Eateries & Drinkeries

2018 Lake Charles, Louisiana | Day 2

January 5, 2018 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

[2018] 005/365: Cashing Out

Scruffy started the day working while I slept in a bit more then we both headed to lunch at Steamboat Bill’s Seafood Restaurant.

Steamboat Bill's Seafood Restaurant | Lake Charles, Louisiana | Shrimp & Crawfish Pistolettes, Boudin Ball, & Small Platter

Shrimp Pistolette | $1.99; Crawfish Pistolette | $2.29; Boudin Ball | $1.99; Small Platter [stuffed shrimp, fried fish, stuffed crab, 10-20 medium shrimp, fries, cole slaw, & Louisiana roll] | $19.99

We’ve learned we don’t need to order as much food as we use to so we usually order a plate and something on the side. Since crawfish wasn’t in season we both loved the shrimp pistolette more. Boudin ball wasn’t too bad but wasn’t the best and out of the small platter the best was the fish and shrimp.

We then headed to Golden Nugget Casino. We both won more than we spent so that’s a good feeling.

We cashed out then went to the store to buy some knickknacks. We went back home where I took a short nap and he worked before we headed off to Crying Eagle Brewing Company.

I got the one beer while Scruffy had five. We played Ascension on the IPad while we sipped. Its a free app!! Everyone should try it out!

The brewing company had a gift shop and it was nice walking through it to see things like this cup. Too funny.

We went back home, debated to go to a casino buffet or not and ended up at Calla.

Calla | Lake Charles, Louisiana | Old Fashioned and Bone Marrow

Bone Marrow [with onion jam, herb salad, toast] | $17

Scruffy got the Old Fashioned while I sipped on water – I’m a good DD. We shared the bone marrow and though we weren’t disappointed, we didn’t truly know how delicious it was until the second one. The waiter brought another out for the man who was sitting next to us a minute ago. He had paid and left, forgetting (he was drunk) he ordered bone marrow. The nice bartender offered it to us free of charge! Free food always taste better!

The last casino of the night was at Isle of Capri Casino. I was not a big fan of this place since it reeked of smoke. Everyone could smoke wherever they stood. Ugh! I wished I had known before we walked in. It wasn’t a great start – I left Scruffy when he was down eighty dollars and when I got back, he had a smile and was up forty so we bid farewell to this stinky, smokey place.

We stopped by Dairy Queen. I got a mini M&M ice cream – still too much for me. Scruffy got steak fingers. We headed home and he is waiting patiently for me to type this up so that we could watch Game of Thrones before calling it a night.

We are thinking of eating at a casino buffet tomorrow. Eeep, cannot wait!

Steamboat Bill’s Seafood Restaurant
732 S Martin Luther King Hwy, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601 | (337) 494-1700 | Website | Yelp

Golden Nugget Casino
2550 Golden Nugget Blvd, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601 | (337) 508-7777 | Website | Yelp

Crying Eagle Brewing Company
1165 E Mcneese St, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70607 | (337) 494-1700 | Website | Yelp

Calla
1400 Market St, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601 | (337) 419-1980 | Website | Yelp

Isle of Capri Casino
732 S Martin Luther King Hwy, Lake Charles, Louisiana | (337) 494-1700 | Website | Yelp

Dairy Queen
732 S Martin Luther King Hwy, Lake Charles, Louisiana | (337) 494-1700 | Website | Yelp

Fix Coffeebar | Houston, Texas

December 21, 2017 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

Currently sitting in Fix Coffeebar and contemplating about life. Parking was a nightmare. All the spots were reserved and Fix only had like two that were for to go orders. I had to park on the street which if you know me is scary for me. Every second I’m wondering if my car is going to be hit or stolen.

My last week of work was December 15th but since it was my Friday off I actually left at lunchtime December 14th. Angie took me and Tony to Saltgrass Steakhouse as a goodbye present for all the years we worked together and Delisha joined us.

Fix Coffeebar | Houston, Texas | Chai Latte & Croissant

Chai Latte | $4.50; Croissant | $3.00

Lattes all cost about the same nowadays. Good thing this one was a yummy one. But that croissant price kills me but I guess it is huge and was delicious. Yum. I probably won’t ever come back out here since it’s so far from home which might be a good thing with these prices.

I’ve since filed for unemployment and put in my application to buy healthcare. I feel so accomplished yet like I’ve taken fifty steps back. It’s been pretty nice sitting at home and not having to worry about the people I used to work with though I do get texts/calls from them freaking out or asking me questions.

I was told this wall mural was cut and dipped in coffee and wine by the owner. How cool is that?! I love it. I’d like to have one of the world on my future wall where I can pin up postcards and such.

I’m told to just ignore them when they ask for help and let them fail so then the company would have to ask for my return but I know that everything will be okay. Everything is always okay. I’ll be seeing some of them in a few minutes for Happy Hour. We’ll see what’s up. I’m sure someone will be venting about work-life for a bit.

Fix Coffeebar
415 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006 | (832) 807-4562 | Website | Yelp

Theodore Rex | Houston, Texas

December 11, 2017 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

Saturday was such a busy day for me and Scruffy. We helped his parents with the baby shower for Rami and Caitlin.

We decorated the house, prepped and cooked foods, and I even created a life-like Jeopardy Game – Baby Edition using PowerPoint.

Scruffy’s work Christmas party was later that night at Theodore Rex. His company rented out the place which made it much cozier.

All you can eat drinks and the big portions felt like it was an all you can eat! I loved that we could watch them work so that I can steal their culinary skills.

Theodore Rex | Houston, Texas | Parmesan Gougeres

Parmesan Gougeres [aka cheesy poofs]

Tastes better than the cheesy bread you get at Brazillian Steakhouses!

Smoked Gulf Fish on Toast

This was a bigger hit among the crowd. I would say that I wasn’t a big fan of the crunch of the toast. I could have done with a big jar of that fish though.

Tomato Toast

I’m not a big fan of bread but holy moly. The title of the dish sounds boring but it was the complete opposite. Whatever this concoction is, oh my goodness. I highly recommend this!

Theodore Rex | Houston, Texas | Italian Bread Dumplings

Italian Bread Dumplings [with braised mustards, Autumn beans, and whey sauce]

Just when you thought they’d be all carb’d out, they brought out dumplings, Italian style. Scruffy loved the dumplings and hated the beans. I was the complete opposite so it worked well for us.

Theodore Rex | Houston, Texas | Gulf Flounder

Gulf Flounder [roasted over coals, with brown butter, radishes, and pomelo sauce]

This was the majority’s least favourite dish. The fish was very bland and we hoped the radish would help bring some of the flavour out but that too was tasteless.

Theodore Rex | Houston, Texas | Wagyu Beef

Whole-roasted Strip Loin of Wagyu Beef [with ‘golden frill’ mustard green sauce and raw mustard root]

If anyone would love to take me out for dinner, take me here and order me this. My goodness. Melt in my mouth deliciousness. I highly recommend this as well. I still cannot believe someone sent theirs back so that it could be cooked well. Sigh .. what a waste.

We were offered coffee before dessert and so it was natural to say yes. It wasn’t too bad … after I poured in a bit of brown sugar. It was a letdown that the milk container wasn’t shaped like a t-rex though.

Theodore Rex | Houston, Texas | Paris-Brest

Paris-Brest [filled with Swiss cheese cream and honey caramel]

I could have done with way less Swiss cheese cream. It made the choux pastry a bit soggy so it wasn’t too enjoyable.

What took me by surprise was seeing tampons and pads in the women’s restaurant. This is the first time where I’ve seen something like this and it was very much appreciated that they were so detailed.

Justin Yu | Chef/Owner

It took me a while to realize the owner and chef of the place is my old friend’s brother. Small world!

Overall, it was a great experience and would recommend anyone to go! I’d gladly go with anyone who asks.

Theodore Rex
1302 Nance St, Houston, TX 77002 | (832) 830-8592 | Website | Yelp

Patricia’s Friendsgiving/White Elephant Party | San Antonio, Texas

December 4, 2017 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

Last weekend Patricia was throwing a Friendsgiving/White Elephant party so Scruffy and I made plans to go up for a quick trip.

On Thursday we left his house to mine, switched cars and traveled up to San Antonio in time for a late lunch at Rolling Fish Sushi Burrito & Poke. We shared an unagi and salmon poke bowl with everything in it.

We then headed to HEB and Specs before checking into our hotel where we pretty much spent the rest of the night drinking and doing a whole lot of nothing. It was very relaxing having just us two.

We saw a commercial for Popeye’s but since it was so far away we brought back some Church’s to the hotel room where we ate and watched telly before calling it a night.

On Friday, we woke up for a hotel breakfast and Scruffy worked a bit while searched for jobs before we headed off to lunch.

I always try to hit up Taqueria Datapoint when I’m in town and was ecstatic when he agreed to go with me. We shared a plate of mini tacos since we had plans to drink and eat something else soon.

We jumped from Big Hops Huebner to Flying Saucer Draught Emporium for a few beers before heading back to the hotel. We relaxed at the hotel for a bit before heading back out for a quick early dinner.

Smashin Crab | San Antonio, Texas | Half Dozen Raw Oysters

Half Dozen Raw Oysters | $12

We made plans to hit up Smashin Crab (for me because I love seafood boils) and then hit up somewhere else for him. Once we sat down and got our food, going somewhere else was out the window. We started out with half a platter of oysters and a pound of shrimp with potatoes, corn, and sausages.

Smashin Crab | San Antonio, Texas | Shrimp Boil with Potatoes, Corn, and Sausages

Shrimp Boil [trinity sauce and level 3 alarm heat] | $14/lb + $1/corn + $0.50/potato + $2/sausage (4 pieces)

Soon enough we were ordering another pound of shrimp, potatoes, and corn. My goodness gracious. This is the best seafood boil I’ve been to and Scruffy agrees. We will be coming back once crawfish season is in. Yum!

We stopped by HEB then went back to the hotel for to get ready for Patricia’s party. We all drank, caught up, and played white elephant before calling it a night. It was nice to finally meet Patricia’s boyfriend and to see everyone else. Every time I go back I wished I lived there. Once we were back at the hotel, Scruffy started getting hungry and we ordered Uber for McDonald’s and soon realized we had too much food and not a big enough stomach. Before long, we both knocked out.

Patricia invited us for breakfast so when we woke up Saturday morning, we packed our car and headed over to her house for a delicious home cooked breakfast, bid our farewells, and headed back home towards Scruffy’s house, stopping by Buccee’s for Scruffy to grab a taco to go.

We stopped by Andrew’s house before ending up at Scruffy’s where we picked Luna up and headed back to my house.

Homemade Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, Salad, and Garlic Bread

Scruffy and I made Fettuccine Alfredo, garlic bread, and salad for dinner. The family and Tim seemed to love it. With all the traveling, Scruffy and I watched telly and fell asleep.

Spicy Bulgogi and Soondubu Chigae

Before Scruffy left on Sunday, we had lunch at Tasty Ko. Delicious Bulgogi and Soondubu Chigae. Yum. It was perfect since it was cold and raining.

New favourite restaurant: Smashin Crab. I am jealous of everyone who lives in San Antonio.

Rolling Fish Sushi Burrito & Poke
12730 Interstate 10 W, San Antonio, TX 78230 | (210) 592-1003 | Yelp

Church’s
9405 Guilbeau Rd, San Antonio, TX 78250 | (210) 684-1407 | Website | Yelp

Taqueria Datapoint
4063 Medical Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229 | (210) 615-3644 | Yelp

Big Hops Huebner
11224 Huebner Rd, San Antonio, TX 78230 | (210) 877-9663 | Website | Yelp

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium
11255 Huebner Rd, San Antonio, TX 78230 | (210) 696-5080 | Website | Yelp

Smashin Crab
8910 Bandera Rd, San Antonio, TX 78250 | (210) 509-7702 | Website | Yelp

Tasty Ko
1645 Winding Hollow Dr, Katy, TX 77450 | (281) 206-7471 | Website | Yelp

Provisions | Houston, Texas

November 20, 2017 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

Last Wednesday, the 15th of November, I got to try a real fancy restaurant with my co-workers since my boss was in town and OMG … I dined like a queen and felt like I was on vacation – right in my hometown! Can someone be fancy with me once a quarter? … because let’s be real, I’m poor.

The place we went to is called The Pass & Provisions, two restaurants under one roof. The Pass has a set dinner menu with five courses (I believe) while Provisions had a menu with foods to choose from. As you can see above, we sat under Provisions and our menu was also our place setting.

Provisions | Houston, Texas | Egers Syrah Red Wine

Egers Syrah Red Wine [Kovacs Nimrod, Monopole 2012, Hungary] | $56

A fancy red, picked by our boss off the wine list. I must say, it’s a pretty dang good wine, but don’t waste your money on getting it here. You can buy it somewhere else for about $30 instead. The reason I rarely order drinks at restaurants. That crazy upcharge.

Provisions | Houston, Texas | Wakame-Sesame Boule Bread, Umeboshi Mostarda Jam and Prairie Breeze Cow Cheese

Wakame-Sesame Boule Bread [with Umeboshi Mostarda Jam and Prairie Breeze Cow Cheese; Origin: IA] | $9

The way the cheese paired with the jam. Ohhhh … I can still taste it! The bread apparently has seaweed in it but many could not taste it which is great if you aren’t into that fishiness.

Provisions | Houston, Texas | Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Crispy Brussels Sprouts [with miso aioli and furikake] | $14

Oh my dang … we ordered two of these and I still felt like it wasn’t enough. I had to hold back on chomping on these. They were de-freaking-lightful to say the least.

Provisions | Houston, Texas | Cresta di Gallo Pasta

Cresta di Gallo Pasta [hen of the woods mushrooms, roasted yeast, parmesan] | $23

With frequent menu changes, the server told us this was this only one that’s never been taken off the menu. Naturally, I had to order it! The flavours weren’t bad but what killed it for me was the ratio. Pasta thickness to parmesan sauce thinness and mushroom amount to pasta amount.

Provisions | Houston, Texas | Smoked Butternut Squash, Swiss Chard, Chicken Meatballs, Pecorino Pizza

Smoked Butternut Squash, Swiss Chard, Chicken Meatballs, Pecorino Pizza | $17

One of my co-workers let me try their pizza. Who would have thought, something so simple can taste so right. Those chicken meatballs were the make or break for this dish and it absolutely killed it!

Provisions | Houston, Texas | Chai Tea Soft Serve

Chai Tea Soft Serve [with milk chocolate, ginger snaps, toasted meringue] | $9

The allspice was a bit too strong for anyone’s liking. The milk chocolate and ginger snaps gave it a texture and flavour that helped cover up a bit of the spices.

Provisions | Houston, Texas | Milk Chocolate Tiramisu

Milk Chocolate Tiramisu [with hazelnuts, orange-clove ice cream] | $9

I didn’t expect much from this dessert since I’ve had tiramisu before but the orange-clove ice cream was a game changer.

Clafoutis [with grapes, port, creme fraiche ice cream] | $12

Grapes in a pancake-like dessert doesn’t sound too appealing but put a little bit on your fork along with a bit of creme fraiche ice cream and BAMM! an explosion in your mouth!

This is a must-try restaurant and I am so happy I finally had reason to set foot in here.

Steamboat Bill’s Seafood Restaurant 732 S Martin Luther King Hwy, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601 | (337) 494-1700 | Website | Yelp

Golden Nugget Casino 2550 Golden Nugget Blvd, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601 | (337) 508-7777 | Website | Yelp

Crying Eagle Brewing Company 1165 E Mcneese St, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70607 | (337) 494-1700 | Website | Yelp

Calla 1400 Market St, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601 | (337) 419-1980 | Website | Yelp

Isle of Capri Casino 732 S Martin Luther King Hwy, Lake Charles, Louisiana | (337) 494-1700 | Website | Yelp

Dairy Queen 732 S Martin Luther King Hwy, Lake Charles, Louisiana | (337) 494-1700 | Website | Yelp

Fix Coffeebar 415 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006 | (832) 807-4562 | Website | Yelp

Theodore Rex 1302 Nance St, Houston, TX 77002 | (832) 830-8592 | Website | Yelp

Rolling Fish Sushi Burrito & Poke 12730 Interstate 10 W, San Antonio, TX 78230 | (210) 592-1003 | Yelp

Church’s 9405 Guilbeau Rd, San Antonio, TX 78250 | (210) 684-1407 | Website | Yelp

Taqueria Datapoint 4063 Medical Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229 | (210) 615-3644 | Yelp

Big Hops Huebner 11224 Huebner Rd, San Antonio, TX 78230 | (210) 877-9663 | Website | Yelp

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium 11255 Huebner Rd, San Antonio, TX 78230 | (210) 696-5080 | Website | Yelp

Smashin Crab 8910 Bandera Rd, San Antonio, TX 78250 | (210) 509-7702 | Website | Yelp

Tasty Ko 1645 Winding Hollow Dr, Katy, TX 77450 | (281) 206-7471 | Website | Yelp

Provisions 807 Taft St., Houston, Texas, 77019 | (713) 628-9020 | Website | Yelp