Thursday, January 2, 2014

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE...

My hubby was gifted with a couple of new hats for his birthday yesterday. This one, in particular, caused quite a stir.


With friends like these, and a wife who photographs EVERYTHING, who needs enemies, right?


On the plus side, his friends and family are also damn good cooks...


and he got an awesome meal out of the deal!
 

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

MAKING SOMETHIN' OUT OF NUTHIN'

I just can't tell you how much I'm enjoying watching the chainsaw artist at work on those dead trees back behind Inoz'.


It's a bit like magic, to see these creatures appearing out of that which was dead and doomed for demolition.


To tell you the truth, I'll be kinda sad when the project is complete.


I give kudos to those with an eye for possibilities -- both the artists who manage to bring them to life, and the people who commission these artists, keeping roofs over their heads, and food on their tables. The world needs both!
 

Monday, December 30, 2013

WEEKEND SPLORIN': CLEVELAND'S

We tried a new place over in Buda this weekend. (That's Byou-duh, not Boo-da, for you non-locals.) It's called Cleveland's, and specializes in seafood and Creole dishes. I think it replaced a sort of scuzzy grocery/cafe, but you'd never know it now!



We'll have to go back and try a few more things from the menu -- some of the non-Creole things in particular -- before I fully form an opinion, but there were several things I really liked about it, in addition to the decor.  For one thing, I liked the art. It was color-mad.


Next was the Caesar Salad, which I didn't just like, I loved. It had an honest-to-goodness made from scratch Caesar dressing, with just that hint of anchovy, instead of the bottled dressings that most restaurants use these days.


Every so often I get the urge to try a Cajun oyster po'boy again, and it's always a mistake.


For one thing, I can never get my mouth around them. So then you end up having to dissect them with a fork, eating one bite at a time, which means you never get to enjoy the combination of all the different flavors at once. I should also mention that, although I love a good fried oyster, I'm not a fan of raw ones, and these seemed to be a little closer to raw than fried, having a bit too much of that earthy, gritty flavor. John tried the blackened redfish, which was pretty good, but not fantastic. On the plus side, the well-seasoned french fries that came with my po'boy were some of the best I've had in ages, reminding me of the French or Belgian frittes.

For dessert we shared an order of beignets.


I'm usually not a huge fan of those either, preferring a good sopapilla drizzled in honey. I think you have to be a coffee drinker to really appreciate a beignet, as they just don't have that much favor. Alas, we do not drink coffee, so we were quite please with the mixed berry sauce that came with these, perfect for dipping!

All in all, I'd say the place is definitely worth another try.