Two Houston classics make big changes

November 29, 2017
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Laura
Posted in FOODIE DIARIES
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By Jim Ayres

Letâ€™s step away from the new and trendy for a moment. Two of Houstonâ€™s biggest names in old school comfort classics are opening new locations. One makes me very happy. The other saddens me a little bit, but I understand completely.
A recent Sabbath saw me celebrating Sunday Funday in Montrose. Thatâ€™s a rarity for meâ€”I usually stay in on Sundays. But celebrate I did, and I was hungry afterward. For homestyle comfort food. The kind I used to count on at places like The Black-eyed Pea and Good Eats CafÃ©. A short drive West on I-10 and I found myself at Pappyâ€™s.
Now, Pappyâ€™s CafÃ© isnâ€™t new to me. Iâ€™ve been before, and always left stuffed and satisfied. And this time was no different. Pappyâ€™s is one of the few restaurants anywhere still serving Fried Mushrooms, that 1980s appetizer staple. I started with an order. Oh, how I missed biting into those crispy, juicy, earthy balls of batter with mushrooms hiding in there somewhere. Piping hot and served with a lilting horseradish cream sauce, each one seemed better than the one before it. I couldnâ€™t finish the whole basket, but home reheating was easy the next day.
A dinner saladâ€”chilled and sporting the usual lettuce, tomato, cheddar and croutons (Thousand Island, of course)â€”was a nice palate cleanser. The Chicken-Fried Steak that followed was a masterpiece. Crust bonded with meat in a way few other CFS dishes in town can match. Cream gravy brought just the right amount of salty, milky goodness.
I gathered my to-go boxes and left a happy guy, only to wake up on Monday to the news that Pappyâ€™s is moving! Six miles further out! They explained that their lease was up, and theyâ€™d found a new location, a former Texas Land & Cattle. Will I drive the extra miles? I donâ€™t know. Probably. Pappyâ€™s is just that good.
But in happier news, I was thrilled when Christianâ€™s Tailgate opened in the former Amazon Grill space on Kirby, just a few minutes from home. Count me among the few who had never had the pleasure of a Christianâ€™s burger. Before last Friday, that is. Burger Friday!
This Christianâ€™s is set up like the others. A large, imposing bar dominates the space, with tables strewn around the perimeter. I walked up and, burger purist that I am, ordered a â€œsmallâ€ 1/3 pound one with cheese, and fries.
I nursed an iced tea as my burger was prepared. Sizzles from the kitchen, fragrant with beef and its juices, watered my mouth.
And this was a burger worth waiting for. Nothing new about this one. Flawlessly medium rare, I loved the thick patty, the fresh tomatoes, the tart pickles and good old yellow mustard. The bun was soft. Thatâ€™s all I ask of a burger, and Christianâ€™s delivered! Not to mention, the fries seemed fresh cut and were divine.
Sometimes itâ€™s worth seeking out the old classicsâ€”in music, movies, and dining. Happy 200th issue, MONTROSE STAR! Like Pappyâ€™s and Christianâ€™s, youâ€™re a classic thatâ€™s growing and getting better all the time!