Your WEEKEND Brand: APRIL — My Southern Brand

Houston is LIT! There’s always something to do in this amazing metropolis. From museums to clubs to concerts to beaches and Mardi Gras in Galveston to shopping, Houston has you covered. As a result, Houston receives over 20 million visitors a year; these visitors indulge in everything the metro has to offer. Whether your visit is for a week-long conference or just for a weekend getaway, you will not be disappointed with the amenities, especially the food! Ladies and gentlemen, this is where I can provide some assistance for your stay. Since most of you come here for a weekend, starting with Friday and ending with Sunday, I’m going to provide you with a list of some of my favorite restaurants in Houston to experience. Whether you fly into Bush or into Hobby or you drive into the city, the smell of good food will be in the air!

Let me compose your weekend’s restaurant itinerary with Your WEEKEND Brand…

FRIDAY

SNACK

The plane ride to Houston may have just starved you, but a short trip to Third Ward will satisfy your sweet dreams. Not Jus’ Donuts is conveniently located in the heart of Houston and is sure to welcome you with open arms. This homegrown bakery serves delicious treats, such as cakes, cake balls, cake pops, cookies, cupcakes, donuts, pies, cobblers, and other sweet streets. My favorite treats to get are the Sweet Potato Cheesecake and Heavenly Butter Cake; prices depend on the whether the cakes are cut in slices or are served whole. The Sweet Potato Cheesecake is made with love from a family recipe; the yams and spices of the sweet potato cake mixed with the cream cheese from the cheesecake is a match made in Heaven. Speaking of Heaven, the Heavenly Butter Cake is very light and fluffy and packs a lot of flavor that reminiscent of the authentic Third Ward taste! Not Jus’ Donuts has it all, and I recommend indulging in its greatness before you start your weekend.

DINNER

For dinner, I highly recommend Caribbean Cuisine for Jamaican food. Here, the Coconut Curry Shrimp meal ($12.99), which is served with rice and peas, sweet plantains, and a small bowl of cabbages, is very delicious. The seasoned shrimp is unpeeled and isn’t soggy from the curry; the coconut milk really compliments the shrimp. The coconut milk reduction acts as gravy to the rice and peas, which gives the side dish an extraordinary flavor that won’t let me put the fork down. LOL. If you’re into poultry, then I also recommend the Jerk Chicken Wings meal ($10.99), which is served with rice and peas, sweet plantains, and a small bowl of cabbages. The tender jerk chicken wings are seasoned with Mr. Milton's secret homemade jerk sauce and are marinated and slowly cooked in a barbecue pit; the homemade jerk sauce adds a kick to the already seasoned chicken, and thankfully, the sauce is not thick whatsoever. With any meal, I recommend Also, I'd ordered a curry chicken meat pie ($1.85) and a fruit punch-flavored Tropical Rhythm ($2.59) to get the full Jamaican experience. Caribbean Cuisine will definitely set your night off correctly!

SATURDAY

LUNCH

Eadeaux’s Cajun Cocina, a food truck that fuses Tex-Mex with Cajun and Creole flavors, is sure to satisfy your Saturday lunch. This food truck has become my favorite vendor. The crawfish (market price) is amazing! It has that authentic Cajun flavor that I love; I HATE seasoning on top of the shell. The crawfish is juicy and is filled with Acadiana spices that are reminiscent of the southern bayous of Louisiana. Also, I recommend getting the crawfish nachos ($11.00), which include crawfish tails, pico de gallo, queso, and jalapeño peppers atop a bed of crunchy tortilla chips. Sounds tasty, huh? This food truck is the champ of all food trucks in Greater Houston! Eadeaux’s Cajun Cocina is definitely an awesome foodie experience. Everything from the customer service to the food is good. The crawfish will be calling your name, after you leave!

DRINK

One thing that I love about Houston is the fact that you can stumble upon hidden gems, in terms of restaurants and daiquiri shops, in several areas of the city; this keeps the food journey exciting! Level 10 Daiquiris is one of those special hidden gems that is on the road to becoming one of the best daiquiri shops on the Southwest side! The D-shop, which has been opened for a couple of months, is located on Braeswood Boulevard right next door to one of Houston’s popular Cajun restaurants, Lotus Seafood. The mixologists at Level 10, especially Malonna, are very friendly and will provide samples for inquiring minds. Because I’m very indecisive when it comes to choosing the best daiquiri flavor and mixture for my taste pallet, I had to try all of the flavors during my visit. LOL. Here’s the part for which you’ve been waiting: my daiquiri of choice. After further deliberation, I’d finally chosen a green apple and watermelon mixture; I was really close to choosing just the Gucci flavor, which is their top seller that is an in-house flavor. It’s something about green apple and watermelon being mixed together; the flavors together are impeccable! The watermelon flavor is pretty sweet, while the green apple flavor is sharp and sour. Of course, I know it sounds like a fruity drink, but it will have you feeling tipsy quickly! I normally get the medium size for $8.25, and I’m always satisfied with it.

DINNER

Popularly known as “TiTi,” his comedic fictional female character, Kway recently opened up Krab Queenz, a restaurant with Baton Rouge origins, in Westchase on Westheimer Road. Krab Queenz is definitely becoming a popular foodie destination, since Kway, who has over 3 million followers on Instagram, has been heavily advertising the restaurant on his platform and has been at the restaurant greeting and serving fans and patrons alike. At Krab Queenz, I recommend the “Seafood and Waffles” combo, which comes with a meat choice of fried shrimp, fried fish, or fried lobster on top of a large waffle. For you, I’d choose fried shrimp ($15.99). Let me start off by saying that the fried shrimp is plentiful; the meal comes with 8 shrimp. The shrimp isn’t fried too hard and is perfectly seasoned with Cajun spices, and they taste amazing with the homemade Cajun tarter sauce. Now, the waffle, which is accompanied with syrup, will be a pleasant surprise; it isn’t the typical breakfast waffle that’s kind of bland. The waffle, which is made from an in-house special recipe, tastes close to a cinnamon roll. You would thoroughly enjoy eating the shrimp and waffle together; the Cajun seasoning and the crunchiness of the shrimp eaten together with the sweet and dessert-like waffle is a true foodie’s dream! Krab Queenz has great food and definitely has that fun atmosphere and young crowd that a lot of black-owned restaurants in Houston have.

SUNDAY

BRUNCH

Third Ward is one of Houston's wards that's the epicenter of the city's African American population. It stays LIT, but all roads lead to The Address. The Address is massive! It’s a 3 in 1 type of venue; you can meet new people and enjoy Houston’s warm weather on the huge patio, you can have a few drinks and watch the game in the bar area, and you can turn up in the club section at night. Oh yea, did I mention the waitresses? The waitresses are beautiful! The DJs and hype men have the whole place jammin', too! There’s something to do there every day of the week, but you don’t want to miss “Brunch and Beats” on a Sunday! Being in Houston, it includes typical brunch dishes with a Creole twist. I recommend the chicken & waffles ($15.00). Yes, I know this is a go-to brunch meal, but the meal's presentation is so Texas. A matter of fact, it is Texas: a waffle shaped like the state. The waffle is drizzled with bourbon caramel sauce and powdered sugar and is topped with whipped cream, a strawberry, and a mint; there is a small container of syrup, as well. The waffle was very fluffy and light. For your side of meat, you have the choice between 5 chicken wings or 3 chicken tenders; most people opt for the chicken wings, which are fried and seasoned very well. All in all, The Address is a great place to brunch and party in the day. You won’t go wrong with it!

As you can tell, Houston is a food paradise. You will not be hungry during your stay for the food here is bomb and is plentiful. I hope you enjoy your time in Houston and experience everything that the area has to offer!