Fantastic Food at the Final Four
The Night Watchman, Houston Dining, Procol Harum, UConn, D Cap
Welcome to my weekly newsletter. I hope you enjoy the picks and pics.
Fave Five 27: Fantastic Food at the Final Four. Native Novel (The Night Watchman), Clutch City Crawl (Houston Dining), Late Lyricist (Procol Harum), Connecticut Champions (UConn), and a Dropped D (D Cap).
Roger and I attended our 14th Final Four last weekend in Houston, also known as Clutch City. We have been together in 1997, 2000-2002, 2009, 2012-2019, and 2023 and love meeting every year to continue this father and son tradition. Our usual activities include walking, dining, meeting up with friends, listening to music, and laughing a lot.
I drove into Houston on Friday from Las Cruces, New Mexico, an overnight stop on my way back from Santa Barbara. I braved the 90-degree temps and the Houston rush-hour traffic to pick up Rog from the airport, and we headed to Crawfish Cafe. There was a one-hour wait there, so we took a walk and shared a torta at nearby Taquerias Arandas. When our table was ready, we enjoyed our seafood while watching Iowa hand Number 1 South Carolina its first and only loss at the Women’s Final Four in Dallas.
On Saturday we walked around Post Oak Lane, Post Oak Blvd, and Post Oak Drive — reminiscent of all the Peachtree streets in Atlanta. We drove to Roegels Barbecue on Voss Road at 11 a.m., which is when it opens. After a great lunch, we walked in Memorial Park, which is enormous and very popular with local walkers, runners, and bikers, despite Houston’s high heat and humidity.
Well before the 5:09 p.m. start time of the first game, we drove to the Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen across from nrg Stadium. This was a good spot to park, have a bite before the games, and walk over to the stadium. The first game was a classic, finishing with a buzzer beater by Lamont Butler that won the game for San Diego State over Florida Atlantic, 72-71. Between games we met up with Roger’s former Franklin Wolves teammates Matt Osher and Mike Salciccioli and two of their friends who attend the Final Four with them every year. For the second game, we were able to join Roger’s Kalamazoo college friend (also named Stan — this one Peplinski) in the Capital One suite at the 200 level, center court — a much better location that our 500 level end zone seats. Miami got within 8 points in the second half, but it was never close after that as UConn romped, 72-59.
On Sunday we returned to Common Bond for breakfast, which we had visited the last time the Final Four was in Houston in 2016. After a walk in the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, we split a banh mi sandwich at Pho Binh and then watched LSU beat Iowa for the Women’s National Championship at the Airbnb rented by Matt, Mike, and friends. Then it was time to take Roger to the airport. On the way back to my hotel, I stopped at La Tapatia for dinner.
On Monday I returned to Memorial Park for a nice walk and then had a Crossroads Taco at Torchy’s Tacos to tide me over until my next meal. Due to Roger’s departure, I was left with an extra ticket and hotel room for the championship game. I posted on Facebook to see if any fans of the Huskies or Aztecs wanted to join me. As luck would have it, my former Deloitte colleague David Grant, who attended UConn, took me up on the offer. Despite having just returned from Texas to his home in San Franciso, he flew back to Houston and arrived on Monday afternoon.
We had a quick bite at Boudreaux’s Cajun Kitchen near our hotel, and then drove to Pappasito’s Cantina to park for the game and to get a pre-game meal. On his podcast, Greg Cote had raved about the fajitas at Pappasito’s, stating they were the best he had ever had, so were eager to see if that was the case. Apparently, everyone else had the same idea, and we were told that the wait times at both Pappasito’s and Pappadeaux’s next door were two hours. We waited for both, but eventually gave up and walked to the stadium. No sooner had we started out than I received texts from both restaurants informing us that our tables were ready. We decided to keep walking, and we were rewarded with an outstanding meal at the stadium.
In 2016, Roger and I had driven to Pearland, south of Houston, to try Killen’s Barbecue. While waiting in line for an hour we ran into Roadfood buddy Boyd Gallatin who had driven down from Dallas. The food was excellent, especially the beef rib. Roger and I noticed a Killen’s stand at nrg Stadium on Saturday, and wondered how good it could be. David and I found out that it was pretty, pretty good. My brisket sandwich was outstanding, as were David’s brisket tacos. The game went as expected, with San Diego State briefly getting within 5 points in the second half before succumbing, 76-59. Roger had predicted UConn 74, SDSU 59 in his bracket pool update earlier that day. David was thrilled to be able to root his Huskies on to victory at his first-ever tournament game.
I left Houston early Tuesday morning to drive back to Michigan over two days. Details on my dining on the way home will appear in the next issue. I just applied for tickets for next year’s Final Four in Phoenix, and hope that our tradition will continue.
Book Best Bet
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
I read a recommendation for this book and noticed that it won the Pulitzer Prize, so I ordered it. I was rewarded with a remarkable work of fiction rooted in the author’s own family history. I loved the characters, the story, and the writing.
From Amazon: Winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Washington Post, NPR, CBS Sunday Morning, Kirkus, Chicago Public Library, and Good Housekeeping Best Book of the Year
Based on the extraordinary life of National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C., this powerful novel explores themes of love and death with lightness and gravity and unfolds with the elegant prose, sly humor, and depth of feeling of a master craftsman.
Thomas Wazhashk is the night watchman at the jewel bearing plant, the first factory located near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural North Dakota. He is also a Chippewa Council member who is trying to understand the consequences of a new “emancipation” bill on its way to the floor of the United States Congress. It is 1953 and he and the other council members know the bill isn’t about freedom; Congress is fed up with Indians. The bill is a “termination” that threatens the rights of Native Americans to their land and their very identity. How can the government abandon treaties made in good faith with Native Americans “for as long as the grasses shall grow, and the rivers run”?
Since graduating high school, Pixie Paranteau has insisted that everyone call her Patrice. Unlike most of the girls on the reservation, Patrice, the class valedictorian, has no desire to wear herself down with a husband and kids. She makes jewel bearings at the plant, a job that barely pays her enough to support her mother and brother. Patrice’s shameful alcoholic father returns home sporadically to terrorize his wife and children and bully her for money. But Patrice needs every penny to follow her beloved older sister, Vera, who moved to the big city of Minneapolis. Vera may have disappeared; she hasn’t been in touch in months, and is rumored to have had a baby. Determined to find Vera and her child, Patrice makes a fateful trip to Minnesota that introduces her to unexpected forms of exploitation and violence, and endangers her life.
Thomas and Patrice live in this impoverished reservation community along with young Chippewa boxer Wood Mountain and his mother Juggie Blue, her niece and Patrice’s best friend Valentine, and Stack Barnes, the white high school math teacher and boxing coach who is hopelessly in love with Patrice.
In the Night Watchman, Louise Erdrich creates a fictional world populated with memorable characters who are forced to grapple with the worst and best impulses of human nature. Illuminating the loves and lives, the desires and ambitions of these characters with compassion, wit, and intelligence, The Night Watchman is a majestic work of fiction from this revered cultural treasure.
Restaurant Recommendations
Clutch City Crawl: Houston Dining
Here is a rundown on our fantastic food finds for four days.
Taquerias Arandas 920 N Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77008
Torta al pastor
Crawfish Cafe 1026 N Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77008
6 Oysters on the half shell
1 pound Shrimp, Headless
Garlic Noodles with Crawfish
Roegels Barbecue 2223 S Voss Rd, Houston, TX 77057
Sliced Brisket
Pork Ribs
Sausage
Pulled Pork
Turkey
Chicken
Coleslaw
Collard Greens
Mac and Cheese
Potato Salad
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen nrg Stadium: 2525 South Loop West, Houston, TX 77054
Caesar Salad: Herb croutons, Parmesan cheese & Caesar dressing, Blackened Salmon
Cup of Louisiana Crab Gumbo
1/2 Po-boy: tartar sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickles, fried shrimp
Common Bond Bistro & Bakery Montrose: 1706 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77098
Kouign Amann (pronounced Queen Ahmin)
Chef's Scramble: three eggs scrambled with chef selection of seasonal ingredients, crispy hatch potatoes, bacon, toast with jam
Chicken & Waffles: fried chicken thighs, waffles, whipped ricotta, chili honey
Pho Binh Galleria: 5901 Westheimer Rd U, Houston, TX 77057
Regular Grilled Pork Sandwich (Banh Mi Thit Nuong)
La Tapatia Mexican Restaurant, Café & Cantina Galleria: 5591 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77056
Street Tacos Pastor
Horchata
Torchy’s Tacos Shepherd: 2411 S. Shepherd Dr. Houston, TX 77019
Crossroads Taco: Smoked Beef Brisket, Grilled Onions, Jalapeños, Cilantro, Avocado & Jack Cheese with Tomatillo Sauce on a Corn Tortilla
Boudreaux’s Cajun Kitchen West Loop: 5475 West Loop South Houston, TX 77081
Shrimp and Grits: Lightly fried homemade grits with smoked gouda cheese topped with shrimp in a hearty cream sauce
Seafood Gumbo (cup)
Killen’s Barbecue nrg Stadium: NRG Pkwy, Houston, TX 77054
Brisket Tacos
Brisket Sandwich
Marvelous Musicians
Keith Reid, lyricist and band member of Procol Harum, died on March 23, 2023, following Gary Brooker, who died February 19, 2022 and B.J. Wilson, who died October 8, 1990. I was a huge fan of the band, and still love listening to their music from over half a century ago.
I first heard “A Whiter Shade of Pale” in 1967 and loved it. I paid no further attention to the band until two years later when I was browsing LPs in a Sam Goody store in Paramus, New Jersey. Someone came up to me and told me to buy Shine on Brightly. I did and was very thankful for the recommendation. Later I bought Procol Harum and A Salty Dog, which is one of my favorite albums of all time. My favorite songs include “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” “Conquistador,” “Repent Walpurgis,” “Quite Rightly So,” “Shine On Brightly,” “A Salty Dog,” “The Milk of Human Kindness,” “Pilgrims Progress,” and “Power Failure.”
From Wikipedia: Procol Harum was an English rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” one of the few singles to have sold over 10 million copies. Although noted for their baroque and classical influence, Procol Harum's music is described as psychedelic rock and proto-prog with hints of the blues, R&B, and soul. In 2018 the band was honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when “A Whiter Shade of Pale” was inducted into the new Singles category.
The group named themselves after a male blue Burmese cat, which had been bred by Eleonore Vogt-Chapman and belonged to Liz Coombes, a friend. Stevens suggested the group name themselves after the cat, which the group immediately accepted. However, the cat's pedigree name was in fact Procul Harun, the Procul being the breeder's prefix, but the name was taken down over the telephone, causing a misspell. Although people informed the band that the name is Latin for “beyond these things,” this is incorrect as the correct term would be procul hīs.
Gary Brooker MBE (29 May 1945 – 19 February 2022) was an English singer and pianist, and the founder and lead singer of the rock band Procol Harum.
Matthew Fisher (born 7 March 1946) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his longtime association with the rock band Procol Harum, which included playing the Hammond organ on the 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", for which he subsequently won a songwriting credit. In his later life he became a computer programmer, having qualified from Cambridge University.
Robin Trower (born 9 March 1945) is an English rock guitarist who achieved success with Procol Harum throughout 1967–1971, and then again as the bandleader of his own power trio known as the Robin Trower Band.
B.J. (Barrie James) Wilson (18 March 1947 – 8 October 1990) was an English rock drummer. He was best known as a member of Procol Harum for the majority of their original career from 1967 to 1977.
David Knights (28 June 1945, Islington, North London) is a British musician who was the original bass guitarist in the band Procol Harum. He played bass on the hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale". He was in the band long enough to play on their first three albums. He departed in 1969, to be replaced by Chris Copping.
Keith Reid (19 October 1946 – 23 March 2023) was an English lyricist and songwriter. He was best known for being the songwriter who wrote the lyrics of every original song released by Procol Harum, with the exception of the songs on their 2017 album Novum. He co-founded the band with Gary Brooker. Reid was a non-performing member, he did not play any instrument, and did not record with Procol Harum.
A Whiter Shade of Pale
Quite Rightly So
A Salty Dog
My Playlist
Sports Stars
My sister Ann celebrated her 75th birthday on April 4 — the day after UConn won the NCAA championship in Houston. She was born in Willimantic, Connecticut in 1948, when our dad was a professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut (UConn).
UConn dominated throughout the tournament, winning by double figures in each game. The Huskies won their fifth men’s basketball championship since 1999:
1999 (defeated Duke, 77-74)
2004 (defeated Georgia Tech, 82-73)
2011 (defeated Butler, 53-41)
2014 (defeated Kentucky, 60-54)
2023 (defeated San Diego State 76-59)
UConn has also won 11 women’s championships, in 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. That’s a total of 16 for men and women since 1995. Storrs, Connecticut can lay claim to being the college basketball capital of the world.
Adama Sanogo was named the Most Outstanding Player. His stats: 19.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per night in the NCAA Tournament, making 50 of the 75 shots he attempted from the floor, capping the run with three straight double-doubles in the Elite Eight and Final Four.
2 Tristen Newton G Sr. 6-5 190 El Paso, Texas / East Carolina
3 Joey Calcaterra G Gr. 6-3 180 Novato, Calif. / San Diego
4 Nahiem Alleyne G Sr. 6-4 195 Buford, Ga. / Virginia Tech
5 Hassan Diarra G Jr. 6-2 190 Queens, N.Y. / Texas A&M
11 Alex Karaban F R-Fr. 6-8 210 Southborough, Mass. / IMG Academy_
13 Richie Springs F R-Jr. 6-9 235 Brooklyn, N.Y. / MacDuffie School
20 Andrew Hurley G Jr. 6-1 170 Glastonbury, Conn. / East Catholic HS (Danny Hurley’s son)
21 Adama Sanogo F Jr. 6-9 245 Bamako, Mali / The Patrick School
24 Jordan Hawkins G So. 6-5 195 Gaithersburg, Md. / DeMatha Catholic HS
30 Yarin Hasson F Fr. 6-9 205 Gan Yavne, Israel / Gimnasia Realit
32 Donovan Clingan C Fr. 7-2 265 Bristol, Conn. / Bristol Central
33 Apostolos Roumoglou G Fr. 6-7 200 Xanthi, Greece / Arion Xanthi Club
35 Samson Johnson F So. 6-10 215 Lome, Togo / The Patrick School
40 Andre Johnson Jr. G Fr. 6-4 160 Bristol, Conn. / South Kent School
41 Emmett Hendry G Fr. 6-3 155 Brooklyn, N.Y. / Montverde Academy_
44 Andre Jackson Jr. G Jr. 6-6 210 Amsterdam, N.Y. / Albany Academy
Coaching Staff
Dan Hurley, Head Coach
Kimani Young, Associate Head Coach
Tom Moore, Assistant Coach
Luke Murray, Assistant Coach (Bill Murray’s son)
Picture Pun
The head is missing, but I found the D cap it aided.
