Date 15 – Sushi Tora

Where: Sushi Tora, 920 Studemont St, Houston, TX 77007
When: April 11, 2013

After a day managing volunteers at the HiMA career fair, I took my very good friend (and volunteer) John and called up Brenden and said we were all going on a date. I vividly recall parking at Sushi Tora at dusk and seeing the bats from the Waugh St. bridge fly overhead.

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We sat inside and ate their free edamame, which came out cold and limp, but we ate it anyway. We got a giant variety of rolls and got tipsy on sake. Although we’re usually sushi purists, we took delight in this sushi, which was plenty good but not traditional. It did not take itself seriously at all and we were okay with that. We loved the decor of this place and picked out a few of our favorite concert posters on the wall. Brenden even attempted to buy one.

We liked this place and ended up coming back a few times after this date. Then we began to learn more about the owner, Ken and his alleged engagement in illegal activities. We decided not to patronize the place anymore, which was a shame, because we had fun here.

Date 14 – Nosh Bistro

Where: Nosh Bistro, 3963 Kirby Dr, Houston, TX 77098 (now closed?)
When: April 6, 2013

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After Alison Cook’s glowing review of Nosh, I really wanted to go to Nosh Bistro – an Indian Fusion place close to home seemed like such a neat idea. The reality paled in comparison.

We come into an empty restaurant on a Saturday night – there was another couple already dining – dressed to the nines. I was thankful I wore a dress, but still felt a little uneasy. The place was swanky inside, but almost to the point of hokey. It looked like Prince’s living room and I love Prince, but I don’t mean that in a positive light.

We looked at the menu, ordered a cheese board, a fried appetizer and a dish of steamed mussels that the waiter insisted was big enough to share.

Result: cheese board looked good, but the accouterments made it less than desirable. It was also missing something dippy… I asked for honey or mustard and the server was happy to help. I tried gjetost (a Norwegian cheese) for the first time, so that was super exciting (ALSO THE MAIN REASON I CHOSE THE RESTAURANT). The appetizer was seriously a fried mass of stuff. Awful. And the mussels came in this tiny portion, with not even enough bread to dip into the broth. We were so hungry afterward I ordered the other cheese plate on the menu.

We left broke and disappointed. But dammit, I had gjetost. I think this place is closed now anyway. Shocking.

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Date 13 – Hong Kong Food Street

Where: Hong Kong Food Street, 9750 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036
When: March 28, 2013

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This was a Brenden’s choice week and we drove to Chinatown to pick out somewhere new to eat. We scoured the strip malls and Brenden shouts out, “Hong Kong Street Food!!!!” and parks.

He screamed it much like this

                         He screamed it much like this

He must be dyslexic, because it was Hong Kong Food Street. No matter, we sat inside the rather empty restaurant on a Friday night.

A little history of Nicole and Chinese food: I never ate it growing up! When I went to college there was a restaurant who delivered to my apartment complex and I found something I loved: Walnut Shrimp and White Sauce in a bird’s nest. It was basically sweet shrimp covered in mayonnaise. My friends made fun of me continuously ordering this dish and we called it “Jizzy Shrimp.” I ate it with pride, of course. I have since searched for this dish in many cities and always have a twinge of disappointment when the “white sauce” on my Almond Chicken or whatever doesn’t have that same jizzy tang (what did I just type?).

Anyhow, here we are in one of the best Chinatowns in the country and we’re looking through their endless picture menu and I SEE IT. They called it something else (pecan shrimp?) but those were pictures of walnuts and holy crap I was going to get it. A journey 15 years had come(ha) to a conclusion! Brenden decided on some spicy pepper beef dish since he didn’t want anything to do with mine and we obviously weren’t sharing.

Other things I remember about this date: The service wasn’t great, even given the empty place. The prices were really high for what it was. Brenden and I got into a very tense conversation – he had recently asked me to move in with him and I had reminded him of all the things around the house he promised to change upon my moving in. He hadn’t realized what big of a project it would be. I felt naggy and awful – such a horrible stereotype – but his place needed some drastic updating.

We decided that we definitely need to explore more Cantonese!

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Date 12 – Pizaro’s Pizza

Where: Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana, 14028 Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77079
When: March 23, 2013

Pizaros Pizza

This date was a HUGE deal. 1) It was exactly one year after our first date. 2) It was pizza. 3) It was a place everyone had RAVED about.

I’d been wanting to come here for a long time, it was a special occasion and my choice, so we ventured out to a strip mall on Memorial to try this authentic pizza. I knew it was BYOB, so I brought a special beer that had been hibernating in my fridge for a year: 512 Whiskey Barrel Aged Double Pecan Porter.

512 Whiskey Pecan Porter

I knew what to expect: unassuming strip mall, authentic Napoletana pizza and the oven straight from Naples. We each picked our own pizzas to share: I picked the Fino (olive oil, cured fennel sausage, goat cheese, garlic and mozzarella) and Brenden the Salsiccia e Funghi (tomato sauce, roasted crimini mushrooms, sausage, and mozzarella). What I didn’t expect: to like Brenden’s pizza much more than mine. I also thought it was a little pricey for what it was. But I got it – fancy pizza at fancy prices.

We opened my highly anticipated beer, which tasted like straight whiskey – not in a good way. Oof. I went inside to get glasses and dropped one in the restaurant. Highly embarrassing, but the staff was very kind. This date wasn’t going great. We sat outside with our disappointing beer and shrugged-off our charred pizzas and watched the SUVs of families with screaming children come and go from the Tex-Mex restaurant next door. We then realized how good we actually had it. I went inside and convinced the manager to trade the rest of my beer for a bottle of San Pellegrino and he obliged, surprisingly (I’m not sure I would!). Nice guy!

We ended the date with a hilarious tour of the awful stores in the strip mall, frozen yogurt and a rousing game of Guess Who? where we both picked the same person. Happy one year, B.

 

Date 11 – Sushi King

Where: Sushi King, 3401 Kirby Dr, Houston, TX 77098
When: March 16, 2013

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It was late on a Saturday night and we hadn’t fit date night in yet that week… and my parents were in town. What to do, what to do… a few Google searches later we were on our way to Sushi King with special guests Don and JuJu. We walked in to the sound of a piano and a colorfully lit, romantic place.

Then we ordered sake, a lot of it.

We got edamame, many, many rolls, all of which were good and Don ordered don. I took detailed notes on all the rolls, but I don’t have a clue where that notebook is and I have to finish documenting these dates (plus, you know, sake). Good thing we took all these pictures!  My parents LOVED Sushi King and so did we. Brenden even requested “Moonlight Sonata” from the piano player and he played it!

We need to go back there.

Date 10 – Blacksmith

Where: Blacksmith, 1018 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
When: March 9, 2013

In search of a new breakfast joint, I suggested we go to the recently opened Blacksmith. I’ve been a fan of Erin Smith’s work and I was excited to try this out. Tagging along on this date was a special guest, Brenden’s friend Mars.

We arrived and stood in line to place our order. The line was confusing and in the way of the patrons and servers, which was annoying, but typical of a coffee shop. I ordered a latte and a croque madame, Mars ordered a tea and a croque madame and Brenden a cortado a sausage biscuit sans egg. The man doesn’t like eggs. I just can’t comprehend.

We thankfully found a table (the place was packed) and soon after got our food. Brenden looked down and his and said, “really?” I rolled my eyes, I mean, if you order something with a main ingredient missing, yeah, it’s going to look small. The biscuit was supposed to be the draw anyhow and Brenden did not seem impressed.

I highly enjoyed my sandwich, especially the perfect bechamel. Mars liked his as well, but seemed most impressed with the tea. Determined to make Brenden like this place, I went to the counter to get another latte and ordered him a croissant with marmalade.

When that came, Brenden again shrugged (he was in a mood) but his eyes lit up after the first bite. He loved it. What we didn’t love? The prices. But we’ve been back a few times since.

Date 9 – Last Concert Cafe

Where: Last Concert Cafe – 1403 Nance St, Houston, TX 77002
When: March 1, 2013

Last Concert Cafe is a Houston institution neither of us had ever been to. To be honest, I had no idea where Brenden was taking me as we parked on a sketchy street in the Warehouse District. The Last Concert Cafe famously has no signs and you must knock on the red door to gain entrance. That night there was a sign on the door that asked us to enter through the band entrance. There was a table at the stage entrance and the woman behind the table asked us to pay cover. Unsure, we mentioned we were here for the restaurant and the person allowed us in and told us we were only allowed to sit in the restaurant section. We found our way and took a seat.

We sat in a booth and took in the quaint “cafe” portion of the LCC. We could still hear the music from outside, a TV was on and many people kept coming in and out to get a drink from the bar. It was Texas Independence Day eve and Brenden thought it was important that we have a traditional Tex-Mex meal. We ordered 2 Lone Stars and kept an eye out for a Billy Gibbons appearance. I heard a cover of “In Spite of Ourselves” from the patio and smiled.

For our meal, I ordered the special – crab enchiladas – and Brenden ordered the Apolinar’s Beef Enchilada Dinner. Those were the best enchiladas I had ever had. I’m serious.

We think the Apolinar’s roasted beef is longhorn – it is shredded and juicy and not sticky. Brenden describes it as dense, with a barbacoa like texture or similar to what is in a tamale. In other words, yes. It even came with a taco.

We ended the night with a Tres Leche cake, which I moaned through. So, so delicious.

Last Concert Cafe was probably the best date of our 52 Houston dates. We’ve been back to Last Concert very often – it’s now one of our “go-to” restaurants and it’s in walking distance of Brenden’s shop. They have decent happy hour specials and run food specials from time to time. I’ve never seen the crab enchiladas on the menu again, though.

Date 8 – Beaucoup Bar & Grill

Where: Beaucoup Bar & Grill, 3102 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, TX 77054
When: February 24, 2013

This was a highly anticipated brunch date. I had been introduced to Beaucoup at the 2012 Houston Rodeo’s Best Bites, where they won. My coworker also mentioned liking to brunch here, so I could not wait to surprise Brenden with this date. We actually drove past it twice – it’s really hard to find! It shares a small parking lot with a meat market. Have no idea how people park when it’s busy.

We arrived on a warm Sunday morning to their restaurant, which was extremely dark and dank. This was definitely more bar than restaurant. There was a large, rather loud table seated inside already and jazz music was playing. The hostess asked if we’d like inside or outside seating and we opted for outside considering the weather. That might’ve been a mistake. It looked like the patio hadn’t been cleaned from the night before. The stale stench of beer and liquor and who knows what else lingered in the air. 104.1 KRBE was cranked up and we sat alone outside, in very unpleasant conditions. We weren’t completely alone though, a fluffy kitty sat in a chair next to us. The server apologized for the cat’s presence, saying that it was Wangs, the bar cat, which they took care of at Beaucoup. We are fond of cats and we assured the server we didn’t mind Wangs joining us for brunch at all. He looked like Brenden’s cat Wendy.

We ordered coffee. The menu called said it was French Press but it tasted burnt. Brenden opted for the wangs and waffles and I had The Big Easy sandwich. I also ordered a waffle. We suffered through KRBE commercials and watched someone wash down the tables from the night before. Everything seemed so… hungover.

When our food arrived, Brenden asked for some butter and syrup for his waffles. The server brought back a to-go container of syrup and some single servings of Country Crock, which upon opening were congealed, as they had been previously melted. We then asked if they had any real butter for their waffles – the server replied they did not. We were completely perplexed. “No butter… not even in the kitchen? What do you cook with?” The server responded that they did cook with butter but it was only melted. Which made zero sense. We left it alone.

Our meal was so disappointing. My sandwich was sloppy, the crushed croissant didn’t hold it together and it had a piece of processed American cheese on it. The waffles were even worse, soft and soggy and made out of a cinnamon batter. I think I only had a few bites before I gave up on it. Brenden said his wings were only ok, but also did not like his waffle.

I think Beaucoup does their non-breakfast food well. Everyone seems to rage about their crawfish bread. And they can obviously throw a party. Brunch, however, is not their forte.

Date 7 – Thai Pepper

Where: Thai Pepper, 2049 W. Alabama St, Houston, TX 77098
When: February 18, 2013

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On this date, Brenden and I left his house on foot, not sure where we’d end up. This kind of spontaneous date is Brenden’s favorite way to choose where to go, as where I like to do research and plan days, times and all the details. Probably says a lot about our relationship! :) It’s hilarious that his dates are usually the more successful ones too and Thai Pepper was no exception.

We walked in, not sure what to expect, but it seemed more upscale than I expected – white tablecloths, real flowers, couples dressed up, etc. After we sat down (within earshot of a couple on a first date, I might add), the server made me feel at ease with her courteous service.

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I had just started a weight loss challenge at work “Team Geek Physique” and wasn’t sure how 52 Houston Dates would configure into it. But on this date I decided that date nights would be considered “cheat meals” and I wouldn’t hold back.

With that in mind, we started with the cheese rolls, “A mixture of cream cheese, shredded carrot, and shrimp stuffed in a thin rice wrapper and deep-fried.” They must’ve not made too much of an impact on me, because I can’t quite remember them.

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We ordered, if I recall, drunken basil beef noodles (which the server assured me they wouldn’t be spicy at all per my request and they weren’t), basil beef, and tom kha gai. The noodles were a bit gloopy and stuck together in a mass, but we enjoyed our meal. It was right after Valentine’s Day and the server gifted us with a small ceramic heart, which I still use on my vanity to hold bobby pins. That was probably my favorite part of the entire meal.

Another part of the date I recall – there was a downpour on our walk home! Overall, a very fun date and a place we would return to (probably not in our hoodies next time).

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2013 52 Houston Dates Update

2013 was a fantastic year for Brenden and me. Brenden started a new business, the Common Motor Collective, in March (hence the lack of posting) and I traveled all around the country for work. We moved in together in June and our relationship continues to blossom, still filled with romantic adventures despite our busy schedules.

Best news of all: we’ve kept our resolution. We have continued to go on a date each week to a restaurant in Houston we haven’t been to before. No, we haven’t blogged about it, but I’m quite determined to finish all 52 posts before the end of the year. The posts will be shorter and it may be scant on all the details, but I do want to document them all.

Plus, dates will continue to 2014. Brenden and I both look forward to “date night” each week and we wouldn’t dare give it up. We’ve decided to incorporate blogging into date night so we don’t run behind like this year.

Here is to 52 more dates in 2014!