Inside the loop

Common Bond Bakery (Montrose)

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Opened yesterday, Tuesday and I'm really looking forward to visiting!  News crew is here, not sure what channel.  I walk in and love the interior.  Tons of sunlight, airy, bright!  I love a bar around the perimeter of the café too, somewhere I can set up shop and work.  I'm standing in line and it doesn't look like they have a ton of options.   Maybe a handful of pastries...but they do look amazing!  With the recommendation of my helper, I get the chocolate croissant and the bosoft.  I also want the cheese Danish, as it's my favorite...but they're out.  I get to the cashier, order a vanilla almond milk latte, and they are out of almond milk...it's 9:30...AM!  The line is long and cashiers slow, so far, I'm not having the greatest experience....obviously they're still working out the kinks...

I sit and have the chocolate croissant...amazing!  So flakey, delicious, and the chocolate was off the charts good!  The salted caramel macaroon I ordered wasn't in my take away box...hm.  I do stay till lunch and order the grilled cheese and soup.  O...M...G...the grilled cheese sandwich is amazing!  The bread, the cheese...wow!  The food really makes up for all the kinks...wow...the bread is out of this world!  I mean it's all very simple tasting, but the quality is amazing.  I'm really impressed.  I can't remember the last time I had so much bread...that bread...and I can't remember the last time I had an entire sandwich in one sitting...that bread...mm mm mm...

Ugh...I ate too much bread.  I had the regular eclair and was very distracted by the fact that there was chocolate cream inside instead of the regular creme and can't say I liked it, but dang that chocolate creme was some good chocolate.  I ordered another salted caramel macaroon and wow...that was absolutely delicious.  So yummy!  Sweet, tasted and looked like real caramel, so so very good.  I also had a bite of the chocolate chip cookies...wow...now this is a real chocolate chip cookie, unlike the that cookie everyone at Tiny's raves about.  This whole bakery is just top notch!  Everything I tasted was A+ quality.  Very very good, I'm really impressed!

I also got to meet Roy, the owner/chef...he sure knows his food!

Punk's Simple Southern Food (Rice Village)

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I had read Punk's was located next to Coppa.  I had driven by Coppa on Washington and figured maybe they didn't open??  Then today, following google maps to Punk's, I realized oh, there's another Coppa in the Village!  Punk's and Coppa are next-door neighbors and located in a nice spot on Morningside.  This side of the Village is really nice, it's changed a lot.

On walking in to Punk's, I really like the decor.  Yelp says the price range is $$$ which means it's pricey, so I changed from my shorts into cargo pants.  Following google maps there, it said $$, so I just wasn't sure which was actually right.  Google was more accurate, it is super casual.  That seems to be the theme these days, servers in jeans and a flannel.  The decor is really nice, I like it a lot.

We are really excited about trying the food!  With our server's help, we order the hush puppies, the loaded tater tots, the wedge salad, chicken sausage gumbo, 5 piece fried chicken, and the chicken fried steak with green beans.  I tasted everything and everything was just ok.  I was pretty disappointed after the 4th item I tried, and had pretty much made up my mind, I didn't love Punk's.  Nothing was horrible, just nothing was good enough to write home about.  I especially did not like the loaded tater tots, texture, flavors, and I think it had blue cheese in it, which I really dislike.  You know, I never turn down dessert, and I just didn't feel confident it would be good, they way things were going, so we didn't order any.

You know, I don't know if I'm being too hard, I really wanted to like Punk's.  I'm wondering if I just don't like Southern food or something.  We did order fried chicken, hush puppies, tater tots, etc...which I never feel really good about eating anyways, after.  I really just didn't like it all that much...but the atmosphere was great, very festive.  Ethan, the 13 year old did love it.  His first time trying chicken fried steak, and loved it.  He also really loved the fried chicken, but later admitted he thinks he just likes all foods, unhealthy.  For me and the mister, all was just an eh kind of experience...

Dua (Westheimer/Montrose)

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It's the same owners as the old Mo Mong.  I have been to Mo Mong long long ago when they first opened, but haven't been back since.  For lunch today, I took my typical Simply Pho partner and he did not like the change.  Everything was so heavy.  We tried to get an order of spring rolls but our server suggested the chicken with mangos.  She was so great, but we really lean more towards the lighter foods.  Matt tried to get a pho, but instead she guided him to a noodle dish with curry and odon noodles.  I already had plans to get the garlic tofu (dau hau luc lac), as I had read in the My Table magazine it was to die for.  It was not to die for, this same dish at Cali Sandwich is the bomb!  Anyways, our overall experience was good, but just because we lean towards the lighter dishes, this will probably not be on our list of go to places for Vietnamese food.  It's a competitive world out there!

Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette

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First time to this location, but not the first time to Liberty Kitchen, been to the Heights.  This River Oaks location is wow, beautiful!  Very nice.  Staff was amazingly friendly.  Today, I decided I would try an oyster for the first time in my life.  We ordered 2 trays of 12 oysters, their amazing mac and cheese and a salad.  I tried my first oyster on a cracker, with cocktail sauce, horseradish, and lemon.  That was really painless.  Next, I tried it without the cocktail sauce and still painless.  I didn't dare try it with anything less than that.  The mac and cheese is my absolute favorite, best mac and cheese in town!  The cocktails were not very good, no point in even mentioning them because honestly, I can't remember their names.  Other than that, great experience, I really like this location!  Beautiful, fun interior and nice outdoor patio.

Bradley Ogden Fine Diner

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The first time I ever had "Kobe" beef, was at Bradley Ogden, Las Vegas.  A 1 ounce sliver cost $40 per piece...I had 4!  But, it was all really worth it!  The other thing I know about Bradley Ogden is that he's won the James Beard award...twice!  So naturally, when I saw he was coming to Houston, I was a little giddy.  

I have to say, it's a bit of an odd feel.  I mean, this shopping center doesn't quite feel like the spot to open a restaurant.  It's supposed to be "casual", but the prices are not "casual".  My Wagyu beef dinner entree cost $54!  But you know me, anytime there is Wagyu, I splurge because I absolutely love Wagyu beef!  My meal was really good, we both enjoyed our entrees very much.  My veggies were so stinking good, I mean I swear I think they must of laced it with something illegal.  So very good...my entire meal.  Matt got the Chicken dinner, which was nice.  I know he really liked it and he is very picky.  He said he liked the way it tasted and the way it was cooked.  He also loved his vegetables.  We enjoyed all of our items including the few items that were sent to our table, compliments of the chef.  Those zucchini fries were yum yum!  And lastly, I liked my pineapple upside down dessert over Matt's chocolate banana thing.   Our bill came out to $171 not including tip.  That seems a little high, but I did get a glass of wine and matt two draft beers, which he thought $9 was a bit steep.

The decor is nice, very trendy, rustic, rich colors mixed with this casual pieces, like the bench seats and the servers' plaid shirts.  I liked it all a lot!  Lots of interesting things to look at from cool light fixtures, wire lamps, black boards, kitchen through the wine racks, etc.  Neat place.  Our server was really sweet too and new to Houston.

We got to meet Chef Bradley, very nice guy.  Apparently, the Funky Chicken next door is also owned by them.  They will have 3 restaurants in Houston, after all is said and done, third one in Memorial City Mall.  Bradley lives in San Jose, his son is the executive chef at BFD and lives here in Houston.  Sorry about the blurry pictures, my settings were all off, will do better next time.

Celebrating National PBJ Day at Monster PBJ

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Today is National PBJ Day!  So naturally, I decide to go to Monster PBJ food truck.  You can find their always changing location at monsterpbj.com.  I was really excited to visit and took my Ethan with me.  We walked up and I asked them if they could recommend something, I ordered a sweet and spicy.  Ethan made his own, pb, nutella and grape jam on white.  When he opened it up, it looked like a pretty regular pbj.  I asked if it was amazing or just good, he said good.  When I opened my sweet pbj, it was ginormous!  The sweet was interesting, it could probably use a little more of the good stuff inside.  It had pb, grape-like jelly, and apples.  The spicy was really different, but somehow it did taste good.  It had pb, pickles and sriacha sauce.  I know, strange.  All in all, an interesting experience.

Fellini Cafe (Rice Village)

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To finish off date night, I yelped a dessert and coffee place, saw Fellini got some good reviews and there we went!  Great location and nice little outdoor patio space to enjoy beautiful days like this one.  On entering the cafe I thought, ooh, nice and modern, very chic, maybe even a little European.  We order a coffee, a vanilla soy latte, and with the help of the cashier, we get an almond cookie, a coffee eclair, a citrus powder cookie, canoli, and a tiramisu.  Wow, what a disappointment!  Other than the almond cookie, everything else was so bland, totally tasteless, or just not very good, which was fine, sometimes pastries are.  I tried my vanilla soy latte, wow...that quite possibly is the worst latte I've ever had.  The expresso was just bad.  You can always tell if a latte is going to be good by the foam and if they can do good foam art, it's a sure bet.  Their foam was a very sad attempt at a heart or maybe a fetus.  Needless to say, I took one sip, another to make sure and did not drink the rest.  However, the guys behind the counter were really great, super nice and helpful, but this cafe does not measure up to my sweet tooth standards, at all.  Minus that almond cookie, which was really good.

Local Foods (River Oaks)

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Location #2 opened!  The interior is nice, really interesting, and very creative.  Is the menu the same, is always the first question.  No, it's not.  It's actually very different, although you can find some similar items as Rice's location, like the sides and the Posole soup.  Other than that, I didn't recognize anything else.  Matt did not like that they did not have the duck confit sandwich and ended up getting a Kale salad, which half way through it he decided he is not a Kale person.  I didn't mind the Kale salad, but I got the Asian salad, as was recommended by our cashier.  I like the new location and like the new menu, Matt not so much.  Guess we'll not be frequenting the new location together much.  

Downhouse (Heights)

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This is not exactly my first time here, but it actually is.  I've had food catered from Downhouse and have walked in once when they first opened, but I'm pretty sure Downhouse has evolved since then.  I just don't remember it being as attractive inside as it is now.  I think more lights have been added or something, but whatever it was, the place looks really great!  I love it's rugged, vintage, rich textures, very nice interior.

I order the stuffed French toast with a side of egg whites, scrambled.  Matt ordered the breakfast tacos and grits.  We both really liked and enjoyed our meals.  I think I ate more of Matt's food than he did.  His grits were so good.  I did not know grits were made of corn, and these grits, you could taste bits of corn, it had so much substance to it, I loved it!  My French toast was good, I think I could have skipped the apple sauce on my French toast.  I did like the pear in the sauce though.  The problem with a lot of breakfast places is that the food is too oily.    My eggs did not feel greasy and there was no oil on the plate at all.  I thought the quality of food was great.  I really loved everything, even our server.  Downhouse will definitely be on the list of regular places to go!

Boomtown Coffee (Heights)

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I would guess Boomtown has been around, not too long, not too recent.  On walking in, I found myself not really loving it.  It also smelled like people had smoked in there at one time, but that can't be because it has been around, not too long.

The guys at the counter are really nice.  I order the "Clean Sweets" cookies and they are both really awesome!  They both tasted, surprisingly good.  I say surprising because they don't look very tasty, but they were!  They weren't too sweet, but had substance and good texture.  On drink, I was planning to order a soy latte but saw the "Salted Caramel", and that's what I got.  It was good, but wasn't over the top.  I was expecting it to be a lot sweeter, but it wasn't, and I liked that.  Also, when they draw the little art on the latte, I unconsciously think it's a better latte, thus a better coffee house.  For one, I don't think you can do the art drawing if the foam isn't the correct kind of foam.  It usually does taste better too.  I have found most baristas at the more commercial coffee houses do not know how to make good foam.  But, Boomtown makes really good foam.

Everybody in there is there to do whatever they came to do.  It didn't feel like a people watching place, which is nice.  It took a little bit, but I liked it and it's right around the corner from my office, which will be a nice place to go when I need to work but want to be out of the office.  It's a nice alternative to Antidote.

Oxheart (East Downtown)

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This is probably my most anticipated eat ever!  Getting married Fall of last year put Oxheart on the list, where it stayed for 9 months!  But, it's not like I didn't try.  Actually, I tried a couple of times, but due to restaurant closings, for breaks or something, and being all booked, we are just now getting a chance to visit...and I am super duper excited!

On arriving, I'm realizing I haven't been over to this part of town much, if ever.  It almost has a San Francisco feel to it, very eclectic.  I love the old brick warehouses on this part of town, very vintage, love it.  To find the restaurant, you'll have to go by the address because there is no sign anywhere, at least we didn't see one.  We actually only saw the name of the company on the menu and no where else...very under the radar.

We ordered a bottle of wine, the Garden Menu and Tasting Menu.  I don't think I have ever been to a restaurant that feels so intimate, so interesting and creative.  I love the quaint feel inside, and the design and decor makes you feel like you're at someone's home, it's very low key and comfortable.  The staff was great, our server's name was Brigette.  She was amazing!  She really knew her stuff and was friendly, and very helpful.  I just remember as every dish came out, I was really impressed by the creativity and blending of foods.  The flavors and textures were very unique.  My favorites were the carrots in bouillon and the soup.  I mean, the soup was just so tasty!  It was very flavorful and tangy, just a great blend of spices and flavors.  Definite favorite. Everything was so so tasteful and creative, brilliant!  I loved my entire experience.  Between the two of us, our bill plus tip came out to just under $300.  It's expensive, but definitely worth the visit.  

My walk away thought was that the food was creative and tasteful, not the best food I've ever had, but it was all very unique and probably the most interesting food.  But, it wasn't just the food, it was the combination of creative, artful, and tasty foods with the intimate, low key vibe of the restaurant, which seems as odd of a pairing as combining vintage and contemporary styles.  I just thought it was a very creative restaurant and the dining experience was the most interesting I've ever had...very interesting.

3 Brothers Bakery (Washington)

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3 Brothers Bakery on Washington is now open!  They're celebrating the opening with sample treats, cake, boston and apple cream pie, bread, etc, definitely go by, now!  They have every kind of dessert, cakes, cupcakes, pastries, bagels, macaroons, cookies, and the list goes on!

I purchased some customer favorites and sampled them all with friend, Oscar.  He loved the eclair!  Said he loved the balance between the not so sweet cream with the sweet chocolate on top.  I think I have had better eclairs.  I also tried the lemon bar, peanut butter, sprinkle, chocolate chip, and Mexican cookie.  I think my favorite was the Mexican cookie, which is different from the sand tart because it has walnuts and not pecans.  Finally, it's nice to have a bakery in the neighborhood instead of having to make a trip to Rice Village.  A great one stop shop for all baked goods.

New Listing in Rice Military, $449,900!

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This stylish & rare 2story 4BR home by Memorial Park & I10 has a sought after floor plan w/living & dining on first floor, spacious living, central kitchen w/an island, Silestone countertops, ss appliances, w/d included, and breakfast bar. Circular wrought iron stair case, hardwoods throughout, Plantation shutters, elfa system in all closets & garage, & a bidet! Garage w/pulley systems for 3 bikes. Pavestone patio, landscaping, automatic irrigation system & private driveway! A must see!

6111 Maxie

Sweet Paris Creperie

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Very cute place, crepes were delicious.  We had four crepes between Jimy and myself.  Two savory, 2 sweet.  I was stuffed, but what was I to do, just try one crepe?  Here's the low down, I had the vegan crepe, which was great!  It had beans, corn, and a few veggies, with an Indian kind of spice, very good.  Jimy got the Chicken Carbonara because they said it was the most popular crepe.  He said it was very good and that I was messing up his diet...as violins play softly in the background...or maybe just in my head.  I took one for the team too and totally over ate, for you...all my faithful followers.  

I asked the crepe guy, who happens to be Moroccan, I know this because Jimy asked, because he's from that side of the world too...anyways I asked the crepes guy what is a favorite sweet crepe, he said the apple, so that's what we got.  Jimy saw Oreos & Cream and never mind his diet, we ordered that one too!  They were both good, but after I tried the Oreos crepe, I couldn't go back to the apple.  All very good and such a cute place.  Definitely recommend!

Smashburger (Yale/I-10)

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Well, it's probably been over a year now since Smashburger has opened.  I missed the Yelp grand opening party.  I'll be honest, I probably won't be visiting all that much, but hey, it's always good to try new things, even if fast food, once in a while.

I know it's weird going to a joint like this and asking for recommendations, but that's exactly what I did.  Yeah I did.  I ended up getting the Baja Chicken and the Avocado Club on Sandwich, smash burger fries and a salted caramel milkshake.  Both sandwiches were good, I preferred the Baja because it had a nice little kick.  The fries were good, but so oily.  But, what else do you expect at a fast food restaurant.  The salted caramel milk shake...wow....wow...no really, it was a real wower.  Soooo good!  So tasty!  I may come back for that, for sure. 

Staff was great, place was clean, and I thought they had fairly healthy choices for a non fast food eater.  Please try the salted caramel.  If you have to pick one thing, forget the main meal, get a salted caramel milk shake!!!

Araya Chocolates (River Oaks)

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It's cute, but not a big selection and I found the staff not very helpful or friendly, so I'm not so sure about the chocolates.  I sampled one dark chocolate covered almond, and purchased a little container for my mom for mother's day.  The others I wasn't sure since I wasn't about to buy a whole container or package without trying them and the lady that helped wasn't very helpful.  Definitely not quite the experience I had in Paris.  I probably won't be visiting this place again anytime soon.