Boomtown Cafe at Houston

 

This is the owner, barista, and the artist responsible for the beautiful chalk board seen on the back.  

 Apparent Houston has been growing a huge foodtruck scene.  This was the truck that was parked outside of boomtown. Grace is getting photobombed. 

Grace

One of the best things about the interview trail is that I got to see friends I hadn't seen in years.  Grace has been living in houston for quite some time after she finished her degree at GaTech.  She came to my white coat ceremony 3 years ago and we hadn't seen each other until my interview in Houston.  I hope to see her again under different circumstances next time!

Szechuan Hot Pot with Grace in Houston

Grace asked me if I wanted to go to a popular sushi restaurant or a hole in the wall chinese restaurant for my first meal in Houston.  I of course wanted the best hole in the wall restaurant that Houston could offer!  So we went to a Szechuan hot pot restaurant.  We ordered half mild and half spicy.  For $16/person, you can order anything for their hotpot (they had about 30 different meats, wontons, veggies, etc. to choose from)

 Grace preparing our chinese bbq sauce.  You apparently add the yolk to the brown sauce shown at the bottom.  

 

This is how much chili was in the spicy section of our hotpot

Brunch at Benjy's in Houston with Grace

Amazing brunch place that I got to go with Grace.  Located in Houston, TX, and they have an awesome website:

 http://www.benjys.com/

 They provide little petite muffin appetizers with delicious homemade butter (possibly apple flavor?).  We got 4 cornbread and 4 blueberry muffins. 

 My Choice: Asian Salad with grilled chicken, wontons, cashews, and soy garlic dressing

 The dressing had a very asian spicy flavor to it.  Reminded me of fresh kimchi.

Charity's dish: Cobb Salad with shrimp, crab claws, quinoa, egg, crushed avocado, green goddess

Dallas: Keller's Number 5

IT'S ABOUT TIME... I finally got to travel to a city that has one of my "Top 20 Burgers You Must Eat Before You Die" list: Keller's Drive-In located on 6537 E Northwest Hwy Dallas, TX 75231

Ranking at number 10 on my list,  the "Number 5" with the special thousand island-ish sauce was the recommended ultimate burger. I ordered it with the tater tots since they were also highly recommended by Alan Richman. 

Very unique place that allows you to order beer and drink it in your car as long as you are on their property.  They were grandfathered in since the restaurant was established before the "no drinking in your car" law was passed.

 I did not know they only take cash but the waitress let me take my food and go to an ATM without paying her first.  Needless to say I tipped her well.

The burger got squished on the way to the airport since I had to catch a flight to Houston.  Even though its state at the airport was not very photogenic, it was nonetheless very delicious. 

PS: The last picture is of me with my rental car in Dallas.   I rented a "small pick up truck" online since it was the cheapest option available.  I was not aware that a "small pick-up truck" meant a 2014 Dodge Ram Hemi.  I was scared I was going to hit about 7 people and I would never get into residency.  I was made fun of by the other Southwestern applicants when I had to valet the truck and jump out of it in my suit.  The picture was taken by the enterprise car rental guy.  He was very skeptical when he handed me the keys.

Jilly's Cupcake Bar and Cafe in St. Louis - Won Cupcake Wars Several Times!

I am trying my best to go to every city's best restaurant/dessert place on my interview trail.  This was Jilly's in St. Louis.  I was planning on only getting one of their signature cupcake, but I clearly could not help myself 

 Here is their website: http://jillyscupcakebar.com/

Every single one of them was OUT OF THIS WORLD!  

I got twisted pink (red velvet), apple pie a la mode, turtle cheesecake, reeses chunkage

Nuevo Laredo Cantina in Atlanta GA

Murphy's for Charity's B Day Brunch- Happy Birthday Charity!

FRENCH TOAST challah bread, cinnamon, powdered suga - See more at: http://www.murphys-atlanta-restaurant.com/menus#sthash.KkZWzNqO.dpuf

FRENCH TOAST challah bread, cinnamon, powdered sugar - See more at: http://www.murphys-atlanta-restaurant.com/menus#sthash.KkZWzNqO.dpuf

Yap! Malasian Restaurant at Greenville SC

A new malasian place that opened up in Greenville SC.  The appetizers were better than the entrees but I forgot to take pictures of them (I was too busy eating..).  I recommend the Duxelles Strudel, Coconut shrimp and Roti Canai (Roti Canai was the best!). 

Indigo Coastal Shanty Restaurant, Brunswick, Georgia