Our Family and Food

Today when we were driving home from church I started talking to Nate about how when he's grown up, wherever he decides to live, I would like to visit him. He then announced that he would like to live in Los Angeles. Hmmm... I thought maybe it was because we had an incredible beach house vacation in Huntington Beach last year, or maybe because I had been talking about how wonderful it was to be able to go skiing in just a couple of hours... but that wasn't quite it.

"Why do you want to live in L.A. when you grow up?" Dave asked.

Nate's answer: "Because that's where In 'N Out Burger is."

We laughed. Then I looked over at Dave, who was driving. He was just beaming with pride. We have raised a child who thinks just like us. Every significant occasion, every trip or special moment - well, we pretty much can remember those days by the meals we've had. And, In 'N Out Burger was the restaurant of choice one summer when we spent a month vacationing on the Pacific Ocean. Nothing like a Double Double and one of their incredible chocolate milkshakes!

I work out at a gym in Montrose four mornings a week. My route takes me down the 59 spur and drops me off right at Westheimer, where if I crane my neck and peer right a little bit, I can see our favorite Houston restaurant - Brennan's - being re-built. So much tragedy occurred during Hurricane Ike, but I tell you, it was the burning down of Brennan's that was the biggest news of that time for us. Brennan's has hosted every anniversary dinner, my 30th birthday (which was awhile ago now) and significant celebration for us for over a decade now. Last November I lamented over and over again about where we would have our annversary dinner since Brennan's had burned down. Let me just say, we check their website regularly and can hardly wait. There is nothing like the food and ambiance of that place - turtle soup with a little sherry drizzled in, their shrimp and grits cooked tableside, bananas foster (the original recipe!), and the taking home of their pralines when we are leaving at the end of an incredible meal.

When Dave and I reflect on our honeymoon... even there... the food is a top memory... the steaks (Alberta, Canada has incredible beef) at Chateau Lake Louise's Edelweiss room, not to mention their chocolate fondue (which they flew fresh fruit in for daily)...

So, that's us. We love, love, love to celebrate with food. Sushi on Friday nights at Kubo's... a great burger at Christian's Tailgate, breakfast at the Buffalo Grille, cupcakes from Crave, Pho at Mai's, dim sum at Fung's or Yum Yum Cha, Salted Fish Fried Rice from Hong Kong Street Cafe, warm German Chocolate Cake at Mark's... if you EVER want a culinary tour of Houston , just give us a call! We will hook you up!

And if you want to come over for dinner...well, let us know. We can take care of that as well - whether we've got our favorite curry or jook in the crockpot (that's Christmas Eve for the Quans, by the way), Tortilla Soup (ala Houston Junior League's cookbook), our favorite flank steak marinated in incredible spices and olive oil, turkey meatloaf, baked salmon, healthy chocolate brownies with Scharffenberger Chocolate (you can't beat it)... you name it, we'll work on cooking it for you!


Much of life is set around our table... eating dinner together most every night of the week, celebrating a birthday, or just good ol' fellowship with friends... come on over (or let's go out!)... just let us know!