Recently I had some medical issues to attend to and traveled to Houston Methodist for their specialty doctors. The care was first rate but this is a restaurant blog so many of my well-wisher-calls first asked about my health and next if I was writing up my in-patient dining meals. I’m not sure how it happened but I landed in one of the “premium in-patient units” in the Looke Family Pavilion. The rooms are more like hotel suites with ammenties and views but most importantly they also have a separate kitchen catering for this floor. I know this isn’t fair because you can’t decide you want to go try the food after my write-up but it seemed like a fun addition to the blog and if you perchance find youself needing a hospital stay in Houston I’d definitely ask for the 21st floor. Frankie only made minimal appearances but was with me in spirit. When you first check in the room they leave a menu with you for all 3 daily meals and you call the kitchen when you know what you want and when you want it delivered. Works well except once when I got held up getting back to the room and the tray was held who knows where for an hour. Overall the food was mixed but some was quite good. They have a twice a day tea cart that my husband and sister enjoyed as I was not eating then. As a last footnote, I am doing much better and would strongly recommend the doctors here over the food.
Food
My first meal was a build-your-own-sandwich of creamy Dijon chicken salad on wheat bread with soup of the day. This was before I decided to write up things so no photos but the bread was nicely stuffed however the chicken salad was way underseasoned with the chicken litterly being mashed up rather than chunky. It was not that good. The soup was quite good and that flavor changes daily. I had the orange sherbet that became a favorite and I had every time possible. As a consolation here’s Frankie with my ammenity kit, which was far more lavish than any I’ve received flying Business Class on airlines.
Vegetable Lasagna was layers of pasta filled with ricotta and vegetables and topped with a hearty marinara sauce and mozzarella. I added sautéed spinach and baked potato chips. For dessert I ordered double orange sherbet and drink was Perrier. The lasagna was quite good with a good balance of ingredients and a tasty sauce. However the spinach was outstanding. A huge pile of nicely cooked leaves it was very good even though undersalted. The housemade chips were more like a doritos light but had a touch of salt which worked marvelously with the spinach – adding texture and salt. The orange sherbet was out of the carton but held in a bowl of ice to keep it firm. it was smooth, cool and refreshing without being overly sweet. This was a very fine hospital meal.
The build your own burger option was on an Angus patty in a white roll topped with Swiss cheese, mushrooms with lettuce, tomato and onion on the side. With it I had the baked potato chips and daily soup which was tomato. Dessert was again the orange sherbet and they left off the spinach. This was the lost tray and the soup was maybe room temperature when it arrived, the chips were that had become mostly melted liquid. The perrier turned into a small bottle of water. The burger was awful. The meat was compacted into an inedible hockey puck. Good thing I wasn’t hungry at this time. Being held and presenting it cold didn’t help this selection of yucky things.
Breakfast was “thick sliced French toast” which was cinnamon spiced and came with Smuckers syrup and non-butter spreads. I added a fresh banana and coffee. I don’t know why hospitals still feel any kind of spread is better for you than butter, but that is not my belief. The French toast was not that thick nor custardy in the middle but was nicely seasoned with cinnamon and the syrup was acceptable. The banana was good but I chuckled at their option of “fresh” did they also offer a “rotten” or “cooked” one?
