Ninfa's on Navigation

There are some things in life when paired together set off a nostalgic symphony in your mouth, whether it be a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich or beautiful weather and roasted pork tacos (with a margarita or two on the side), like this past Friday. The original Ninfa's on Navigation was the destination of choice, and having been to other Ninfa's and having a food poisoning fiasco, the word original means more than you would think. I started off with a from scratch margarita on the rocks and after the first sip I realized one was all I could handle. To soak all of that up, I ordered the tacos al pastor which is roasted pork and pineapple and decided upon corn instead flour tortillas which are made fresh every day, in house. It took more will power than I thought I had to not stuff those tacos in my mouth after the first taste. Moist slow roasted pork sprinkled with green and white onions and smokey grilled pineapple. Sweet, salty, smokey heaven wrapped up in a fresh and warm tortilla and I just realized where I am going for dinner tonight. Besides offering some of the best food and service, there is also a shuttle available to take you to and from sports games with free parking at the restaurant. So, if you find you have a craving for some authenticity or just need a ride to the ball game, stop in here.

                                                            www.ninfas.com

                                                  

Baker St. Pub & Grill

Window shopping in the village area dragged us into this chain pub and grill this week. Nestled between and across other popular beer gardens and Turkish restaurants doesn't put a damper on business here during the weekends. However, during the amazing happy hour on a Wednesday, finding a booth in this heavily wooded pub was no problem. Starting off with an import beer in a glass the size of my head for 3.75 and some buffalo and sweet chili garlic wings was a wise decision. The meat on the wings tasted a bit as if they had been defrosted and popped in the microwave a few times but the sauce made up for it. Generously covered in a vinegar spicy buffalo sauce that made my upper lip melt (in a good way) and the sweet chili garlic sauce with a hint of citrus zest made me look forward to the rest of the meal. My boyfriend decided to start of with a caesar salad which was a bad decision. It was drenched in an extremely thick mayonnaise dressing and I remember the words "well at least you can't mess up croutons" being said before the soggy bread was tasted. I would like to say though that after a few of those happy hour beers, I'm sure a few customers would be willing to overlook a few things. Shortly after our swim in the dressing, our burgers came. The big English burger was cooked to a perfect medium rare with crispy bacon, an over medium fried egg and the usual veggies gently placed on top. The meat was juicy and the side of fries were seasoned well. Soon after I cleaned my entire plate, I found out they have a 3 dollar burger Monday nights and my heart skipped a beat.So, while strolling around pop in and get a burger and beer at Baker St. Pub & Grill and I doubt you'll regret it. If you do, keep drinking.

                                                     www.sherlockspubco.com

Phamily Bites

The opening of the Asia society Texas center this past weekend brought more to the neighborhood than beautiful ancient artifacts and traditional song and dance, it brought Pho. Assorted food trucks fed hungry visitors and naturally, we picked the popular "Phamily Bites". The first day was blessed with a Banh Mi Vietnamese sandwich. Crispy, yet moist char-grilled pork smothered in cilantro, cucumbers, carrots, and mayo then stuffed into a doughy baguette roll. Hello, love. My boyfriend opted for the Pho in a cup, with anise and clove invading my nostrils, I couldn't help but have a few bites myself, actually quite a few. Although lacking in the amount of meat the noodles were plentiful and cooked perfectly. The meal was finished off with the most amazing sesame balls in the world. Yes, they beat everyone. Fresh and doughy with warm red bean bursting from inside and a creamy white glaze made these sesame balls hard to put down which makes it easy to see why the truck ran out only a short time into the day. The next morning I found myself missing the truck so I went back to the still celebrating opening of the Asia Society Texas Center and ordered a Spam Musubi. Spam is heavenly indulged in Hawaii and I know why. Teriyaki marinated spam with sushi grade rice and chili paste wrapped up in a salty crisp seaweed wrap. Do I ever need to eat anything again? I suggest following them on twitter to be aware of all the fun events they stop at and to check out the polaroid shots posted daily of dedicated people getting 'Pho cup'd.'

                                     www.phamilybites.com

YAO's Restaurant and Bar

 Having recently moved to the museum district and discovering just how amazing the metro rail is, I decided to take it downtown and do a bit of exploring. One of the spots I came across is "YAO's Restaurant and Bar". Yes, Yao as in, Yao Ming, former rockets player. This Chinese and Vietnamese fusion made my tongue tingle with anticipation. The decor is very modern with the usual red wall staple and the staff was knowledgeable and welcoming as if I were eating at mom's house. I sat down at the sushi bar and ordered off the happy hour menu. Although the restaurant focuses on it's Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, the sushi is delicious. Now, I am a sucker for cream cheese in my sushi rolls. I know what you are thinking but at least I am not ashamed to admit it, for the most part. The Philadelphia roll's components were all evenly distributed with each bite containing the perfect amount of creamy cream cheese, fresh and delectable salmon, and an even creamier avocado. The Pepper Tuna had a perfect amount of kick to it and the White Tuna was so soft and fresh it melted in my mouth. I am trying very hard to train my palate to appreciate things even if the first few tries have been hard to stomach.  Roe is still, unfortunately, one of those things. I ordered the salmon roe and the consistency was very fun to eat. A firm ball when once exploded, overflowed my mouth with flavor. I hope to eventually enjoy this flavor but the restaurant did it's job as far as roe can go. I sat at the bar for a solid two hours and tried half of the sushi menu, and the next time I go back, which will be very soon, I hope to try some of the other cuisines offered here.

                            www.yaorestaurantdowntown.com