SHUTTERED A Fork in the Road: Concepcion (Houston, TX)

Although I don't share Alison Cook's immense enthusiasm for Concepcion.....yet, I do believe it is deserving of a visit, or two, or three.  The concept is Peruvian tapas and I think helps move Houston into more cutting edge dining.   Chef Jonathan Jones ideas are explosive!   Jones takes a multitude of ingredients and creates dishes without over-complicating.  I'm super ticked I somehow tossed the menu on my arrival back to NYC, but I will try and and explain these wonderful dishes.

Sikil Pak - Spicy Yucatan pumpkin hummus with habanero.  At first, I wasn't crazy about ordering hummus here, but wow!  The spices and texture of this hummus was super interesting.

3rd Coast Ceviche - Fresh snapper ceviche with radish, red onion and cucumber.  One of Concepcion's strengths.  The fish was indeed fresh, but didn't melt in your mouth: however, had a masterful balance of citrus, chilis and herbs.

Pulpo con Nada - Poached octopus sits in a pot, stews and essentially cooks in its own juices.  I know what they were trying to do here, which is what Chef Masato Shimizu of 15 East in NYC does outrageously well.  Unfortunately, the edges were soft and chewy, but the core was far too tough.

Salt crusted prawns cooked in shell with garlic kumquat mojo.  This is how a prawn should taste and hella delicious!

Snapper, oyster mushrooms with chimichurri (most of y'all think chimi only goes on steak.  Wrong!) in a light foam.

Braised short rib, shitake mushrooms and fried yuca.  I thought the best part of this dish was the yuca :-0  I just couldn't taste the chimichurri and overall bland.

Barbacoa tacos -  Juicy, tender lamb cooked overnight in avocado leaf, red chilies and tamarind with homemade blue corn tortillas and pickled onions. 

These dishes are far from tapas portions and well-priced, so get there while the gettin' is good!  Additionally, this has to be one of the best patios in Houston.

A Fork in the Road: La Dona (San Diego, CA)

The transportation through San Diego is so easy, there is absolutely no reason to not check out other areas of the city for food. We took the trolley from Seaport Village to Barrio Logan for some Mexican fare and was worth it. 

It's a ten minute ride from Seaport, then a 5 minute walk to the restaurant from the station.  Seated in our booth, we ordered a vast amount of goodies since the prices were economical (Tex-Mex is my favorite, but California Mexican will do just fine!).   It was Monday late morning, so I decided to go with a mix of breakfast and lunch items. 

Chips and salsa - the chips were thick, crunchy and lightly salted (clearly homemade)

Chili Colorado - hunks of fatty pork with rice & beans.  I enjoyed the tomato-based sauce together with the eggs & beans, but would have enjoyed more lean pork as opposed to just fattiness.

Beef Burrito with rice & beans - nice cuts of flank steak marinated with cilantro.  The guacamole can

I saved the best for last...

I've never been a fan of fish tacos...not sure why...until now! 

This was a powerful fish taco.  Thickly breaded fish, but not so much that the fish cannot be identified, mixed with a light mayo-vinegar cabbage salad in a corn tortilla.  I smile just thinking of it.

Husk-less Pork tamale (tamales were once as ubiquitous as the sandwich is today in the Inca Empire) - divine...soft corn and tasty meat.

If you want a taste of true California Mexican, try it here!  Then take the trolley 20 minutes south right to Tijuana for the real, real thing.

Please note the restaurant only takes CASH and is open M-F 7am-3pm

La Dona  1784 Newton Avenue b/t Beardsley and Sigsbee Streets  (619) 233-4939