hungry for houston.

So I rant about this place at least once a week to my friends that live nowhere near this cafe in hopes that one day they will make the trek across Houston and Webster to try it. It's worth it. For real.

I have an overflowing love for Vietnamese coffee, and this place has the BEST ca phe sua da I have ever had. They even have a frappe of it. If you don't know, this is a traditional Vietnamese iced coffee drink with their blend of Vietnamese coffee beans (usually Nguyen) and sweetened condensed milk. It. Is. Amazing. 

I also can't get over how delicious their tapioca is. I get the #9 creamy vanilla chai tea and ask for tapioca. It's not too chewy and not too soggy. Just like gummy bears...but not really. 

I mean, they have everything guys. And everything I've tried tastes INCREDIBLE. They even have desserts like affogotos. Yep.

Check it out. Be amazed. Go visit NASA while you're at it.

Ca phe Phin - Vietnamese coffee & tea house

1354 E NASA Pkwy, Nassau Bay, TX 77058

toodles,

I love burgers. Love them.

But I especially love a greasy, messy, custom made burger.

Bernie's Burger Bus, a food truck, exceeded my expectations. Running with the "school house" theme, each burger is named accordingly. There is the original, "The Principal", "The Substitute" with applewood smoked bacon and bleu cheese, and my personal favorite, "Study Hall", which is seasonal.

The Study Hall burger has BBQ sauce (that alone won me over), porkbelly, cheddar cheese, onions and sweet pickles. Done. Don't even ask me twice. Guys, it was all I ever wanted and more.

And the best part? The truffle fries. Yeah, I said it. The smell alone could satisfy my hunger. 

Check out their website to see when this food truck will be closest to you, or do as I did and drive out to them. 

http://www.berniesburgerbus.com/

I give them an "A+". What, I had to.

Toodles,

Brick and spoon

So this past weekend I checked out this spot. I had never noticed it before on west Alabama, but it caught my eye.

The musician playing the guitar was an added bonus to the upbeat vibe inside, as well as on the patio. It was a little loud, but I don’t mind that on a Saturday afternoon.

The menu looked mouthwatering, right off the bat. They even had a MENU for Bloody Mary’s.

I ordered the beignets and fruit skewers. Beignets were incredible, along with the cinnamon pear marmalade. Fruit skewers were a little lackluster. But I’ll eat fruit however it comes.

One downside, it closes at 2pm every day. So get there early.

My vote? Perfect for a weekend brunch.

http://brickandspoonrestaurant.com/

Enjoy!

Hello Hello,

It's been a while, I apologize. I've been busy eating, of course.

I wanted to write down some of my favorite coffee spots in Houston. This rainy day has inspired me. And, if you follow me, I encourage you to post your favorite spots too. I'm always looking for a spot to sit and relax over a latte with a friend.

Bacchus Coffee & Wine Bar on Dunlavy

Agora on Westheimer 

Blacksmith on Westheimer

Whole Foods on Waugh

Catalina Coffee on Washington Ave.

Empire Cafe on Westheimer

CoCo's Crepes on Gray

I welcome the suggestion to other spots in Houston.

Enjoy!

I have to tell you guys about this cute little joint I found for brunch. The place is called Canopy. It has a crisp white and green interior with smooth surfaces and open dinning room. I sat outside on their patio, which wasn't anything to jump up and down over, but nonetheless it was a patio. I love patios. My vanilla latte was on point, and my french toast was thick and crispy. Perfection. This is a great place for brunch or lunch with friends on the weekend when you want to sit back and relax. 

I'll be going back for seconds.

http://www.canopyhouston.com/Canopy/

Toodles,

Everyone! August 1st launched the highly anticipated Houston Restaurant Weeks. And let me tell you... this is something you shouldn't miss out on. It began in 2003 with the hope of raising funds for the Houston Food Bank. Their motto? "Dine out, do good". I like this idea.

Visit their website to see the enormous list of Houston restaurants that are participating. It explains how things work on the site, but basically you will eat at a participating restaurant, and they will donate a portion of the bill to this cause. It lasts until September 2, but don't wait until the end! 

http://www.houstonrestaurantweeks.com/

This is another reason I love my city :)

Until next time,

It's been a minute, sorry guys.

So I found out about this snazzy looking juice online called Blue Print and threw a fit when I realized it wasn't sold in Texas. I seriously pouted at my desk for a good 10 minutes. Well, to my luck, one day when I was casually strolling along in Whole Foods, BAM! I saw a huge display of these Blue Print babies. I grabbed one and screamed about them to my friends who looked at me like I had lost my damn mind. 

Anyways, I'm on a juice kick lately and these are cold pressed and the ingredients are on the front of the bottle, so you get what you see. Now, they're a little pricey at a whopping $9.99 a bottle, but I personally think it's worth it.

Check out the website: http://blueprintjuice.com/

I tried the lime, ginger, lemon, agave and loved it. I also tried the kale (green) bottle the next time and it wasn't badddd, but then again drinking kale and parsley isn't all that pleasurable in the first place. But I got my greens in for the day and I knew the ingredients were fresh and organic.

Try some guys! Whole Foods across Houston carries them, if they're not sold out ;)

Until next time, 

This is the sort of name that makes you like the place almost instantly. With the Tiffany blue awnings on the outside and the white umbrellas covering the patio, you want to smile just looking at it.

Located in the bustling Rice Village, Sweet Paris Creperie is a breath of fresh air. The interior is crisp and refreshing. This is a place for Americans to get their crepes. I have never been to France, but I certainly love crepes. Unfortunately I have to say, the decor is of higher quality than the food itself. Now don't get me wrong, the crepes are good! But not phenomenal. I will stick to my favorite spot, Coco's Crepes in midtown...which reminds me that I need to post about that.

Anyways. I had The American breakfast crepe with eggs, potatoes, jalapenos, mozzarella cheese and bacon. Beautiful combination. But what I'm not too fond of is the crepe itself, it's a little too crispy. I also had the Bonne Maman sweet crepe with berries and sweet cream. This was delicious.

My opinion? Go for it. It's a great place to catch up with your girlfriends over a sweet crepe and some Orangina. It's hard not to smile when you're eating a crepe :)

The American

  Bonne Maman

http://www.sweetparis.com/

Until next time,

Ah, how wonderful it is to stroll up on a hot summer day to a chic French cafe. The blue paint, the white table cloths, the French music quietly playing... It's a perfect scene.

I went to lunch at Bistro Des Amis for the first time with my coworkers. Our waiter was extremely attentive and cordial. The menu had all of the authentic French dishes such as the classic quiche and crepes, as well as escargot and even frog legs. I ordered a Quiche Lorraine with a side salad from the lunch menu.

Perfect. The dressing was light and refreshing. The quiche was salty and moist. I highly recommend this cafe, and not just because their patio is to die for (so chic!) but because of the impeccable service and appealing menu. 

Bon Appetit

I can not tell you how many times someone has mentioned this place to me. And finally, I was able to go.

Anyways, I went with a group of friends late at night and fell in love immediately with Moontower. I ordered from a gentleman with a beautiful mustache and opinion for everything on the menu. I quickly realized I was going to be told what to order, this wasn't fine dining service by any means. Everyone I was with ordered a different dog. Between the buffalo, lamb, elk and duck, I was overwhelmed and ordered the dill and jalapeno deviled eggs and told my group I would be tasting their food.

First off, don't order the deviled eggs. I love this place, but they excel in making hot dogs, not deviled eggs. Anyways, the elk? Would never have known it was a huge hairy animal when I took a bite. It wasn't game-y and the feta cheese complimented it surprisingly well. The duck was phenomenal. Both hot dogs were served in a pretzel bun. Yeah, amazing. And the stuff jalapenos wrapped in bacon? I was done. Food heaven/coma. Whichever. 

Take some friends and enjoy yourselves. It's outdoors only, with a small covered patio, but hey, it's not too hot at night this summer and who cares anyways. 

3004 Canal St. Houston, TX 77003

  Until next time,

Okay, I'm really excited to tell you guys about this place. It's located downtown, which is not a place most people I know frequent. But that's okay, we're going to change that.

I'm not too familiar with tapas style restaurants. This place is a great starting point for a newbie, like myself. Their food is authentic and the ambiance, oh wow. The interior is dimly lit. Perfect. And as I mentioned in a previous post, I loveeee patios. This patio is warm and intimate with Spanish music playing and large red umbrellas covering your table. It's the perfect spot to enjoy your food while mingling with your dinner party. The menu is broken down so that you can understand what type of meat you're getting and what accompanies that meat. I opted for the quail and some pork plates. Delish.

The picture above is of my absolute favorite desserts; tres leches. And this one? Wow. Not too heavy and not overly sweet. I scarfed it down almost immediately. 

Very few Houstonians, at least the younger crowd, visit downtown. I happen to love the older buildings and the towering offices and the confusing one way streets and the historic element of it all. There are many hidden restaurants that go unnoticed. Batanga is one of them. 

So the next time you're in the mood to sit back and relax with some friends on a warm night this summer, hit up Batanga. You'll be going back for seconds.

908 Congress Houston, TX

http://batangahouston.com/

Until next time,

How on earth did I forgot to blog about this heavenly place?!

I love kolaches. I adore them. I want to eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There's something about that combination of sweet, soft bread with the saltiness of the sausage and the melted cheese. Yeah, I'm eating one right now actually. If you dream about kolaches as much as I do, you must go to Christy's. It's on the corner of Montrose and West Gray with a big yellow sign. 

I'm a bit picky about these things and I need the bread to be sweet. And this is exactly the way kolaches should be made. Check her out. Let me know what you think. I'll be sitting here enjoying mine.

 1103 W Gray St, Houston, TX 77019

happy friday :)

http://houstonfoodlover.tumblr.com/

Someone else who adores Houston food just as I do! Follow this blog I found. Now. Because I said so. 

I'm drooling just looking at this picture.

Empire Cafe is one of my all time favorite places. I used to think it was my secret spot until I started realizing it's a lot of people's favorite getaway. My aunt used to take me here as a kid. It's been a favorite cafe of mine ever since.

I usually go here for their coffee and cozy patio facing Westheimer and their antique shops that line the road, but their food is pretty darn good too. You order at the counter and find your own place to sit, which isn't easy because this place is poppin'.

Above is the Italian Toast with mixed berries. Hell yeah. I love breakfast, any time of the day. This is sweet and tart. Hits the spot for me. Try one of their Iced Sugar Daddy coffees too, deliiiish. (I have a sweet tooth, can you tell?)

Bottom line, I love this place. Always have and always will. It's perfect to catch up with someone you haven't spent quality time with in a while, or you can just go to relax by yourself. Maybe even people watch a little. The patio is perfect and covered with foliage so it's somewhat of a shelter from the Houston heat. The inside, well it's a little dark. But it gives the place character. I like that.

http://www.empirecafe.com

Until next time,

http://www.houstonpress.com/restaurants/

awesome site to find reviews on new spots around town.

    Bonjour!

I took a nice long weekend, hence the lack of posts. But, I'm here to tell you all about Blacksmith. I had seen some friends post on Instagram and Facebook about this joint and rave about the coffee. Good coffee? Point me in that direction. So! My good friend Barbra joined me in my journey today to try a latte or whatever they had to offer.

I must say, I would have never stopped at this spot if it hadn't been for the praises of my social media friends. They have to get a sign asap for everyone traveling down Westheimer to spot this brick building standing all alone on the corner. That is my only complaint: get a sign.

Once inside, I felt at ease and welcomed by the friendly baristas and eclectic vibe. The chalk board along the wall gave me a few options to choose from, so I simply asked the man behind the counter, "What do you suggest?". I settled for a vanilla latte. He explained that since I was a regular at Starbucks, I should compare their coffee made "in house" to the Starbucks brand. After trying it, I was immediately sold. Rich in flavor and bold. But it didn't lack sweetness, which I was worried about. 

The ambiance is cozy and comfortable and the staff is helpful. Why not go try it for yourself? I know I'll be going back. Probably this week.

Blacksmith Coffee

1018 Westheimer Houston, TX

  Until next time,