One of My Favorite Topics

Regardless of where we live or visit the one constant I look forward to is food.  I love trying new things to eat.

Returning to Houston I was concerned about getting good healthy food be it in a restaurant or from the grocery store.  Realistically I knew that as a family we would deviate some from the path we had been on in Europe.  After roughly six months I can say we have succumbed somewhat to the convenience of easily accessible and affordable restaurants (two or three visits a week versus one or two a week in France) although we have tried to stay with reasonable quality selections.  Cooking at home has been easier to stick with what is good.

One observation I have made is that restaurant food does not seem to taste as good as before we left overseas.  We have tried many restaurants with great reviews and/or came highly recommended from friends only to find that the food was fair or mediocre.  I hypothesize that the food tastes the same but it is our taste buds that have changed .  In most cases the food is not bad, it just isn't as good as I remember.

I have been pleasantly surprised at the amount of organic/natural/local/non-GMO/etc. food selections that grocery stores now offer.  With the increasing popularity of healthy options some prices have nudged down.  Farmer's Markets and vegetable co-ops are popular.

A few points to take-away (pun intended) is that good food is out there.  Several characteristics/trends hold true for good food wherever you are.  Look for "mom-and-pop" places often equating to passion and care in what they make and do.  Smaller places allow for attention to detail.  "Slow food" tends to be fresh and hand made.  Limited menus often mean specialized high quality items.  Take advantage of healthy options at the grocery store.  Patronize local producers and merchants.