salty // sour // bittersweet: Friends in tasty places.

Last year I had the pleasure of eating at REEF and Zelko Bistro. I grew up with the chef, Neda, who soused (yeah, that’s now a verb, at least on this blog.) at both. She’s like my adopted little sister just not actually adopted. Her older sister was (and still is, really) my best friend growing up and I tortured Neda like my own sibling. Growing up I remember spending afternoons at their house rolling lumpia on plastic covered furniture so typical of Asian households. There was always the faint smell of fried food in the air, twinged with the sharpness of vinegar and cleaning products. Neda began her career as an opera singer then suddenly decided to move into the culinary arts. Some people just have all the talent. At the tender age of 23 she has been featured in Saveur and worked as a sous at Reef (which has won many accolades and the exec competed in the Next Iron Chef) and now Zelko Bistro, which Houston Press just named best new restaurant of the year. Here are a few pictures of Thanksgiving with her and her/my family and a couple dishes enjoyed at Zelko.

I had a crush on Jahan in middle school. I was 12 and he was 15 (I think). He now studies comparative religion and makes ridiculously intricate cakes as a hobby.

Manda and I bonded over our fears of the job market. She is getting an MPH from UT. She brought these fried bananas and ate them with abandon despite her diminutive frame. She's my hero.

I believe this gentleman owns Zelko. He will talk to you for hours about wine and uses the descriptors "Tar-like notes" and "deep ollaberry undercurrents". He smoked a pork leg (pictured with terrible photo quality) for 6 hours so I love him anyway.

This is Neda. She's testing the chicken fried turkey - it was brined then coated in a savory cinnamon spice batter and deep fried. Best turkey of my life.

Butternut squash soup @Zelko - later Neda left the bottle of white truffle oil on the table for us and I floated an overly decadent amount in this bowl.