The Greek Place.

We drove downtown today to meet friends K and B for lunch at the Greek Place, which is really "Niko Niko's." Actually, I drove downtown because on the way there, we dropped off my husband's car for the usual oil change and tire rotation thing, then drove on towards the downtown area.

My car doesn't usually go downtown. In fact, the last time I drove my car on the Gulf Freeway was before Hurricane Ike slammed into Galveston and Houston and we took both cars as we headed towards K and B's house.

Anyway...... we had lunch at The Greek Place. We've been going there for years and years, and the quality of the food has never ever changed. It's a family run business, which are always the best, and they're open seven days a week, every day of the year. The only time they closed their doors was when they renovated and enlarged the restaurant a couple of years ago. Compared to other downtown restaurants, Niko Niko's is still not a huge place even after the renovations, but they are always crowded, no matter what time of the day you go there.

This is a restaurant-loving city, filled with all kinds of ethnic places where you can get just about any food choices from around the world. Restaurants come and go, but only the best stay put for years and years, and Niko Niko's is one of them. I couldn't even begin to guess how many times we've eaten there over the years, and we haven't ever been disappointed.

The same thing applies to Skipper's, the little Greek restaurant in Kemah that filled up with seven feet of sea water from Galveston Bay, courtesy of Hurricane Ike. Skipper's is another family-owned restaurant that's been there for about twenty-five years..... the quality of the food is always the best, and they are always packed with customers. And other restaurants in the same area can't stay open for six months.

On the way home from downtown, we stopped at Hank's for ice cream. (Another first for my little car.) Hank's is Houston-famous... homemade ice cream, by a man named Hank, in a tiny shop on a street not far from the AstroDome and Reliant Stadium. We forgot about the Rodeo going on in town, and we were stuck in Rodeo traffic when we got near the AstroDome. Slow, slow, slow progress near the stadiums, but we made it through.

Hank's ice cream is, without a doubt, the best ice cream we've ever had. His ice cream flavors are all hand-made, home-made, from Hank's family recipe. He has just the one ice cream shop on that road near the stadiums, and I think a small shop in a nearby town sells his ice cream, and last I heard, his ice cream is served at Reliant Stadium-- and that's it. Hank always tells everyone that he keeps his business small, and keeps it good. Driving downtown without stopping at Hank's on the way back is just not done. When we had our Ice Cream Sundae Sunday party last year, my husband drove all the way to Hank's for the ice cream, and brought back six flavors packed in dry ice.

While we were in Hank's eating our ice cream, one of the rodeo clowns came in the door and waited on line. He was dressed all in denim, but wearing sneakers instead of boots, and had all sorts of bandannas hanging down from his belt so it nearly looked like he had a skirt on over his jeans. Added to that ensemble was a cowboy hat and clown make-up. Yee-haaaw........

Gorgeous day today.... sunny and warm, positively summer. The clocks get turned ahead tonight, and I've already re-set the clocks in the house. I plan to go to bed an hour earlier than usual, then maybe I won't be feeling the time-change in the morning. I'm so happy to be going back to Daylight Savings Time........ I like it better when the days are longer and brighter. This business about sunlight disappearing at 6:30 just isn't for me.