Anvil... heaven in your mouth!

RAMOS GIN FIZZ!!! My favorite drink in the whole wide world!  ::clears throat:: This will explain how fabulous this drink is... it comes with a DISCLAIMER!  So let me give you the outline of this disclaimer:

1. it takes 15-20 minutes for the bartender to shake up this drink, and 
2. it costs $20.

Yes, it's a $20 drink, but it's worth every penny!  Now, if you know me... you would know that I am "allergic" to alcohol (meaning I turn red after one sip- and yes, it's the Asian gene) and I can always taste alcohol no matter what's mixed in it, etc.  However, when I take one sip of Ramos Gin Fizz... it just tastes so heavenly and I forget that there's alcohol!  This milkshake-looking drink is made with an egg, which is why it takes the bartender about 15 minutes to shake it.  The freshly shaved nutmeg on top of this drink makes the experience that much better... and for $20, this drink is pretty potent.  You might not think this drink is strong, but after you're done with one, it'll hit you.  FYI: I think they took this off the menu, but you can still order it.  

Alright, let's talk about the venue and the menu.  If it wasn't clear, this bar is called Anvil and it is located in the Montrose area (in Houston, TX of course).  Anvil serves "old world drinks."  They make everything fresh and most of the drinks on the menu are made with gin.  They only have one type of vodka (and I forget which one it is, but its NOT Greygoose).  The beers are all on tap and its usually never the same beer.  Once the keg is done, they refill the tap with a different type of beer.  What is also unique about this place is their ice.  Depending on the drink, you either get pretty ice cubes or nicely shaved ice (like the ones from Sonic).  I don't know if its psychological, but for some reason the ice makes the drinks even more appealing.  

Keep in mind that this bar is small and it also gets pretty crowded.  It's also difficult to order drinks so know what you want and be nice to your buddies and get their drinks for them as well.  As you can tell from my blog, drink prices here are on the higher end.  Parking can also be a hassle, but this place is worth it.  

Convey Sushi... yum yum!

 A sushi conveyor belt in downtown Houston... say what?!  

Anyways, this place was fabulous!  I went there for lunch AND dinner on the same day... yup, you heard me... same day (and it was worth it too!)!  During lunch, this place serves everything on the conveyor belt for $3.  I walked out with a $13 tab and that included tip!  Anyways, the fish was fresh and the rolls they had out were tasty and delish.  I tried their gyozas and it wasn't bad either (have to be honest tho, there were 3 pieces of gyozas and it was not that crispy since its been circling around the belt).  They also had katsu (fried pork cutlet) and it was fantastic (crispy and tasty)!  The only complaint I have is that most of their rolls during lunch were california rolls dressed up.  

For dinner... what I LOVE about this place is how you can order what you want on the conveyor belt.  Yup, that's right! You can "customize" your experience with rolls you like!  The server explained that since it's usually not busy during dinner, the sushi chef lets the customer choose what sushi rolls they'd like and he'll make them for the belt price.  Now, this is a great idea to just sample random sushi rolls you've been dying to try (but haven't worked up the courage to).  

The most expensive plate for dinner was $4.50.  For two people, the tab was $55!!!  And trust me... I was STUFFED!  My favorite rolls there were the Red Moon and the Congress roll.  And... on Fridays, its all day happy hour!


Now, don't come here with high expectations with service.  Our server kept forgetting our order and she also was not familiar with the menu.  I asked her about a specific roll and she couldn't answer me... luckily she was pretty.  Anyways, its a mom and pops restaurant, which is a plus in my books!  I should be back there sometime soon for dinner because I'd like to try all the rolls on their menu.  

Brunch Time at Paggi House (Austin, Texas)

ALL YOU CAN EAT BRUNCH BUFFET!  Should I say more??  Actually, yes since I'm blogging.  Anyways, I was in Austin last weekend and ventured out here with my friends since they raved about it.  They also mentioned how this place is comparable or even better (I forget) than Backstreet Cafe.  Ummmm... WHAT?! Okay, now I REALLY have to try it.

The drinks here are definitely cheaper than Backstreet Cafe.  Mimosas are $1 per glass.  Yup... one dollar; however, it was not as tasty as the mimosas at Backstreet (considering that Backstreet pair theirs with other fruits).  I didn't get to try the Blood Mary, but I heard it was good (it was also $2.50).  

So what can $24 get you?  Apparently, it gets you: an assortment of cheeses, fruits, pastries, french toast, bacon, sausage, corned beef hash, quiche, bread pudding, roasted pork, veggies, and home fries.  Now, those are what were out on the buffet.  You can also order from their menu: chicken and waffle, eggs (any way you want it, but know that an order comes with 2 eggs), a garden omelette, and a bacon omelette.  

Let me tell you... the chicken and waffle was DELICIOUS! Omg... I'm craving for one right now as I'm typing away.  Anyways, you get 2 fried chicken tenders and two pieces of waffles (I know I suck... I didn't get a chance to take photos).  The syrup that comes drizzled on this dish was amazing as well.  

I also tried their poached egg.  Talk about YUMMY!  The egg was perfectly poached and it was served on top of a thick, heavily buttered toast.  It was absolutely delish!  Something I can eat everyday and gain weight on.  

The Bacon Omelette was not that impressive.  Even though it was made with brie cheese (and I love brie cheese), it wasn't that flavorful.  It was actually kinda bland, like it needed either seasoning or more ingredients.  Anyways, I digress.  

Everything I had here was awesome!  I was really impressed with the blue cheese grits.  It was creamy and tasty.  The bread pudding was also fabulous.  I can go on and on about each item, but if you haven't noticed I would only talk about how good it was.  

Service here was excellent.  Everyone was friendly, even the dude who sliced the roasted pork.  So, to answer the million dollar question... is Paggi House better than Backstreet Cafe??  I'd say "yes!"  The drinks here are cheaper (even the pitchers) and the food was delicious and unlimited!  

Now, I suggest you valet your vehicle here even though you may park on the streets.  There's a golf course located right across from the restaurant so... I don't recommend it.  I also recommend making reservations.  We were lucky that the hostess was able to seat us because the place was apparently booked.