Discussion:
Photos of a Texas visit - and food, of course
(too old to reply)
Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
2003-08-10 18:38:26 UTC
Permalink
If anyone remembers me from the Pig Stand, here's a photo record of my
recent visit to Texas - not a foody record I know, so a little o/t.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rudolf/texas.htm

In Galveston I found a marvellous cheap little diner on the front called The
Dutch Kettle, where they didn't mind my trying my hand at a bit of an Edward
Hopper sort of shot:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rudolf/Galveston10.htm
I breakfasted there a few times.

Also in Galveston I discovered Shrimp and Stuff on 39th (I think), an
amusing little joint where the food is served out of a hatch. Good
deep-fried shrimps there.
You pay for it at Gaidos on the seafront, but in my view it was utterly
worth it; I had some sort of seafood medley.
Casey's next door is cheaper - and busier, but you can eat at the bar -
and I had three consistently good dinners in there, fish of the day or
whatever.
Fish Tales was also excellent one night - I had catfish stuffed with
crabmeat and served with an ettouffé (?) of crayfish. Yum.
I also developed a taste for Kroger rotisserie chicken eaten cross-legged
on my motel floor - and *what* a motel, I may tell you - carved up by
candlelight with the aid of my Swiss Army knife; but I suppose I shouldn't
mention Kroger chickens within the respectable portals of this group, let
alone the motel. (I did twin the chicken up with a take-out artichoke and
olive salad, if that makes it more sophisticated.)

I didn't really eat that much in Houston. The first night at Barnaby's (?)
in Montrose I think, where I may, or may not, have had some sort of standard
beefburger, the second night at Saltgrass somewhere south of Houston where I
had an amazingly tasty fish dish with capers and olives in the sauce, and
once at the House of Pies, where I have to admit I have no memory whatsoever
of what passed my lips that night - Mr Lewis, can you assist me? - before we
saw a Charlotte Rampling film, The Swimming Pool, at the River Oaks cinema,
and finished off the evening with a nice little car accident on the I45
going south, giving me the chance to photograph a real-life US criminal, a
rather pale and languid specimen, but the police were delighted:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rudolf/texas-road02.htm

I also drove up to Dallas (Thai restaurant one night, with shrimp in a
peanut sauce, a home-delivered Domino's pizza the next - sorry), and on to
Austin where I ordered a particularly splendid fish soup as a main course
next to my motel just north of the city, (Cancun Mexican Restaurant, it
would appear from my visa receipts), the sort of fish soup that's delicious
mopped up with bread.

The food in US was of a consistently higher standard than in UK, and quite a
bit cheaper. Your attitude to alcohol would take me some time to get used
to - at Saltgrass I had to surrender my passport for scrutiny by the
manager, can you believe, purely in order to enjoy a little imbibtion of the
red grape. In Dallas it was a real art to procure 'adult beverages' from a
Liquor Store on a Sunday - never mind; at least I got to photograph some
truly magnificent shiny skyscrapers earlier that day:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rudolf/dallas.htm

I developed a little love affair for, and in, Galveston. I'm wondering
about the feasibility of my finding work in a college or a high school
there, (which is what I do here in UK, for my sins). I would be intrigued
of anyone had any tips along those lines; part of the attraction of
Galveston for me is to 'rescue' one of those clapboarded houses and restore
it to pristine condition. In fact, I'd consider work outside teaching too.
Any ideas?

To wind up, I've had a real adventure of a three-weeks; but I missed having
a kitchen of my own in order to entertain in the manner I'd like.

If anyone wants to write to me, I'm obviously spam-blocked on this
reply-to-address, but ***@hotmail.com should do the trick.

Rudolf
Robert E. Lewis
2003-08-10 21:23:58 UTC
Permalink
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
If anyone remembers me from the Pig Stand, here's a photo record of my
recent visit to Texas - not a foody record I know, so a little o/t.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rudolf/texas.htm
<snippity>
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
I didn't really eat that much in Houston. The first night at Barnaby's (?)
in Montrose I think, where I may, or may not, have had some sort of standard
beefburger, the second night at Saltgrass somewhere south of Houston where
I had an amazingly tasty fish dish with capers and olives in the sauce...
Mr. Schwarzkopf-Zskai is off a bit - the tasy fish dish was at Johnny
Carino's in Pearland his second night in Texas. He and I did go to a
Saltgrass Steakhouse one night, on the mainland and running late - pleasant
prime rib and a nice chicken-tortilla soup.
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
and once at the House of Pies, where I have to admit I have no memory
whatsoever of what passed my lips that night - Mr Lewis, can you assist me?
...
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
and finished off the evening with a nice little car accident on the I45
going south, giving me the chance to photograph a real-life US criminal, a
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rudolf/texas-road02.htm
No doubt the collision knocked it right out of his head. I always have the
French Dip at the House of Pies (something I like and have little
opportunity to make for myself). Mr. Rudolf had a rib eye steak with
sauteed mushrooms he pronounced very good, and an ice cream scoop of mashed
potatoes he raved about as being incredibly smooth - they appeared to be
topped with cream gravy, which seemed odd beside the mushrooms atop the
steak. He also gave some A-1 Steak Sauce a go with his steak and compared
it favorably to the 'brown sauce' he has with his steak and kidney pie at
the canteen at work back in the UK.
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
The food in US was of a consistently higher standard than in UK, and quite a
bit cheaper. Your attitude to alcohol would take me some time to get used
to - at Saltgrass I had to surrender my passport for scrutiny by the
manager, can you believe, purely in order to enjoy a little imbibtion of the
red grape.
That was at Johnny Carino's, with Pearland's club-membership requirement to
buy alcohol. I think it cause quite a stir when they were given his
passport for ID (since UK drivers licenses don't contain a photo ID).

Robert
Christine
2003-08-10 23:27:07 UTC
Permalink
Your attitude to alcohol would take me some time to get used
Post by Robert E. Lewis
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
to - at Saltgrass I had to surrender my passport for scrutiny by the
manager, can you believe, purely in order to enjoy a little imbibtion of
the
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
red grape.
That was at Johnny Carino's, with Pearland's club-membership requirement to
buy alcohol. I think it cause quite a stir when they were given his
passport for ID (since UK drivers licenses don't contain a photo ID).
Robert
Hello,

City of Pearland no longer requires club memberships since "Restaurants for
Pearland" was passed. Went into the effect the beginning of the year... I
think?

Probably Johnny Carino's isn't in the City of Pearland proper?

Chris in Pearland
Robert E. Lewis
2003-08-11 03:00:00 UTC
Permalink
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
Your attitude to alcohol would take me some time to get used
Post by Robert E. Lewis
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
to - at Saltgrass I had to surrender my passport for scrutiny by the
manager, can you believe, purely in order to enjoy a little imbibtion of
the
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
red grape.
That was at Johnny Carino's, with Pearland's club-membership requirement
to
Post by Robert E. Lewis
buy alcohol. I think it cause quite a stir when they were given his
passport for ID (since UK drivers licenses don't contain a photo ID).
Robert
Hello,
City of Pearland no longer requires club memberships since "Restaurants for
Pearland" was passed. Went into the effect the beginning of the year...
I
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
think?
Probably Johnny Carino's isn't in the City of Pearland proper?
Chris in Pearland
I wondered about that. A couple of months ago I had some wine at another
Italian restaurant - Santa Barbara, in the shopping center on 518 with the
movie theater - and wasn't asked. Johnny Carino's is in the Super
Target/Randalls center next to 288, so maybe it hasn't been incorporated
yet.

BTW - Carino's has gotten some bad reviews in this group, and I had put off
visiting the one here in Lake Jackson because of it. But this was the
second time I'd been to the Pearland location and I enjoyed it both times
Way too much food, had to take a to-go box, but I especially liked their
lasagna, and I'm picky about lasagna. I don't know if it was authentically
Italian, but it had less ricotta and more meat than most; reminded me of my
late aunt's recipe, from her last, Italian, husband.

Robert
MTV
2003-08-11 16:45:41 UTC
Permalink
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
If anyone remembers me from the Pig Stand, here's a photo record of my
recent visit to Texas - not a foody record I know, so a little o/t.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rudolf/texas.htm
<snip>
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
I developed a little love affair for, and in, Galveston. I'm wondering
about the feasibility of my finding work in a college or a high school
there, (which is what I do here in UK, for my sins). I would be intrigued
of anyone had any tips along those lines; part of the attraction of
Galveston for me is to 'rescue' one of those clapboarded houses and restore
it to pristine condition. In fact, I'd consider work outside teaching too.
Any ideas?
There are some pretty good deals right now on those "clapboard on
stilts" homes. Values dropped about 50% after Hurricane Claudette
demolished many of them last month and moved the beach 50 ft inland on
the West End. To find a bargain, though, would require much legwork.
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
To wind up, I've had a real adventure of a three-weeks; but I missed having
a kitchen of my own in order to entertain in the manner I'd like.
If anyone wants to write to me, I'm obviously spam-blocked on this
Rudolf
Julia Dream
2003-08-11 18:04:13 UTC
Permalink
"Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai" <***@face.value> wrote in message news:QiwZa.9435$***@newsfep4-winn.server.ntli.net...

Snipping fine review!

Your photos are great! I love the ones of the houses in Galveston. It
sounds like you had a great time; Galveston is a nice place, to be sure. I
lived there for a few years when in high school, and I noticed you have a
picture of the house my family lived in... #25, 1402 Ball Avenue, two or
three blocks behind the Bishop's Palace! Too cool!!! It's an antique store
now, I believe. The last time I visited the house, I told the owner that I
used to live there and he had me wait while he ran upstairs to get some old
photos he had found stuck in a crack in the attic floor. They were pix of
my parents when they were kiddos! lol Thanks for posting the links to your
adventure. :-)

Becky, who still recalls "ambulance alley" down 14th Street in the middle of
the night, and Shrimp and Stuff as *the* place to get away from Ball High
for lunch
Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
2003-08-11 18:45:15 UTC
Permalink
Post by Julia Dream
Your photos are great!
Why thank you Ma'am.
Post by Julia Dream
I love the ones of the houses in Galveston. It
sounds like you had a great time; Galveston is a nice place, to be sure.
I
Post by Julia Dream
lived there for a few years when in high school, and I noticed you have a
picture of the house my family lived in... #25, 1402 Ball Avenue, two or
three blocks behind the Bishop's Palace! Too cool!!! It's an antique store
now, I believe. The last time I visited the house, I told the owner that I
used to live there and he had me wait while he ran upstairs to get some old
photos he had found stuck in a crack in the attic floor. They were pix of
my parents when they were kiddos! lol Thanks for posting the links to your
adventure. :-)
You're joking, no?
You mean you actually lived in one of the houses I photo'd?
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rudolf/Galveston-houses25.htm
Mr Lewis waxed-particularly-lyrical about this place and its cool aqua
ceilings.
Yowzers!

Rudolf
Julia Dream
2003-08-11 20:05:11 UTC
Permalink
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
Post by Julia Dream
Your photos are great!
Why thank you Ma'am.
Post by Julia Dream
I love the ones of the houses in Galveston. It
sounds like you had a great time; Galveston is a nice place, to be sure.
I
Post by Julia Dream
lived there for a few years when in high school, and I noticed you have a
picture of the house my family lived in... #25, 1402 Ball Avenue, two or
three blocks behind the Bishop's Palace! Too cool!!! It's an antique
store
Post by Julia Dream
now, I believe. The last time I visited the house, I told the owner
that
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
I
Post by Julia Dream
used to live there and he had me wait while he ran upstairs to get some
old
Post by Julia Dream
photos he had found stuck in a crack in the attic floor. They were pix of
my parents when they were kiddos! lol Thanks for posting the links to
your
Post by Julia Dream
adventure. :-)
You're joking, no?
You mean you actually lived in one of the houses I photo'd?
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rudolf/Galveston-houses25.htm
Mr Lewis waxed-particularly-lyrical about this place and its cool aqua
ceilings.
Yowzers!
Rudolf
Absolutely no joking around here. That was my family's home for about 3
years while my father was the rector of Grace Episcopal Church (we
eventually moved into the rectory next door to the church). Lots of great
memories at 1402 Ball. I graduated high school from that house. Made my
first Caesar salad in that house (it was awful!). My bedroom was the one
out front with the huge wrap-around balcony; I shared the balcony with my
grandfather who had the room behind mine. I remember one of the first
nights I spent there. I woke up in that huge luxurious room, opened the
windows almost to the ceiling (gawd, how I loved those windows!), and
stepped outside in my pj's to greet the day. As my eyes adjusted to the
light, I realized I was not alone. Down below me on Ball Avenue was a slew
of tourists waving up at me from the trolley which rolled by every day. I
gave them a quick wave before turning tail and running inside, embarrassed
as all get out! LOL I can't believe that you happened to take a picture of
that place; totally made my day, thanks! :-)

I also noticed that you have a picture of Ashton Villa, where I worked as a
docent for those 3 years. Did you take the tour there?

Becky, favorite house, favorite job... don't get much better than that! :-)
Larry Kessler
2003-08-13 06:58:44 UTC
Permalink
LOL Well, yeah! But I think in my case, it was too much worcestershire
sauce. Don't even ask about the time Gary picked up hickory flavored
worcestershire instead of the regular variety. yuck!
If you're coming on the Messina Hof winery tour, ask Mrs. Kessler how
to pronounce "worcestershire."

Good for a few laughs.....:-)
Robert E. Lewis
2003-08-13 19:48:54 UTC
Permalink
Post by Larry Kessler
LOL Well, yeah! But I think in my case, it was too much worcestershire
sauce. Don't even ask about the time Gary picked up hickory flavored
worcestershire instead of the regular variety. yuck!
If you're coming on the Messina Hof winery tour, ask Mrs. Kessler how
to pronounce "worcestershire."
Good for a few laughs.....:-)
Having an English English teacher justify the UK pronunciation is amusing,
fer sher.

Robert
Jack Sloan
2003-08-14 02:44:47 UTC
Permalink
Post by Robert E. Lewis
Post by Larry Kessler
LOL Well, yeah! But I think in my case, it was too much
worcestershire
Post by Robert E. Lewis
Post by Larry Kessler
sauce. Don't even ask about the time Gary picked up hickory flavored
worcestershire instead of the regular variety. yuck!
If you're coming on the Messina Hof winery tour, ask Mrs. Kessler how
to pronounce "worcestershire."
Good for a few laughs.....:-)
Having an English English teacher justify the UK pronunciation is amusing,
fer sher.
Robert
I always thought it was pronounced "wooster."
Jack
Larry Kessler
2003-08-14 02:36:32 UTC
Permalink
Post by Larry Kessler
LOL Well, yeah! But I think in my case, it was too much worcestershire
sauce. Don't even ask about the time Gary picked up hickory flavored
worcestershire instead of the regular variety. yuck!
If you're coming on the Messina Hof winery tour, ask Mrs. Kessler how
to pronounce "worcestershire."
Good for a few laughs.....:-)
...of course, you know how it got it's name...
A fellow walked into a country cafe in Mississippi and asked for a
chicken fried steak sandwich. When they brought it to him, he opened it
and looked at it and said "Say! Wush dish here sauce".
Just don't tell her who prompted you to ask :-)
Chris Pando
2003-08-18 23:52:39 UTC
Permalink
On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 19:38:26 +0100, "Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai"
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
I also developed a taste for Kroger rotisserie chicken eaten cross-legged
on my motel floor - and *what* a motel, I may tell you - carved up by
candlelight with the aid of my Swiss Army knife; but I suppose I shouldn't
mention Kroger chickens within the respectable portals of this group, let
alone the motel. (I did twin the chicken up with a take-out artichoke and
olive salad, if that makes it more sophisticated.)
I just finished spending a week in Galveston with the wife and sprog.
While we ate a few meals in restaurants, we did a lot of cooking in
the beach-house. Take-out, as well. Kroger rotisserie chicken figured
prominently in one of those meals. We twinned it up with spinach
ravioli and pesto, with garlic bread. Nothing wrong with Kroger's
chicken.

The big blow-out meal was at Clary's, one of my favorite seafood
places. Classic gulf-coast.

The find of the vacation was a little dive on 19th (with prior
mentions in this group; I could kick myself for not having found
it earlier) called Sonny's (19th and L Ave.). Oh My Ghod.
Greasy burgers, cold beer, and one of the best shrimp buns in
the known universe. The county judge showed up for lunch while
we were eating, and watching him work the crowd was priceless.
He was a big guy, so I had to sneak over and see what he was
eating - Tex-Mex pasta. Chili and spaghetti and lots of cheese.
My wife had the muffuletta, and it was the best I'd ever seen
outside of Louisiana (they import the bread and relish). I had
the burger, and it was cheap and good.
Post by Rudolf Schwarzkopf-Zskai
I developed a little love affair for, and in, Galveston. I'm wondering
about the feasibility of my finding work in a college or a high school
there, (which is what I do here in UK, for my sins). I would be intrigued
of anyone had any tips along those lines; part of the attraction of
Galveston for me is to 'rescue' one of those clapboarded houses and restore
it to pristine condition. In fact, I'd consider work outside teaching too.
Any ideas?
The Victorian houses in Galveston have inspired many people to
visions of 'rescue'. I know of at least two divorces which sprang
from restoring an old house (and one case of alcholism).

I wish you luck but, lovely as it is, Galveston is a tough town in
which to make a living.

Chris
--
"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the
American public" - H.L. Mencken, display amazing prescience
as regards the Houston Press' readers.

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