Armadillo Palace
On my last trip to Houston, Texas I put a huge dent in my "Explore Houston Bucket List." My friend Karen, who lives there sure helped me with this too. So for those of you getting to know me, I absolutely love Texas. I was born in Texas, lived in various parts of Texas and let me tell you..you can take the girl out of Texas but you can't take the Texas out of the girl!
So Karen takes Lin and I to The Armadillo Palace and I am in love. They just did a huge renovation not too long that increased their capacity from 250 people to 1,400 including a full outdoor stage. Her boyfriend is an executive chef there and we got a VIP tour. We got to meet Levi Goode (co-owner) and Rob Crabtree, the company's beverage director. It's clean and contemporary and completely not what I expect when I walk in. I am greeted by an Old-West Saloon atmosphere with an amazing honky tonk vibe. It's the perfect marriage of old and new in my opinion. Since crossing the big pond too long ago to count, the Goode family has dedicated itself to sharing the culinary convergence of their flavorful past: the salt of the Gulf, the soul of the South, the spice of Mexico and the sweet smoke of Texas. They discovered along the way that food is but a portion of what they love to highlight about their homeland. From live Texas tunes to live-fire barbecue pits, full-service bars to a full lineup of shows and events, the Armadillo Palace combines the communal atmosphere of a traditional Texas ranch house with an outdoor dining, dance and entertainment space unmatched in Houston. This place is just begging me to put on my cowboy boots with an ice cold longneck and show everyone how I Texas two-step. ( Hey, I know how) But I need a partner because Lin refuses to two-step with me. But it's also begging me to get all gussied up in a fabulous dress and heels with my best girlfriends and just enjoy some swanky well crafted cocktails on the patio listening to some live music. There is a time and place for everything in my world. The beer is cold, the whiskey is smooth, and the food is dang good at Armadillo Palace. Everything is made from scratch. The brisket is slow-smoked for sixteen hours. The gulf oysters are the freshest you will find. They are cracking their own pecans to make pies and splitting mesquite for their smoker. You can even dine around a fire pit and enjoy chuck wagon recipes developed by Levi's father, Jim Goode. The service is impeccable and you instantly feel like family sitting at that bar. Everyone was so nice!
We loved the stories that came along with all the artifacts and things that you see adorning the walls and the shelves. Many of these pots and pans have been used for over 100 years on their Texas ranch.
Orange Blossom Bar is located on the patio of Armadillo Ranch and it's fabulous! They were not open to the public when was I was there but it was great to see the space and look at the menu. Crabtree was actually hosting a class for his new servers.They are starting with the same base whiskey, but adding some flare with fresh juices and fresh syrups. It's GORGEOUS!
I have a feeling I am going to be here quite a bit this fall! Excited and anxious to make Houston my home for a few months. Would love to connect with some new friends and bloggers there so hit me up !
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Xo
Sam