​I recently went to a tasting for the wines of Setubal peninsula, a region south of the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.  It was quite enjoyable and informative, as the region was brand new to me.  The wines were all well-made with a variety of grapes, both indigenous and international, and often interesting.  And, local chef Soren Pedersen did a very fine job with an array of Portuguese dishes to pair with the wines.  I enjoyed the preparations for the quality, though the winery representatives also liked the dishes for its adherence to the tastes of where they had just flown from; especially impressive since Pedersen said that he’s never be to Portugal.
 
While learning about the wines and enjoying myself, I told several of the Portuguese that I had hopes to travel to Portugal within in the next year or two, largely to wine and dine, and that it has long been high on my list of places to finally visit.
 
Then I remembered the next day that I had actually been to Portugal and had had a Portuguese meal there, sort of.  Some years ago, on a trip with the Gruppo Ristoranti Italiani (now Gruppo Italiani) to Italy, I was booked along with an editor of Serious Eats on circuitous return trip home via Lisbon.  Both of us were schlepping oversized cartons of pasta courtesy of the fine folks at La Molisana, a pasta maker we had visited earlier in the week.  So, I’ve been to the Lisbon Airport, though that really doesn’t count for a country visit in my book.  Maybe the meal, more so.  She had on-going assignment, as she traveled internationally quite frequently: a brief article on a signature McDonald’s sandwich in countries around the globe.  In the Lisbon Airport, it was the McLusitano.  I joined in.  It was cheap and I didn’t feel like spending money at that point.
 
Even given moniker, a reference to the Roman name of Portugal, I was unsure of how representative it was of Portuguese cuisine.  And, if I am going to be honest with myself, the not-so-unfamiliar McLusitano really was not quite as good as any the meals that we had had in Italy the past week, on a trip led by one of America’s top Italian restaurateurs.  Nor, what was served the other day.  

​Featuring Creole or maybe more accurately Creole-inspired fare, the restaurant that became Eunice had garnered very considerable buzz beginning in 2016 when it was going to be star New Orleans chef and restaurateur John Besh’s first foray into Houston.  With Besh no longer actively involved in the restaurant group due to allegations of widespread sexual harassment, Eunice, named after the southern Louisiana hometown of its executive chef, Drake Leonards, fell a bit under the radar until almost its opening about a month ago.  And, without realizing it, I had driven by the attractive new setting for the restaurant for that features landscaped area in front of a sleek, contemporary office building that formerly housed Solvay.  Set away from Richmond, it can be easy to miss.  It’s definitely worth seeking out, though, based on my first visit last night.
 
It all started very well at the attractive and expansive bar just inside the entrance with a first-rate dry gin martini, made just with their well-selected well pours, that was a relative pittance at $6.50.  The receipt was humorously, and appropriately, tucked into a Mr. Boston’s cocktail guide.  We then walked to the table, passing through much of the smart and inviting modern setting softened by some comfortable rustic-themed elements like the different Gulf oysters waiting in wire-meshed bags at the counter of the oyster station set near the middle of the restaurants.  High ceilings provide for large, tall windows adding to a lightness along with the light-hued furniture, tabletops, wall treatments, and covered lights hanging down.
 
We started with a series of four appetizers that all worked out very well, vibrant and maybe a little lighter than you might expect from a Louisiana-bred concept, none of which last long on the table.  The roasted oysters with bits of shrimp, blue crab, and then brown butter breadcrumbs were excellent, with the toppings working well with the moist, milky oysters.  Maybe even more pleasurable were the chicken liver mousse served with a fig jam and thin slices of quality toasted bread.  Mild yet flavorful, I believe I liked it as much as the Tuscan version served nearby by at Giacomo’s.  The crispy Boudin Balls looked a lot like hush puppies but tasted far better.  The Dan Dan Shrimp – named after a friend and former co-worker of executive chef, not referencing the Szechuan noodles – were served with widely shaved carrots that added a little texture and sweetness to the excellent, fresh shrimp that were properly sautéed.   
 
For the entrée, I fretted over three items before settling on their version of shrimp and crab etouffee that was served over house-made pasta, "à la Harry,” likely a nod to the pasta dish created at the famed Harry’s Bar in Venice.  The smaller-sized medium shrimp that was studded with occasional pieces of crab were delicious and I enjoyed the dish, overall, but the pasta was overly soft to my palate, very soft and detracted from the rest of the preparation.  It was overcooked, at the least.  And, traditional rice would have been better.  Too many non-Italian restaurants make pasta in house that is rarely that good, in my opinion.  I might be a little tougher than usual having spent nearly a week this summer in Parma, the heart of fresh pasta country in Italy. 
 
My friends’ entrées were better, and terrific: a hanger steak from the lunch menu, slices of duck breast with some dirty rice not that clearly described as “Duck Duck Rice / sweet potato, celery root, dirty rice,” and a sautéed Gulf black drum with some crab and brown butter.  Everything was complemented with good wines at a good restaurant prices, a pleasant Gruner Veltliner by the glass for under $10, a bottle of minerally, nicely acidic yet fruit-laden Sancerre from Joseph Mellot La Chatellenie for $50, a plumpish but balanced white Burgundy that worked out very well with the shrimp, and a 2008 St. Emilion by the glass for only $12 or $13 that had nicely mellowed a bit but featured some nice fruit flavors.  One of the group, a big Sazerac fan, was so enamored with their versions, both traditional and one made with Cognac, that he stuck with them through the meal.  Service was friendly, solicitous, prompt and knowledgeable.  Just a few weeks old, the restaurant seemed to be operating on all cylinders.  It was a very enjoyable dining experience for us, highlighted by very good food.  It’s one of the best new restaurants I have been to this year.
 
Eunice
3737 Buffalo Speedway (at Richmond), 77098, (832) 491-1717
eunicerestaurant.com

​The ‘Stros collapse in the American Championship Series that finished on Thursday night was, and is, tough to take.  The ‘Stros pitching fell apart at the worst time, with the outstanding Garret Cole having his worst outing of the season in Game 2, aided by managerial ineptness by A.J. Hinch, especially in Game 3 with the too-soon departure of Dallas Keuchel who had settled down after a typically rocky first and had pitched four scoreless and had thrown just 83 pitches; his replacement, righty specialist, sidewinder Joe Smith missed his spot by at least 15 inches and a too-easy-to-see-and-then-hit gopher ball.  A miserable failure.  A less debatable decision by Hinch than that was letting Roberto Osuna stay in that game after losing three consecutive batters on 0-2 and 1-2 counts to a walk and two hit batters.  He had clearly lost it.  Unbelievable.  Hinch also stumbled a little bit last year in the playoffs with the pen what I remember, if doing a marginally better job than Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts, but that was understandably washed away with the World Series title.
 
Then there is umpiring especially from Country Joe West, who I have believed is an arrogant, obnoxious and terrible, if impressively jowled, umpire since the days of the Dome.  His blown call of Altuve’s home run cost the ‘Stros at least extra innings in Game 4 and likely a victory.  The slob certainly could not see the play well from his vantage point near second when he made a half-hearted call that it was interference.  The replays showed that the ball was clearly over the fence, so the fans could interfere if they so desired, according to the rule book.  But, the fans did not.  There was no contact and Betts’s glove was closed before the ball arrived.  There is no way Betts would have made the catch, though he has lied egregiously about it.  Though that was the most decisive of West’s bad calls, he overturned a play in Game 2 after review, except that the play in question was allowed to be reviewed.  It did not cost the ‘Stros, but it was wrong and indicative of the slovenly ump’s arrogance.  He also did not move on an errant throw to second from the Red Sox catcher, stopping the ball from going to the outfield and costing a runner at third base and possible extra run.  These are just the three most notable mistakes by West.  He is awful, but gets to work in the Championship Series.  Angel Hernandez, who is likely even worse, also worked the playoffs.  Seniority over competence.  Though not involving West, another egregious miscall was the missed third strike in Game 5 when Verlander threw a beautiful slider on 0-2 to slugger J.D. Martinez that was at least a couple of inches from the left side of the strike zone and an inch from the bottom of it, not a borderline pitch at all.  The umpire missed it.  Martinez hit the next pitch into the Crawford boxes for a 1-0 lead.  This very bad call it clearly upset Ron Darling, a former pitcher calling the game, who showed it a couple of times afterwards highlighting it.  Abysmal.  The poor umpiring did not cost the Astros the series, but it was still very frustrating to watch.
 
The biggest reason for my continued disappointment is that this was the very first team I have ever rooted for – on the professional or collegiate level – that was so good that anything but a championship would be a disappointment.  It is a very strange feeling for me, having grown in Houston and being a longtime Houston sports and ‘Stros fan.  I was even an Astros Buddy while there were in the Dome.  This series loss has been tough.  I could not pick up the phone when I saw a friend from the Boston area called yesterday.  I still haven’t listened to the voice mail message.  Maybe later today.  Or tomorrow.  

Happier times, at the first playoff game against the Tribe.

​When I was leaving the tasting from the producers of the Grandi Marchi, an association of the biggest and most well-known family own and run producers stretching much of the length of Italy such as Antinori and Gaja, I asked an acquaintance who is a wine educator if he had been to the newly opened natural wine bar.  He said that he hadn’t, and that natural wines he’s had had never approached the quality of nearly all of the nineteen wines that we had just sampled.  So true, I was quick to respond even as I still keep an open mind to those often wild natural wines.
 
The wines we tasted were surprisingly good from start to finish, one from each producer.  Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised.  But, nursing a slight cold, might palate was a bit dulled and in most tasting I have been to, there are always a few wines or more that I find no more than palatable or made in a style that I don’t enjoy.  There were a few wines that I viewed as no more than palate, or just decent, but a surprising fifteen of the nineteen I thought were excellent, including four that were phenomenal.  It was a terrific tasting, one of the best that I have been to.  Complexity and refinement were two notable characteristics found in most of the wines presented.  The only disappointment was from Alois Lageder, a top producer in the Alto Adige in far northern Italy, that decided to bring an obscure wine from its portfolio, a 100% of the very obscure Manzoni Bianco grape, rather than one of its many acclaimed wines.  I thought that they might have been trying to showcase something not currently distributed here in the hopes of some orders for it.  It certainly wasn’t a poor wine, but not one that showed well to me nor as nearly any other wine they might have brought instead would have.
 
Below are the wines from the tasting that you might want to seek out, especially if cost is of little object.  The first four I thought were exemplary.
 
Antinori Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2013 – $46 – Round, long and beautiful and “a richly refined expression of Sangiovese in Chianti Classico” to accurately quote the Antinori representative.
Donnafugata Ben Rye Passito di Pantelleria 2015 – $47 (375 ml) – This famed dessert wine lived up to its billing with its wonderful and strong aromas and a big, mouth-filling presence and flavors not unlike a nice Sauternes whose high sugar content is balanced with a lot of acidity, helping make this “very powerful wine” a gorgeous one, too.
Gaja Conteisa Barolo 2014 – $270 – Refined, beginning with very enjoyable aromas, a beautiful taste with terrific balance including a paucity of tannins that was a surprise for a Barolo so young, and a terrific wine to drink right now.
Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2015 - $210 – Big, bold, and polished, this 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc blend with well-integrated is a gorgeous expression of a common Bordeaux blend that is something all together different from Bordeaux and more so, the Napa Cabernets.
 
Argiolas Turriga 2014 – $70 – 85% Cannanou that was developed by famed winemaker Giacomo Tachis is had a big aroma, with tannins that nicely fades; a proud flagship for the brand
Carpene Malvoti 1868 Extra Dry Prosecco Superiore – $14 – Balanced with good acidity, and though light was mouth-filling and still very easy to drink
Col d’Orcia Poggio al Vento Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2010 – $125 – Refined, long-lasting and powerful, but with fairly elegant tannins; what you desire from most Brunello Riservas.
Michele Chiarlo Cipressi, Nizza Barbera 2016 – $25 – With prominent acidity as expected with Barbera, it was a very enjoyed wine with less fruit than the others in the tasting, but certainly a very good wine with many foods.
Jermann Vintage Tunnina 2015 – $60 – 25% Chardonnay, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, 23% Ribolla Gialla and 22% Malvasia, aromatic, and almost luscious with the flavors of Chardonnay and Sauvignon taking duty at the first part of the sip while the Malvasia provided a touch of well-matched sweetness at the end
Lungarotti Rubesco Vigna Monticchio Torgiano Rosso Riserva 2011 – $50 – This fairly refined wine made entirely of Sangiovese nicely paired the fruit and acidity of the grape with a proper amount of oak for an excellent result.
Masi Campolongo di Torre Amarone 2011 – $160 – Very dark, rich with prominent dark fruits and tannins, and also noticeable acidity that was not overly rich nor strong for an Amarone, its 16% ABV well hidden by the expertise of the winemakers, and easily drinkable now.
Mastroberadino Radici Taurasi Riserva 2011 – $65 – A refined version of Aglianico that had a lot going on though with tannins only present and the end of the taste and nicely integrated with the rest.  We were told that this will be even much better in five to ten years.
Rivera 2012 Il Falcone Riserva Red – $45 – Mostly from the less known Nero di Troia grape of northern Puglia, this was somewhat aromatic, round and elegant with enough fruit and some tannins
Tasca d’Almerita Rosso del Conte 2014 – $57 – Over 60% Nero d’Avoloa, this wine was long-lasting and balanced with some ripe fruit that was very pleasant.
Umani Ronchi Campo San Giorgio Conero Riserva 2012 – $70 – This 100% Montepulciano was grapey, mouth-filling with ripe tannins that was slightly chewy, but almost elegant, a refined version of the varietal.
 
There is a reason that these wineries sport many of Italy’s most well known labels.  They often make excellent wines.

The Breakfast Klub has deservedly won some national attention in the past for its breakfasts.  I am huge fan, even of the counter service outpost in Terminal A at Intercontinental Airport.  But, it might be not an understatement to write that Goode Co. Taqueria serves the best breakfasts in the city; the state; the country; etc.  I confirmed that on a recent weekend visit with a brand new order for me, the somewhat unusual Hunter’s Delight: two large eggs hard scrambled and covered with a mild but flavorful chili con carne – no beans, of course – and served with excellent diced red potatoes and toasted, distinctive airy house-made bread or biscuits.  It was terrific.
 
The Goode family restaurant has been fashioning gustatory masterpieces with eggs, potatoes, mesquite-grilled meats, butter, nicely discernible manteca de cerdo, a bit of salt and pepper, and the ancillary grease, cholesterol and fat for years during, once only on weekends and every morning in recent years.  The place has long been busy on weekends, but those patrons must come solely from the nearby neighborhoods because, from unscientific polling on my part, seemingly too many people beyond the 77005 are still unaware of the amazing breakfasts here. 
 
The breakfasts are Texan and Tex-Mex in nature.  Strongly influenced by Mexico and south Texas ranch cooking, these are consistently exceptional and hearty.  But, it is all done in a distinctively Goode Co. manner and better than elsewhere.  It begins with top-notch ingredients, which are well-executed no matter how busy the place gets, and an understanding how to improve upon the familiar.  Dishes seem both more robust and refined than typical.  It is doubtful that any breakfast cooked at a run is nearly as tasty as these that Goode Co. turns out each morning.
 
There is the basic American Breakfast that consists of two jumbo-sized eggs, a choice between house-made sausage and thick, smoked bacon, diced potatoes listed as hash browns, and either the soft, house-baked bread or an English muffin.  Though similar dishes are served at virtually all other breakfast places, Goode Co. stands head-and-shoulders above the rest with its exemplary, often robust flavors.  The fresh, house-made bread with a little bit of butter is especially good.  Another breakfast combination offers venison sausage instead of the more mundane meat choices.  Some of the other combinations with eggs are one with pork chops, quail, another with steak, another with beef fajitas, and then one with catfish.  Though fried catfish and eggs may not sound appetizing to that many people, if it is offered here, it’s probably as good as it gets.  You can expect the meats – grilled over mesquite – to be tender, juicy and flavorful.
 
Other breakfast dishes are different Tex-Mex combinations featuring eggs scrambled with a choice of items: tocino (bacon) and egg; chorizo and egg; nopalito (nopalito cactus leaves).  All are excellent.  The fresh tortillas, either flour or corn, provide a nice complement.  There are also the other Tex-Mex breakfast dishes: migas, huevos rancheros; huevos a la mexicana; and a Mexican omelet.  The condiments bar with its pico de gallo, additional dark salsa, chopped onions and pickled jalapeños provide additional flavor to these dishes.  In case you are minding your cholesterol, thick, pecan-topped waffles are also very popular and sinfully delicious.

Breakfasts run between $10.50 and $17.25.  There are also plenty of sides including the meats, freshly squeezed juiced and a Screwdriver or Bloody Mary if the morning allows.
 
Breakfast – Monday through Friday, 6:30 to 11AM; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30AM to noon
 
Goode Co. Taqueria
4902 Kirby (at Westpark), 77098, (713) 520-9153
goodecompany.co

​At MInuteMaid yesterday my brother complimented the bartender in the Club Level working up the third base line for his quick and friendly service contrasting with the pitiful service we had to endure for years when we had season tickets in the upper level.  "For fuck's sake," replied with a bit of a brogue, "those people upstairs have only two speeds: slow and reverse.”  Very true.
 
His compatriot working next to him was quite slow, too.  We got stuck in her line for a while our first time up for beers before he rescued us from another few-minute wait.  In fairness to her, she did have to deal with an unusual request from an ancient woman who was just ahead of us in line.   This woman, whom my brother thought was her in eighties, ordered an entire bottle of wine, Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc, and had the server pour it into a giant plastic cup, which did not seem meant for sharing.  I had never seen anything like that. 
 
Fun at the old ballpark.  That was even before the first pitch of terrific Astros playoff victory, going up 2-0 in the best of five versus the Tribe.  It was a good day.

Postscript - I was at Game 3 versus the Red Sox, a dispiriting loss, but actually had some good service, very friendly and prompt enough, in the upper deck at the Karbach stand in left field area.  The beers were a bright spot, and helpful, in watching the game.  And, I had good service there last year, too.

​New for this Texans season, po boys from Antone’s Famous Po’ Boys are being served at kiosks at NRG for Texans games.  These are the same ones found wrapped, and often sitting forlornly, in white paper in refrigerator cases in supermarkets across the area.  Though no longer bearing the Antone’s name, there are a couple of other casual po boy outlets that do a much better job representing the Antone’s legacy, serving much tastier sandwiches also wrapped white paper, Paulie’s Poboys and clunkily-named Angelo’z, the latter actually just beyond NRG’s parking lot.  Angelo’z and Paulie’s are still owned and operated by Antone’s descendents, changing the names of their restaurants from Antone’s Import Co. a few months ago.
 
Since its inception as a single grocery store on the edge of the Fourth Ward, Antone’s Import Co. was for many years, into the 1990s, the standard in Houston for cheap and tasty prepared sandwiches.  A family originally from the Levant bought the first Antone’s many years ago (now the site of The Pass & Provisions) and successfully expanded the concept into a good number of branches throughout the city before retrenching.  In the 1990s during the settlement of the estate of the founder’s widow, Antone’s became two separate companies, Antone’s Import Co., the current Angelo’z and Paulie’s, and Antone’s Po’Boys & Deli, now called Antone’s Famous Po’ Boys, the slicker and larger operation. 
 
Usually enjoyably crusty, unlike the smooth, malleable bread of the other concern, the bread at both Angelo’z and Paulie’s is much better than at Antone’s Famous Po’ Boys.  Bread is a rather significant part of a sandwich, after all.  These fresh buns are distinctively a tad dry and slightly crunchy, and help to distinguish these classic Houston sandwiches.  The crusty small loafs, which were similar among the local Lebanese-run po boy purveyors, might be a legacy of the French influence in Lebanon and Syria in the last century or so.  All come affixed with pickle slices, and many with the popular and unique hot chow chow, a fairly spicy mixture of pickled cabbage, onions, sweet green peppers and paprika.  One providing a nice textural contrast and the other some pleasant piquancy.
 
The current po boys at Angelo’z and Paulie’s are a similar array of offerings including the Regular featuring slices of Italian cold cuts and provolone, the similar but more so, Super, Turkey, Smoked Turkey, Tuna, Roast Beef, Chicken Salad, Club, and the love-it-or-you-don’t Piggy (or Porky at Paulie’s), a salty concoction that might not be for the overly squeamish or health conscious.  Prices are about a dollar higher per sandwich at Paulie’s than at Angelo’z, reflecting its setting across from West University Place.  These po boys are made in-house at both Angelo’z and Paulie’s while the po boys at Antone’s Famous Po’ Boys will taste like what you will find at a supermarket – all of their po boys are made at a central commissary according to a cashier during a visit last week.  You can certainly tell.
 
Both of these family run operations also serve other sandwiches, doing a creditable job with a Cuban sandwich, for example.  But, you might want to visit Angelo’z or Paulie’s for a po boy; a still-enjoyable, and fresh-tasting taste of Houston past.  At Antone’s Famous Po’ Boys, one of the other sandwiches will likely be the wiser choice than one of their po boys.
 
Angelo’z
8057 Kirby (between OST and La Concha), 77054 (713) 667-3400
 
Paulie’s Poboys
3823 Bellaire (between Buffalo Speedway and Weslayan) 77025, (713) 218-8383
pauliespoboys.com