Pappasito's Cantina - Best of Tex-Mex

Pappasito's Cantina

Houston, TX

Lunch

March 19, 2010

The Set-Up - Heading back to Baton Rouge from a medical appointment in Houston, we stopped at one of our favorite Tex-Mex places, knowing they'd have tasty food and TVs on which we could watch the some March Madness action. We sat in the bar for the latter.

The Meal - We made a great menu choice - the mixed grill. For $16.95 we got a skewer of beef, chicken, shrimp and vegetables along with side orders of rice and pineapple pico de gallo. Fabulous! We probably could have eaten two orders, but we stopped at one. Fresh chips and salsa and drinks - a margarita for Kay and iced tea for me made for an outstanding lunch. The food looked even better hanging on its skewer, but I was too hungry to remember to take a picture. Maybe next time.

Drinks - Pappasito's margaritas have been delicious for all 25 years I've been drinking them, but on this day I had to drink iced tea and get back on the road.

Ambience - With one large room, Pappasito's is busy and noisy, but in a good-spirited way.

Service - Efficient, friendly and accurate.

The Check - With tax and tip, just $33.


The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - Five - today's food was typical. Nobody grills it better than Pappasito's

Drinks - Four - margaritas are good, but a little pricey


Ambience - Four - Probably better for a larger group, but being able to sit at tables in the bar to watch basketball was a big plus.

Service - Five - Excellent. For such a large restaurant, Pappasito's always manages to provide personal service.

Price/Value - Five for this meal. Four to five for most of our meals there.


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite - We've eaten at least ten lunches and dinners at one or another Pappasito's (there are 13 locations in the Houston area) over the years. I don't think we've ever been disappointed.

Very Good

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


Other Info -

11831 I-10 East
Houston, TX 77029
(713) 455-8378

Hours:

Sun.- Thurs. 11:00 am-10:00 pm
Fri. & Sat. 11:00 am-11:00 pm


Pappasito's Cantina

Cafe Americain - Baton Rouge, LA - Soup du Jour

Cafe Americain

Baton Rouge, LA

Lunch

March 10, 2010

The Set-Up - With just a few minutes to spare in between a church meeting and a doctor's appointment we slipped into nearby Cafe Americain for a quick lunch. I've probably eaten at least one meal in this restaurant in every one of the 23 years I've lived in Baton Rouge.


The Meal - Cafe Americain makes some of the best soups in Baton Rouge. Among my favorites is their crab and broccoli. I ordered a bowl ($9) though I probably could have gotten by with a cup ($5). I finished the bowl. Kay ordered the soup (crab and corn) and salad. The picture looks a little gruelish, but trust me, it's delicious.

The crab and broccoli is a cream-based soup. Crab and corn, at least here today, starts with a roux. Both were delicious. Kay loves her salads, and Cafe Americain didn't disappoint.

The rest of Cafe Americain's menu features American cuisine with a Louisiana flair.

Cafe Americain also makes great desserts. We were tempted sorely by the Bailey's Irish Creme bread pudding, but our time shortage caused us to postpone it for another day, which might come soon.

Drinks - Kay had a nice glass of white wine. I had my usual iced tea. Both were just fine.

Ambience - Cafe Americain has expanded piecemeal over the years, so dining is now spread across three rooms. The atmosphere is casual without being barlike; friendly without being overly noisy. Overall, perfect for a casual lunch.

Service - No problems. Lunch was efficiently and pleasantly served, eaten and paid for well within our timetable.

The Check -Even with a glass of wine our bill with tax and tip came to just $36.00.

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - Five for what we ate. Cafe Americain's overall menu would be closer to four.

Drinks - Four. Wine for less than $7.50 a glass would help.

Ambience - Four

Service - Five for meeting our timetable without being asked.

Price/Value - A solid four


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite - Cafe Americain isn't enough of a favorite of ours that we make special trips, but its handy locations (one near church; one near home (though a trip for Bailey's Bread Pudding may be in the offing), tasty food (especially soups), and reasonable prices cause us to eat their fairly often.

Very Good

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


Other Info -

7521 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, LA
924-9841, 927-1626 (fax)

Also at 15255 George O'Neal Road

Hours:


Monday thru Thursday - 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday - 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Sunday - 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (brunch menu and drink specials)


Cafe Americain

Coyote Blues - Baton Rouge, LA - Spice of Life

Coyote Blues

Baton Rouge, LA

Lunch

March 5, 2010


The Set-Up - This restaurant opened recently on the site of the former Lone Star Steakhouse. The peanut-strewn home of tough steak won't be missed as diners enjoy a new source of Tex-Mex food with a Louisiana flair. The original Coyote Blues restaurant is in Lafayette, LA.

We'd thought about trying the new restaurant for awhile, then learned that a son of our friends worked there as a waiter, which heightened our interest.

On a recent Friday we met friends for lunch, taking care to stay ahead of the noon rush, which arrived both early and noisily.


The Meal - Coyote Blues offers a lunch menu, but we ordered a couple of their specialty items off the dinner menu. I picked the Grilled Tilapia Tacos ($12.79), which I hoped would resemble my grilled fish taco favorites from Cafe Adobe in Houston. Kay got the Nuevo Crab Enchiladas ($16.29), which the waiter recommended, and which had the promising of matching our favorite crab enchiladas from Mestizo's.

With a little readjusting, my dish was spectacular. It came with far too many jalapenos, but was spectacular when I swept all but one or two aside. Kay didn't think the Nuevo Crab quite measured up to Mestizo's, though I was very impressed with the leftovers I ate for lunch today. The poblano rice that came with the tacos proved a special treat - the call it verde (green) rice at Serrano's, which I can eat by the shovelful.

Our friends got beef fajitas and cheese enchiladas respectively. The enchiladas came with cheese corn grits, which were creamy and delicious. On my next trip I'll probably go with poblano rice and cheese grits as side orders.

Drinks - It was a non-drinking day for me, but Kay enjoyed a margarita. No problems with my iced tea.

Ambience - Decor at Coyote Blues is understated. Noise levels are not. As the big restaurant filled with customers, so did the air with assembled chatter and clatter.

Service - The Coyote Blues staff seemed to have the kinks worked out. Our meal came off without a hitch.

The Check - Two plates and two margaritas with tax and tip came to about $55. A little pricey for lunch, but reasonable for dinner.

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - Four with prospects to go to five

Drinks - Four, since Kay didn't rave about the margaritas, and they weren't happy hour price

Ambience - Four, spacious, attractive and comfortable, but a little noisy.

Service - Four, could have been five if Kay had liked the crab better.

Price/Value - 3-1/2, lunch portions of the crab and fish dishes would be welcome; definitely four for dinner.


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite
Very Good - One visit can't qualify for Favorite status, but a promotion is very likely.

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


Address - 2450 South Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge
Phone - 225-361-0676

Also at 5741 Johnston Street, Lafayette, LA
Phone - 337-988-3668


Hours of Operation

Sunday and Monday - 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday thru Thursday - 11 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Friday and Saturday - 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Lunch Menu available - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.


Website - coyotebluesrest.com

Cafe Adobe - Houston, TX - Great Tex-Mex With Ex-tras

Cafe Adobe

Location - Houston, TX

Meal - Dinner

Date - February 15, 2010

The Set-Up - We found Cafe Adobe early on our trips to Houston and return often for a quick, tasty and inexpensive Tex-Mex meal. Upon arriving in Houston on February 15, we had just enough time for dinner before heading to the nearby McGonigel's Mucky Duck for a 9:30 show.

The Meal - Kay went with the reliable Tacos al Carbon. I'm glad I ventured from my usual order pattern as the Fish Tacos were wonderful. The broiled tilapia pieces were marinated in chipotle cilantro and garlic butter sauce. The tacos were the soft kind and filled with red cabbage, so I had to deconstruct the dish to eat it, but no problem. They offer a plate of the same fish, Tilapia Cozumel, which I'll definitely consider next time.


Drinks - It was margarita time. We inquired about happy hour and to our happiness, the half-priced drink special was still on. More later on this part of the meal, but drinks were delicious.

Ambience - We like the area nearest the door for a number of reasons. Less walking in a big restaurant, near the rest rooms, and the area seems a little more open and brighter than the back of the restaurant.

Service - Always cheerful and efficient. The staff was especially helpful when our bill came with the margaritas at full price. We pointed this out and instead of correcting the price, which would have saved us $6.25, they gave me my fish tacos for free ($8.99 value), saying that it was too difficult in their system to correct the drink price.

The Check - With the credit, we got out of Cafe Adobe full of food and drink for an amazing $30, including tax and a nice tip.

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - Five - I think I found a new favorite dish.

Drinks - Five - Hard to beat frozen margaritas in a good Tex-Mex place.

Ambience - Four - Our preferred seating area also includes the stairs to the club on the second floor.

Service - Five - Three cheers for their makeup on the mispriced drinks.

Price/Value - A big Five on this occasion - pretty close every time out.


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite - Definitely merits Favorite status with its combination of tasty food and drinks, reasonable prices and extended happy hour. We'll be back!

Very Good

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


Other Info -

2111 Westheimer, Houston, Texas 77098 ... Phone: 713.528.1468 ... Fax: 713.528.5127

There are three other Cafe Adobe locations in the Houston area (Sugar Land, Spring Branch and The Woodlands) and one opening soon in Clear Lake.

Hours:

Call for hours. I know they're open Monday through Saturday for both lunch and dinner. They're probably open Sunday as well.

Cafe Adobe

Gary's Cafe - Orange, TX - If Only Man Could Live on Chocolate Pie Alone

Gary's Cafe and Family Restaurant

Location - Orange, TX

Meal - Lunch

Date - February 15, 2010

The Set-Up - On our most recent trip to Houston, we stopped at Steamboat Bill's in Lake Charles, hoping (at least me) to eat some boiled crawfish. At about 3 p.m. we saw their sign, "Boiled Crawfish at 5 p.m, and got back in the car. Next stop was Orange, TX, where we'd heard about Gary's Cafe.

The Meal - Kay got her fill of vegetables, which she enjoyed. I went for the fried catfish plate with Gary's signature batter. I've eaten better, both fish and batterwise in many catfish restaurants in Louisiana and elsewhere. We agreed that the chocolate meringue pie (just $2.25) was by far the highlight of the meal.

Drinks - Iced tea and Diet Coke. I had to get a side glass of water to dilute the tea, but that may just be my taste.


Ambience - Diner-style, reminiscent of House of Pies in Houston, or Catfish Campus (as yet unreviewed) in Columbia, TN based on the advertisements embossed on the table.

Service -My memory is sketchy. I don't remember it being either special or inadequate.

The Check - A bargain at about $25, including tax and tip.

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - Three, with the pie bringing it up to acceptable overall

Drinks - Three, as the iced tea was just adequate

Ambience - Two. I'm really not into advertising on the tables.

Service - Four.

Price/Value - Three. Even though Gary's was cheap, I can't go higher for a restaurant whose best food is chocolate pie.


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite

Very Good

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


2650 Interstate 10 West, Orange, TX 77632.
(409) 886 - 5850

There are other Gary's locations in both Orange and nearby Vidor, TX.

Hours:

Call for hours. I couldn't find a website.

Ruffino's - Baton Rouge, LA - Valentine's Lifesaver

Ruffino's Italian Restaurant

Location - Baton Rouge, LA

Meal - Dinner

Date - February 14, 2010

The Set-Up - As it has before on other holidays, Ruffino's came through for us on Valentine's Day by being open all afternoon and evening on Sunday. Without a reservation, we showed up at about 3:00 p.m., avoiding both the lunch and dinner crowds, which our waiter said would add up to the restaurant's busiest day of the year, and cap their busiest weekend.

Ruffino's is owned by Baton Rouge restauranteur T.J. Moran. Former LSU football star Ruffin Rodrigue donates his name to what Moran previously called Highland House and DiNardo's (after two LSU head football coaches ago - Gerry DiNardo). Moran, Rodrigue and Chef Peter Scalfani bill Ruffino's fare as Italian-Creole fusion - unique in Baton Rouge.


The Meal - Due to the high volume of diners, Ruffino's offered a limited Valentine's menu, but still with plenty of good choices. We took it easy, ordering just an appetizer, one entree to share and a bottle of wine. The crab ravioli was as good as advertised. Having eaten a lot of steak recently, we opted for the Pork Tchoupitoulas (there's a bit of a pun there) - two large pork chops topped with New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp. We also enjoyed bread and olive oil, though the olive oil part could have been at another recent restaurant meal.

Drinks - We washed it all down with a lovely Estancia Pinot Grigio from California.


Ambience - In between rush periods, Ruffino's was quiet and romantic, albeit a bit dark upon first entry. As with many restaurants operated by celebrities or near-celebrities, they like to hang pictures of their clientele posing with restaurant management. Fortunately, the displays are focused in the foyer and other non-dining areas.

Service - Top notch. Our 20-year veteran waiter answered all our questions about the menu (noting that the pork came with steamed asparagus, making it unnecessary for us to order a side of veggies), made recommendations, refilled our wine glasses and followed up for other needs.

The Check - The receipt has moved from my wallet, but I remember the total being about $100 with tax and tip. The pork entree was about $30, the appetizer about $13 and the wine another $30 or so

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - 4.5 - Ravioli was a five; the pork a little lower as the meat could have been more tender.

Drinks - 4 - very nice wine, but I've had pinot grigio just as good for about $10 less.

Ambience - 5 - perfect for the occasion, once I found our table in the relative darkness.

Service - 5 - what you'd expect and hope for at a high-end restaurant. Kudos also for the expanded Valentine's Day hours.

Price/Value - I'll call it 4.5. Going with the filet mignon might have provided better value, though the barbecue shrimp were a treat.


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite - Ruffino's isn't my first choice among Baton Rouge special occasion restaurants, but its overall quality and availability make it a more than adequate backup and a family favorite.

Very Good

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


18811 Highland Rd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225-753-3458

Hours:

Open daily at 4:30pm
Sunday 11:00am - 9:00pm

Ruffino's Italian Restaurant

DeAngelo's - Baton Rouge, LA - Pizza of My Heart

Restaurant - DeAngelo's Pizzeria

Location - Baton Rouge, LA

Meal - Lunch

Date - February 9, 2010

The Set-Up - More often than not, a mid-morning medical appointment at the Oschner Clinic on Bluebonnet Blvd is followed by lunch at DeAngelo's Pizzeria about a mile down the street. From a humble start in a small space in a strip mall, DeAngelo's has grown over the last twenty years into one of Baton Rouge's most popular restaurant chains. Founder Louis DeAngelo, then about twenty years old, borrowed money from his family and brought their recipe for New York-style pizza to Baton Rouge, a market where Pizza Hut was still the best choice if you didn't want to eat pizza in a bar.

Today, there are four DeAngelo's restaurants in Baton Rouge proper, two in nearby Denham Springs and Prairieville, LA and two more across the state in Lake Charles, LA. I've been a loyal fan of DeAngelo's pizzas and pastas (not to mention salad and garlic bread) for the whole run.


The Meal - I know what I like, and that's what I eat. On this day I got my standard 10" pizza on regular crust with pepperoni, anchovies and roasted red peppers. Kay went with soup and salad - probably the Isabella, which features Asiago cheese and a wonderful shallot vinaigrette dressing. It's probably my favorite salad anywhere. Kay often gets pizza with a whole wheat crust. Kallie, though not with us on this trip, is a fan of the crawfish diavolo. I also enjoy the Little Italy Foccaccia-Latta - Italian meats and vegetables on wrapped flat bread.

Drinks - Along with making the best salad in Baton Rouge, DeAngelo's serves the best iced tea. At dinner we usually choose from the wine list, which is a very nice one for a restaurant that started as a pizzeria.


Ambience - DeAngelo's has upgraded their restaurants over the years to the point that they about the nicest pizzerias you're likely to find. Despite the sign at the Bluebonnet restaurant, they're trying to move away from the pizzeria tag to be known as Louis DeAngelo's Casual Italian Dining.

Service - DeAngelo's uses the team approach as well as any restaurant in Baton Rouge. Essentially any member of their staff, including managers and hostesses, will help with any request.

The Check - Our bargain lunch (one small pizza; one soup and salad; two soft drinks) came in at less than $30, including tax and tip. Ordering entrees and wine can push the bill up, but at any meal DeAngelo's provides good value.

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - Five - The best pizza and salad in Baton Rouge.

Drinks - Five - If iced tea can be a five, DeAngelo's qualifies.

Ambience - Five - Many DeAngelo's restaurants feature works by local artists.

Service - Five

Price/Value - Five - As you can probably tell, I really like DeAngelo's.


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite - The menu isn't quite special occasion worthy, but based on the dozens of meals I've eaten at DeAngelo's over the years, favorite definitely describes our relationship.

Very Good

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


Other Info -

7550 Bluebonnet Blvd. (Bluebonnet Village Ctr)
Baton Rouge , LA 70810
Phone: 225-761-4465

Other Baton Rouge locations are on Jefferson Highway, Coursey Blvd (at Hickory Ridge) and Lee Drive (at Burbank).

Hours:

Monday 11am to 9pm
Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 10pm
Sunday 11am to 9pm


Louis DeAngelo's Casual Italian Dining