Tila's

I hope you have heard, but if not August 1-31 is Houston Restaurant Weeks. This started off as a one week event where restaurants created special lunch and dinner menus where a portion of the proceeds were donated to the Houston Food Bank. However, it became so popular that it turned into a month long event. The meals come with two to three courses for lunch and three to four courses for dinner and is affordably priced at $20 for lunch and $35 for dinner. A friend and I decided to try out Tila's for some Mexican cuisine. We were started off with tortilla and plantain chips with green tomatillo salsa and a red sauce. The green tomatillo salsa was fresh and mild and the red sauce was spicy, but not one of those that kills you with spice.

Next I had guacamole, but I was surprised to find that it was not what I usually got when I ordered guacamole. It was more of a deconstructed guacamole. It was actually chunks of avocado, tomato, chopped jalapeno, onion, and lime. It was delicious nonetheless and perfect for a hot summer's day. I decided to try one of there signature cocktails called the Paloma. This was mainly tequila and pink grapefruit juice. It was tart, but subtly sweet from the grapefruit. It was not a drink for people who like super sweet drinks, but it was very refreshing.

Time for the main dish. I opted for chilaquiles, served with black beans and grilled vegetables. Chilaquiles is a Mexican casserole with chicken, green tomatillo sauce, corn tortillas and is topped with sour cream and mozzarella cheese. It's basically like a Mexican lasagna. It was spicy, but the sour cream cut the heat and created a balance. The layers melted into each other and created a symphony of flavor in every bite. The black beans were served in a refried fashion and topped with a pinch of queso fresco. The grilled vegetables were carrot, squash, and zucchini. They had a nice crunch to them were definitely representative of seasonal summer veggies.

Fortunately, Tila's was offering a three course lunch so we also go to try dessert. I chose a Mexican key lime pie. Most of the time when I think of key lime pie, an image of a graham cracker crust filled with a bright green filling with whipped topping pops into my head. This was definitely not the case. There were layers of cookie in it that were covered in the filling. The lime was refreshing and the strawberries were fresh and sweet. I also got to try the cheesecake which had a light glaze on it and was also served with strawberries. These were both really delicious. 

There are more participating restaurants than you can imagine, so check out the whole list at houstonrestaurantweeks.com. You need to make a reservation and the instructions are listed on the website. Mention that you would like the HRW menu and you are all set! It couldn't be easier to eat for a cause, so be sure to take advantage of this offer as many times as you can. Come back and post where you tried and go eat and help support the Houston Food Bank!

Sushi, Sushi

When I was little I was huge fan of popcorn shrimp, but then one day it just didn't taste like popcorn anymore. Since then I have shied away from all seafood. Then for some reason I decided that I wanted to try sushi, even though a lot of it is raw fish. What I came to find out was that there are plenty of choices for those of use who aren't huge fans of the raw stuff. When I eat sushi, I tend to stay with cooked things like shrimp, crab, occasionally lobster, and anything with veggies. Yes, people still tease me for not eating the "real thing", but hey at least I started eating fish again.

This sushi outing took me to a place called Miyako. It's interesting because it offers regular seating, as well as traditional seating. This is where you have to take off your shoes and sit at sunken tables, which is a great way to mix up the idea of going out to eat. I decided that I would have one healthy and one unhealthier sushi. I started off with a vegetable roll that had shitake mushrooms, avocado, red onion, a little bit of rice and was then wrapped in a thin slice of cucumber. There were also a few pieces that had lettuce tucked. The other roll I had was the crunchy maki roll. This was shrimp and avocado that was topped with little bits of friend tempura batter and drizzled with a spicy mayo. It was crunchy and spicy and the avocado created a "glue" that held it all together. You can still eat sushi, even if you don't want raw fish. These were both fully cooked and very filling. If you hadn't been here or tried either of these rolls, I suggest that you do so as soon as possible. Comment with your favorite cooked rolls and I will be sure you give it a try the next time I stop by Miyako.