Big Lou's Pizza

Normally we don't post about places that already have a ton of good press already, but we just wanted to put it out there that we had lunch today at Big Lou's Pizza, and really enjoyed the crispy wraps (we got ours with ham) and the cheese pizza.

The chocolate cannoli was very good as well, it was freshly filled and crispy.

Their red velvet cake was also quite delicious.

Their cheese pizza had a very good crust, a sauce that was the right mix of savory and sweet and decent cheese, though the blend is still off from what I am used to back home. I would say that this is my second favorite pizza place in Texas.

Sorry no pictures, we were in a hurry because it was Thomas' lunch break.

Just Say No to Gas Station Chinese Food

Val here -

I love Thomas. Truly I do. However - I need to share a little story about the WORST DATE EVAR. (so bad I have to say evar instead of ever.)

A few weeks ago, in the midst of all my school craziness, we decided we needed a nice date night. I got myself all dolled up and ready to go. Our plan was to go to Tobacco Haus after getting dinner. We were both in the mood for Chinese food. Usually we will stop by the buffet place in the same strip center as Tobacco Haus, but Thomas said he saw a new flier for a Chinese restaurant on the door. Quik Wok. We should try the new restaurant in town.

Okay, why not? So I enter the address in my GPS and we head out - it isn't far from us.

We pull up to the shopping center that it is supposed to be in, but much to our astonishment it is not in one of the other spots in the building - it is actually in the Shell Station. 0.o

We are dubious - and he DID offer to go elsewhere - but ladies - you know how it is - you agree to go elsewhere and he points out how whenever he picks out the place you want to go somewhere else...so I said that I was fine, lets just try it (Mistake #1)

The interior of the gas station looks immaculate, as if it has recently been painted, and the restaurant area looks clean, so we put in our order and we have to pay first (WARNING) we pay, and find a seat.

I needed the facilities, so I asked about them - I am warned that there is only one bathroom. I get the key - looking at it - the women's room had a paper sign over the door saying storage. The men's room was the only one for public use. I walk in and well - I have used public bathrooms all over the world and nothing has prepared me for the nastiness. The floor was decorated with a festive stream of toiletpaper everywhere. There was something sticky on the counter and the toilet seat was covered in urine and the toilet bowl seemed to be full of some white funky stuff. I backed out slowly, handed the key to staff and said - that is the most disgusting bathroom I have ever seen. He just agreed and went back to work - no apology, no offer to clean it.

I am now even more worried about the food.

When I get back to the table, I tell Thomas and he laughs - he takes me to the classiest places, doesn't he?

He offers to get me a drink - and comes back with a tall boy can of mountain dew. :/

The food comes out - and their staff were very nice - so I hate to say what comes next, but I have to be honest here.

I ordered orange chicken. It is one of my favorite dishes. I also got spring rolls - another dish I like for an appetizer. The spring rolls were greasy - and the fish oil, despite the red pepper flakes had very little flavor.

When dinner got there it was mushy. The chicken had poor texture and no flavor other than spice - There was one orange peel thrown in as garnish, but the sauce had no citrus taste - it was just so spicy that my mouth was numb.

A couple guys shuffle up to our table asking for change - while we are eating -

Then they started mopping. With strong bleach. Just in the restaurant area. Now I had mushy spicy bleach flavored chicken.

Then when I couldn't stomach any more the food hit my stomach and wanted out - but there was no way I was going to try that bathroom again - so we drove home in a hurry - needless to say we never got to Tobacco Haus and we were sick for two days.

So if your boyfriend takes you to gas station chinese food, for the love of all that is beautiful on this earth - accept his offer to go elsewhere.

Amore Cafe

This past weekend we went to Amore Cafe. For full disclosure, a friend of ours works there. However, we are not the type to sway our opinion of a place for that reason, in fact we are likely to be more critical, because we know the level of customer service our friends are likely to offer their customers.

Belly dancer

Overall: 4.5/5
Atmosphere 4/5
Food: 5/5
Value: 4.5/5
Service: 5/5
Noise level: fluctuates from quiet to moderately loud
TV: yes
Wifi: No
live music/entertainment: some nights jazz band, some nights belly dancer

She says:
Amore Cafe has been around for a while, but recently has been under new ownership and management. It is a hookah cafe on the North west side of town, near Military and 1604. It is nestled in a shopping center with three busy nightclubs.

First Impression:

Our first impression, from the parking lot it has a nice sign, chairs and tables out front. We are not likely to sit outside because the view is mostly of cars. Management told us that they will be putting up an awning over the tables, and make it a nicer place to sit. However this would be a great place to sit if you like to people watch and check out all the folks club-hopping. The exterior speakers are a bit loud, likely to cover the sounds of the nearby clubs. Inside the music is somewhat softer, though the volume fluctuates with what is going on.

The inside is nicely decorated in earthy tones and jewel tones. Couches with patchwork brocade and pillows, with a bit of privacy provided by some beautiful screens gives you a sense of intimacy when sitting with your date and/or your friends.

Initially the music was a bit harsh and unpleasant - when I go to a restaurant with a particular cultural or ethnic background, I want to hear that culture's music. I love middle-eastern music, and the rhythmic drumbeats tend to help me relax. A quiet word to a member of the staff switched the music from 80's rock to what I was hoping to hear. So the tendency towards loud or jarring music is well balanced by the responsiveness of staff to the needs and requests of their patrons.

These wooden screens were nice, not a fan of the tv screens though.

The big downside for me was the presence of televisions playing the basket ball game. I don't know about other people, but for me, going to a hookah place is about smoking some good shisha, eating some good middle eastern food and talking and relaxing with friends. Sports games don't have a place in that - yet - with the location of this place, I can see where it appeals to some of the guests. I would recommend limiting it to one tv, or arranging them so it is possible to sit somewhere and NOT see a screen.

The Food:

Nomnomnomnom. Sorry - I have been dying for a good shawarma, as I have not had any since I moved from Houston, where I would get them at Droubi's. Naara, one of our other favorite places, does not offer it. So when I saw shawarma on the menu, I knew right away what I was going to order for dinner. The appetizer offerings were ok, but not a lot of what I like (as we know I am the finicky one), so we ordered the hummus. I am meh on hummus most of the time, but when we ordered it I mentioned that I liked the oil they put on it, and so they brought it to us and it was amazing. Best hummus I have ever had. The pita were on the toasty side, which went well for it - but makes them harder to eat once cooled, however they will bring you more pita, so all is well. It is also a great value at only $4, if I recall correctly.

The shawarma was excellent. Sliced chicken, garlic sauce, tomato and pickle (I asked them to hold the lettuce because I don't like hot lettuce) and the flavors blended nicely. Thomas got a different chicken pita sandwich, which was tasty, but I liked the shawarma better. It was a good price, and we added french fries because we weren't in the mood for rice. The fries were crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. They were a bit on the salty side, but since the sandwiches were not salty it worked well together.

We enjoyed some Turkish coffee with our meal, only downside is it is served unsweetened, and so it took me a small cup or two to figure out how much sugar to add to get it where I like it - not a big problem, I was just used to getting it pre-sweetened elsewhere.

The hookah was interesting, as we decided to blend something different - jasmine and rose - very fragrant, but the jasmine is just a bit astringent and the rose couldn't balance it - so next we tried grape and rose on the recommendation of Cecelia, and it was...good, but not what I was expecting - I thought it would be more of a concord grape type flavor, but it was a muscat flavor - once over the surprised taste buds, it rapidly grew on us - I still prefer rose and raspberry - but the muscat grape offers some possibilities.

The Service:

The staff at Amore is focused on customer service. Jeanette was our waitress, and she was very polite and attentive. Brought out everything exactly as we ordered it, and kept our water glasses full. Frequently a staff member would drop by the table and see if we needed anything - sometimes that can be annoying at places, but they have managed to balance availability with respecting patron's space and privacy, and manage to ask in a non-needy non-intrusive way. Just a quick "How is everything? Can I get you anything?" and then they are off, and you are back to your conversation like nothing happened. We really like that - at the busiest point, we had at most a few minutes to wait in trying to get a staff members attention to get more coals, which is excellent.

Josh is pretty cool.

Overall:

We had a good time, and not just because our friend Josh works here. The other manager and the owner both came to chat with us and they are open-minded, friendly, and eager to provide an excellent experience for their guests. This place under the new ownership has a LOT of potential to be an outstanding chill place to hang out in the evening or late evening, and their plans for improvement are exciting. I recommend this place.

He Said:

Amore is the Hookah Cafe that Could....

The decor is nice and alters well with just lighting changes. Almost all of the tables are separated by gorgeous hardwood screens and it has a very tasteful contemporary feels that includes elements of Older Middle Eastern culture with just a touch of "hipness."

The couches were comfy and there were plenty of pillows to prop or adjust for personal comfort. The music was all over the map. American 80's and 90's when we showed up to "classic" Eastern music with a few modern sounding tracks. Till the belly dancer showed up and then it was just alternating too loud and then not loud enough. A suggestion to the staff was all it took to settle it down. They were very responsive to patron feed back.

2 big screen TV's dominated the room and even with the sound off were very distracting.

The crowd was a mix of slightly older middle aged folks to frat boys/sorority girls. Nobody made too much of a disturbing scene as you might expect with that kind of diversity.

Overall, it felt like a cool place that was just fighting to find it's own identity.

The food was really nice and in good portions for the price. I had the grilled chicken tawooka pita and Val got the Chicken shawarma. Both were very tasty and flavouful without being too alien in spices and texture.

We tried a blend of Rose and Jasmine in the hookah and it was a little harsh at first due to a combination of our inattentiveness and the staff's inexperience. A helpful young lady got our hookah all sorted out and everything was smooth.

Once again, in regards to the hookahs, a nice blend of contemporary and old school. The hookahs were just as nice as other hookah cafes I'd been to but had modern elements like no engraving or paint on the vases but the pipe part was very tasteful and modern. The Coal Guy was a little overzelous a couple times with our hookah but was quickly fixed.

Overall, Amore looks to have a good future. Being right in the middle of several clubs it offers an oasis of relaxation and if it decides to stay open late would make an excellent after hours meetup spot.

First it needs to settle into what it wants to be.

We'll be going back.

Bavarian food - and cakes - to die for at Bavarian Restaurant

The Bavarian Restaurant at 5512 FM 78 in Kirby is THE place to go for amazing Bavarian food

Atmosphere 4/5 stars - like eating at someone's home
Noise - fairly quiet, with cool music in German. It is easy to converse in there.
Service - 5/5 excellent! The servers and owners remember returning customers.
Food - 6/5 - We really love this place
Value - 5/5 - great prices, and very large portions

This restaurant can be a bit tricky to find, it is easy to pass, and in an odd part of town, but it is WELL worth the effort to find.

Val here - Do you like Schnitzel?  How about Schnitzel as big around as your head?  I am not joking here, generally Thomas and I cut it in half, and put it in a to-go box, then eat what is left on our plate (the rest makes an awesome breakfast the next day).

My favorite dish there is the Jaeger Schnitzel, with brown gravy and mushrooms.  Thomas tends to get a variety of things, such as the Gypsy Schnitzel and the Curry Schnitzel (which is rather yummy too). The potatoes are a must - they are just right - carmelized with onions...

The best nights are Wednesday and Thursday when they often have a special where if you purchase a drink, your meal is only 10.00, which is a savings of about 4.00 a plate.  Spend that on dessert, you won't regret it.

This cake weighed a ton.  It was amazing.

Horace is the owner, and primary genius behind the recipes at the Bavarian Restaurant.  He moved here from Germany and has lived a really interesting life.  He told me some great stories last weekend while I was picking up a cake for Thomas' birthday.  What I thought I was getting - a simple hazelnut cake that would be tasty - what I got - the ambrosia of cakes that would make a god weep for joy and has forever ruined all other cakes in our minds - there can only be one cake - a cake from Bavarian Restaurant - no really - it was that good.

I might have cried a little when I had the last bite. I mean, look at that.

Not two, not three, but six amazing layers of thin, moist chocolate cake with a rich, but somehow still delicate tasting hazelnut frosting, topped with whole hazelnuts.  There are no words that can encompass the amazing mind-blowing flavor of this cake. For only 35.00. Seriously one of the best values in town. (Call at least a week in advance for specific cakes, or to order a whole one.)

In fact Thomas and I should be nominated for sainthood because there was one piece left and we let Goggles have it even though she had gone out for the day and it was sitting
 in the fridge, taunting us with its deliciousness.

With the economy being the way it is, Horace could use more business - they are open for dinner Tuesday - Saturday night 5 - 9, and Fridays for lunch 11 - 2.  They accept reservations, and do some small scale catering (pick up only, not full service) for events.

Thomas here:

My Dad took me here a couple years ago. We LOVE German food and love it even better when it is like a home cooked meal. Some places you go feel stuffy or overly "Germanized" (like some tourist trap or a overly done kitsch hole)...

The Bavarian Restaurant is neither. It is like eating an exceptional home cooked meal at the home of a favourite Uncle. Horace and his staff go over and beyond to make the food tasty, atmosphere relaxed, and everyone comfortable.

If you know nothing about German food, the staff here will answer all your questions and even make recommendations about personal favourites.

Speaking of personal favourites, try the Curry Schnitzel! A Hearty/Sweet red curry sauce on one of Horace's incredible schnitzels. Ask for a "to go" box as soon as it hits the table. That way you don't eat the whole thing and hurt yourself. Plus, It makes a great companion to your eggs for breakfast the next morning.

Seriously though, everything on the menu is wonderful. Bratwurst with a crispy skin but moist inside, Slow roasted pork shoulder with caramelized skin, Home fried potatoes that make you homesick for that German Grandma you never had (or did), rotkraut, spatzle, potato dumplings, German potato salad, and even the green beans are to die for.

The lunch menu for Friday is clean and concise. You can get the best of the best and get back to work full of Germanic bliss without being so stuffed you need a nap.

Besides the food, Horace the owner/chef comes out whenever he can to talk to his customers and share his life with you, Will tell you most of his recipes, and even make suggestions to help your cooking style. All of the waitstaff chat with customers and it becomes a second home. Even John signs for the hearing impaired.

After everything is said and done, save the room and get dessert! If you put a slice of the Black Forest cake on a plate and balance it on your head, your tongue will beat your brains out trying to get to it. Fresh cherries, moist cake, and savoury chocolate... Hazelnut cake. strudel. stollen...

Now I'm going to have to go soon.

PS. Here's a picture of the Birthday cake that Val got for my Birthday Party recently. 6 layers of chocolate and hazelnut heaven. At a very reasonable price.