Well, I'm back in San Francisco. Just arrived last night, and I'll be here for about 3 weeks or so before a much-anticipated trip to Provence and Paris. I've got a few more places from Boston to post about before I switch coasts again - first up is Houston's (Boston). With a Houston's so close to my home in SF, I never really thought I'd go to the one in Boston... Actually, I had no idea there was one in Boston at all until Yuen called me up and suggested we go there. I've had pretty good experiences at the SF one so I figured why not. The place is down by Faneueil Hall, flirting on the edge between hardcore tourist area and downtown. From the outside, their sign looks the same except that it's blue instead of red. The interior is eerily similar to the one in SF - almost identical, actually. Dark wood, a pretty good-looking bar, and big comfortable banquettes deliver a pretty cool vibe. The menu, it turns out, is pretty much exactly the same as well. 
guacamole 
portuguese-style littleneck clams - $14 It was just me, Michelle and Yuen, so we decided to split a couple of apps. The guacamole was a special (didn't catch the price) and surprisingly good. It had nice, big chunks of avocado - something I tend to see a lot less in Boston. The clams were served with chorizo and a tasty broth with plenty of garlic, shallots, and parsley. It was an excellent dip for the accompanying grilled bread. 
hawaiian ribeye - $27 I couldn't decide what main to get so I just gave up and went with the ribeye. The steak is marinated a bit with a hint of sweetness. It was nicely charred and tasty, but slightly overcooked (medium rather than medium rare, but not flagrant enough to complain about). I love the fries - thin, crispy, and even served with mayo (they actually ask if you want ketchup or mustard or mayo!). Anyway, it was another solid meal at Houston's, which appears to be a pretty good chain, relatively speaking. It definitely isn't cheap though.