I think we have all our shopping done and the good news is that I stuck to the list. Now this is hard to do when you are walking around a Super Store! I saw new products that I wanted to try but what if I liked them, then they would just perpetuate more things on the list the next visit.While I was shopping for grocery items I wanted to bring back to San Miguel, I was thinking that the list has gotten smaller. Now I can get good canned tomatoes in San Miguel but I still can't get chicken broth. I've found substitutes for some things. I used to bring back several boxes of trisquits or wheat thins but this time I'm just bringing back one box of each. I still haven't found a substitute for fritos. Still today while I shopped I thought that I could get by without these things but it is nice that I can get them.
The picture above was taken at the Empire Cafe. We met friends for brunch at a restaurant on Washington Avenue but it had closed so we tried another place, Baby Barnaby. They had lots of people waiting so the third restaurant choice, The Empire Cafe, worked out. I always enjoy going there. It is a little funky and a little noisy but the food is good.
There is news about The Recession and I don't doubt that many people have lost jobs and things are very difficult but the shopping malls, grocery stores and restaurants in Houston do not seem any different. There are customers. I know that Houston has not been hit as hard as other parts of the country but I have felt like there is an elephant in the room that is being ignored. Maybe the economic impact is just being felt a little later here. I read in the paper that the oil companies are looking at layoffs now that the price of oil has dropped. That does have a ripple effect on the Houston economy.
We are starting to wrap things up on this trip to Houston. We aren't leaving for a while but we have a family wedding this weekend and so that will mean a lot of family around. Let the party begin!
7 comments:
I love the good and funky Empire Cafe, and I could almost smell the coffee in your photo. Billie, I recently read an interesting article about how Houston is not going to be caught with their (petroleum) pants down again. Read about Houston's grand vision of diversification in the January 09 issue of Fast Company magazine. The link to the article here, http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/131/houston-we-have-an-opportunity.html.
So you're a Fritos junkie too! You can get them here but they are so smothered in lime and/or chile that the original taste is gone.
We are fast approaching the time of year when all my old friends from NOB are heading this way. Every year they ask me what they can bring me. Honestly, I am having a hard time coming up with anything so I have just been telling people to bring yarn for hats!
Billie -- I had the same feeling on New Year's Eve. Beth and I went to dinner and a play. The restaurant was packed with long lines of people waiting. All well-dressed. In a state with 9% unemployment and diving property values. And these were solidly middle class people, out celebrating and dropping over $100 a couple just for dinner. There is some odd disconnect happening here.
Steve, disconnect....that is the right word.
Miss you - come home! I was so anxious to get here that I didn't get the Fritos or the packaged tuna. I don't care - I'm home!
Travel safe.........
Now if the Empire would just get comfortable chairs.
Michael, now I'm worried that I never noticed the Empire chairs are uncomfortable. Bagel Cafe is another one of my favorite places. I've heard that the place is being torn down and they will have to move. Of course I heard this almost a year ago. Nevertheless, they are down to 3 bar stools and 4 chairs and of course a bench on one side of the wall. Still people pack in there and a lot of "us" hang around to eat there. They NEED chairs....comfortable or not!
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