georgia's on my mind

As much as I'd like to have a lot of pride in my home town, I often times find it difficult, due to an extreme lull in culture throughout Houston and the surrounding areas. Our Farmers Markets are closed by noon, antiquing means draining your bank account to buy an armoire (or similar) simply because it's had the crap fashionably beaten out of it and outside of Montrose or the Heights, decent cafes are few and far between. Sometimes, though a ray of hope for dear H-town comes in the form of places like Georgia's Market.

Once christened Sandy's before being bought out, Georgia's is an organically based grocer and salad bar/buffet style cafe. They follow suit of farm to market with bushels of fresh produce, farm grown eggs and dairy and bulk nuts, spices, tea and coffee. You'll also find a hefty botanical section full of vitamins lotions and home remedy items. Since switching owners, they've grown the dry goods department somewhat as well, but everything has staid pretty much all organic.

While the shopping is fun, and always fresh (and probably safer than the produce you'll find throughout the city) for my money, the best part of the whole experience is the breakfast and lunch buffet. I like to show up on Sunday, where the church crowd does like to party, but not so much that you can't find a decent table (which are all antique dining room sets. Some of them are even for sale). Sundays also bring a very small jazz band that will play old standards (elevator music style). My last trip out there, I even saw an old couple dancing for a couple of numbers. Very sweet.

The salad bar and buffet cover pretty much every base. The salad provides choices that I've never seen at just any ol' salad bar; things like tabouli, hummus and gazpacho. Of course there are your standard recognizable foods like lettuce, sprouts, killer diller fresh fruits and 3 different kinds of tuna salad.

Right across the way are the hot entrees and sides. Start where you like, there's plenty to pick from. If you come early enough for breakfast/brunch you can catch the omelet flippers serving up healthy and very tasty veggie-filled eggs and egg whites. Next to that station is the carving board, which typically yields a baked chicken or ham. Round the corner and dome steam trays hold all sorts of different health foods that changes daily. The next corner brings you to the soup and breads station that is pretty much self explanatory. Soup. Bread.

The desserts seem to move around a lot. Last time they were landed square in the middle of the room. These, I'm actually glad to say are never changed out. Chocolate cake and Carrot cake. Both of which are rich enough satisfy even my sweet tooth in as little as a half a slice of each (honestly, that's really saying something...)

There are different choices of drinks to wash it all down- milk, water, O.J. and some great organic coffee. The experience isn't complete, though without sipping down a cup of loose leaf tea, complete with a slice of lemon and mint leaf. You'll see a couple of servers pushing tea carts up and down the aisles of tables for all who come to dine.

Look for Georgia's Market at 12171 Katy Freeway Houston, TX 77079-1501. No need to make reservations, but if you have any questions, give 'em a call: (281) 940-0990.

 

This post is dedicated to Mama McMillen - Thanks for introducing me to a portal into the fads of your time.

-k