Gumbo - Viola & Agnes NASA Road 1 in Clear Lake

I had some dental work done and for the past two months, it's been off and on just defaulting to soft foods. And I realized that gumbo was the perfect meal to have out. As of July 2021, I've hit about 13 places, and, with recommendations coming in all the time from friends, I can see that this little project is going to be my fun project for 2021.

I was at Art of Coffee in Clear Lake, planning to check out Abe's Cajun Kitchen, but the barista said "Go try Viola & Agnes".

And he was right. The gumbo here was excellent, possibly the best that I've in the greater Houston area. I was surprised by the amount of oil in it. And this "could" be a deal breaker from some people. I was to learn that Chef Aaron (from Lake Charles) renders chicken fat in house and adds a dollop just before serving.

The $7 "cup" is a meal in itself. Their "cup" is like someone else's bowl. I've paid more for less interesting gumbo around town. It was full of chicken, a crab claw, and a boiled egg. That broth. Just delicious. I'm already dreaming about when I can make my next trip out that way.

I also ordered his riff on a classic Jamaican vegetable curry stew. Again, a bargain, as it comes with two sides, and some pretty spectacular cornbread. Just delicious. If someone put a gun to my head for constructive criticism, I might tell Chef Aaron that if he tempers his curry powder in a little oil and onion to take the raw-ness away... but, this is just fine tuning a really good dish. My sides were rice and beans, and, grits with butter. Carbo load.

Since I was eating lighter, I asked others if I could photograph their entrees. Sticky chicken. Chicken and strawberry waffles. Etc. An added bonus. The shelves are stocked with cookbooks and I ended up hanging out for an hour and a half just eating and reading from them. Let the photos begin:

Tex Mex - The Greatest Combo Plate in Texas - El Ranchero in La Porte

Is it possible? I'm tempted to call this the greatest Tex Mex combo plate in Texas. But there are too many restaurants vying for that title. So, if I call it the 2nd greatest combo plate in Texas, I'm probably safe. But seriously, it was perfect. Big scoop of delicious guacamole. 

Perfectly realized Mexican rice (with just the right hint of cumin). Excellent frijoles refritos (made with manteca). A mild and perfectly seasoned chili gravy covering cheesy enchiladas. 

And, as you'll see from the photos, they make their own leche quemada, and it is chock full of pecans. 

Highly recommended. It's worth the road trip. You can have fun visiting all of the antique shops on Main Street and then having your terrific Tex Mex lunch.

Vietnamese - Banh Xeo - Stacy Tran's Awesome Banh Xeo Recipe

Banh Xeo Recipe with Photos in my Facebook Albums Section

Here is our step by step recipe for the batter. For information on fillings (typically pork belly, and shrimp and bean sprouts...maybe tofu, too). 

The batter shall be refrigerated for 30 minutes minimum to overnight and adjusted with extra flours or liquids as needed. The resting of the batter allows the rice flour to bloom and lose its grittiness. 

So, here follows the recipe: 1 cup green onions, chopped, green part only. Add 1 bag (16 ounces) Vietnamese style rice flour. Add 1 can coconut milk. Add 1 can water. Add 1/2 cup tapioca starch. See above photos for the brands that we used. 

Note: We will adjust with more flour or water later if needed. Whisk. Add 1 more can water. It will look thin but will bloom when refrigerated and allowed to set. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp of Kosher and 1/4 tsp sugar (but feel free to adjust later for your personal taste). 

Note: For frying, in Vietnam, lard is preferred because it adds an extra crunch and some flavor. We will use vegetable oil to fry. 

For pork belly when being used a covered pan is desired to help it steam. Stacy recommends covered pan for best Banh Xeo results. We are showing the pan uncovered so that you get a better picture.

This is the selection, hey, let's call it a melánge, of greens to eat with the Banh Xeo. Now, Stacy tells me that Banh Xeo is a dish from southern Vietnam and the favorite default green to have with it is... try to guess? Mustard Greens! In the south they make a big Banh Xeo. In the north, they make smaller ones and call them a different name. Along with mustard greens, a mixture of different mints and special herbs and lettuce (red lettuce or Romaine preferred). One of the leaves used Rau Ra which is a spicy leaf that is sometimes called Vietnamese coriander. But Stacy says it doesn't taste like coriander.





























This unique leaf is from a June Plum. It adds a delicious tartness. You roll the Banh Xeo in the lettuce and then you add some herbs which will show up in some spots for an herb surprise with every bite!

This unique leaf is Perilla Frutescans (aka Tia To in Vietnamese) . It adds a delicious tartness. You roll the Banh Xeo in the lettuce and then you add some herbs which will show up in some spots for an herb surprise with every bite!

More photos from our potluck party showing the finished Banh Xeo.

Oldest Restaurants in Houston

Paul Galvani's (with his wife Christiane) researched and published the book Lost Restaurants of Houston in April 2018. Highly recommended.  Here follow links to articles on restaurants in Houston. And more!

Some of these still exist, or the families do, with Houston restaurant families into their 3rd or even 4th generation such as the Carabba's, Christies, Adairs, Vallones, Laurenzos, and more.

In composing this blog a while back before this latest update, I came across a very good FB posting from Katherine Leigh Ermis and Kevin Lacobie and its really good comment sections on this subject and I thought I would preserve it here.

Now, to start off this blogpost, here is Natalie Dressman's article:
Oldest Houston Restaurants


In addition, I know that the Houston Architects Forum has an ongoing discussion of older Houston restaurants.

Defunct Houston Restaurants - Houston Architecture Forum


Back in the day, the Felix Mexican Restaurant on Westheimer had a framed article on Houston dining and I wish I had a copy of that as it listed all of the popular restaurants, circa 1970's.

Another excellent source for information on Houston restaurants that may no longer exist are the Ann Criswell series of Houston Is Cooking and Houston Gourmet books, which show up from time to time in the resale shops in Houston.

Ann Criswell - Houston Is Cooking Books


Thanks, as always, to Gregory Buchold for pursuing and investigating this topic in greater detail. Check out the phenomenal job that Greg has done on Pinterest of documenting these with photos.

Greg has the Pie-Biting Frog website here:

Gregory Buchold - The Pie-Biting Frog

And...Here is a link to his Pinterest photos list of older Houston restaurants:

Greg's Photos Page of Older Houston Restaurants in Pinterest


Greg Buchold's List of Older Houston Restaurants

Thanks, also, go to Russell Weil who wrote the following excellent article for Buzzfeed:

Russell Weil - Restaurant Memories


Katherine Leigh Ermis got the ball rolling on Facebook:

Jay's Facebook Link