Top Ten #2: Tex-Mex

I cannot stress the importance of good tex-mex.
California has a large Mexican-American population, so there are plenty of Mexican restaurants around, especially in the Mission. Burritos are king here, and people are very picky about the way their burritos are made.
I like burritos just fine.
But sometimes I just want some fajitas.
Or some good enchiladas, dripping with sauce and cheese.
I’ve tried several restaurant’s versions of fajitas and enchiladas, and I can’t really like any of them. It’s not that the Mexican food here is Taco Bell bad, it’s just different. The salsa at most Mexican restaurants is also not as good as in Texas. When we’re in Houston we could eat at a different Tex-Mex restaurant every night for dinner since each has it’s own specialty!
Pappasito’s, Ninfa’s , Los Cuco’s. Chuy’s, Lupe Tortilla’s, El Tiempo Cantina, Irma’s…..The list goes on and on…….

Top Ten #3: Kolaches

Now we’re down to the top 3, nearest and dearest to my heart!
If you would like to make some money, purchase a Kolache Factory franchise and open it up in California. We cannot find kolaches here!!!! Believe me, we’ve tried. An extensive Google search led us to a donut shop some 40 miles away. Unfortunately that’s a long way to drive for a breakfast treat.
(I was talking with a friend from Cleveland about my kolache withdrawal, and she said they have kolaches in Cleveland; pastries filled with fruit. Nope, not the same type of Czech pastry we’re used to in Texas.)

Top Ten #4: BBQ

Brisket. Ribs, Jalapeno sausage. Real BBQ sauce.
We haven’t had a chance to try some of the BBQ places around here, but I doubt they’ll be as good as the BBQ in Houston. I especially miss Baker’s Ribs right down the street from David’s place.

Top Ten #5: Barnaby's

I miss Barnaby’s, our little neighborhood café. Everything there is SO good.
This was the default place form Carol and me when we didn’t know where to go for lunch or dinner. I would always have such a hard time deciding what to get; the chicken Mediterranean salad, or a burger with the best fries in Houston, OR if I was really hungry, the lasagna.

Top Ten #6: Latin Restaurants

We’ve found some really great Latin restaurants here in San Francisco, our favorites being Spanish tapas, Peruvian, and Cuban.These types of restaurants are more difficult are harder to find in Houston.

But I still miss my Houston favorites:
Café Red Onion for trendy Latin fusion

Mi Luna for Spanish tapas and sangria

Amazon Grill for Latin-ish food, but especially for their plantain chips with chimichurri sauce

Mi Pueblito for Colombian, especially the empanadas
mmmmmm……….empanadas…………..

Top Ten list#7: Houston Folk Art

One of the best things about living in the Heights was the proximity to all sorts of crazy Houston folk art, such as ART CARS. There was a person on our block who had an art car, and it would always make me smile when I saw it our on the street. It would so cool to be driving down Montrose on any ordinary day and suddenly see a random art car, chugging along beside you.
I will be very happy if I get to see an art car when I’m back in town!

Other Houston craziness: The Beer Can House, The Orange Show, and of course The Art Car Parade.

Top Ten list: #8: Galleria/malls in general

I used not like the Galleria very much, but that was before I lived close to the giant shopping center. Now I miss the convenience of having all those stores in one place, and then being able to get in the car and go home. While there are tons of great shops and department stores here, it is a bit of a hassle going to and from each individual store when you’re short on time. Especially when it’s raining.

I used to go to the Galleria, Memorial City, or even the Village after work, and do shopping a little at a time. It was nice and relaxing. Now going shopping is an event, where I have to schedule a big chunk of time and plan out the logistics of each shopping trip. The bus takes longer, and cuts into shopping time, but it’s free with my MUNI pass. If I drive, it’s faster, and I can leave whenever, but then I have to find and pay for parking and deal with crazy traffic. Amazon.com is my new favorite website.

Top Ten list: #9 Driving

I normally look forward to walking to work everyday. It’s nice to walk 10 or more blocks daily, especially when the weather is nice, as it usually is. However the past few days have been miserable with rain, which means I show up at work a soaking wet mess.

I miss my car.
I miss having a garage.
I miss walking from the car to the office in a nice dry garage, and being able to wear whatever shoes I want!
I also just miss driving around town. It’s nice being in the car, zipping around the freeway and being able to get where I need to be without having to depend on the bus schedules.
I DO NOT miss sitting Houston traffic though.

Top Ten list: #10 Whataburger

Let the countdown BEGIN!
I am so excited about our trip to Houston, I just can't stop thinking about all the stuff I miss.... so now I begin my TOP TEN things I miss about Houston that I must have when I'm back in town.

10. WHATABURGER-
Oh good God, the other night was cold, rainy, and it was 8:30 when we headed home after a few long hours of holiday shopping.
We would have given ANYTHING for a whataburger drive-thru. I think there's 2 drive-thrus in the entire city. (ok, maybe not just 2, but there are only 2 near us that I know of; a KFC and a Burger King which both look gross).

Though when I finally make it to Whataburger, what ever will I choose?
The perfect whataburger with cheese (NO PICKLES), and fries, OR
the chicken tender basket with creamy peppery GRAVY.......decisions, decisions!!!!!!!

New pictures

IMGP1807.JPG, originally uploaded by ednita212.

We got a christmas tree this past weekend! We had gone to several storeslooking for a little artificial tree to put in the living room, but we didn't really like any thing. I found this one at IKEA...it's a little bigger than we had planned, but it's great.
I also posted pictures of our hike through the Marin headlands. I think we've taken some of you out to the lookout point, but this time we drove past the point to walk the trails. It's really beautiful out there, and you almost forget how close to the city you really are.

Click here to see all my pictures