​Located in a small strip center on Durham and 21st Street near the Heights, Salsa’s appearance doesn’t really seem to warrant it a visit.  I drove past it more than a few times before I decided to dine there.  And, it’s a worthy stop, at least for the tortas, those hot Mexican-style sandwiches served on a crusty roll. Though not primarily a torta-specialist like, say, the excellent Mexico’s Deli on Dairy Ashford, nor in quite the same league, Salsa’s does do these very well.  It’s been tough for me to order anything else after my first one about ten visits ago.  
 
Served on a crisp, tasty and fresh-enough bolillio bread along with a smear of refried beans, mayo, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, a few slices of avocado, a ring or two of raw white onions and some pickled jalapeños, these come with a number of choices for meats among beef fajita, chicken fajita, shredded beef or chicken, a version of the Cuban sandwich, milanesa with beef, pastor, lomo, and the Hawaiian.  Lomo is the boiled then shredded pork, and is the star of the meats for the tortas.  It was recommended when I asked the server for the best one, and it’s been my favorite among the several I’ve tried.  The lomo has been tender, moist and clean-tasting with an enjoyable, subtle pork flavor.  The similar Hawaiian might be the next best; the lomo with pineapple, ham and cheese.  But each of the meat choices, dished in an adequate portion, have made for an enjoyable sandwich, which are even much tastier for me with some of the piquant spicy and viscous jalapeño salsa that’s available at the small salsa bar that gives the restaurant its name.
 
The sandwiches might be an average size for a local torta, and have been priced at $6.99, which makes for a decent value.  With some waffle fries made with new potatoes, a fairly hearty lunch has been had for $10.99 or so before tax and tip.  Those prices might be changing.  When I was in quite recently, I was told that the lomo torta I had ordered was now $10.99 but larger.  When it arrived, it was the same regular size as always though I was charged the same $6.99 as before.
 
Salsa’s is an odd place.  Sometimes it is counter-service.  Sometimes not.  Sometimes chips and salsa come.  Most often not.  What was initially a breakfast and lunch place, is now open for dinner, but not breakfast.  And what was a Mexican restaurant is now Mexican and Chinese.  It seems that the restaurant had changed hands.  Now there are two separate menus, one with the Mexican dishes it has long served and a second one with all of the familiar Chinese-American preparations.  Though it might not have the best tortas in town, Salsa’s certainly serves the best tortas at any Mexican-Chinese restaurant in town.
 
Salsa’s
2025 N Durham (at 21st Street), 77008, (713) 426-3259
ordersalsasmexicangrill.com

​Recently in the Spec’s on Smith Street where I have shopped for years, I was amazed at the number of wines in the sales or closeout section.  I instinctively shudder when I see those wines: I had been burned far too many times thinking I had gotten a deal only to drink the wine that inevitably turned out to be far past prime or worse.  Every single wine I’ve purchased over the years on steep discount at Spec’s has been bad.  Every single one.  I certainly don’t do it anymore.  And it might be physically impossible for me to purchase one of these wines now, as deeply scarred as I’ve been. 
 
Words to the wise wine drinker: avoid wines that are substantially marked down at Spec’s, unless you want to waste your money, of course.  

​My friend John was paraphrasing what he had read in the Wall Street Journal, as we were scratching our heads over the not-so-good, not terribly professional service we had been receiving at various stops in New Orleans a couple of weekends ago.  Surprising, because both of us were of a similar mind that the service at restaurants in New Orleans is typically higher because of a seemingly larger class of professional and dedicated servers.  And, he had a very good perspective having been to New Orleans over a couple of hundred times over or more the years.
 
It was also surprising given the restaurants where our group was dining: Brennan’s, Galatorie’s, SoBou – part of the Commander’s Palace family of establishments – Emeril’s, and Drago’s near the river.  In contrast to the others, the service at Commander’s Palace was fantastic, as it always is – the food was even better.  At the others, the service was at varying degrees brusque – especially at the terrific tiki bar in the Quarter, Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 –unfriendly, not polished, and at the worst, at SoBou, unknowledgeable, even in terms of their menu, and nearly incompetent.  The wine service was laughably bad.  The staff never responded to several calls over an hour-and-a-half that the women’s restrooms was out of toilet paper.  And, our group of twelve, was told that they would only accept four credit cards.  I had never heard that before.  Thankfully, the food was very good.  We all enjoyed the meal, with a number of smirks along the way.  The quality of the service was in shocking contrast to what we had at its sibling Commander’s Palace the next day.
 
Thankfully, the service issue didn’t really affect our enjoyment.  A big group of friends, usually excellent food helps.  Not to mention a fair amount of alcohol.  But, it was unexpected, given past experiences there.

An excellent fish dish at Galatoire's, where the service was not terribly good.  The food was great, though, as was the lunch.

​This past summer, Marco Wiles, the owner of Dolce Vita put its property on lower Westheimer up for sale, which would have meant that Houston’s best pizzeria – easily its best pizzeria since its inception in early 2006 in my mind – would be shuttering.  I wasn’t even sure that it was still open until a co-worker alerted to the fact that it was.  I had to visit at least one more time.
 
It was as tasty as always last night, with the Neapolitan-inspired pizzas featuring a flavorful and thin crust somewhat charred on the bottom and topped with a judicious and thoughtful, often vibrant, mix of very good ingredients.  Both the Taleggio that’s topped with plentiful arugula, thinly sliced pears, along with the noticeable aroma truffle oil, and the Calabrese, a slightly artisanal take on the pepperoni pizza, were more than satiating.  Paired with a very reasonably price rosé from the Veneto, and a lively setting, it was quite an enjoyable dinner.
 
We had to ask the waiter when the restaurant was closing, hoping for some more time for at least another visit.  Surprisingly, he replied that it’s not.  Seemingly, Wiles could not get the price he wanted and decided to keep Dolce Vita going.  This is great news.  In what turned out to be very dispiriting research into the city’s margherita pizzas, Dolce Vita was the best I had, which further confirmed its primacy among the local pizza joints.  With an engaging wine list, cocktails, and very well-done dishes beyond pizzas, it’s really much more than a pizza joint.  But, I’ll continue to go there for the pizzas.
 
Dolce Vita
500 Westheimer (between Taft and Montrose), 77006, (713) 520-8222
dolcevitahouston.com