Your WEEKEND Brand: DECEMBER
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
First stop, Crumbville, TX. The treats here are banging! This little shop is located in Third Ward across from Emancipation Park and holds a special place in my heart with its vegan treats, such as cookies, cupcakes, and brownies. I’m not vegan, but Ms. Ella, the owner, knows how to whip up something special. For every vegan treat, there’s a non-vegan counterpart; my favorite treats are both vegan and non-vegan. As a result, I recommend the vegan chocolate chip cookie and the non-vegan Vanilla Stuffedcup (cupcake) that includes a chocolate chip pecan cookie baked into the bottom; the cookie is very soft and rich and doesn’t taste vegan at all, while the stuffedcup is very buttery and fluffy and tastes impeccable with the bonus deliciousness from the crunchy chocolate chip pecan cookie at the bottom. To put the icing on the cake, all of the treats are $5.50! Of course, Crumbville, TX sounds tempting right now, so if you want to experience such a great snack, then get there before the shop closes at 6 pm! It’s well worth the rush, if Houston’s traffic cooperates!
DINNER
For dinner, I highly recommend Doberman's Bar & Grill. This bar-style restaurant is located in the Washington Avenue Corridor between Durham Drive and Shepherd Drive. Inside, there's cigar service, and for my beer lovers, the bar has a huge selection of beer. Sounds good so far, right? The food is even better. Doberman's serves Cajun and Creole foods, which are Houston’s top cuisines and two of my favorites! Here, everything on menu from shrimp and grits to the Angus beef burger is good, but my favorite item on the menu is the the “Doberman's Trinity,” which is $17.00. This meal includes your choice of any 3 appetizers on the menu. Thus, I recommend the Cajun Catfish Fries, the Bang Bang Tacos, and the Jerk Chicken and Yellow Rice Egg Rolls; there are other appetizers on the menu, such as pickle fries, chicken & steak fajita quesadillas, and avocado fries. Doberman's Bar & Grill is definitely the move before you head out for a night on the town.
LATE-NIGHT MEAL
After a fun night participating in Houston’s dynamic nightlife, you may have the munchies and may want to grab another bite to eat before eating the hay sack. Mai’s Restaurant, a Vietnamese restaurant in Midtown, will get the savory job done. Houston has some of the best Vietnamese food in the country, so you have to experience one of the cuisines and cultures that make the city unique. At Mai’s, I recommend the garlic shrimp seafood dish, or “Tom Luc Lac” in Vietnamese; this dish is fairly spicy and comes with a side of brown rice. The dish itself is a decent size and includes good sized shrimp mixed with bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, diced jalapeño peppers and an in-house special sauce. The dish costs $16; the good thing about the meal is that it’s light on the stomach, but it will have you feeling satisfied and energized for the next day of festivities!
SATURDAY
LUNCH
Just imagine the curry, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice in Jamaican food mixed with the okra, tomatoes, and Creole spices in Creole food. Is your mouth watery now? Well, come on and get your appetite in check at Nyammings Fusion Bistro, a Creole and Jamaican fusion restaurant located in Westchase at the corner of Wilcrest Drive and Briar Forest Drive. Owned by Vic, this restaurant is one of my favorites in town. Even though it is a little far west, the Jamaican Oxtail meal is well worth the 20 minute drive from the city; this place has the best oxtails in town! The tender meat is slow braised with lima beans in a flavorful and lightly spiced gravy. Also, the meal, which is $15.95, includes rice & peas, steamed cabbage, and plantains. Having the similar taste and being similarly prepared to red beans and rice, the rice & peas is cooked using coconut milk; the cabbage is soft and seasoned, and the plantains are sweet and chewy. Next, for a drink, I recommend the rum punch ($8.00), which is a perfect blend of pineapple juice, orange juice, and a variety of rum; the rum punch goes really well with the oxtails, which gives you that authentic Jamaican cultural experience. Nyammings Fusion Bistro has it going on, so you will be disappointed!
DRINK
If you still have some more drinking left in you after enjoying the rum punch at Nyammings, then I recommend traveling about 15 minutes to Daiquiris 2 Go for a cold daiquiri. This place is one of my most favorite daiquiri shops in town, especially since the owner, Juanita, is from Alabama. The space is really clean and bright, and it’s a place where friends can get together, while drinking, to play games like Spades, Uno, Dominoes, etc. Now, let’s move on to my daiquiri of choice. My favorite drink to get from here is the “Mary J,” which includes green apple and piña colada. The daiquiri is sour from the green apple but is creamy from the piña colada. I normally get the regular size, which is $5.00; if I’m feeling a little adventurous, then I’ll get an extra shot of a neutral-based rum, which is the base for all of the daiquiris, for $1.00. The daiquiri, which is composed of real fruit juice, is strong but not overwhelming. However, it will have you feeling great!
DINNER
Centered along Hillcroft Avenue in a district dubbed the Mahatma Gandhi District or "Little India," one can smell Indian cooking in the air. One place that adds to that wonderful scent is Himalaya, which is a top destination in the immediate area. Here, I recommend the Grilled Fish Masala meal, which includes two grilled tilapia cooked in Indian spices; topped with homemade tomato seafood sauce; and served with sauteed onions and tomatoes. The fish is very tender, and the spices add a flavorful kick along with the sauteed onions. A complimentary large plate of rice comes with the meal, which can be used as a base for the fish masala. Also, garlic naan comes with the meal, which is a soft and fluffy flatbread covered in fresh minced garlic, green onions, and butter. Talm bout good eatin'! For a beverage, I recommend the bottled Mango Lassi, which is thick and has a similar taste and consistency to a V8 Splash fruit smoothie; the drink is very satisfying. Himalaya is moderately priced according to the dish; the respective meal (Grilled Fish Masala - $13.99, Garlic Naan $2.99, and Mango Lassi -$3.99) is a total of $21.00 and is worth every penny!
LATE-NIGHT MEAL
The Breakfast Klub is one of Houston’s top recognized restaurants; during the day, several tourists and locals alike brave long lines to consume the goodness that this restaurant has to offer. As a result, TBK is now opened from 10 pm - 3 am during the weekend. Oh buddy, some wings and waffles definitely sound good after a long night of partying. This meal, which is $14.99, includes 6 crispy chicken wings atop a huge fluffy waffle that are topped with powdered sugar and a side of strawberries. The wings are perfectly battered and seasoned with a secret in-house recipe that keeps the restaurant’s buzz alive. The fluffy waffle is buttery and is kind of sweet but accommodates the wings successively; it will surely soak up any alcohol consumed at the local bars. Also, if you’re feeling thirsty, then I recommend the homemade lemonade ($3.75); this lemonade is some of the best lemonade that I’ve ever had, and I’m a big fan of this beverage. The Breakfast Klub is definitely worth the Houston weekend experience!
SUNDAY
BRUNCH
Phil & Derek’s is the king of all brunch spots to which I’ve been, and it begins Houston’s famous “Sunday Funday.” Initially, $28.00 for brunch sounds kind of pricey, but it’s worth it because the food (buffet-style) is limitless. Again, Creole and Cajun cultures are huge in Houston, so Phil & Derek’s has no shortage of the respective cuisines. The buffet includes gumbo, collard greens, fried chicken, fried catfish, grits, smoked sausage, red beans & rice, cakes, etc.; everything is pretty darn good. Additionally, Phil & Derek’s is popularly known for its mimosas! The mimosas are that good and will have you on your head, if you’re not careful. LOL. Phil & Derek’s used to offer bottomless mimosas, but now, they offer carafes for $3.00 each. My friends and I normally get about 4 - 5 carafes in one setting; the flavors we get include pomegranate, punch, cherry, pineapple, and orange. From the buffet, I normally get some pineapples and put a couple into my glasses of mimosas. After several glasses, the whole restaurant becomes LIT! Everyone is up dancing to bounce music, waving their napkins to New Orleans second line songs, and singing old jams and current music; the turn up gets real! Lastly, the place gets extremely crowded on Sundays, which can result in a 2 hour wait to be seated and a 2 hour table limit. Make sure y’all plan to arrive no later than 10:30 am, nonetheless!
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!