Stalk Much?

Don't get me wrong, I love going to a restaurant that prides themselves on service. But, I think I might have found the one place where I was almost begging the waitstaff to leave me alone!
Ciao Bella is a pretty yummy Italian restaurant, but I'm not sure if the price is worth it. The highlights of the meal were the Bolognese, the sauteed artichoke and the zepole (donuts rolled in powdered sugar). I have a feeling that the meal would have been way more delicious if there had not been at least 10 waiters standing about 5 feet from out table.
Having an audience while I eat lunch is not what I had in mind when I woke up this morning! I have no idea what they were doing but I think this is a job that I would be very good at. Watching people eat would probably be one of the easiest jobs that I could ask for. It really sucks that I already spent so much money on my education.
So, walking into the restaurant, everyone is very nice & says hello. When I reached the table is when the spectacle began. There was one guy to pull out the chair, another to lay the napkin in my lap & another to bring me a glass of water. This was only the beginning. I kept thinking if any of the waiters actually had something to do or maybe these weren't even waiters to begin with. Was this my secret fan club that I have always been hoping for? So, maybe they weren't there to worship me but a girl can dream!
On, to the food...The meatballs were less that spectacular. It seemed like they might have had too much breadcrumbs or something like that in them. Skip the spaghetti and the Fedelini Al'Amatriciana. They sound like different dishes, & they should have been, but they were the exact same thing. The star of the meal was the Bolognese. It was a tasty delight!!
It's hard to say if I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. I think that I would but I would definitely warn anyone to go when it is busy (in order to avoid an audience) and don't expect the food to be anything close to authentic Italian.

Barnaby The Heavenly Pooch

How can you not love a restaurant that's named after a dog? Finally! People who love their dog as much as we do! (Shout out to Dolce and Gumbo!)

Barnaby's is totally laid back and chill. The quintessential trendy neighborhood restaurant. They serve everything from blue cheese french fries to ribs or brownies. They'll even give your puppy a treat for visiting. We doubt our furry friends can patron the inside of the restaurant so, when we return, we will sit on the patio.

The food was A-mazing. We had, hands down, the best eating-out meatloaf of our lives!!!! Like spaghetti sauce slobbered loaf with a miraculous side of mashed taters. This was after we did major damage on the french fry appetizer! The ribs were really good too (covered with luscious sauce). Definitely leave the chicken tostada on the menu. If you are ever worried about receiving raw chicken at a restaurant, don't order it! We demand this of you!

We are supporters of the environment and its health! Barnaby's gives bio-degradable and compostable ToGo containers! Yippee! Eat to save the world!!

The portions are gargantuan so share or eat for the week!! We give Barnaby's a FO-SHO rating. Four paws up and a drool slobber!

Cafe Pita Non Plus

A few weeks ago we unknowingly traveled in the footsteps of a Food Network legend...Guy Fieri (The Blonde Bombshell). The BB visited Cafe Pita Plus this summer. While he thought the food was a plus, it was a serious minus!

At first, learning of the previous visit by The Blonde Bombshell excited us to our inner core. We even made sure to ask the waitress to find out which dishes he tried on the show "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." We ordered each dish he tried hoping we found TV worthy food.

We started off with the fried-homemade-cheese. They make the cheese there at Pita Plus. It was awesome. It tasted like the cow it came out of.

We ordered the Cevap (little sausage sandwich) and something way to bland to be memorable. The sandwich turned out to be little breakfast sausages in between two pieces of homemade bread. Just Bread! Nothing else! The little links were delicious but it didn't add up with the bread sandwich thingy.

Overall, it left us wondering why it is called Pita Plus when we left totally un-plused. Don't waste your time. It's on Westhiemer between Highway 6 and Beltway 8. If you go, don't blame us.

Shut It Down Hizzy!

Shut it Down Hizzy this place is too good! Our theme: eating in seedy areas. We like our food spiced with a touch of DANGER!

Some would consider the Hillcroft area risky. However, this place may be worth the risk. London Sizzler, off the Southwest Freeway, is far from seedy. Our culinary tour guide and part-time waiter, Billy, was more than happy to explain the ins and outs of each Indian dish. For serious! He knows all the ingredients and preparation of everything on the menu! A true first for us.

The dinning room is really small: no more than 15 tables. And we were definitely part of the early crowd at 7pm. It quickly filled up with actuall Indian people. A sure sign of authentic deliciousness. It's considered British Indian but there was more Indian than Brit in our tummies. Although they have fried rice, stick to the Indian dishes.

We ordered the Chili Manchurian, little vegetable dumplings in a really delicious sauce. Upon our further inspection, we found entire jalapeno slices in there which deathly caught up with us in the end. The Chicken Boom Masala Platter was absolutely scrumptious and very spicy. Not like OMG my mouth is burning hot. More like an explosion of different spices on your taste buds.

They put green chili and tamarind on the table to go with your meal. The tamarind was sweet and sour(YUM) but the green stuff was deadly. Seriously, wait for it to hit you 20 seconds after. The tandoori naan was a delectable compliment to the meal but the pilau rice was a leave out option.

I recommend London Sizzler to all our Maharajahs. So jump in your tut-tut and strap on your bullet proof vest and journey to Hillcroft.

--As a side note, thank you to the anonymous third party.

Chacho's Nachos

We love Chacho's nachos but not at the expense of our own lives. Chachos is open 24 hours; this actually explains a lot.

The patio seating area is fortified with garage doors. They provide easy roll-down protection in times of attack. Walking into the building you see an enormous trashcan overflowing with rubbish. The side walk looks like patrons spit loogies 'til they actually cross the threshold into the restaurant. The parking lot is disgusting. Don't wear sandals. Don't go after 9 pm or you will meet disgusting characters too. The menus are all mysteriously grimy and slobbery. They will make you a true believer of anti-bacterial sanitizer. Never venture to the restrooms. You may not want to eat very much after that journey there and back.

In fact, the staff sucked. The order up bar is a home-away-from-home for rather curt folks. Never have we been so assaulted while our order is being taken. Make sure you know everything you want in advance. You have to or they'll cut you. While eating in the dinning room, a cook threatened a dishwasher's life standing 3 feet away from our table! Need we say more?

Even though we know we are putting our lives at risk visiting Chachos, the cheese factor of the nachos receives a Gold Star. It's the shinning beacon that guides us back time after time.

"Toto, I don't think we are in Houston anymore."

Bubba's Texas Burger Shack is a home-away-from-home for rural folks. For instance, everyone has that one family member that you avoid seeing but love to gossip about. They usually reside in a less than reputable establishment and follow the Nascar circuit religiously. A dilapidated car has made permanent home outside their double-wide. You thank your lucky stars that you don't live like them but you aren't above slumming when your mom guilts you into going. In the end, after you mom drags you to see them, you have a surprisingly good time. Well, Houston's cousin is Bubba's Texas Burger Shack.

This little gem is nestled right up against the Westpark Tollway and beneath I-59. The perfect locale for a classy burger joint. And that's just what it is: burgers. It's half a double-wide with a creaky porch that Bubba probably built himself. Luckily for us, Bubba's weathered look is not a sign of an old-fashioned restaurant. He is actually very technologically advanced. Bubba chats away on his blue tooth while taking your order and refilling the tea pitcher. A man of many skills.

On to the food! Our favorite part! They offer beef and buffalo burgers. The pattie itself tastes amazing; well seasoned with toppings and buns as the side notes. The next best thing is the jalapeno potato salad. It's spicy! And you know we always love a little spice! The best part of the whole meal was afterwards. We didn't feel gross when we finished our burgers. No wheel chairs were needed this time to roll our burger bellies back home. The best word to describe the burgers is "clean." Not too heavy on the grease and lard. Full of original flavor.

Just a little side note: all the tables on the porch are on their last leg (literally) and slope towards the eater. Don't bother changing tables with hopes of a better butt rest. They will hold your weight as long as you don't eat too many burgers. If you're already heavy and you finish off a couple burgers, you might just send these tables to the wood pile.

We definitely recommend Bubba's Burgers as a GOLD STAR burger joint. Just be sure you get your tetanus shot before entering.

Goin' Downunder!

Is this how they do it Down under?

Place: Trios Down Under
Time: 11:30 AM Saturday

Don't fear the overwhelming paint smell that knocks you in the face when you enter this establishment. Just pray they didn't use lead paint. Fight your way through the stench and saunter yourself up to the counter. It's actually really good!

Trios just uses the same flat bread in three different ways. While eating, we couldn't help but notice the huge elephant in the room. Is this really how they do it down under?

What makes this place down under? Do they eat only wraps in Australia? And what about the Asian inspired dipping sauce for the potato wedges? Did a ship from the Orient crash on the shores of Australia? They also serve Paninis. Who knew the Roman Empire stretched that far?

The wedges and the Asian dip were definitely the highlight of this little gem or shall we say opal. The wraps were for sure worth eating again and we can't wait to try different ones on the menu.

So while the menu may be a mish mosh of different cultures, it's definitely a good place. If you are sitting at home and thinking Chinese, Australian, or Italian, saunter yourself down to Trios on Westhiemer where you can satisfy all needs.

Trust us. We know.

Over the years, the two of us (sisters whose lives revolve around their dog's potty schedule) have eaten ourselves through size 16 and later to 6s. We live to eat. After dinner, we think about what we will be eating for breakfast. After breakfast, lunch. And so on.

We may not always ace our exams but we got an A+ in food. Mainly eating it. Sometimes cooking it. Sometimes talking about it.

Our parents met their marital demise over 10 years ago. Weekly visitations with our dad occurred at a restaurant of our choosing without fail. When you were young, eating at the neighborhood Chili's worked. It was find. You ordered the Chicken Crispers and loved it!

Much later...(like the time it takes for a good cheese to ripen), we said no to Crispers and yes to deliciousness!

We are determined now, to take a food adventure and eat Houston for all it's worth. New food and new restaurants are our prey.