I took the family to Trio’s this past Friday night and ended up ordering the Mushroom Mantra. I’m a sucker for anything mushroom and this dish was loaded with them, including black trumpet, chanterelle, Portobello and shiitake. The mushrooms, along with other ingredients like shallots and sour cream, formed a delicious ragout that was accompanied by two griddled polenta cakes and a side of red cabbage salad. It was a wonderful combination of flavors, and although I enjoyed the charred marks on the polenta, I found the cakes in need of salt. Also, the warm red cabbage could have stood for a finer shred, as the bigger pieces were a tad difficult to chew. Trio’s had a packed house at 7 p.m., and while the service was fantastic, waiting 45 minutes for the food to hit the table due to a slammed kitchen got me a touch grouchy,

Lately, burgers have been coming up a lot on the blog. We have a ton of great options here in the area, but one, Monkey Burger, was still on my to-do list up until Saturday afternoon. The burger joint in College Station (near the airport) serves up no-frills traditional burgers for normal humans, but if you have the appetite of a bear, you can get the Maniac Burger, which I think comes with a ton of bacon and an egg. Whatevs. That isn’t for me. I opted for the double cheeseburger with American cheese and all the fixings. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the burger, gobbling up my portion in 3 minutes. But I also didn’t feel it wanted a spot in my personal Top 10ish, mainly due to an overall lack of seasoning. Again, a very good burger, and at around $8, the combo with fries and a drink is an excellent value. Couple that with some super friendly service and it’s easy to see why Monkey Burger is so beloved.

It’s been about a month, so I was itching to get my El Palenque fix. It’s my wife’s favorite restaurant and if we don’t eat there every 4-5 weeks, I think she’ll divorce me. This time around I got the Chicken Milanesa Torta and a side of rice and beans for take-out. Nice to see a full restaurant when I walked in on Saturday evening … and my fried chicken sandwich certainly was a treat. I’ve long said El Palenque is the best Mexican food in town, and I’ll still cling to those sentiments, but boy does it have some competition.

Guillermo’s continues to be one of my favorite coffeehouses. Granted, it’s a place that naturally falls on my carpooling path, but, even so, I do love the atmosphere, friendly service, and, of course, the coffee. When it comes to java, I’m a simple man and usually choose from one of their two Coffees of the Day. Typically, I stay for about an hour, do a little writing, and go on my way. The place has such a warm vibe to it. Kudos to the staff.