Texas through tacos and barbecue

December 21, 2015December 21, 2015 / Greg / Leave a comment

I have a confession to make. Nearing the end of a week in Texas spent sampling some really good craft beer and eating almost solely at barbecue and taco joints, I thought about ordering a salad. Luckily, I didn’t follow through on that crazy idea until I got back home.

On my first day in Houston, after taking in an exciting Astros game, a short walk got me to Jackson Street BBQ. It was almost next door to the ballpark, and even if I tried to get lost, my nose would have been able to follow the smell of smoky meat right to their front door. My first Texas barbecue experience was delicious as I tried the sampler plate with sausage, ribs and brisket, a side of beans, and an Oktoberfest ale from Saint Arnold Brewing:

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Texas craft beers and bars

November 25, 2015November 25, 2015 / Greg / Leave a comment

One week in Texas, split between Houston and Austin, gave me plenty of opportunities to sample a number of craft beers from the state. The refreshment of the beverages (and the air conditioning in the bars) was much needed as the temperatures were pushing into the 30s the entire trip. Here are a few of the beers I got to try and a couple of the craft beer bars I visited in Houston and Austin:

Mongoose Versus Cobra – Houston

On the way back from a Sunday afternoon Houston Texans game, I got off the train a couple of stops early so I could pop into Mongoose Versus Cobra. This was my kind of bar – very laid back and mellow. Here I tried two Texas beers – on the left, an Uncle Billy’s Lazy Day Lager, and on the right, a Buffalo Bayou 1836. I liked the 1836 the best with its malty taste and dry finish. It was unique and reminded me of a cross between a British bitters ale and an American pale ale. I couldn’t resist perhaps the perfect beer snack of chicharrón with chile sauce, salt and lime.

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Last morning in Houston

November 11, 2015November 17, 2015 / Greg / Leave a comment

When I traveled to Houston back in late September, I spent most of my short visit attending sporting events and sampling local craft beers in a couple of nice bars. As my last day in Houston was dawning I realized that I hadn’t seen much of the city. Against a backdrop of ominous clouds, I took the train out to Hermann Park with exploration on my mind.

Off the train and just inside Hermann park, I came upon the Mary Gibbs and Jesse H Jones Reflection Pool, the most prominent feature in the 450 acre park:

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More football in Texas

November 7, 2015 / Greg / 3 Comments

When Sunday morning rolled around in Houston and I pulled myself out of bed, I realized I was heading to my third sporting event in the city in just a touch under twenty four hours. My plan was to spend the morning tailgating outside the stadium, but I had to put that idea aside as I was shaking off some sort of bug that I had picked up the previous day. Luckily, I was feeling human enough to make it out to the stadium for a little bit of pregame poking around, if not for hours of beers and barbecue (still a little bit sad about that).

On a quick walk around the stadium, I noticed that people really take their tailgating seriously. Most had a full smoker of some sort set up which made it easily the best smelling parking lot I’d ever been to. There were also a lot of neat games and booths set up by the team – you could measure your wingspan relative to JJ Watt and run an officially timed 40 metre dash.

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Football night in Texas

October 31, 2015October 31, 2015 / Greg / Leave a comment

So after about eight hours en route to Houston and after taking in an Astros game downtown, I had enough time to grab a quick bite and head to my first ever US college football game. This was something I wanted to experience, not just because I’m a football fan, but because I’ve always thought that it would be a unique slice of American culture. So, in Texas where football is a religion like hockey is in Canada, I walked into the stadium at the University of Houston for a Saturday night game between the hometown Cougars and Texas State on a perfect night for football:

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Airport to an Astros game

October 10, 2015October 10, 2015 / Greg / 3 Comments

When I decided to start my trip to Texas in Houston it was with baseball and football schedules in mind. The plan was to fly into town midday on Saturday in plenty of time for a Saturday night ballgame. Then a playoff race between the two teams I was slated to see conspired to have the game moved up six hours for national television. With a few strokes of luck, my flight was on time, there wasn’t too much traffic on the way in from the airport and after quickly dropping my bags at the hotel, I arrived in my seat moments before first pitch between the Rangers and the Astros.

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Deep in the heart of Texas

October 3, 2015October 3, 2015 / Greg / Leave a comment

I’m home and a bit bleary-eyed from my late night flight back from a week split between Houston and Austin, Texas. This was a really nice short trip. I started off with a couple of days in Houston, making it into the city just in time for first pitch of an Astros-Rangers game between two teams fighting for a playoff spot. Some delicious barbeque, a college football game and then a Sunday spent at a Texans NFL game made for an eventful visit.

After a final morning poking around Houston, I hopped the shortest flight of my life and 31 minutes later landed in Austin and immediately felt at home. Austin was authentically quirky, filled with great food, interesting art and friendly people. It felt like the kind of city I could happily live in, even if it would take being able to develop the willpower necessary to not subsist on a diet of tacos and barbecue brisket.