Beard Papa - Bellaire

Heard about a Beard Papa closer to town than the one in Katy.

The thing is, the new location is right by all the newly opened eateries and the traffic tend to be a bit crazy.

That said, I think the space is perfect and it has a very different vibe than the other one.

They also have a few items that the other location doesn't.  Of course, they also rotate their seasonal stuff in the mix too.

As usual, all of the puffs shells are freshly baked, and you can smell that as you walk in, but the creme is piped as you order.

Yes, be jealous of my box, Papa!

I got the Chocolate Brest and they did pump in some green tea creme in there... yum!

Here's one of my favs: creme brûlée, also have vanilla creme inside.

We happen to stop in when it's meal time, so the line was short, so we grab what we want and went to lunch.  That said, these puffs do not do well in the heat, so take that box with you.  Even for the short trip home, some of the puffs didn't make it.  So you've been warned!

Beard Papa

9393 Bellaire Blvd

Suite G

Houston, TX 77036

832-409-5844

https://beardpapas.com

Roastery

Sometimes I would make an excuse to go to the big HEB just so I can visit The Roastery.

Don't forget besides coffee, they also have tea too.

Love the decor here...

Their new special is Lavender Latte, thought it's so hot out to try an iced one.

That's what that purple-ish blue milk it's, the lavender part.  But when you mix in the coffee it's all brown anyhow.  

I definitely did not taste too much of the lavender bit of it.  I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing, because lavender by itself can be pretty potent, more from the mint family.  But when I get some 'speciality' drink, I'd like to be able to taste that flavor... so I'm mix on this.  As much as a fan on latte's variety, I was more hoping that I could've tried the Nutella Latte.  But there's always next time!

Roastery

inside HEB

5106 Bellaire Blvd

Houston, TX 77401

https://www.theroastery.com

House of Pies

For our out of town friend, we must take her to House of Pies.

I forgot about going to HOP late night and the crowd is rowdier and the later it gets you get more people talking philosophy versus during the day.  

We were there for the Seasonal Peach pie, but since they had a few slices left, I opted for my usual - Bavarian Chocolate Banana, I swear they just lay down a banana and then pour in the cream and bake.  The cream is a tad much but I love their crust.  I will say, with so many choices, I'm still going back to this after all these years.

House of Pies

3112 Kirby Dr

Houston, TX 77098

713-528-3816

http://www.houseofpies.com

Carrabba's

Honestly, I haven't been to Carrabba's over a decade. 

Not because of anything just that the closest one to me is always busy, and it's not worth my time to wait, when within the 1 mile radius there are many different options that are just as good.

Started with Minestrone soup, it was a tad saltier than I like, but not bad.

This is Spiedino di Mare, but since I'm not a fan of shrimp (plus allergy) I asked them to swap and they offered more scallops.  I just LOVE their lemon butter sauce, you put that on anything, I'll scoop it all up, I swear.  The side I chose was Garlic Mashed Potato, which I'm a fan of mashed potato anyway, but the garlic in the mix truly made the dish.  I cannot help but keep eating it.  

For dessert, I got tiramisu, basically if they offer it, I would pick that because it is my way of judging how the food there is.  Dessert, may not make alot of sense, but it tells you how much details they put in or not.  Don't worry, they passed the mustard, while I'd like the lady fingers be a bit more moist and more soaked of the coffee in there, but it's not so far off.

The other thing about coming to Carrabbas, make sure to check their daily specials as well as if they have any other specials going on.  My friends were able to get another dish for $10 and it is full size of the dish plus the sides.  You get more than one meal out of there.  

Carrabba's

11229 Katy Fwy

Houston, TX 77079

713-464-6596

https://www.carrabbas.com

Luce Ave Coffee

Went back to Luce Ave Coffee.

Iced coffee is the best for 100 degree days!

Besides coffee, they have breakfast taco from Liberty Taco, but go early because the popular ones get sold out fast!  Don't worry, they also have pastries too.

So, what did I get?  I got an Iced Hazelnut Latte, they have different kinds of milk to accommodate your dietary or allergy needs.  I like that they don't go too sweet on the syrup, we all it's part of being the flavor, but it's nice not having to watch my sugar too much. :)

Luce Ave also roast their own coffee, so even if you order drip coffee, they have different flavors too.

Luce Ave Coffee

3995A Richmond Ave

Houston, TX 77027

281-974-4588

https://www.luceavenuecoffeeroasters.com

Fat Ni BBQ

A new barbecue place opened up at Bellaire Food Street, naturally, I'm curious.

Complimentary edamame.

Skewers galore: Fish Ball, Chicken skewers, and Habachi Yuba - which is the tofu skin wrapped scallion.

Beef Noodle Soup, they make their noodles in house, and you can watch them at the Noodle Station and watch them do it.  The soup is pretty decent but I was too busy enjoying the noodles.

More skewers: chicken wings and squid

Bacon wrapped Enoki Mushrooms.  

Basically, when you arrive, wait to be seated.  We went before the lunch rush starts, so it was easily seated.  Then, it's the difficult part, deciding what to get.  The food gets there as they are ready, so we got our noodles before the other dishes.  That said, the price is on the higher end.  For the amount we pay, it is on the higher end.  I would've expected more.  

That said, what I ordered there, is actually a lot of food.  So, when we were ordering, having 1 skewer doesn't seem to be enough.  But in reality, that is alot per skewer.  Besides skewers, there are other noodles and other kinds of snack type food. The possibilities are vast.  

As we sat, the place slowly fills up and a line started to form outside.  So, you may want to catch them before or after the peak hours.  Or if not, bring some patience to wait for the table.

Fat Ni BBQ

9503 Bellaire Blvd

Houston, TX 77036

http://fatni-bbq.com

Morningside Thai

I was having a craving for Mango Rice.

Since I was too lazy to drive far, went to Morningside Thai instead.

I always like to start with a Thai Tea, not too sweet or milky but definitely bring out the black tea flavors.

For our appetizer, we got beef satay.  It comes with peanut sauce and cucumber chunks.  

This is Pad Sei-iew - which is flat rice noodle with chicken, broccoli, carrots all stir fried together.

And here's the whole reason of being here... mango with sticky rice.  The sticky rice is cooked with coconut milk and the mango is super fresh.  So, you get a bit of both in one bite and it is just delectable.  Of course, at the end of the day, even though this is sweet, it is still rice, and it will fill you up.

We came around open time and there were already a couple tables ahead of us.  Even though the new location is no longer on Morningside, they are still busy with guests.  The place is small, unless you have a decent size party, I doubt you need a reservation.  That said, dinner does get busy.

Morningside Thai

2473A Braeswood 

Houston, Tx 77030

713-661-4400

http://www.morningsidethai.com/

HRW - Coppa

This is actually my 1st Houston Restaurant Week this year.

I know Coppa always deliver, so was looking forward to it.

For my 1st course, I started out with the Barrata with Heirloom tomato, so it's funny because there weren't too many tomatoes but a nice little green mix, which went well with the cheese.

 For my main course, I got the Spaghetti Carbonara, of course, the pastrami, egg yolk and parmesan cream that gets me every time.  It was so delicious that I want to ask for more parmesan cream.

 

For dessert, I got the Hazelnut Chocolate Cake, the hazelnut is in the gelato, and the cake is like a lighter version of brownie. 

We made a reservation for a large party, and to our surprise, they seated us in the Dough Room, so we instantly felt super special because we got this awesome private room.  Their service has always been superb, so that makes a nice evening.

My thing about Restaurant Week lately is that the dinners have raised their price to $45, there are still restaurants that charge $35 and it's not hard to find.  That said, it seems like over the years, the portions are getting smaller.  In this instance, the salad and dessert was smaller in portion, but I'm grateful the main course is the full portion size. 

Regardless, the Restaurant Week is doing good for the Houston Food Bank.  So I encourage you to participate with two more weeks left.

Coppa Osteria
5210 Morningside Dr
Houston, TX 77005
713-522-3535
https://www.coppaosteriahouston.com

Fat Cat Creamery

Been meaning to check out Fat Cat Creamery in the Heights.

They are right next to Hugs & Donuts on 19th & Shepherd.

All the ice cream are made with local ingredients, which explains why when they sell out a flavor, they are honestly out.

Since I like Amaya's Coffee, decided to give the Amaya Coffee & Cream a try.   It's no Lavender & Honey latte, but it is pretty good.  Not too overpowering on the flavor but definitely creamy enough for my coffee.

They also sell small size and pint size in their fridge.  So if you don't see a flavor you want, you may want to check the fridge.

Fat Cat Creamery

1901 N. Shepherd Dr

Houston, TX 

713-869-1080

http://www.fatcatcreamery.com

Flip n' Patties

So, there's a new food court opened in Downtown Houston called Understory.

Literally watch them put all these places together. 

Needless to say, I was thrilled to see Flip N' Patties got a spot.  You don't get alot of Filipino eateries in Houston.  So to have one so easily accessible is awesome!

Makes me excited to see that they went from a food truck to a brick and mortar and now expanding to downtown.

Right now, like many new eateries, they are cashless.  And since that place is really loud, they let you know when your food is ready.  Frankly, I was thrilled to see unicorns prepared my order.

So, what did I get.  I got the Spamsilot, which is slices of space cooked Filipino style, over a bed of jasmine rice covered with fukikake flakes (which has seaweed, sesame and other seasonings), with a fried egg over it. 

Honestly, that is alot of food.  But it was so delicious that I inhaled the entire box.  It is decently priced for that much of food.  The line at their stall is often out to the seating area.  So, I'm thrilled they are popular amongst the office crowd.  Definitely will come back for the Flippin Burger next time!

Flip n' Patties

in Understory

800 Capitol St

Houston, TX 77002

http://www.flipnpatties.com

Uchi

Went back to Uchi for dinner.  

Not much words, just name the dishes and what it is.

Got a glass of Moscato to start.

This is Sake (salmon) kiwi - it's golden kiwi which is a mix, and they're nice and sweet.

Social Pork, the pork is cooked with the egg jam sauce and topped with crispy rice.  It's actually one of my new favorite.

My must have: eggplant nigiri, not sure why it's so good, but eggplant has never been grilled so good.

Wall Tempura - like the sauce, can skip the fries.

Brussel Sprouts - YUM!

Geoduck Credo - I have no problem with geoduck, grew up eating that.  Have no problem with crude, but some how these two came together wasn't what I was hoping for.  It came with Korean melon and apple chunks, but that still doesn't do it for me.

Tako - octopus, topped with uni (sea urchin), with spring onion and yuzu sauce.

This is Gyumaki, which is grilled short rib in the middle, with kimchi and thai basil.  It's not too spicy, just give the meat a bit of taste.

Raspberry Blossom - which has sprinkling wine, cocchi rosa, rose water.  Very light and perfect for a hot day.

Ushio - fried ox tail with pickled onion and mint, I just really like dipping into that sauce.  Not too fried, but just enough to be crispy.

Macha Cure, which is our must get every time!  It's well done, it's good and it's a solid dish.  It is smoked yellowtail, yuca chips, and almond and pear chunks.  You are supposed to load all those little bits onto the yuca chip and eat it all in one bite.  This is something I definitely get every time I come back.

Foie Gras Candy Bar - this is something unique, foie gras with truffle caramel, hazelnut, with sesame on top.  The nut gives it the crunch, it's sweet yet not heavy.  This is not something I would get all the time, but it's definitely worth the try.

For dessert, we decided to order their specials and split.  This is Roasted Peach.  It has lemon cake at the bottom, with some crunchy granola bits, roasted peach with skin on it, and the ice cream is a sweet tea cream.  It's pretty, the flavor is too light for my taste.  I didn't need too much sugar, but also would've liked to have a bit of a strong note.

Here's the Vietnamese Coffee, you don't really taste too much coffee here, but it's nice and light with dark chocolate and mint and condensed milk drizzled on.  The cake itself is nice and flavorful, not too heavy on the sugar again but at least there's more flavors here than the Roasted Peach.  

Not pictured here, is the Hamachi Nabe, which is the hot pot rice with yellowtail, soy sauce, the rice is purposely overcooked to crispy, and egg yolk.  You get a little show, where they pour in the sauce and mix it all together and 'cook' it some more because the pot is so hot.  It came out very well, another solid dish that is a must get here.

Again, service here are top notch.  We do our order and our server can recommend alcohol for pairing.  The only thing was that he forgot one of our dishes.  Otherwise, everyone and all the parts from the host's station, to the bar, to the table, all work together seamlessly.  Don't forget to make a reservation.

Uchi

904 Westheimer Rd

Houston, Tx

713-522-4808

https://uchihouston.com