Donna Cooks

On the morning of our fourth day in Playa del Carmen, we were sitting down and having sweet breads, coffee, and juice in the lush back garden of our hotel for breakfast when a couple from Vermont sat across the table from us and started munching on empanadas they had brought with them on paper plates.  Even though I was enjoying the freshly baked sweet breads, I was enviously eyeing those empanadas, especially since I just had those wonderful chicken empanadas the day before at Rancho San Felipe.  The couple kindly explained to me that they found a street vendor outside the Banorte at 10 Avenida and Calle 6 with an enormous line and decided to try out the empanadas themselves.  The Vermonters couldn’t stop praising the empanadas so I knew I’d have to visit the stand myself (I know, I couldn’t believe I was taking advice about Mexican food from northerners either).  A short two block walk later, I had found my target.

For 50 cents I got a ground beef empanada (they were out of the potato ones).  And boy it was delicious.  It was a bit greasier than the ones from the Mayan village but they were also more flavorful (some sort of spice in the ground beef mixture?  Tasted like bay leaf but I’m not certain).  My first official encounter with street food in Mexico (Senor Tacombi doesn’t count since it has a permanent address and seating) caused some concern on the part of my companion, who offered me the pink stuff as a preemptive strike.  I was feeling brave (and satisfied from greasy, delicious, deep fried goodness) and refused. 

We headed south for Tulum.  Many travel guide books say that the Tulum ruins aren’t worth visiting because they aren’t as grand in size, large in area, or have as much historical significance as some of the other ruins.  After visiting three Mayan ruins on this trip, I would disagree.  The Tulum ruins are unique because they are built right on the coast.  The ruins offer some fantastic scenery contrasting the gorgeous colors of the ocean, sky, tropical lush, with the texture of the stone pyramids and structures.  The small size and proximity to Playa del Carmen makes it a manageable day trip without feeling overwhelmed (though we did stay in Tulum on this trip).  Besides, would you really want to miss out on seeing this in person?

Dying of thirst on the way out of the Tulum ruins, I stopped for a coco frio (cold fresh coconut) from a man waving a sign in front of his cooler.  $2.50 bought me quite the show and refreshment.  The man pulled a fresh coconut out of his cooler, wacked away with his machete, and presented me with a heavy coconut with two straws.  I’ve never been a fan of canned coconut milk (too sweet and too rich) so I was skeptical, but fresh coconut was surprisingly refreshing.

We continued to drive into town and decided to have lunch at Don Cafetos right on the main highway through Tulum.  Don Cafetos is another Frommer’s recommendation and offers sidewalk seating (though I have to say the street scenery along the highway in Tulum is not quite as appealing as Quinta Avenida in Playa).

We started off with two licuados to cool down on a hot day.  I had a watermelon licuado (with water) and my companion a papaya licuado (with milk).  Both came in very large cups, and that was handy.  Don Cafeto’s salsa, with large chunks of habanero pepper, was some of the spiciest I’ve ever had, so I drank all of my licuado in no time to calm my burning tongue.

We were feeling lazy so we just asked what the waiter to bring one appetizer and one entree platter that he recommended.  The appetizer was queso fundido, served with flour tortillas.  The queso was really greasy.  I didn’t enjoy this appetizer much except for the few chunks of chorizo in the queso.

The main entree was called the Mexican platter.  It was basically a combination plate of various Mexican specialties: enchiladas with ground beef in red sauce, enchiladas verdes with chicken, chicken flautas, and cheese quesadillas, with a scoop of guacamole.  In my opinion, nothing on this plate stood out, it all seemed very average.

Perhaps our waiter just made safe recommendations because he saw that we were tourists so we were not able to enjoy the Don Cafetos the way everyone else seems to rave about, but other than the extra spicy salsa and the large refreshing licuados, I didn’t find this meal particularly memorable.  And at $22 for the entree, appetizer, two licuados, and tip, it was very average in price as well.

After lunch, we drove down Boca Paila to find our oceanfront cabana.  The beaches in this part of Tulum were my favorite on this trip (and perhaps favorite of all trips).  The beach is kept natural with the exception of small beachfront hotels.  The area provides the feel of a private beach since there are so few people.  The sand is the softest here.  It was shell-free, jellyfish-free, and even seaweed-free to an extent.  It felt like you were running your toes through 6 inches of baking flour, amazing. 

Strolling along the breathtaking beach, we noticed a sign advertising happy hour at Posada Dos Ceibas.  We couldn’t resist.  Oh, to have an extra limey margarita on the beaches of Tulum every day, that would be the life.

Since Boca Paila is such a narrow, dark road with so many speed bumps, we decided against venturing back into town for dinner.  The restaurant at our hotel only serves breakfast and lunch, so we drove half a mile to Zamas for some ocean front dining under a giant palapa roof.  My camera’s battery was dying at this point (and all the hotels in this area only have electricity during restricted hours since they operate on their own generators) so there were no photos from this meal.

The atmosphere at Zamas was lovely, a live reggae band jamming with the crash of the ocean waves in the background. You can run your feet through the sand while enjoying your dinner at the candle-lit table.  But Zamas is overpriced, and the food is only average.  We started out ordering a pineapple licuado and a chaya water (tasted like grass) and they were tiny, about one third the size of the ones from Don Cafetos.  As there’s no concept of refills, these tiny 8 oz cups didn’t last through the meal well.  The salsa at Zamas was bland and flavorless.  I think it was just diced tomatoes with a few chopped up onion pieces thrown in.  The entrees were better.  I had the Chaya crepes, filled with shrimp, spinach, and seaweed.  It had a buttery garlicky flavor that I enjoyed.  My companion had the grilled tequila fish, which we thought was passable but not spectacular.  I think our $45 could’ve been spent better elsewhere. 

Tulum, the most scenic part of our trip, didn’t offer us much luck in dining.  Maybe we followed bad leads, maybe there just isn’t as much good food in Tulum since it is not as developed as Playa or Cancun.  Even with the average food experience, I wouldn’t trade sitting on the porch of that ocean front cabana watching the stars in a perfectly clear sky (practically no pollution or lighting near us) and falling asleep to the sounds of the ocean on the hammock.  I don’t think I’ve ever felt more relaxed.

Oh, and I never got any digestive discomfort from those empanadas from the street vendor.  This “survival” opened new doors for dining options in the next couple of days.

Onto Day 5

Back to Day 3

We booked a jungle crossing tour packed with activities with Alltournative for our third day in Playa del Carmen.  I would highly recommend Alltournative’s guide services for ecological tours.  They were eco-conscious about using organic suncreen to snorkel in the cenotes and the ocean for protection of the natural resources (spring water, coral reef, etc.)  For around $100 per adult, we got an action-packed day full of unforgettable adventures.   

Our hotel didn’t serve breakfast until 8:00 am, but we were scheduled to be picked up at the Banamex at for our jungle crossing tour at 7:45 am.  We decided that picking something up en route to the bank would be the way to go, and we ran across this:

Senor Tacombi, on Calle 12 between 5 and 10 Avenidas, serves tacos out of an old (but spiffied up) Volkswagen van.  Is there a better way to soak up Playa’s eclectic culture than ordering at the driver’s seat of a hippie van and watching the cook prepare your breakfast in the hollowed out interior?  Ok, so it’s not a taco van in the traditional sense since the location is permanent with a few small tables and stools under the awning, and I don’t believe the van is still mobile.  But just the concept of the restaurant alone has its appeal, and the food wasn’t half bad either.

Two shredded chicken tacos (one with cheese, one without) simmered in a tomato-chipotle sauce with tender large slices of cooked onions on a blue corn tortilla for $2 served as breakfast for us.  The flavorful moist shredded chicken tasted even better standing next to the Volkswagen van.  We were ready for a day of adventure.

We spent the morning off-roading in a Mercedes Unimog at Rancho San Felipe (a small Mayan family community) and snorkeling in the cenotes (fresh-water filled limestone sinkhole unique to the Yucatan) of the Nohoch Nah Chich underground river system.  Below is a picture of formations inside the ”Heavens Gate” cenote.

We were also introduced to several native plants while at the ranch, including the achiote tree which supplies the coloring for the achiote paste used in Mayan dishes (such as the tikin xic and cochinita pibil we had at Yaxche the night before).

Achiote fruit on tree:

Opening one up to reveal the reddish-orange seeds:

Lunch was prepared by the Mayan ladies of Rancho San Felipe and consisted of a simple tomato-based vegetable soup with carrots, onions, cabbage, and squash, chicken on the bone simmered in a mildly spicy tomato-achiote based broth in a clay pot, black beans, rice, tortillas, and perfect, almost greaseless, shredded chicken empanadas with an assortment of salsas (ranging from the mild pico de gallo to the fiery habanero sauce).

It was amazing to watch all the women prepare this food in their outdoor kitchen under a thatched roof.  The food was more bland and lighter than what we had eaten in the restaurants thus far but satisfying in a comforting way.  I guess that whole “restaurants use more seasoning and grease” theory is universal.

After lunch, we departed for Punta Soliman for kayaking and snorkeling.

Underwater scenery:

And after we exhausted ourselves kayaking and exploring the coral reef, we rested ashore with fresh papaya, cantaloupe, pineapple, and chaya water to this amazing rainbow over the ocean:

We were shuttled back to our hotel in the late afternoon after a very active day.  I picked up a refreshing pineapple-coconut licuado on 10 Avenida (basically like a virgin pina colada with fresh fruit) to quench my thirst before taking a nap (does it still qualify as a siesta at 5:00pm?)

We spent the evening again strolling Quinta Avenida (trust me, the people watching never gets old with the diverse crowd) and stopped at Media Luna at the Calle 12 intersection for a light dinner.  We were seated along the sidewalk so we could enjoy the street scenery during dinner (mariachi bands, Santas greeting children, street vendors, etc).  We decided to split a meal (one appetizer, one entree) to save room for dessert at the appealing Glass Bar across the street.  Media Luna’s menu is basically New American/fusion.  We were presented with a basket of French bread with an herbed butter upon seating and our drink orders arrived quickly (one mai tai, one purified water).  We ordered the chicken satay for appetizer which wasn’t served with the traditional peanut dipping sauce, but rather drizzled with a soy-peanut reduction and topped with sweet/sour/spicy mango relish.

An interesting combination of flavors that made the chicken satay more exotic and tropical.  The farfalle pasta was our entree of choice, with mushrooms, spinach, sundried tomatoes, garlic, and bacon.  A solid pasta dish with a wonderful combination of varied textures and flavors in the ingredients.

Dinner was $18 for the entree, appetizer, two beverages, tax, and tip, very reasonable for a restaurant with atmosphere right on Quinta Avenida.  My one complaint about Media Luna is that the waitress seemed short with us.  I’ve been in restaurants before where the waitstaff seemed put off by my choice of splitting an entree with a companion, but at Media Luna everything was kept on one plate so I don’t think that’s a good reason for a terse and unenthusiastic waitress.  Then again, maybe she was just having a bad night.  One thing to note is that Media Luna’s menu is very vegetarian friendly, all the pastas come vegetarian and you have the option of adding meat.

Across the street at The Glass Bar, we ordered cannoli for dessert.  It turned out to be more about looks than taste.

Disguised in its gorgeous costume of fresh fruits and colorful sauces, the cannoli itself was really just an average rendition, and smaller than the one you get at Macaroni Grill.  It was a bit overpriced, too, at $8 ($10 after tax and tip).  At least our waiter was friendly enough to bring out an umbrella for the table when it started sprinkling.

Onto Day 4

Back to Day 2

On the second day in Playa del Carmen, we spent our morning taking an introductory course to scuba diving from a couple of PADI certified instructors at Tank-Ha Dive Center. One of the instructors was born in Japan and raised in Boston before moving to Playa while the other was from Germany. That’s just one of the many examples showing Playa’s diverse population despite its relative small size. After spending a couple of hours swimming around in a hotel pool strapped to all my scuba gear, I had worked up a healthy appetite for lunch.

Carboncito’s was the destination. I had heard good reviews of this sidewalk cafe/taco place (on Calle 4 between 5 and 10 Avenidas) on several web discussion forums. A block and a half away from the ocean, the view from our little umbrella shaded table was perfect for a sunny day in a beach town.

I decided on the namesake plate, El Carboncito, which is al pastor with bacon and cheese with corn tortillas and a side of beans.

This was awesome al pastor, some of the best I’ve ever had, made even more flavorful with the addition of bacon. Even if this wasn’t the most authentic Mexican fare for this region of Mexico (as the use of cheese is typically sparse), it suited my gluttonous Texan ways. The beans were flavored by some sort of smoked/cured meat, either bacon or some kind of ham, and also had great flavor. My one complaint is that this dish is really greasy. The bottom-most corn tortilla on the plate was drenched in grease and I didn’t dare to subject myself to that. If they would just drain the meat from the grease a little better so that the grease didn’t coat the entire plate, it would’ve been just perfect.

My companion had the Alambre, carne asada with bell peppers and onions served with rice. It was also a very flavorful dish but without the grease overload of my Carboncito’s plate.

Each plate had enough meat to make 4 to 5 tacos with the corn tortillas (which are smaller than what we’re used to in Texas). Total for the two plates, two bottles of purified water, and tip was $18, not bad at all for a very filling meal so close to Quinta Avenida. Service was a little lacking since we were there early (noon is not a popular mealtime, 2:00pm is more common for lunch, but our diving course schedule decided the mealtime that day) and there was only one waiter.

In the late afternoon, I strolled up and down Quinta Avenida and some surrounding areas for shopping and people-watching. I found some little things for friends, some home decor, and some beautiful hand painted tiles at a shop near Carboncito’s. I also managed to spend a little time on the beach to sneak a peak of the laid-back atmosphere.

Dinner that night was at Yaxche, arguably the most famous restaurant in Playa del Carmen with recommendations from just about every travel guidebook and website.  Yaxche offers lovely sidewalk dining along Calle 8 (near 5 Avenida) and courtyard seating in the back garden.

The menu at Yaxche is Mayan, Yucatecan, and European fusion.  Yaxche also offers a fairly extensive wine list (for Mexico), and we settled on two glasses of Mexican Merlot (sorry can’t remember the name) which exceeded my expectations.  Upon delivering our wine, we were also presented with a basket of French bread with a creamy garlic sauce and a tomatillo sauce, a representative start to the restaurant’s unique fusion style.

Both of us stuck with traditional Mayan dishes for dinner.  I had the tikin xic, a fish fillet marinated in achiote paste and sour orange juice, then grilled over a banana leaf.

Achiote paste is a popular seasoning in Mayan cuisine consisting of ground achiote, wheat and corn flour, cumin, cinnamon, salt, onion, garlic, and oregano.  The ground achiote itself is near flavorless but gives the paste its distinct red coloring.  Achiote is also used by the Mayans for body paint, especially for the lips.  The combination of the mild earthy flavor of the achiote paste and the sharply tangy flavor of the sour orange was a delight of contrast and complement. 

My companion ordered the cochinita pibil, the quintessential Yucatan dish of pork wrapped in banana leaves pit-baked in a pibil sauce (achiote, sour orange, and other spices).

Like the tikin xic, the combination of the flavors in the pibil was new and fascinating to our tastebuds.  The pork was tender, well-seasoned, and not fatty.  Both plates were of large portion sizes (the pork more so than the fish, as expected).  Even though Yaxche is a tourist-oriented restaurant, I think the atmosphere, exceptional service, and explanatory menu makes it a fit destination for getting acquainted to Mayan and Yucatecan cuisine.  Total for two dinner plates, two glasses of Merlot, and tip was $50.

We took a long stroll up Quinta Avenida that night, and found a chocoholic’s delight at the end of our walk at the intersection with Constituyentes.  Ah Cacao sells real chocolate products that emphasize the complex and long lasting flavor of chocolate over the sugar buzz.  As someone who has always preferred dark chocolate to milk chocolate, I had found my inner chocoholic’s heaven.  I ordered a chocolate frio, which is powdered natural chocolate blended with iced milk.  It had the consistency of a Frappuccino and the taste of a sugar-less/low-sugar milk shake.  A $3 slice of my slightly bitter, rich, earthy, creamy chocolate paradise.

Onto Day 3

Back to Day 1

My 8 day adventure in the eastern Yucatan peninsula led my mouth to an expansive array of  experiences, from the cosmopolitan and chic Playa del Carmen where you can find just about any cuisine under the sun to the street vendors and home-style cooking of the small villages of the in-land Yucatan to the stuff your face, all you can eat, all inclusive resort experience in Cancun.  Good and bad, it was an exciting week to say the least for my taste buds, and this series of posts will attempt to describe those adventures with all the pictures I remembered to take during the trip.  A couple of notes before we begin on this savory journey:

1.  The Riviera Maya is a region, as its name suggests, whose cuisine is heavily influenced by the Mayan culture.  Just from some quick reading, I can say that perhaps Merida is the best city to explore the rich history and fascinating development of Mayan cuisine.  We didn’t get as far west as Merida on this trip due to time constraint.  We did get to sample quite a few Yucatecan dishes, but I wouldn’t use this as a source if authentic, well-executed Mayan cuisine is what you’re looking for.

2. Prices listed assume a 10 peso to 1 USD exchange rate.

We spent the majority of our time along the coast, spending time on the beaches of Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Cancun.  Two days were spent in-land driving to and from Chichen Itza, making various stops along the way.  The map below shows the route of our journey.

All this talk about Yucatecan food and I’m going to start the series with some local flavor (sorry). There’s normally nothing exciting about airport fare and DFW is no exception. However, for a lovely wake up call and a Starbucks alternative, La Duni Cafe & Bakery has opened a location in the comparatively new Terminal D.

$6 later I was sucking down a piping hot vaca blanca, it’s a mocha but made with white chocolate, sprinkled with dark chocolate shavings, a pricey but luscious way to start your morning.

After a 2 1/2 hour flight to Cancun International and a 45 minute drive south in our rental Volkswagen Pointer, we arrived in Playa del Carmen. Playa is a bit of a hippie town, like a tropical, beachy Santa Fe, with a strong European influence with the large expatriate population. The main attraction in Playa is the beach with its abundance of dive shops and beach front restaurants and bars. One block from the beach is the pedestrian-only Quinta Avenida, with lots of tourist-oriented shopping and the majority of the town’s nightlife destinations.

A block of Quinta Avenida during the day:

It was about 3:00pm after we’d checked into our hotel in Playa del Carmen. The only thing I had consumed that day was the tall cup of vaca blanca and a tiny bag of pretzels courtesy of American Airlines. To say that I was hungry would be an understatement. Half a block away from our hotel was a restaurant I recognized from my Frommer’s guide, La Parrilla, at the intersection of Quinta Avenida and Calle 8.

La Parrilla offers balcony seating with a view of Quinta Avenida, good for people watching while you’re sipping on your margarita. Speaking of drinks, we picked up a coupon from our hotel lobby good for one free drink with purchase of a meal, which we redeemed for a Dos Equis Amber and a small margarita. A couple of sips of my strong margarita and I was officially on vacation.

Once seated we were presented with chips, pico de gallo-esque salsa, and a slightly spicy salsa verde. I ordered the chile relleno and my companion ordered the Aztec steak, both dishes were served with beans and rice. The rice wasn’t cooked in a tomato sauce like we’re used to in Texas, but it was still flavorful with peas and corn. I was surprised to see the “pink bean” (flor de mayo) in this part of Mexico, as I had read that the Yucatan was definitely on the black bean side of the “invisible bean line.” The location of La Parrilla lends it to be a tourist destination and the presence of the pink bean was just one of the many clues leading to that truth.

Chile Relleno:

Even with my ambitious appetite, the giant queso fresco filled poblano chile was simply too much food. The batter held up to minor utensil abuse (didn’t fall apart upon touch) and the tomato sauce flavorful, but after eating half the poblano, it felt like too much cheese. Still, not a bad start for my first meal of the trip.

Aztec Steak:

Aztec steak served a top of bed of grilled onions and cactus, with corn tortillas (we never encountered flour tortillas our entire trip, as expected this far south and east in Mexico). The steak was seasoned just fine, nothing spectacular but not bland either. The most enjoyable part of this dish was the grilled cactus since neither of us had had cactus before. It was much more tender and juicy than I had expected from desert vegetation!

Total was $35 with tip (two entrees plus four drinks, but the first two drinks were complimentary because of the coupon). I was stuffed, buzzed, and really excited to be in Mexico.

Walking around Quinta Avenida in the early evening, I witnessed Burger King spreading its campaign of machismo and heart disease to Mexico, in the form of the Texas Double Whopper. There are so many things I love about living in Texas, but being the state with 5 of the 25 fattest cities in America isn’t one of the joys I want to spread, especially not in the form of a 1050-calorie fast food concoction.

Later that evening, around 11:00pm, I got a small craving for food since the last meal was at 3:00pm. The receptionist at the hotel recommended Babe’s Noodles & Bar (Calle 10 between 5 and 10 Avenidas) for spring rolls and the best mojitos in town. She was right about the mojitos, extra minty and refreshing. My companion ordered a caipiroshka and enjoyed it, too. We satisfied our late night craving with Babe’s shrimp rolls, filled with shrimp, cream cheese, spinach, and mango, served with a vinegary sauce with crunchy shallots.

Shrimp Rolls:

Creative, delicious Thai food in Mexico? I didn’t expect it but was definitely more than happy to eat it. Total including tip for the spring rolls and two cocktails was $15. Prices in Playa del Carmen (at least the area close to the beach and Quinta Avenida) are comparable to those in the US. We were still in our paranoid stage at this point of the trip, so we ate at “safe” places to avoid Montezuma’s Revenge. As the trip went on, we became progressively more adventurous. But that’s to be discussed in another post, as my Babe’s mojito marked the end of my first day in Playa del Carmen.

Onto Day 2

This post isn’t so much a travelogue as a list of recommended restaurants in the Bryan/College Station area.  The past weekend’s trip back to the alma mater motivated me to compile a list of notable and nonchain restaurants in the BCS area.  Most people dismiss Bryan/College Station as a wasteland for good food (and for the most part this is true, as mega-chains dominate and create unbelievably long waits on football weekends and parents’ weekend).  From the 4 years of attending school in the area (eating both the good and bad), I can recommend the following places:

Antonio’s Pizza by the Slice - Antonio’s is technically a mini chain, with locations at University of Masachussetts, Brown University, and of course in Aggieland.  This is the best (if not only) New York style pizza to be found in the BCS area.  They always have a good selection of pizza by the slice (and the always changing daily special) and are open late (for those 2:00am cravings while out on Northgate).  104 College Main, College Station.

Blue Baker - Aggieland’s own nonchain Panera Bread (but cheaper!).  Blue Baker bakes their own artisan breads daily.  You can purchase bread by the loaves or enjoy it on their sandwiches.  They also serve soups, salads, and excellent wood fire pizzas.  All of their baked goods (cookies, brownies, muffins) are also excellent.  My favorite item here is the tomato basil bisque in a sourdough bread bowl.  I think the soup is better than La Madeleine’s version, add in the freshly baked sourdough, and I’m in heaven.  201 Dominik Dr, College Station.

Cafe Eccell - new American/fusion cuisine.  Cafe Eccell is the perfect date restaurant.  The decor is simple and classy, but atmosphere is not too stiff.  Decent wine list and excellent desserts.  Do not miss the strawberry tart if you come here!  Fresh strawberries drizzled with Belgian chocolate on whipped cream and an almond lace cookie shell, yum!  101 Church Ave, College Station.

Cenare - You don’t have to eat at Olive Garden just because you’re craving Italian.  Try Cenare and you’ll have your choice of all the traditional as well as more creative Italian dishes.  Best sit-down Italian in BCS, favorites here include the gnocchi and the lobster ravioli.  404 E. University, College Station.

Chicken Oil Co. - brother restaurant to the College Station landmark Dixie Chicken.  The atmosphere is unique (it used to be a gas station a long time ago) and it’s the kind of place you’d expect to find in College Station.  Great burgers and chicken tenders.  Very greasy but very yummy.  3600 S. College Ave, Bryan.

Christopher’s World Grille - Aggieland’s prime destination for fine dining under direction of executive chef Christopher Lampo.  The restaurant is a little out of the way but is located in a beautifully restored 100-year-old ranch home.  The menu changes seasonally but any kind of steak is always excellent here.  Christopher’s has special chef’s dinners and fixed menus for special occasions like Valentine’s Day.  They also feature a Sunday jazz brunch.  5001 Booneville Rd, Bryan.

Fargo’s Pit BBQ - this is the best BBQ in BCS.  Sauce lovers love Rudy’s and most of Aggieland are infatuated with C&J.  But in my opinion, the smokey and tender brick pit BBQ ribs here ranks among some of Texas’ best (almost as good as Smitty’s in Lockhart), no sauce needed.  What really sets Fargo’s apart from other BBQ joints are the homemade sides, great BBQ beans, potato salad, and pound cake to die for!  Fargo’s is a take-out only small family operation, so the downside is that their hours are erratic.  When they cater (as they do often on weekends), their store location is closed.  So make sure you call ahead of time before making the drive out to Bryan.  1220 N. Texas Ave, Bryan.

Fritella Italian Restaurant - casual Italian fare, counter service.  When you think about going to Fazoli’s, I urge you to try Fritella first.  The owners are extremely friendly and the menu is full of traditional Italian items.  The house specialty is the fritella, a piping hot calzone-like pocket stuffed with your choice of meats/cheeses.  The pocket is deep fried and has the texture of funnel cake.  Fritella has a beautiful open patio (somewhat climate controlled with fans and outdoor space heaters).  I rented out the whole patio for an organizational event once and the atomsphere was perfect on a mild weather day.  3901 S. Texas Ave, Bryan.

Jin’s Chinese Restaurant - the College Station Chinese food scene is all about the low cost super buffets, with the exception of the Jin’s restaurants (there are three, with one Pan-Asian, but this original is my favorite).  I wouldn’t call the food authentic (there are no authentic Chinese places in BCS unless you can read Chinese, then you can order off of the special menu written in Chinese at Imperial Chinese, otherwise the place is just another super buffet), but it is always fresh with quality ingredients.  My favorite is the Mongolian beef.  Jin’s offers great value with their lunch specials.  317 Church Ave, College Station.

Los Cucos - the chowhound part of me screams “don’t recommend this place!”  It’s a mini chain (dozen locations throughout Texas) and it’s your typical greasy cheesy mess of Tex-Mex.  But I always come back if Tex-Mex is what I’m craving.  I won’t lie, the food is greasy and there are too many fried items (deep fried stuffed avocado, yum!)  This is more of a guilty pleasure than a true gem of a find.  But I come back again and again for the green sauce dip, homemade tortillas, greasy quesadillas, and cheap margaritas.  1521-A Texas Ave (in Culpepper Plaza), College Station.

Los Nortenos - more Mex-Mex than Tex-Mex.  Located in historic downtown Bryan, the place claims to be the oldest Mexican restaurant in Bryan.  I love coming to Los Nortenos on a football weekend or parents weekend when all the other restaurants have 2 hour waits, this place is just tucked away enough to have a short wait.  Their salsa is served warm with big chunks of onion and tomato, and the picadillo plate is my favorite here.  Breakfast tacos are also outstanding.  BYOB.  205 S. Main, Bryan.

Square One - small intimate bistro in downtown Bryan (and guaranteed to be less crowded than Cafe Eccell).   Another date favorite.  Favorites here include chipotle beef pasta and the shrimp in red curry cream sauce.  Square one recently got a mention in the New York Times if that counts for anything (but they also recommended Mi Cocina, which IMO is just average Tex-Mex). 211 Wm. Joel Bryan Pkwy, Bryan.

Tuscany’s - gelato/coffee shop.  It’s the only place in College Station that serves gelato, do you need another reason?  607 E University Suite 102, College Station.