John N.
Yelp
Houston--you never cease to amaze me!
Fairly late in the evening after work on Friday, I called Richi to see if he wanted to grab a bite to eat, and we went driving through Midtown without a reservation, looking for something open and not packed. We were about to drive into Downtown when we saw the Good Times Kitchen + Bar ( https://thegoodtimescafe.com/ ) on the first floor of the Central Square building at 2100 Travis. It looked inviting, so we decided to give it a try.
When we entered, we were the only ones, but that wasn't surprising, considering the late hour. The interior is clean and crisp with a front dining area and another in the back facing a full bar. We were warmly greeted by bartender Knovia, who whipped up a sensational spritz of her own making for a very delighted Richi. Glancing around the room, I noticed a blackboard with an impressive lineup of coffee options, and Knovia informed us that they open for breakfast and coffee at 8 am, and for now, stay open till 11 pm Thursday through Saturday.
As I perused the menu, I was intrigued to see among more usual offerings, eggs served with polenta and romesco, handmade pastas with lemon beurre blanc and Grana Padano, potatoes Lyonnaise, a tuna Niçoise, char-grilled Spanish octopus, Hungarian goulash, and flatbreads topped with San Marzano tomato sauce and house-made sujuk (a spectacular spicy sausage popular in the Balkans, Turkey, and Central Asia). I asked Knovia where the chef was from, and she told me Albania!
Richi and I visited Albania, Kosovo, and much of the Balkans a few years ago and were blown away by the people and sights and how delicious the food was. I continue to believe that one of the worst restaurant losses Houston has experienced is the wonderful Café Pita, which served unbelievably delicious food from Bosnia.
We shared an ample-sized salad of arugula with fresh strawberries, almonds, crumbled Grana Padano, and a tangy soy tahini vinaigrette. And for entrees, I had the wonderful flatbread topped with gobs of melted mozzarella and that sensational homemade sujuk, and Richi, who I've never seen pass up goulash when he's seen it on a menu, declared the Good Times goulash to be the best he's ever had in Houston. He was also giddy thanks to Knovia's very generous pour of a surprisingly scrumptious house Bordeaux.
We talked with the owner, who looks like he could be the handsome younger brother of Ukraine's heroic President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We mentioned our visits to Albania and Kosovo, and he shared with us places we need to visit when we return.
And while writing this piece, I came across an article in the Chronicle talking about the owner, whose name is Isa Loshaj. A terrific and inspiring read--one more great Houston story! https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food-culture/restaurants-bars/article/houston-restaurant-sujuk-sausage-17635104.php
This place needs and deserves business. Parking in the attached garage is free. The food is fantastic, and Knovia and Isa are, too. We plan to be regulars.