Dynamite Dining: Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen [1962 West Gray, Suite 213, (713)528-3474] might not be the first place you think of for a fast, cheap lunch, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it should be. Those are the only days the $5 seafood pasta plate known appropriately as “Mama’s T-N-T Special” makes its appearance. For your five bucks, you get a steaming bowl of spaghetti topped with a thick home-style marinara sauce, loaded up with fresh Gulf shrimp and plenty of crabmeat. Alongside is a crusty French baguette, perfect for swiping the bowl when you’re done. By the time you’ve drained your ice tea or soft drink — free refills! — tipped and taxed, you’ve still spent less than $8 and beaten the pants off a burger-in-a-box.
This article appears in Oct 21-27, 1999.