Must Have This: Restaurant

Note: We appreciate the patience of our readers during this trying time of unstable electricity. During a particularly frigid yesterday, the power supply in Austin fluctuated between simply Not Working and Almost Possibly Working. Apologies.


We have stated time and time again our fondness for Mexican food. We hold it in very high regard, and consequently take the evaluation of it very seriously. We would go so far as to say that Ninfa's on Navigation may, in fact, be our very favorite Mexican restaurant.

Few cities are as primed for excellent Mexican food as Houston. San Antonio is also one (we have a favorite here, too, which we will no doubt reveal on Must Have This at a later date), Los Angeles is another (we have not been here in ages, so we don't have a favorite to speak of). Houston, being the fourth largest city in the US, and not at all far from the Mexican border, seems quite the obvious location.


There are many good, even great Mexican joints in Houston, and we would encourage anyone visiting (and you really should visit, don't let anyone tell you otherwise) to seek out a handful. They range in size and style, price and location. More than one of them rightfully belongs on Must Have This. Ninfa's on Navigation (alias Mama Ninfas and The Original Ninfa's) is however, in our well-versed opinion, the best in the city. It's combination of ambiance, service, price and taste earn it our top marks.

Where to start? Obviously, a margarita. We think the only real way to get them is frozen with no salt, but we begrudgingly understand those who prefer them on the rocks (and we will let the salt slide- although we do think it truly ruins the tart sweetness of the drink). Ninfa's are the perfect balance of potent and flavorful- incredibly fruity without tasting the least bit fake. And as with any Mexican restaurant worth anything, chips and salsa will appear on your table. One of our favorite things about the restaurant is that there is not just one salsa, but two, and neither of them is too spicy. Don't be afraid to try both- each is fantastic in it's own way.

As for the main event, there really is no bad choice. We have never had anything less than 'great.' The chicken mole, fajitas, tacos al pastor, and tacos al carbon are all excellent dishes, all of which we have devoured in a perhaps less-than-tactful way. Our personal favorite, however, is the Tejas combo. On one plate, fajitas, cheese enchilada, taco (we order ours soft instead of crispy, as an excuse to have one more house-made tortilla) and rice and beans (get the black beans, trust us) all combine to form possibly the most perfect Mexican meal of all time. You may think we jest; we do not.

The building has been slowly expanded as the restaurant has grown, and we find it charming to see the modest beginnings of what eventually became an empire. We can remember before the current new dining furniture arrived- the main room was an amusing mish-mash of old vinyl covered dining room chairs. The enclosed back patio is a fabulous place to sit and sip margaritas. The new patio bar is getting a lot of attention, and we thought it looked spectacular when we stopped by last weekend (we sat inside, with our long-standing favorite waitress, Kady).

Truly, we cannot find a reason you shouldn't go. Be warned, however, while reservations aren't required, they certainly are recommended, as the place fills up quickly, and the wait for a table can stretch well past an hour on busy nights.

The Original Ninfa's is located at 2704 Navigation Blvd in Houston.

Must Have This: Cocktail

We should confess that, when all is said and done, we must be counted amongst the drinkers of history. We have never shied away from any alcohol, weak or strong, sticky sweet or tragically bitter. Give us your booze, your wine, your exotic spirits yearning to be drunk.

It must come then as no surprise to find that we search out those particular beverages that are, shall we say, Of Note. Beverages Of Note are usually not easy to come-by -either by way of rare and wonderful ingredients, or rare and wonderful bartenders who develop them- nor do they happen with frequency (in our years of conspicuous alcoholic consumption, we can think of but a handful). Needless to say, when one does happen upon our palate, it is a treat and we find it worth touting.

We were delighted to indulge in such a beverage on a recent trip to Houston, that most vibrant and slept-on of Texas cities. If you have never been, or only through one of the airports: we encourage you not to believe the hype. Houston is a fantastic city with a dynamic and incredibly multicultural population, a thrilling food and drink culture, and a climate that, while disagreeable for 3 months in the summer, is sublimely balmy the rest of the year. If you haven't been, we simply insist on a visit.

During that particular jaunt, we found ourselves (as so often is the case) at The Anvil "bar & refuge" as they claim themselves, and we find said claim to be substantiated. Easily a Must Have This topic all of it's own, The Anvil has been a favorite of ours for some time now, with an impressive list of ever-changing beers on tap and a truly staggering selection of liquors and liqueurs. We will save the story (and accolades) about the bar itself for another time, and truly, it is a story and does deserve ever accolade it has received, and concentrate on the particular beverage we found irresistible most recently: the Maharaja Buck.

We find the name itself to be exciting. Exotic and powerful, the Maharaja Buck sounds like a variety of Indian wildlife we would very much want to see and very much not want to vex. Similarly, the drink is spicy, warm, and strong. Cardamom, tamarind, turmeric and ginger flavors are blended to create an energetic cocktail that we would imagine to be as satisfying on a hot summer afternoon as we found it on a rare cool winter evening. Served in a Collins glass (with cubed ice, something else we absolutely love about the Anvil and other craft cocktail bars) and garnished with a lime, the drink presents a striking, mysterious silhouette. (We attempted to take a picture, but the lighting was uncooperative). Make your trip and order one soon, because (yet another reason to love this particular establishment) the menu changes semi-regularly, and after waiting too long, you might find that the exotic Maharaja Buck has eluded you.

The Anvil is located at 1424 Westheimer Rd in Houston, Texas.