Finding Water in The Desert

Angel Carrasquillo
Jun 9
3 min read

A Desert Full of Soda

Have you ever walked through a desert without water, only to find a bunch of bottles of Coke, Coke Zero, and Pepsi?

Four years ago, I moved to Houston. Before that, I lived in New York City, where finding a place to eat was effortless. Your favorite restaurant was always just a few blocks away from wherever you happened to be.

When I lived in Brooklyn, all of my favorite spots were around the corner. Two blocks north was a Salva-Mex restaurant with some of the best pupusas I’ve ever had. Two blocks south was Father’s Knows Best, home to what were, in my opinion, the best nachos in the neighborhood. Five blocks east was a Peruvian restaurant, which was perfect because I’m a huge fan of Peruvian food.

And that was just my immediate area. A quick subway ride could take me to Santa Salsa, a Venezuelan street-food dive bar where I could enjoy salchipapas, patacones, and, of course, my personal favorite: Medalla Light, a Puerto Rican beer that cost just one dollar. If I felt like venturing a little farther, I could head to Toñitas and spend time with my Puerto Rican community.

My experience in Houston has been a bit different.

The Search for Variety

My personal struggle here comes down to two things: variety and healthiness.

I know many Houstonians describe the city as a melting pot, but I suspect most people who say that have never lived in New York City. This isn’t meant as an insult—it’s constructive criticism. Too many restaurant menus play it safe. Restaurants aren’t always willing to be creative, and customers aren’t always willing to try something different. After all, the food scene is often a reflection of the people it serves.

When Healthy Isn’t Healthy

My second issue is healthiness.

One example comes from a restaurant I occasionally visit because the food feels fresh. They offer the option to turn their sandwiches into salads. Sounds great, right? The problem is that the sandwiches normally come with chips on the side, and when you order the salad version, they crumble the chips directly into the salad.

So why take an option that could have been genuinely healthy and turn it into junk food?

That’s one reason why one of my favorite local spots is Local Table. They offer real healthy choices, plenty of variety, and menu items that don’t feel like copies of the same thing.

A Fresh Discovery

Recently, they introduced a seasonal summer menu to celebrate their 10th anniversary, and for the sake of this blog, I had to give it a try.

I ordered the Baja Fish Tacos, made with crispy cod, pineapple salsa, avocado tortillas, and chipotle slaw. To go with it, I paired a Hornitos Reposado Dirty Martini and asked for two dashes of orange bitters.

The avocado tortillas are made in-house, and they immediately stand out. Combined with the dirty martini, every bite feels like a little dance on your palate.

The summer menu was created to celebrate the restaurant’s milestone anniversary, and it’s worth checking out while it’s still available. Beyond the seasonal specials, much of their food and cocktail program feels fresh, thoughtful, and unique.