Hamsa

I love holidays, you get to go out and meeting up with friends and catch up.

We picked Hamsa this time.

Fancy lunch menu with your own bottled water.

We got the Wholeshebang - and they do mean it.

Matbucha, Baba Ganoush, Squash Tahini, Muhamara

Beet Salad, Carrot Harissa, Labneh, Lemon Tahini

There's hummus complet back there too, but my favorite is still the Baba Ganoush.

We got the Tenderloin skewer with cauliflower couscous.  The meat was chewier than I'd cared for but the couscous was good.

Under friend's recommendation to get the Grilled Branzino.  That is a Mediterranean Sea Bass.  Underneath is fennel salad, and I'm not usually a fennel salad person, but this was very good.  The fish was also good, just wish it's more de-boned. 

Overall the meal is good.  The service they do try.  It did fizzled towards the end.  In terms of food, I want to love it, but besides one or two dishes, nothing really stood out for me.  In terms of parking, there is valet next door, or you can try your luck on the street, and Village Parking also has some, watch for the signs.  Reservation is always a good idea, even for lunch.  So do that ahead of time.

Hamsa

5555 Morningside Dr

Ste 100

Houston, TX 

281-612-3515

https://hamsahtx.com/

 

Slowpokes West U

So Slowpokes opened a new location in West U.

I went during soft open and it wasn't busy just yet.

Got my breakfast for the day.  Got a Purple Rain, which is their ube latte.  Definitely get more earthly or grainy than normal latte.  Almost like you used oat milk here.

Got a giant cheese and blueberry danish, which they got from Kraftsman

Also got the La Mariposa, which a lavender lemonade, which is nice and light.  Very easy going, not too sweet.

There are plenty of seating and they have various wine specials and cheese board specials on weekend.

In the morning, they''re opened early enough to stop by on the way to work.  However, now that more folks are aware of them, more people are coming back.  I'm glad they're getting popular.  Definitely will come back in the evening and give them a try.

Slowpokes

6725 Stella Links

Houston, TX 77005

346-833-8513

https://www.imaslowpoke.com/ 

 

Red Robin

Went to Red Robin for a snack.

Truly is so the kiddo can have a milkshake with friends.  Of course the kids were bouncing off the wall. But the grownups were able to get some food in there. 

I haven't had mozzarella sticks forever.  So can't help myself.  Also got an Arnold Palmer.  Of course, after that, I can't have dinner.  All the fried food and all that cheese just took up all the space I had in my tummy.  But having junk food once in a while it's kinda nice.

What is neat is that they have the server take our order.  They are all on mobile device to put in the order ticket.  But when you pay, if you need to split bills, they load it on the table device.  So when you need to pay, it's all ready for you to select.  I'm quite impress and happy with that technology and make it accessible to all.  I know this is not unique to them, but it is a good point of sales system so that the servers can keep on doing what they need to instead of running multiple cards on split checks.

Red Robin

7620 Katy Freeway

Houston, TX 77024

713-476-9096

https://locations.redrobin.com/tx/houston/504/

 

Brian's Bitchin' Tiramisu

You guys know how much I love Brian's cookies.

But more, I love his tiramisu's.

He's always playing around with flavors, preserving it and making it taste good.

Mixing Asian flavors with this Italian favorite.

This is Pandan Espresso Tiramisu.  I appreciated that the Pandan is not overly powerful and the espresso was just enough to give a hint and not taking over the panda.  Actually with the crumbs on top, reminded me of Biscoff with a bit of pandan. 

Second one is my all time favorite.

The Thai Tea-misu.  It's Thai tea flavor every time.

I think what I appreciate is that the middle layers are never dry, and the consistency is good.  Unlike some restaurants, either the middle is too dry, or have too much flavor, or too soaked.  Somehow, Brian was able to achieve the perfect balance for all of those aspects, which makes me appreciate it so much more.  Plus, I do know how much works it goes into making a tiramisu; so, for him to experiment with the different flavors with the same consistency on the texture is truly a work of love.

Of course, I support small local businesses, so definitely will be going back.  To keep track of his rollouts, check his Instagram.

Brian's Bitchin' Bakery

https://briansbitchinbakery.com/

 

Gatlin's Fins & Feathers

Was hearing about the new Gatlin's.

It's definitely not part of the BBQ variety.

First, we were recommended the Not Yo Mama's Biscuit.  So the biscuit and butter is good.  But they have  a bacon jam. At first, I was hoping it'd be good, and it tasted good, like in a kolache.  My problem with it was that it's too watery, which is messy and lose flavor quickly.

Got my Arnold Palmer - at first, they were using sweet tea, which makes it super sweet for nothing.  That said, it's a very Southern thing to do.  Once they switched to non-sweet tea, it was much better.

We ordered the F&F Chargrilled Oysters - that is super delicious. It has herb butter with parmesan cheese. Highly recommend.  Next time, we're getting a dozen on these.  MUST Order!

Here comes our yummy food.

I got a cup of gumbo.  The roux is lighter and not super thick.  But not only did they put in 2 grilled shrimps on top. They actually have shrimps in the gumbo itself.  Mind you, they already have chicken, crab, sausage and okra in addition to the rice.  This is not a bad dish, I wouldn't mind getting a bowl next time.

I just settled for a Kale Cesar with chicken.  And when you order, they will ask if you want fried (like chicken tenders) or grilled.  They also have garlic croutons, and the dressing is well mixed in there.  Super delicious and took it home for dinner that night.

Overall, everyone here is super nice and super attentive.  This space is small, so be sure to make a reservation ahead of time. They have parking both behind the building and side of the building.  Best time to go is actually after 12-ish.  There's a local church nearby and a lot of folks walk over for a good lunch.  The place does have a very good family feel, when the pastor walked in, everyone knows him in one way or another.  Definitely will come back for more yummy goodness.

Gatlin's Fin & Feathers

302 W. Crosstimbers St

Houston, TX 77018

346-800-4668

https://gatlinsfinsandfeathers.com/

 

Adair Kitchen

I heard that Adair Kitchen took over the former Vietopia space a while back. 

Finally got a chance to go in there and check it out.

The space feels much more opened than before.  They've kept the upstairs, perhaps for private room type setting.  But the bar area is all opened and looked great. 

What did I get?  I got the Fresh Fish Taco.  It was weird that they gave us mustard instead of salsa for the tacos.  But the fish is grilled, with cabbage, cilantro, and a side of avocado.  It was supposed to come with a side of black beans, but I'm not a fan, so I got the fries instead.  

Food quality was good, up to the Adair's usual standard.  I would've love something sour/zingy to go with my taco besides the lime.  That said, overall the quality is good and the space is nice.  Definitely will come back for it. 

Adair Kitchen

5176 Buffalo Speedway

Houston, TX 

713-554-0017

https://www.adairkitchen.com

 

Shake Shack

Went by Shake Shack for a quick dinner.

I like that the beef is fresh.  I tried the Yuzu Orange Cider.  It's not as refreshing as I had hoped, but it was nice.  Not too sweet, but don't taste cider at all.

Yuzu is a Japanese fruit, that is a cousin of grapefruit in the citrus family.  So combined with orange, it should have a little zing, but not sour.  I think the cider should've add to it, but honestly, I can't tell much of the cider.

Back to the burger, got the single hamburger.  Not much to it.  Just a nice clean tasty burger.

Shake Shack

6025 Royal Lane

Dallas, TX 

https://shakeshack.com