On Saturday morning we headed over to the open air shopping center right behind our hotel, Town & Country, to enjoy my very favorite breakfast, Einstein's Bagels -- something they don't have anywhere close to Wimberley. Afterwards we grabbed a newspaper and enjoyed some time on a shady bench while we waited for Barnes & Noble to open -- another thing they don't have anywhere close to Wimberley. It wasn't books I was after this time, but magazines, and I came away with quite a haul.
On the way to check out, however, I stumbled upon this little jewel, and couldn't resist adding it to my stack. If it's half as good as I expect it to be, you'll surely be hearing more about it later. Ahhh, so much inspiration in one little shopping bag!
We met back up with A&A for lunch over on Richmond Ave. One thing I've always loved about Houston is that no matter what kind of food you are in the mood for, from whatever country on earth, it's a pretty sure bet you can find it there. Areej is Sudanese, and loves Ethiopian food, which is a close neighbor of Sudan. She wanted to introduce it to Austin, so they just googled Ethiopian restaurants in Houston, and that's how they found Blue Nile. Ever since she took him there, he's been dying to bring us into the fold as well.
I admit to being a wee bit nervous about trying it, but I needn't have worried. It was actually quite good. What amazes me is how certain spice combinations, such as that cumin-chili combo, seem to be at home in cultures around the globe, from Mexico to India to Ethiopia!
The fun thing about eating in Ethiopian restaurants is that everything is served on a communal platter, no utensils in sight! Instead, each person has a plump roll of this crepe-like bread. You tear off little pieces and use them to pinch up bits of food from the platter and pop them into your mouth, so your fingers never actually touch the food. Well, once you get the hang of it, anyway.
Austin fell in love with thick, spicy Turkish coffee when we took him to a neat little coffee house in San Diego, so he adores Ethiopian coffee! Did you know that's where coffee originated? I would have loved to stay and watch them take part in the
traditional coffee ceremony which, curiously enough, involves popcorn, but we were on our way to see
Moonrise Kingdom, so they each just ordered a quick mug of the aromatic brew.
The movie was probably one of the more bizarre we have ever seen, but it musta been a good kind of bizarre, 'cause we all really liked it. And then it was off to Japan for dinner!
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