The Pastry War

[washing machine]

In complaint to King Louis-Philippe, a French pastry chef known only as Monsieur Remontel claimed that in 1832 Mexican officers looted his shop in Tacubaya (then a town on the outskirts of Mexico City). Remontel demanded 60,000 pesos as reparations for the damage (his shop was valued at less than 1,000 pesos).

In view of Remontel's complaint (which gave its name to the ensuing conflict) and of other complaints from French nationals (among them the looting in 1828 of French shops at the Parian market and the execution in 1837 of a French citizen accused of piracy) in 1838 prime minister Louis-Mathieu Molé demanded from Mexico the payment of 600,000 pesos in damages, an enormous sum for the time, when the typical daily wage in Mexico City was about one peso.

When president Anastasio Bustamante made no payment, the King of France ordered a fleet under Rear Admiral Charles Baudin to declare and carry out a blockade of all Mexican ports on the Atlantic coast from Yucatán to the Rio Grande, to bombard the Mexican fortress of San Juan de Ulúa, and to seize the city of Veracruz, which was the most important port on the Gulf coast. French forces captured Veracruz by December 1838 and Mexico declared war on France.

With trade cut off, the Mexicans began smuggling imports via Corpus Christi, Republic of Texas and into Mexico. Fearing that France would blockade the Republic's ports as well, a battalion of Texan forces began patrolling Corpus Christi Bay to stop Mexican smugglers. One smuggling party abandoned their cargo of about a hundred barrels of flour on the beach at the mouth of the bay, thus giving Flour Bluff its name. The United States, ever watchful of its relations with Mexico, sent the schooner Woodbury to help the French in their blockade.

Meanwhile, acting without explicit government authority, Antonio López de Santa Anna, known for his military leadership, came out of retirement from his hacienda near Xalapa and surveyed the defenses of Veracruz. He offered his services to the government, which ordered him to fight the French by any means necessary. He led Mexican forces against the French. In a skirmish with the rear guard of the French, Santa Anna was wounded in the leg by French grapeshot. His leg was amputated and buried with full military honors. Exploiting his wounds with eloquent propaganda, Santa Anna catapulted back to power.

[washing machine]

Also, The Pastry War is the name of a killer tequila and mescal bar in downtown Houston. Make it a point to go there if you're ever downtown and looking for something to do. Good tamales there as well. Unsurprisingly, there are no pastries. Just like during the conflict.

[spike]

Also, The Pastry War is the name of a killer tequila and mescal bar in downtown Houston. Make it a point to go there if you're ever downtown and looking for something to do. Good tamales there as well. Unsurprisingly, there are no pastries. Just like during the conflict.

does it close down at 8pm like everything else in downtown houston?

[washing machine]

Also, The Pastry War is the name of a killer tequila and mescal bar in downtown Houston. Make it a point to go there if you're ever downtown and looking for something to do. Good tamales there as well. Unsurprisingly, there are no pastries. Just like during the conflict.

does it close down at 8pm like everything else in downtown houston?

You did it wrong when you were there.

[spike]

Also, The Pastry War is the name of a killer tequila and mescal bar in downtown Houston. Make it a point to go there if you're ever downtown and looking for something to do. Good tamales there as well. Unsurprisingly, there are no pastries. Just like during the conflict.

does it close down at 8pm like everything else in downtown houston?

You did it wrong when you were there.

i was staying by the toyota center. i went towards downtown since the other way looked sketchy af, stopped in at pappadeaux's, and didn't get so much as a glass of water for roughly ten minutes (that's just how it is in the south, lol!). i walked out and ventured further into the high rises, but nothing else was open. i think i ended up driving to a taco bell by the university of houston.

[washing machine]

Also, The Pastry War is the name of a killer tequila and mescal bar in downtown Houston. Make it a point to go there if you're ever downtown and looking for something to do. Good tamales there as well. Unsurprisingly, there are no pastries. Just like during the conflict.

does it close down at 8pm like everything else in downtown houston?

You did it wrong when you were there.

i was staying by the toyota center. i went towards downtown since the other way looked sketchy af, stopped in at pappadeaux's, and didn't get so much as a glass of water for roughly ten minutes (that's just how it is in the south, lol!). i walked out and ventured further into the high rises, but nothing else was open. i think i ended up driving to a taco bell by the university of houston.

Pappadeaux is the seafood branch of a super large chain across Southeast Texas. Something got lost along the way as they grew, and they are overpriced AF.

From Toyota, you should have walked toward Minute Maid park and caught the light rail towards main street, where three blocks worth of cocktail bars, late night pizza joints and restuarants stay open 'til 2:00am. Or better yet, Ubered to Westheimer, Midtown, Heights, Chinatown or any of the other neighborhoods away from downtown where the city really opens up.

Last edited by washing machine on Thu January 04, 2018 7:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[spike]

Also, The Pastry War is the name of a killer tequila and mescal bar in downtown Houston. Make it a point to go there if you're ever downtown and looking for something to do. Good tamales there as well. Unsurprisingly, there are no pastries. Just like during the conflict.

does it close down at 8pm like everything else in downtown houston?

You did it wrong when you were there.

i was staying by the toyota center. i went towards downtown since the other way looked sketchy af, stopped in at pappadeaux's, and didn't get so much as a glass of water for roughly ten minutes (that's just how it is in the south, lol!). i walked out and ventured further into the high rises, but nothing else was open. i think i ended up driving to a taco bell by the university of houston.

From Toyota, you should have walked toward Minute Maid park and caught the light rail towards main street, where three blocks worth of cocktail bars, late night pizza joints and restuarants stay open 'til 2:00am. Or better yet, Ubered to Westheimer, Midtown, Heights, Chinatown or any of the other neighborhoods away from downtown where the city really opens up.

yeah, i wanted to get out to a better hood, but i was tired from work. the main street tip is hot though, i'll keep that in mind for next time.

[washing machine]

Also, The Pastry War is the name of a killer tequila and mescal bar in downtown Houston. Make it a point to go there if you're ever downtown and looking for something to do. Good tamales there as well. Unsurprisingly, there are no pastries. Just like during the conflict.

does it close down at 8pm like everything else in downtown houston?

You did it wrong when you were there.

i was staying by the toyota center. i went towards downtown since the other way looked sketchy af, stopped in at pappadeaux's, and didn't get so much as a glass of water for roughly ten minutes (that's just how it is in the south, lol!). i walked out and ventured further into the high rises, but nothing else was open. i think i ended up driving to a taco bell by the university of houston.

From Toyota, you should have walked toward Minute Maid park and caught the light rail towards main street, where three blocks worth of cocktail bars, late night pizza joints and restuarants stay open 'til 2:00am. Or better yet, Ubered to Westheimer, Midtown, Heights, Chinatown or any of the other neighborhoods away from downtown where the city really opens up.

yeah, i wanted to get out to a better hood, but i was tired from work. the main street tip is hot though, i'll keep that in mind for next time.

This is pretty accurate for being two years old, though I would have added The Pastry War, Warren's Inn, La Carafe and Public Services Wine & Whiskey.

http://www.houstonpress.com/music/houst ... et-7373387

[spike]

thanks, i see now. it's on the opposite side of the CBD from where i normally stay.

are there hotel options near that part of main?

[washing machine]

They’re pricier and more boutique, but yeah. Magnolia, Icon, The Lancaster. Of the three, Magnolia is probably the most business-friendly. The entire second floor is conducive to both cocktails and laptop work.

Basically, you want to find things just east of the theater district and just west of courthouse district.

[spike]

They’re pricier and more boutique, but yeah. Magnolia, Icon, The Lancaster. Of the three, Magnolia is probably the most business-friendly. The entire second floor is conducive to both cocktails and laptop work.

Basically, you want to find things just east of the theater district and just west of courthouse district.

[tragabigzanda]

Didn't feel like cake or pie for my birthday this year, and evenings are difficult with my kid teething. Opted instead to drive an hour this morning to my favorite bakery and grab some pastries for us to have at breakfast. Clockwise from top:

Huckleberry scone
Pain au raisin w/port-poached cherries
Chai & anise cinnamon roll
Ham & gruyere croissant
Orange pecan sticky bun

[washing machine]

Those all would be eaten pretty fast in my household.

[tragabigzanda]

Those all would be eaten pretty fast in my household.

One good thing that my wife’s family has brought into my life is the shared pastry approach. In my house growing up, when we got a bunch of pastries we all claimed one as our own. But now I have learned to set them out on a platter with a knife, and that way everyone gets to try a little bit of everything, and I think it’s way better

[washing machine]

I can't even fathom your way growing up. I'd rather #OwnItTogether

[96583UP]

too much sweet for me

i like pastry when it's the bread that tastes good

like an authentic croissant

don't get me wrong, i would eat all that, and feel terrible, and then have a bizarre BM

but when i do pastry i prefer to not do that much sugar

[96583UP]

i am sharing this because i know you were curious

[tragabigzanda]

My sweet tooth generally peaks at breakfast

[96583UP]

and your pillow-tooth after dinner

[96583UP]

seriously though i used to live in this town where this woman who used to live in Paris set up a bakery

everything was amazing

the american slobs had no idea how great it was what they were getting

i don't know if eclair counts pastry or dessert but i could eat 10 of those in one sitting and feel no shame