HometownGeorgetown.com

I received an email today with exciting news from The Landmark Tavern, the jazz and blues club upstairs from Amante’s. The Landmark will be open for New Year’s Eve, so if you’re looking for somewhere to celebrate…

I received an invitation to a birthday lunch next week at La Maison, a new French restaurant downtown. So, of course, I rushed to the internet to see if the owners had a website yet. I discovered that Chantal’s is going to reopen as La Maison, featuring “affordable, authentic French cuisine.” The Chantal’s website doesn’t say when they’re going to reopen, but it must be soon if I’m having lunch there next week. Bon appetit!

My brother and his wife are visiting this week. They live in Germany, and my sister-in-law is German, so my husband and I took them for lunch at the Monument Cafe for some good made-from-scratch American cooking. (The Monument has the best biscuits on the planet.) We ate too much and decided to walk off a little of the overeating by strolling around the square. We noticed that three people were inside the Masonic Lodge at 7th and Main, where Romeo’s used to be. The people had tools and notebooks and looks of determination. Exciting!

A few steps later, we bumped into Chris Damon, who owns that building as well as local marketing powerhouse, GX Creative. Chris spoke fluent German, much to my sister-in-law’s delight, who has been in the States for a few weeks visiting a family who drifted away from our German heritage generations ago. Then, in English, he shared a few details of the restaurant with me.

The restaurant will feature northern Italian cuisine, with cream sauces, rice dishes. (I’ll take this opportunity to put in a plug for gnocchi.)

The family who is starting the new restaurant made a name for themselves in Connecticut as restaurateurs. I’m afraid I didn’t have a notebook with me on our stroll, so I’ve forgotten some of the details. Such as the name. I’m drawing a complete blank on the name. (Anyone who knows, please feel free to post a comment.) When I heard about the northern Italian cuisine, my mind was buzzing with thoughts of food. Even though I had just eaten too much at the Monument. What can I say, I’m a foodie. I do remember that Chris said the restaurant will open as soon as the TABC gives them their liquor license or in September, whichever comes first. They will be a wonderful addition to Downtown Georgetown.

By the way, if you’re looking for a job, I found their ad on Craigslist, looking for restaurant help.

Chris is still looking for tenants for the second floor space at this location. He mentioned that he would love to get a quiet lounge-type tapa bar in that location. If you’re interested, you can contact Chris through GX Creative.

Genghis Grill, The Mongolian Stir Fry, opens today at Wolf Ranch Mall. It’s located near the water fountain around the corner from Sephora and across the parking lot from Vino 100. As a member of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, I got a sneak peek yesterday. My husband and I went for lunch. It was delicious!

(So you all know, my policy here at HometownGeorgetown is that I’m always sincere, and I’m always positive. That means if I didn’t like a local restaurant or get good service from a local business, I simply don’t write about it. It’s the whole “If you can’t say something nice…” philosophy I learned at my mother’s knee.)

The Genghis Grill concept is an interesting one. You “build your own bowl,” as they put it, meaning you choose what goes into your own ultra-customized stir-fry. The lunch bowl is a fixed price of $8.99 no matter which meat, spices, vegetables, sauce, and starch you choose. The dinner bowl is $9.99. Which is interesting because the size of the bowl doesn’t change.

When you choose the starch - more options than just rice or noodles - the gentleman who takes your order will holler out your option, and all the other men in the grill area holler it right back at him. They just opened, so they don’t have it down pat yet, but it should be a fun little moment once they get into it. The food is cooked on a round grill about six feet in diameter, with each order separated by long wooden poles. You can stand there and watch your food being prepared, or go to your table and let the wait staff bring the food to you.

The food was delicious. How could it not be, when I created it myself? They even give you a chance to taste the sauces before you choose. It can be as mild or as spicy as you want. And if you’re not in the mood for Asian, you can even use their ingredients to create your own fajitas. One of the starch options is tortillas. (Are tortillas?)

Let’s start with facts, and then I’ll let myself rave at will. Mama Fu’s Asian House at Wolf Ranch Mall in Georgetown opens to the public today. At lunchtime, they’ll offer counter service so you can get in and out quickly. At dinner, a waiter or waitress will come to your table to take your order. The atmosphere is casual, so come as you are. The Georgetown location does deliver, and I called the restaurant today to verify that they are already offering delivery. I spoke with Randy Murphy, the President and CEO of Mama Fu’s, and he said he’s been surprised by the number of people who have asked them if they’re going to deliver here in Georgetown. They’re trying to decide on what delivery areas make sense for them, but Randy did feel that they might deliver to some neighborhoods that weren’t all that close to the Mama Fu’s location. (I’m guessing that means Sun City Texas, but Randy didn’t specify.)

You can order for pickup or delivery online at www.mamafusonline.com. Check out the Mama Fu’s menu. The online menu doesn’t show their prices, but they were pretty reasonable. Looks to me like there will be a $5 delivery charge, and don’t forget to tip your driver!

Okay, and now for my raving…

I am so lucky! I write the articles on HometownGeorgetown.com as a hobby, basically. Sure, it serves as an online writing sample for clients who may be looking for freelance writing services, but really, I write the articles in HometownGeorgetown.com simply because I’m so enthusiastic about Georgetown, Texas.

So when something nice comes my way because of my hobby, I feel really tickled. Last week, I received an email from the folks at Mama Fu’s because of the article I wrote about them recently. They were inviting me to their preview event this past weekend. My husband, our neighbor, and I went Friday night, and we had a wonderful time! The food was everything I’d hoped it would be.

Because the goal of the preview event is to train the waitstaff and the kitchen staff, we were asked to make sure that everyone at the table ordered a variety of items from the menu. At our table, we started with the lettuce wraps and dumplings. Both were excellent. I could have happily made a meal out of the lettuce wraps. The lettuce was crisp and fresh. In fact, everything is fresh. The produce is delivered daily, and the food is cooked to order, so you won’t have any of that too-long-on-the-buffet Chinese style food here. For our entrees, we had Vietnamese crunchy noodles with shrimp, Thai cashew stir fry with chicken and fried rice, and Thai basil with beef. (Each entree comes with your choice of meat or tofu.) And then we all shared each of them. Yum! The Thai basil was ranked as “whoa, mama!” on the menu’s spice meter. The other two items were very mild, and the wait staff can help you choose something that won’t burn your tongue (or something that will burn it just right.) The wine we ordered hit the spot, too.

If you haven’t tried Vietnamese or Thai food before, don’t let that stop you from venturing into Mama Fu’s. If you like Chinese restaurants, you’ll like Mama Fu’s. Try it once, and I guarantee you’ll return. If you already have eaten at Mama Fu’s, whether in Georgetown or elsewhere, please post a comment on this article.

According to an article in QSR Magazine online, Mama Fu’s Asian House will open at Wolf Ranch in Georgetown, TX in April and will be the first Mama Fu’s location to be decorated in the new, contemporary corporate prototype.

There are four Mama Fu’s locations in Austin. Georgetown’s location will be the first in Texas outside of the city of Austin. The Texas locations allow for online ordering, and it looks like they may deliver, too. Color me excited! I love when people bring food right to my door. To me, luxury is answering the door in my slippers to receive bounty from a total stranger. I’m happy to pay for this luxury, of course. If anyone from the Georgetown Mama Fu’s reads HometownGeorgetown.com, consider this one vote in favor of delivery in Georgetown.

On February 21, the Georgetown animal shelter is hosting a dog walk and canine costume contest at San Gabriel Park. You’ll see the poster below around town a lot over the next month. (Designed by the multi-talented Nick Ramos of Graphismo.)

The dog walk’s major sponsor is our local Schlotzky’s restaurant. I have to say, Michele J., the owner of this particular Schlotzky’s (whose last name will be too hard for me to spell until her upcoming marriage), has a philanthropic spirit. This past weekend, in fact, they donated 50 cents for every sandwich sold to the very talented Georgetown High School band. Support Schlotzky’s by eating there when you’re in the mood for a sandwich; they sure do a lot to support Georgetown. They also provide great catering services with fresh ingredients.

Online registration is available for the Mardi Gras dog walk. I’ve already signed up. Now I’m practicing with my dog to wear his colorful Mardi Gras costume so he’ll wear it all the way around the 3.1-mile walking path. He is going to have so much fun!

I can’t count the number of people who have asked me with a sense of longing in their voice, “Did you ever eat at BB’s Home Cooking?” Alas, the small restaurant had closed by the time I moved to Georgetown. From everything I’ve heard, BB’s provided some of the best Southern comfort food in town.

Rejoice, foodies! BB’s Home Cooking reopened this morning at eleven! Although I still haven’t eaten there, I did stop by the restaurant this afternoon to see what it looks like. BB’s is at 4701 Williams Drive, in the same shopping center as Hollandaze Gourmet, a fantastic upscale kitchen shop, and Hippie Cowgirl, one of Georgetown’s fabulously unique boutiques.

If you’re coming from downtown, drive out Williams Drive past the H-E-B, and the shopping center will be on your right soon after about half a mile. The shopping center is a series of stucco buildings with arched doors and windows and rustic appeal. Inside BB’s, you’ll find vaulted ceiling and more of that rustic charm. Plenty of seating at tables, in booths, and along the bar.

I sneaked a peek at BB’s dinner menu. Catfish, chicken, salads… Even a veggie plate which allows diners to choose four vegetable sides. All the desserts are homemade. I won’t be able to enjoy those until after my New Year’s resolution proves effective, but I’d love to live vicariously through you all. Anyone who has eaten at BB’s, whether in the new incarnation or at the former place of business, please post a comment. If I remember right… and those of you in the know can feel free to correct me if I’m wrong… the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day and for breakfast on the weekends.

I ate lunch today at Catfish Parlour on Williams Drive here in Georgetown, TX, and I have to tell you, they have the best fried okra I have ever tasted. (And I’ve tasted some good fried okra in my lifetime.) It was crispy and hot. The Express Lunch is a pretty terrific deal. For $6.95 plus tax, I got a small catfish plate. This came with four small fried catfish fillets and unlimited vegetables, fries, and hush puppies. You certainly could never go hungry. Frankly, I forced myself to leave as soon as I finished my first helping. I didn’t trust myself in the same room with that okra.

For the same price, I could also have gotten shrimp, or a combination of shrimp and catfish. The service was excellent, too. Owner Chris Kerbow chatted with customers as we came out of the line, and our waitress was friendly and right there whenever we needed her.