When my husband and I decided to move to Clear Lake from the restaurant-dense Montrose area 18 years ago, everyone reassured us marvelous food awaited us.
What we found were lots of good restaurants and at least one representative from every restaurant chain, but not as many memorable standouts as you might think.
Think I've missed or misjudged a few? Here are my personal favorites:
• Frenchies: The best of the best. When my mother or mother-in-law visit, this Italian hole-in-the-strip-mall is where they always ask to go, and not just to make me happy. We three can't bring ourselves to order anything other than the chicken crepes, but other authentic Italian dishes like prosciutto with melon come highly recommended, too. Proprietor Frankie Camera, the guy with the Italian accent who's usually calling out order numbers over the intercom at lunch time, is the essence of the place, along with a gazillion autographed photos of astronauts and celebrities tacked on the wall. Go elbow-to-elbow with the NASA lunch crowd and order at the counter if you want the crepes. Go for a sit-down dinner at night if you can't take the intercom and mid-day chaos. 1041 NASA Parkway, Houston.
• Greek Deli Cafe and Imports: The decor consists of little more than photographs of Greek platters you can order and a wall of Greek groceries you can take home. More off-putting may be Internet reviews comparing the Greek owner to the Soup Nazi. But as far as I'm concerned, that's all irrelevant. It's all about the food. I get cravings for the lowly gyros and spiced potatoes, but pretty much everything here satisfies. BTW, the resident curmudgeon has always been perfectly nice to me. 16701 El Camino Real, Houston.
• Perry's Steakhouse & Grille: Having lived in West Texas for some years, I spent my first few in the Houston area trying to find a steak that measured up. I finally found a tender contender at Perry's. Clear Lake's Bay Area location has a little too much "casual elegance" for my tastes, but you can always zip over to the more unassuming Perry's Market & Grille in Friendswood or on Scarsdale if slabs of raw meat in a butcher case don't dent your appetite. 487 Bay Area Blvd., Houston.
• Clifton By The Sea: In my ongoing search for great waterfront seafood, I ate at this diner half a dozen times before I finally hit on something to rave about. That would be the fried crawfish. The view of Galveston Bay isn't bad either, so Clifton's gets a mention even though some might say San Leon isn't quite in the Clear Lake area. And by the way, it's back in business after Hurricane Ike, despite what you might see at restaurant-review sites. 10 Grand Ave., San Leon.
Do you have a Clear Lake favorite? A closer seafood place you love? Mexican? Vietnamese? What about League City restaurants? Share your picks by commenting below.
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Comments
Eats
Clear Lake has two good Indian restaurants, Mogul and Cuisine of India. Mogul tends to be spicier. Also, Thai Seafood stands out as the best Thai restaurant. The two newer Thai restaurants tend to be a bit too sweet.
Memorable Dining Experiences
Cullen's is the premier luxe dining destination in the Clear Lake area. While the actual food quality might not compare with the haute gourmet (a la Alain Ducasse), the presentation and atmosphere can compete with top restaurants in New York and Las Vegas easily.
RE: Eats
Mogul offers a mean lunch buffet as well, but their prices fluctuate depending upon whom your waiter is (so it seems).
Tommy's
A few weeks ago, I was driving by Tommy's on Bay Area Boulevard and noticed it was still closed for remodeling. Anyone know what's up and when it will reopen?
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Missed Food
I so miss living in Seabrook...Pasadena just doesnt cut it.
The Classic Cafe - Great breakfast
Double Dave's - yummy pizza rolls
Mediterraneo Market & Cafe - The eggplant dish is to die for.
Marios Flying Pizza & Italian Restaurant - Bruchetta Heaven!!
Rivera's
Clear Lake has an excellent but relatively unknown Salvadoran restaurant. Rivera's is on NASA1 in a strip mall near Hwy 3. Head to the back of the menu and check out the Salvadoran specialties. The Plato Mixto includes two pupusas, a tamale, fried plantains, beans, cream, and curtido. (Curtido is spicy pickled cabbage that is traditionally served with pupusas.) The pupusas are among the best I've had; try the loroco variety (loroco is a flower native to Central America). Wash it down with a Salvadoran beer; I get the Regia.
Rivera's hedges their bets by serving Tex-Mex food as well. Their Tex-Mex is surprising good. Go at lunch and get Special #1: rice, beans, a cheese enchilada, tamale, and a chalupa for $4.99.
Avo's Cafe on Main Street
Avo's has wonderful Italian food, including their eggplant parmeasan and many of their pasta dishes. Their salads are good also, and their portions are not overly sized to make sure you get a meal that's not huge. If you want dessert, try the bread pudding. It's so good you'll want seconds!
kristenc
I agree, Jenny!
I love Clifton's by the Sea. Some nights they have live bands! When the weather is a bit cooler, it's nice to sit outside, listen to the music, enjoy the view of the bay, sip fruity cocktails, and munch on buckets of boiled seafood!
Happiness depends upon ourselves. --Aristotle
Few others definitely worth a trip...
Mediterranean Chef on Nasa Rd 1 is THE best greek/mediteranean food in the area. I have been to all the others and this one keeps me coming back. It's a small place, but amazing food.
T Bone Tom's...it's good. sort of becoming more "mainstream" i guess now that it has gained recognition from guy fieri's DDD show, but still - definitely worth a try if you haven't been.
As for real good BBQ - central texas BBQ in pearland is the best, well next best thing to homecookin'. their banana pudding and cobblers are to die for.
Sushi in clear lake can be found in a lot of places, so far the best/freshest i have tried is Masa sushi. it is on el camino real near nasa rd 1. there is also a location in santa fe. RED in kemah is NOT worth time or money.
and as for mexican food...have yet to find "THE" best...lots of options, but nothing just absolutely amazing...all just "good".
Best Seafood! Joe Lee's Seafood Kitchen
We ate at Clifton's for the first time and were terribly disappointed. The batter on everything was thick and dense. The smoke from the cigarettes was overwhelming. The slaw was too sweet and had little taste. The very best seafood we have found that remains consistent and reasonably priced is Joe Lee's Seafood Kitchen. The catfish is the best anywhere. The shrimp slaw is to die for. The popcorn shrimp is enough for two people. The addition of items that are not fried are welcomed. We can't stay away.
Bat Problem
Three pastors in the south were having lunch in a diner. One said, "You know, since summer started I've been having trouble with bats in my loft and attic at church. I've tried everything----noise, spray, cats----nothing seems to scare them away."
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