RETRO DINING: MOLINA’S CANTINA

Molina’s Cantina is Houston’s oldest family-owned and -operated Tex-Mex restaurant.

 

In the 1920s, Raul Molina moved to Houston from Mexico, in search of a better life.  He worked in small restaurants, working his way up from dishwasher, to busser, to eventually opening the Old Monterrey Inn in 1941 with his wife Mary, which was one of only a handful of Mexican restaurants in Houston at the time.  Eventually, the restaurant evolved to become Molina’s.  Today there are two locations in Houston —  3801 Bellaire Blvd. (or as we call it, “our Molina’s,” where we have been dining for almost a quarter of a century) and 7901 Westheimer.

A sampling of menus over the years

Molina’s is currently owned and operated by brothers Raul III, Ricardo, and Roberto Molina, Raul Molina’s grandchildren.

One of the things we admire about Molina’s is the loyal and cheerful staff.  Two of our favorite waiters are Art and Joaquin, both of whom have been there 26 years:

A frosty margarita — frozen or on the rocks — is always a great start to a Tex-Mex meal, especially this time of year, and Molina’s makes one with a nice sweet/tart balance:

Frozen or on the rocks (photos courtesy of Kimberly Park)

Before you can whip out your phone and check in on Facebook, a complimentary basket of crispy tortilla chips, several salsas, and carrot escabeche will appear on your table.  Molina’s was the first restaurant in Houston to offer escabeche, a zesty carrot relish Raul discovered in Mexico City.

When my kids were little, they used to order Chicken Dinosaurs from the kids menu, which were dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets (I’m not sure if they’re still on the menu, and really chips and queso are so much better).  One day, my then-5-year-old daughter asked me “what’s Mexican about Chicken Dinosaurs,” which was pretty hilarious, and to which I had to reply, “nothing.”  I think that killed it for her, and thankfully, the kids have graduated from the kids menu to the regular menu, which has many dishes they love.

A number of Molina’s signature dishes are named after staff and guests.  Nancy Ames Nachos, for example, are named after Nancy Ames, a folk singer/songwriter/entertainer who had a morning TV show in Houston in the 70s.  Raul Molina, Jr. was a guest on her show demonstrating how to make nachos.  Nancy shared her favorite nacho toppings — each chip layered with refried beans, spicy beef, cheese, guacamole, diced tomatoes, and jalapenos — and Nancy Ames Nachos were born.  They remain a top seller, and we’ve enjoyed them many times over the years.  They’re colorful, delicious, and filling — it’s easy to make a meal out of them.

Nancy Ames Nachos (photo courtesy of Dragana Harris)

Then there’s the famous Jose’s Dip.  Decades ago, a former waiter named Jose began adding spicy taco meat to his guests’ queso.  Soon, customers began requesting “Jose’s Dip,” and it remains a staple on the menu.  In fact, it’s the password for Molina’s complimentary Wi-Fi.  Tip:  If you sign up for Molina’s E-News Club, you’ll receive a complimentary bowl of Jose’s Dip  (you’ll also receive an email coupon for a complimentary bowl each year for your birthday).

Jose’s Dip

Another popular item is Berly’s Burrito, named after long-time guest Jim Berly.  One night he came in wanting something different, and requested a burrito filled with fajita meat, smothered with chili con carne and topped with queso.  I assume Mr. Berly was wearing stretchy pants at the time.

Berly’s Burrito (photo courtesy of Dragana Harris)

Williams Special and C.W. Special are two of my family’s favorite entrees.  Williams Special gets its name from William Lyons, a cook who worked for the Molina family for more than 40 years.  One day, Raul Jr. asked William to surprise him with something different, and William brought him a plate filled with carne asada, grilled onions, and 2 cheese enchiladas, all topped with “William’s sauce” and Chihuahua cheese — the rest is Molina’s history.  The C.W. Special was created by Chris Wilson, a childhood friend of Roberto’s, after the two spent a night out on the town.  It includes a taco al carbon, cheese enchilada, rice, beans, pico de gallo, and guacamole.

William’s Special (photo courtesy of Dragana Harris)

C.W. Special (photo courtesy of Kimberly Park)

Enchiladas a la Michael are named after Michael Garay, a former manager who created a delicious salsa verde that he served on top of the restaurant’s chicken enchiladas, followed by Chihuahua cheese, cilantro, and avocado slices.

Enchiladas a la Michael (photo courtesy of Dragana Harris)

Of course there’s a variety of enchiladas, tacos, fajitas, and other Tex-Mex favorites to choose from.  One dish that I particularly enjoy, which I like to think is on the lighter side, is Raulito’s Shrimp — jumbo shrimp sautéed in garlic butter, served with frijoles a la charra, guacamole, and mango pico de gallo, accompanied by tortillas:

Raulito’s Shrimp (photo courtesy of Kimberly Park)

If you dine at Molina’s on a Saturday night, you may be lucky enough to be serenaded:

At the end of the meal, look forward to a sweet ending of complimentary pralines:

It’s not hard to figure out how Molina’s has stayed in business for over 75 years.  The cheerful staff, the family atmosphere, and the restaurant’s heritage certainly contribute to its longevity.  The food is always fresh, made from scratch in small batches, and is delicious and satisfying, with items to appeal to all ages.  The Bellaire location has a comfortable neighborhood feel, and it’s a rare occasion when we do not run into friends and acquaintances there.

LAWYERING IN LA GRANGE, ARGUING IN AUSTIN

Last year on my birthday I spent the day in urgent care, and was sent to the hospital by ambulance, where I spent 6 miserable days.  This year my birthday was significantly better, and involved a trip to Austin for oral argument in the appeal of a case we tried in October 2015 in La Grange.

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La Grange, population approximately 4,600, is located about 100 miles from Houston. Established in the 1830s, the town is rich in history, although it’s best known as the location of the Chicken Ranch — “the Oldest Continually Operating Non-Floating Whorehouse in the United States,” and the subject of the Broadway musical and movie “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”  (Don’t get too excited — the Chicken Ranch closed in 1973.)  Kinda  makes you wonder how many floating whorehouses are out there, doesn’t it?

As is usually the case, my role was towards the end of trial, when I was summoned to assist with the jury charge.  And as is also usually the case, opposing counsel did not appreciate my sudden appearance in the case.  At one point, as we were attempting to draft an agreement and opposing counsel would not tell us what he would agree to, he emailed me and copied everyone in the case (oh, grow up): “I don’t understand this.  I think we have had a good working relationship with the attorneys of the firm of which you are of counsel.”  And his point was??  Was he telling on me?  He never did share what it was he would agree to.  Yeah, we won’t be exchanging Christmas cards.

Once outside the big city, I really enjoyed the drive, past fields of purple grasses and ranch lands (and an occasional smoke stack):lagrange1

The trial took place in the Fayette County Courthouse, which is the most stunning Texas historic courthouse I have been in yet.  Built in 1891, the Fayette County Courthouse is a “prime example of the Romanesque Revival style of architecture with its arched openings along with the use of different stone types and  colors.”  It’s built of red and blue sandstone, pink granite, and white limestone.  Thanks to a $4 million grant from the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program of the Texas Historical Commission, the courthouse was beautifully restored in 2003.

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In the center of the courthouse is a 30′ x 30′ courtyard, around which the courtroom and offices are arranged:

I think opposing counsel got excited believing there were “hot chicks” in the courthouse:

Ready to see the beautiful courtroom?

Note the star of Texas on each seat:

The all-important jury box:

Here’s the star witness from the trial — steel casing used in an oil well:

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I won’t bore you with the details of the trial (we saved that for the jury), but we won.  🙂

Before we leave La Grange, a few highlights of the courtyard square.  Lukas Bakery is across from the courthouse at 135 N. Main St.  I saw the A/V guy in the courtroom munching on oatmeal cookies from there throughout the trial.  I brought home a bag of their Cherry Slice cookies, which everyone went crazy for (I have had no luck reproducing them at home).

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Prause’s Meat Market, at 253 W. Travis St., is a popular lunch destination, but you better get there early before the barbecue sells out.  The day I visited, there was a line out the door of women waiting to buy meat:

There are a number of retail establishments in the courtyard square, including this one that caught my eye:

Heading back to Houston, I stopped at the La Grange Smokehouse, 4315 E. State Highway 71, to pick up some smoked beef sticks.  Not much to look at inside, but those beef sticks are really tasty:

Usually when I see a Buc-ee’s billboard I pay attention and start counting down the miles (Yes!  Yes!  I CAN hold it!):

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But if you look a little closer, you’ll see that right after the Buc-ee’s sign is Hruska’s, 109 W. Highway 71, in Ellinger, established more than a century ago, and well known to travelers for its famous kolaches.  So, sorry Buc-ee’s, but history won out this time.

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Hruska’s menu lists 16 varieties of kolaches, a dozen different klobanskys (savory filled pastries, what we call sausage kolaches), 8 different cookies, breads, rolls, and filled cookies they call “skrumptions.”  My family was pretty happy to see me when I got back home, but was even happier to see the pastries, beef sticks, barbecue, and cookies I brought them.

Our opponent was not happy with the outcome of the trial, and appealed.  And so a year and a half later we traveled to Austin for oral argument of the appeal — on my birthday.  We got in around noon the day before, and headed over to the Texas Chili Parlor, established in 1976, for lunch.

We used to eat there occasionally when I was in law school, so it was a little bit of a side trip down Memory Lane.  The chili was just as I remembered — hot, spicy, and chunky:

My hotel room had a view of the beautiful Capitol:

The rest of my group bailed on me for dinner, so I strolled over to Clay Pit, an Indian restaurant down the street from the hotel.

Dining alone I was only able to sample a few things, but I really enjoyed my meal and  recommend this reasonably-priced restaurant.  Being the party girl that I am, I started with a glass of hibiscus iced tea and an order of papadum, which came with red and green chutneys:

For my main course I ordered channa saag, which was made with spinach, garbanzo beans, and herbs, and was served with rice:

Bright and early the next morning — my birthday — we headed over to the Third Court of Appeals for argument, located in the Price Daniel, Sr. Building.  According to the historical marker outside the building, Price Daniel held more offices of public trust than any other individual in Texas history.  Learn something new every day!

The building’s exterior was plain, but inside the courtroom was elegant, with comfortable upholstered benches.  Usually the benches are wooden and it feels like being in church; this felt more like being at the movies:

My boss expertly argued the appeal in his typically animated manner, and we felt like it went well.  We left, as always, cautiously optimistic.  It’ll be a few months before we find out which side won. UPDATE:  It wasn’t us.

On the way home, my boss steered us towards Meyer’s Smokehouse in Elgin.  That was some good barbecue — so good I forgot to take any photos before everyone scarfed down their lunch.

Back at home, my family was waiting to take me out for birthday dinner.  All in all, it was a great birthday, full of fun surprises, and a million times better than last year’s!