Reading through the local newspaper and Houston websites I see that I’ve probably picked the worst time to get in shape and lose weight. I read through websites like the Houston Press or magazines like Houstonia and there are always announcements about new restaurants and how up and coming chefs are migrating here.
Back in my twenties when I was just starting out we did have a bit of a food scene if you knew where to look for it. Areas like the west side Chinatown offered up a variety of Asian dishes. The Tex-Mex restaurant has always been a staple of Houston cuisine and we had some of the best. Of course we also had the traditional steak restaurant.
But back then if you were to name cities to visit to experience haute cuisine or just a wider variety of dishes then Houston never even came up in the conversation.
Something happened back in the late-late nineties or early 00’s. Here and there a chef would escape the rat races in other food towns and set up little bistros in Houston. Not in the downtown area but near downtown where the rent was cheaper. Chefs that might have otherwise left stayed and honed their skills. Certainly Hurricane Katrina injected a dose of New Orleans talent into the mix.
By trial and error, by enthusiastic practice this city began building a reputation one dish at a time.
So here we are and I see that the wave is beginning to crest. I have to admit that sometimes the temptation is overwhelming. Just looking at the variety and quantity of places to explore makes me want to take a week or two off my diet.
Thankfully (I suppose) living out in the suburbs I don’t have ready access to these culinary wonders. I’m not hours away from any of these places of course (I could in fact reach most of these in twenty minutes) but just far enough to put them in the slightly impractical column.
I console myself with the thought that I am working towards a worthwhile goal and that one day I will treat myself to a mini restaurant vacation.
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