BAR REVIEW: Good God, Nadine's

Let's just get this out of the way from the start: I cannot stand the name of this bar. I don't know why, but it just rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps it's just the way it (doesn't) roll off the tongue in conversation: "let's go to Good God, Nadine's" reminds me of the classic grammatical/linguistic nightmare "I went to a The Beatles concert."

Anyway, that being said, this bar was great! A large patio with covered and uncovered areas leads to the quirky indoor section, with lots of unusual art lining the walls. The vibes were great, with music from The Fratellis (!) and The Cure setting the tone as soon as I walked in. There were ten cocktails and four frozen drinks to choose from, as well as a selection of beers and wines.

Obviously I had to start with the cheekily named I'm Chai A.F., with Crown Royal, chai syrup, and nutmeg. As the world's foremost non-Indian chai enthusiast, I quite enjoyed the warm spices layered with Canadian whisky. The Desert Oasis was not quite as successful, although arguably more refreshing for a hot summer day. Tequila was mixed with soda and a pineapple serrano syrup, and while the latter was quite delicious, I felt the balance was slightly off, and it could have used more of that syrup and a bit less soda. Not bad, though.

The best drink was the frozen Cherry Cola Slushy, which through some combination of dark rum, Amaro Montenegro, cherry juice, and lime tasted exactly like a cherry coke (with the added benefit of alcohol). Next time I'd love to check out a few more of the drinks on the frozen menu.

There was a pretty decent looking food menu, with some dips, wings, and sandwiches, but since this was a pre-dinner affair I was only able to sample one item. Said item was the sesame guac, which was actually much more interesting than your usual guacamole. Sesame oil and soy sauce brought salt, umami, and a hint of sweetness, and a shiso crunch some nice texture. In lieu of chips, it was served with fried wonton wrappers and sesame rice crackers (bánh tráng mè if you're Vietnamese), which were fun alternative dipping vessels.

A lot to like here, plus there's ample parking, which is always a major plus. Check it out!

Some housekeeping: I reformatted the Houston Dining Guide, Houston Drinking Guide, and Beyond Houston pages to be more easily readable. I added a "Best New American" section, expanded "Best Indian" and "Best Breweries" from 5 to 10 each, and made a few other updates to the various lists. I also added a Hotel Bars section to the Beyond Houston page.

NEXT UP: Revisiting the (Adrian's essential-33 rated!) best restaurant in my neighborhood