Earlier this year, the 90-year-old hot dog institution started hosting a Houston Chefs and Show Dog series; each month a local chef creates an over-the-top hot dog, and a portion of the proceeds from the sales of the hot dogs is donated to that chef's charity of choice. The series will come to a close at the end of this month, so get Hugo Ortega's Holy Molé ($8.49) — featuring smoked chicken andouille sausage, tinga, mole sauce, queso fresco and crema fresca in a Slow Dough pretzel bun — while you can.
3. Fountain View Cafe
Enter the Fountain View Cafe any time of day and you're likely to be hit with the glorious scent of bacon. That's because the counter-service, old-fashioned restaurant makes breakfast (and some serious lunch) all day long (7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends). Check out the chalkboard menu, grab yourself a cup of Joe and wait for your short stack of crisp, vanilla-laced pancakes ($3.95), custom-made omelet (starting at $5.45) or classic tuna melt ($5.50) to arrive. Plump and juicy 1/3-lb all-beef burgers are fantastic and start at just $5. Add a cup of soup, side of slaw or pile of fresh-cut fries for just a few bucks more. You just can't beat these old-fashioned prices.
2. Cafe Pita Galleria
Cafe Pita has made its name in Houston's dining scene for a reason, and the reason is its unbeatable Bosnian food. If you haven't tried it, do yourself a favor and visit the quaint one-story cottage on Richmond. There you'll find several dishes that you may be more familiar with than you realize, like the Bosnian musaka, a version of the popular eggplant-and-potato dish moussaka — made here with layers of eggplant and zucchini, ground beef and a rich béchamel. Served in a zesty tomato sauce, it is not to be missed. Neither is the goulash, chunks of tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef stewed and served on a bed of basmati rice. Lunch specials are just $7.99 and include a soup or side salad, but gyros, stuffed burek (puffed pastry), kebabs and entrée salads are available as well.
1. Zabak's Mediterranean Cafe
If you are craving falafel, this walk-up service cafe is the way to go. Crisp on the outside, soft and delicate at the center, these deep-fried, za'atar-spiced chickpea patties are perhaps the best in the city. Enjoy them stuffed into a pita with all the fixin's ($4.49 for a small, $5.49 for a large) or just eat them as is with a side of creamy tahini sauce ($.75 each, $7.50 for a dozen or $6.99 for a platter with tabouli salad, hummus and pita). There's also plenty of shawarma, spinach pie and baklava to go around.
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Food Fight
The Great Debate
Do casseroles deserve a place at our dining tables?
Eating...Our Words
According to theMerriam-Webster dictionary, the word "casserole" was first used in 1708, but the origin of the term can be traced to a much earlier time. It comes from the French word for saucepan, which possibly has its roots in the Greekkyathos, which means ladle, bowl or cup. The dictionary describes a casserole as "an earthenware or glass baking dish, usually with a cover, in which food can be cooked and then served" and "the food baked and served in such a dish, typically rice, potatoes or macaroni together with meat or fish and vegetables."
Sounds innocuous enough.
So why are people so divided on casseroles? Poll any group, and you're bound to find both people who love casseroles and people who cannot stand them. We found such a divide in our own newsroom, so we decided to nominate one pro-casserole person and one anti-casserole person to duke it out.
Which side are you on?
Pro-casserole by Molly Dunn
Growing up, I always craved a hearty shepherd's pie on cold winter nights. There's something about a helping of mashed potatoes with ground beef, carrots, peas, onions and cheese that could always warm my heart and my stomach.
Casseroles, or hotdishes (for those from the north), have stood the test of time. While food trends and culinary styles have progressed and changed each year, casseroles are still popular dishes among families, households and the community.
A casserole is one of the easiest ways to welcome someone to the neighborhood, lend a helping hand during a rough patch in someone's life or simply feed a bunch of hungry mouths any night of the week. Pasta, chicken, ground beef, potatoes, rice, vegetables and everything else in between can be made into a casserole. No need to worry about picky eaters: There's something for everyone.
