Ze Germans are here, Turkish. They've brought some of their food, so really, we should be glad they're not the Pikeys.

​
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where we've spent all day in the hot sun baling whipped cream out at the cheesecake farm. With a giant spork.

Ah, spring break. In Texas, that means South By Southwest, the time of year when Houston huddles jealously in its corner by the Gulf while our more popular pal Austin gets all the attention and limelight, bitterly muttering to ourselves, "They're not so great, we're way cooler" in between crying jags. Now we know how Canada feels. We suppose you could just drive over to Austin and enjoy the festivities, such as this one, and even experience some tasty road trip must-haves on the way. What, no cherry sours? For shame.

Seriously, once you get to Austin, check these guys out. They'll tell you where to eat.

​According to my Cuban family, Easter dinner was not a particularly memorable event. They might get together and share a meal that Sunday, but there were no must-have Easter dishes. But Good Friday was a different story. Meat was not to be consumed on Fridays, so an alternate protein was substituted, which was often bacaloa, or salted cod. My mother and aunts recall that they often indulged in a salad version of the dish that incorporated potatoes and eggs along with the salty boiled fish. Despite its pungent aroma, this recipe is a classic family dish that has been passed down through several generations due to its usefulness as a simple, light spring dish. Good Friday falls this year on April 2.

The recipe, after the jump.

TLGB

​
Lengua is one of those foods that might gross you out just by the sheer fact of what it is. Mom used to always just coat it in barbecue sauce, so the kids never knew what they were eating and gobbled it down with rice. Today it's still darn tasty, with a texture of well-cooked, soft (not mushy) pot roast. This recipe is a combination of the recipes of two Mexican mamas.

It's after the jump.

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt

​More and more, organizers are mixing music with food at the industry parties that permeate the scene during the daylight hours of SXSW. This morning, I quelled my angry stomach with a full English breakfast of grilled tomatoes, Heinz beans, egg butties and tea at the British Music Embassy while I listened to musicians from Blackburn and Manchester Britrock the morning away.

Yesterday, the day party with the best food in town was Wunderbar: Lunch With The Germans, a showcase of both music and food courtesy of Germany's Initiative Musik and the German Federal Minister of Economics and Technology. (Yes, it appears that Germany still has incredibly long and official-sounding bureau names that are probably even longer in their native tongue.)

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt

Horrendous green tint courtesy of the green awnings that surround the porch and windows.

​I'm not going to lie to you. There is far, far better food to be found in East Austin -- particularly along this stretch of Cesar Chavez -- than at Mr. Natural (1901 E. Cesar Chavez). But for a uniquely Austin experience that you won't soon forget, it can't be beat.

The first thing you'll notice about Mr. Natural is that everyone in line around you smells like a potent combination of patchouli oil, bong resin and B.O. Many of them have dreads. Some of them are wearing completely foolish outfits that make them look like they've escaped from a group home for adults who have the mental capacity of five-year-olds. I once saw a grown man there wearing a faded orange Care Bears nightgown, sandals and neon green glasses. No pants. Never pants.

The second thing you'll notice is that there is no meat on the menu whatsoever. To quote its website, Mr. Natural offers "a variety of vegetarian, vegan, ovo-lacto, non-dairy, wheat-free or gluten-free specialties." In other words, if you're a picky eater or think that cows have souls, you'll be in heaven at Mr. Natural.

​
Over the course of the next few months, I'm counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations in the comments.

​We recently went to Cecil's on West Gray to indulge in dollar Lone Star Monday. We always forget that whenever a bar has cheap beer nights, the crowds are thick and it's hard as hell to get a beer. The trick is to order six at a time (thanks Andy).

​This week's Café review is heavy on the lunch items at Frank's Chop House. The restaurant is located at 3736 Westheimer near the corner of Wesleyan, where the Stables and Joyce's used to be. Our apologies for leaving the address out of the review -- it's posted now.

​We're forging ahead here on Health Department Roundup, trekking through the city's zip codes one by one. If you live, work or, more importantly, eat in 77056-77063 (mainly an area just west of the Loop and a few pockets near Aldine, the Johnson Space Center and Hobby Airport), this is your heads-up.

In a routine inspection last week, Argentina Café (3055 Sage Road, in 77056) was cited for several cleaning failures: first, for not using a sponge on cleaned, sanitized or in-use food contact surfaces; second, for not immersing food-contact surfaces of equipment or utensils in a strong enough chlorine solution long enough to sanitize them; and third, for not rinsing and sanitizing the moist cloths it used for food spills or on equipment between wipes. The eatery also was slapped for using equipment and utensils not made of safe (corrosion-resistant, nonabsorbent, easily cleanable or durable) materials, and for storing food within six inches of the floor.

​Over the course of the next few months, I'm counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations in the comments.