Cajun Food & Good People

Bacon-wrapped shrimp at The Seafood Spot

Over the last couple of months, I’ve continued to try new restaurants in #Houston. I have come up with some favorites (Grace’s, La Griglia, & Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers) I’ve been on a Louisiana-style kick lately and I’ve tried three restaurants recently: LA Crawfish, The Seafood Spot, and Bayou City. While they have similar menus, they were each very different.

LA Crawfish is a chain restaurant. I had a fried #crawfish basket with potatoes. I think it’s hard to mess up a fried crawfish so I’ll give them two thumbs up on the crawfish. The potatoes were similar to waffle fries and they were soggy. They weren’t very good. I also have an issue with dirty windows. If your windows are filthy, it’s hard for me to think I’m eating at a very clean establishment. I mean, it’s okay to wash the windows. The place reminded me of a Long John Silver/Captain D’s type restaurant. However, if you have a need for that crawfish boil in a bag with the corn, sausage, and potatoes, I guess it hits the spot. I’ll never know because I’ll skip this place next time.

Then there’s the newest place that’s been open for three months, The Seafood Spot. If nothing else, the crawfish were huge compared to the ones at LA Crawfish. I tasted a couple and they were pretty good. I had catfish and fried oysters for my meal. The catfish was so fresh and battered just right, but it was not as good as the catfish at Phil & Derek’s. The oysters were FLAVORLESS! Yes, I just yelled because it was pretty awful. Even a little salt would have helped. My sister had bacon-wrapped shrimp. It looked good but they literally used a whole piece of bacon for each shrimp. That meant the bacon wasn’t cooked thoroughly. They should really reevaluate the amount of bacon they use on each shrimp. I can’t believe I’m advocating for less bacon but it’s the right thing to do. Less bacon per shrimp please. The restaurant is nice though.

I’ve heard about Bayou City since my arrival. It’s a very popular spot that’s been around for some time and is popular with businessmen and families alike. It’s supposed to be one of the best seafood restaurants in Houston. Well, I disagree. Now that I’ve had “real” gumbo from a #Louisiana momma, it’s off-putting to have anything less. I’d heard the gumbo was the best, so I tried it. The rue had a scorched flavor. It was a struggle to get it down. I had blacked scallops. I thought blackened referred to seasoning, not burnt food. That was a fail! The red beans and rice had good flavor but I think they could cook the sausage a little more. So Bayou City was a disappointment.

There you have it. If anyone would like to invite me over for real cajun food, let me know. I’m still looking for the best cajun-style and/or crawfish in Houston.

On another note, some of you know I’ve done AirBandB. I have met some amazing people through offering my space and being in a healthcare hub, I’ve expected to get some healthcare workers come through. My last guest, Vince, is a 4th year Podiatry resident and does foot and ankle surgery. He is the kindest, most genuine person I have come across while sharing my home. He became like family in the month that he stayed here and I was honestly sad to see him go. He is the kind of person I would send my family to and I hope he considers making Houston home once he’s done. I know he will be a great doctor!

Finally, my next post will be from a guest blogger, my son Jaden. Jaden was able to make it to Stanford University’s Newsroom by the Bay program (Click here for his team’s completed project). He described it as one of the best experiences of his life. I can’t wait for you all to hear about his experience. It’s also not too late to donate to his GoFundMe site. Please consider.

Living life and it’s good!