With the hustle and bustle of Christmas over, it was time to slow down
and smell the roses, or if you are a country boy like me, relax in a
hunting/fishing lodge with a cold Shiner Bock. With this inspiration in mind, I
searched Houston for my solution to the after holiday blues.
Luckily I found the perfect spot to take Suzanne for a night out, “The
Rainbow Lodge”. To make our outing more fun, I didn’t tell her where we were
headed, but just told her to dress up. On the evening of our dinner date,
Suzanne looked stunning in her little black dress! I’m sure she was surprised to
see me wearing a coat and tie, instead of my usual blue jeans, when we
weren’t going to a wedding or funeral!
With mystery in the air, we drove off into the Houston night searching
for our romantic rendezvous. As we reached our destination, we drove right up
to the front door. Surveying the log cabin building, I knew I’d made a great
choice. With Suzanne’s hand in mine, we entered the front door as if we were
walking through a science fiction time portal. Outside the door was the
boisterous metropolitan spirit of Houston, but inside was the peaceful, relaxing
atmosphere of a hidden mountain lodge.
Before being seated at our table, we took time to view some of the
antique fishing reels and outboard motors in the entrance area. Nearby was a
cozy sitting area with a blazing fire beckoning all to come and sit for a spell.
Soon we were seated at a linen covered table in a large log cabin room with
wildlife trophies surrounding the perimeter and our waiter, Jeff, joined us.
Not only did he explain the menu and daily specials, he told us about the
history of the lodge and pointed out items of interest that he thought we
should see before leaving for the evening.
While soaking up the ambiance of the beautiful room, we ordered our cocktails, wine for Suzanne and you guessed it, a
Shiner Bock for me, and we reminisced about the wonderful Christmas we had with our
children and grandson. Deciding what
to eat when presented with so many intrigue possibilities is always challenging.
We wanted to try as many of the unique offerings as we could. Dieting would
have to wait for another time! First we tried the Smoke Duck Gumbo with Andouille
Sausage & Wild Rice Pilaf and Southern Fried Quail on White Cheddar Grits
with Bourbon Bacon Gravy. We were equally impressed with the flavors of both
dishes!
Undaunted by the prospect of overeating once again this holiday season,
we pushed forward to the main course. From the impressive list of seafood
choices, to the meat & fowl and of course the wild game, we scanned our
menus. Suzanne chose the Slow Roasted Duck on Saffron Jasmine Rice while I went
for the Rainbow Trout and Fried Oysters. These plates were also fantastic! Splitting
a Ginger Snap Cheesecake desert brought our dream dinner to a close.
After dinner, we walked hand in hand around the restaurant and admired
each room’s elegant lodge décor. The Tied Fly Bar’s hand carved bar created by
Vermont artist Bill Herrick in 1993 is a must see. We returned to the front
desk area. One last time I turned to savor the image of The Rainbow Lodge. With
that image embedded in my mind, I squeezed Suzanne’s hand and back through the time
portal we ventured and out into the heavy traffic laden streets we traveled. If
only for a short period, time had slowed down for a relaxing evening. It seemed all
we could talk about was the great food and friendly staff we encountered. What
a great way to see Texas Thru My Back Door!
Join in our fight against breast cancer. Visit Suzanne's new blog "My Equations for Life" as she reflects on life B.C. (before cancer) and A.D. (after diagnosis) and help support new early cancer detection research at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center with our Go Fund Me project below.
