Way outside the loop - Katy - Cafe Petra Lebanese and Greek Cuisine

 Several locations for this franchise but this is devoted to the location on FM 1463. A wonderful lunch at Cafe Petra Greek and Lebanese Cuisine, recommended by friend K.C. Taffinder.

Highly recommended if you are out that way. Not realizing how much food it would be, we ordered the vegetarian sampler and the mezze for 1 and a soup. We had enough for at least one more meal, maybe two.

Jordanian owners and chefs. Really good. 

Kunefe/Knafe at Sayad on Eldridge

 Kunefe, knafeh, kunefa, kunnefe, kunnefa....so many different spellings when one starts to do research.

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen is a Houston treasure and I recently had the opportunity to dine here with a Lebanese national. Which meant I got to try some dishes that I did not know about. And to enjoy perfect renditions of some I did. Let me tell you. The hummus, baba ganoush, and other meze are as good as one can find in Houston.

A meze I was unfamilar with combined yogurt and bits of grilled lamb. I learned that it is called fateh and that there are many variants on the one we had today. Additionally, a kofta casserole with tahini was good.

A fish dish on the menu, Homemade Sayiddeh should be considered and ordered without hesitation.

Kunefe though. A quick search with Wiki indicates it is Turkish. "While a similar dish, knafeh, is found throughout the Middle East, künefe is distinctly Turkish, believed to have originated in Hatay and made specifically with the province's namesake cheese, which is similar to fresh mozzarella. "

But my host begged to differ. And the one we had today was special and unique for me. Instead of the melty cheese, its center, underneath the layer of crispy kataifi, called Ashtah, was made from clotted cream, probably semolina, possibly corn starch, sugar and rose blossom water. It was delicious and I am already dreaming about having it again.

Sayad should be high up on your list of places to visit in Houston. Check out these photos from today.

Kabab Arbil (or Erbil) on Hillcroft - Could this be the FINEST kabab place in Houston?

It has been awhile since I got happy enough over a meal that I wanted to “champion” a restaurant to assure that it gets well known. Kabab Arbil is such a place. When you go, and you must put this on your list for 2022, go with at least two other persons so that each of you can order something different. Because the ground beef, chicken and lamb shank offerings were all spectacular! I wish that I could post the videos here of the dishes as they were brought out to us. But on my Facebook page (Jay P. Francis) and also on the Houston Chowhounds group that I admin, I have the videos of our lunch.

A. Jay Francis writes: " Another John Nechman discovery. He tells me he was driving down Hillcroft and saw the sign. And this place is a winner. Starting with a lamb or beef broth called marak (?)(Im using Google translate with some of the staff) followed by the exceptional mezze you see in this photo. We confirmed that several of the persons are Kurd, so there may be a Kurdish influence on the cuisine here. Several people were pleased to chat in English but I was so happy to be able to use Google translate app to communicate to everyone here. "

B. John Nechman writes: "Our nation's 4 largest cities have the most astounding diversity and greatest food in the country, but the 4th of the 4 (and soon to be 3rd!) has the best of all. Maybe not the largest number, the most countries/cuisines, and not even always the most authentic. But Houston's is the most accessible. In many cities, venturing into ethnic enclaves often leads to awkward indifference and a distinct sense of unwelcome. I've never felt that in Houston. Not once.

And our welcome yesterday at Kabab Arbil كباب أربيل (3330 Hillcroft) was genuine to the point I wanted to start huggin'. The staff beamed with pride that we were there to enjoy their food and hospitality. Though I've eaten at and loved Iraqi food before, the family here is Kurdish, and they hinted that we were about to embark on one hell of a Kurdish feast.

We lunched with our friend and foodie extraordinaire, Jay P. Francis, who loves as much as we do to sample all the rich cultures and foods of our city. Jay makes every effort to embrace and engage in the cultures of the places he visits--he was somewhat unnerved to learn that using homemade pita as a headdress is akin to dropping the soap in the shower at a LUEY Weekend Shower Party.

Our dapper server informed us that many of the menu items were unavailable, but he suggested we order whatever kind of meat we wanted. Jay went lamb, Richi chicken, and I beef. We then received several spectacular mezze dishes--a gloriously creamy, tahini-juiced humm s; another hummus of red chile pepper; a smoky baba ghanouj, a vinegary chopped red cabbage salad, and another salad of eggplant and peppers. He also served us steaming bowls of a lamb stew in a fragrant paprika-infused broth. I could have eaten bowl after bowl of this remarkable stew.

The massive entree plates arrived, covered by hubcap-sized homemade pita. All 3 meats were extraordinary--Richi's chicken looked to be burned, but it was the spices coating the meat, which was fork-tender and juicy throughout. My kebabs were as delicious as I've had anywhere in Houston, and Jay's lamb shank was succulent and bursting with flavor. Every detail on the plate shined, from perfect spiced rice to roasted tomatoes and onions that maintained their integrity instead of being burnt to the point of flavorlessness. Sides of stewed beans and fresh baby okra added to a near-perfect lunch.

And it really was--this was one of the best meals I've had in Houston...hell, anywhere. You can taste the influences from areas surrounding Kurdistan--obviously, the Middle East, but also from the Subcontinent, Russia, and quite a bit of Turkey. But Kurdish cuisine is distinct and brilliant, and we are very fortunate to have this delightful place right here in H-Town's Gandhi District.

Here are six terrific photos by Houston Culinary Journalist for Edible Houston Magazine, David Leftwich. This reminded me of how much I am craving that lamb shank:

Egyptian (and Lebanese) - On Mason Road

Alrawshe Mediterranean Grill.

A new discovery and one that I will be returning to often for the lamb shank. But today we went for an Egyptian dish called kochari. Ultimate comfort food. Lentils, pasta, rice. Like an Egyptian version of the Kraft Dinner. It's some kind of delicious.

John Nechman writes:  "It's always an awesome experience going out on a food exploration with Jay who let me choose from my never-ending list of places to try in the 8 county metro region, and I chose a Guatemalan spot I'd seen on Mason Road called Los Celajes. Alas, we'd waited too long--Los Celajes (which means "the clouds") appears to have passed on to Foodie Heaven.

But that didn't deter us on what has become one of my 3 favorite food streets in Greater Houston--Mason Road. Several years ago, Jay foresaw the rise of Mason in an article he wrote on his wonderful food blog ( https://www.houstonfoodexplorers.com/.../mason-road... ). On this amazing stretch of Katy concrete, I've eaten everything from Iraqi to rarely seen freshly-baked Korean walnut cookies to 2 of our favorite breakfast spots in town (including the best Venezuelan and Colombian breakfasts) to a spot whose menu is half Venezuelan, half South African. Today, we visited a fabulous Lebanese spot (and in true Mason Road form, located next to a Trinidadian spot I adore, a Mexican taco spot, and right around the corner from another Colombian bakery about to open) that took over a spot once called Tito's Egyptian and that specializes in the best of Lebanon and Egypt.

Jay has lived in the Middle East, and I have traveled extensively there. In Egypt, I fell in love with the national dish, koshary, a hearty combo of rice, lentils, chickpeas and pasta topped with a cumin-tomato sauce and crunchy fried onions, with vinegars, oils, and a spicy sauce to add as you wish. It's absolutely glorious, and only a few places in town sell it. The kind Lebanese owner informed us that after he took over Tito's, he kept several of the Egyptian dishes on the menu, including the koshary. The servings are massive, and neither of us could finish it all. Jay impressed me (he always does) by whipping out a 4 level Indian tiffin set to store his leftovers.

I added an order of tender zucchini stuffed with spiced rice with beef, as well as grape leaves containing the same. These came with more of the savory cumin-scented red sauce and a creamy labneh.

The owner brought us complimentary cups of an intensely purple hibiscus tea and shared with us massive dates imported from Saudi Arabia. He told us that on a return visit, we must try the lamb, particularly the lamb shank and the lamb shawarma. This place is well worth return visits.

Alrawshe Mediterranean Grill on Mason Road - Lebanese, Syrian, and some Egyptian Cuisine

Great food freshly prepared w love and great friendly service. Had the beef stuffed squash and lamb shank, cut into manageable pieces. On a previous visit, we sampled their Egyptian dishes that they kept on the menu, with the new ownership.

We want to return soon for the Moussaka and stuffed Grape leaves.

Shawarma in Houston - Chicken Shawarma Recommendations

 The following places have been recommended by subscribers to the Facebook Group : Houston Heights Foodies. The query was "who has the best chicken shawarma in Houston?". Several people recommended Shawarma King. Others said it "was no longer good".

Abdallah's (Hillcroft)

Aladdin (Montrose)

Al's Quick Stop (Waugh)

Barbar Mediterranean Grill

Craft Pita

Droubi's (Hillcroft)

Gazelle Cafe

Halal Guys (several locations)

House of Kabob

Jerusalem Halal Meats (Hillcroft)

La Pasha Lounge & Grill

Le Fendee (Montrose)

M&M Grill (Almeda)

Phoenicia Deli (also known as Arpi's at the Westheimer location)

Raja Mediterranean

Shawarma King

Shish Kabob Cafe (Katy)

Sumer Grill

Tahini Plus ( Bellaire Blvd at Highway 6)

Zumani's (Spring)

Eatwell Italian Bakery and Cafe - Italian and Lebanese Restaurant

It’s funny. You think you pretty much know every place in Houston and then you come across something. The owner of Eatwell had the Lebanese restaurant, Sammy’s, a restaurant on Richmond where many of us Houstonians were first introduced to Lebanese cuisine many years ago. His current venue has a commitment to “clean”, made from scratch, foods. Today I sampled some cookies, including one using dates for sweetness instead of sugar. The cookies were excellent. We had a fascinating discussion about the different styles of falafel in Lebanon. I am looking forward to my next visit.

My friend, Luis Chen, wrote the following of his visit : "I was so surprised to discover this establishment. I saw the sign "Eatwell" from distance. I thought this might be a great place to relax, unwind and enjoy what nature could provide. (I had an image of springtime in my head while feeling that 40-degree wind.) 

I was craving for a bowl of hot soup. The owner offered me 3 choices. They all sounded delicious, but I have some restrictions. He said, "You'll like our lentil soup." It came steaming hot, perfectly seasoned, and the beans just melted in my mouth. It also came with some fresh pita chips. Mmm... Mmm... Good.

He came to my table and asked about my dietary preference. He told me he made all-natural yogurt from scratch. I was quite awake once I saw them very reasonably priced. He gave me a sample. I said, "Oh, yeah. I have to say goodbye to the White Mountain yogurt from Austin..."


A collection of photos from Yelp reviewers follows: