to go with bottomless mimosas (only Brian and I partook in those) to start out with, because what's better than uncooked seafood in the morning - ok, so it's "cooked" in lime juice, but still. I got huevos rancheros, which have become one of my favorite breakfast meals. I think that's what Kat ate too. Kimmy ordered some breakfast tacos, which were ok. It was a trio of potato, bacon, and chorizo tacos. Brian and Jonathan had a crab omelet and shrimp & egg tacos. It was ok, nothing too amazing. We've gone there before for regular meals, and it's pretty good, but overpriced, and Kimmy is not usually in the mood for Mexican food anyway.