Buff Brew

I met up with a coworker at Buff Brew.

It's a pretty huge front at the Spring Street area.

Ground floor has a bar and you see all the hops and what nots. 

But if you go up to 3rd floor, you get this beautiful view of downtown.

But first thing first, let me grab a brew.  I got the Lighten Up, which is a very light IPA.  When it's hot and humid, it goes down nicely.

Got half order of wings which are indeed jumbo.  You can choose your wet rub or your dry rub with dipping sauce. 

We got the loaded tots, which they were not kidding.   We added Carne Asada, that comes with cheese, queso, pico and did I mention cheese?  It was good.

Did I mention the view?  I'll just leave this here.

Buff Brew

2101 Summer Street

Houston, TX 77007

713-714-3335

https://www.buffbrew.com/

 

Moon Rabbit

Went to Moon Rabbit under the recommendation of a coworker.

This is his backyard, so understandably any hip food places in the Heights would be on his list.

We got the Bahn Xeo toasta which has a crispy bottom with shrimp and lettuce, veggies, with a coconut crema on top. I can taste the pork belly bit but can't really locate it. But don't worry, it's is a delicious mess, totally worth it.

Then we had the Shaking beef, it's filet mignon with onion, garlic, and jalapeño and bed of veggies.  You have this over rice.  The sauce helps and the the rice helps makes cut the spicy.  It is good but I may try another dish next time.

Making a reservation is highly recommended.  Parking on 19th Street is always a challenge, so check the signs but parking is not impossible.  We suggest book early which helps with the parking.  The place is casual.  We were surprise that there's a lot of people belly up to the bar than sit in for dine in.

Moon Rabbit

605 19th Street

Houston, TX 77008

713-684-3991

https://moonrabbithtx.com

 

Mango Mango Dessert

I was craving a Mango dessert, so no better than a place called Mango Mango.

It is actually hidden in a corner of the shopping center next to Kim Son dining hall.  

Here's the to-go container.

This is the mango sago with lychee jelly.  Of course it has fresh diced mango, mango juice, and sago.  Sago is really a tiny tapioca, chewy and doesn't have a lot of taste by itself.  So, to put that in this type of dessert is really to give it texture and layer.  But the mango is nice and fresh, so that makes the trip is totally worth it.

The place is small but don't let the outside fool you, there's plenty of seating inside.  It looks like folks will come in and play board games, so feel free to grab a dessert and grab a game.  They do also have cake, crepe, hot dessert, shaved ice if this is not your jam.  

Mango Mango Dessert

10603 Bellaire Blvd

Ste B105

Houston, TX 77072

https://www.mangomangodessert.com
 

il Bracco

Had a work happy hour, and decided to try il Bracco

It is located at the former California Pizza Kitchen location in the Galleria area.

Checked Yelp and the Crudo - it has salmon, tuna, and scallop.  It looked great for the 'gram, but between the caper and onion, it was super salty.  There's a big chunk of salt every bite, gimme a margarita friends.

Crispy Artichoke, that is actually worth getting, the artichoke is fried and there's olive aioli and it has a side of ranch for good measure.

Meatballs weren't bad either, it's lamb and beef combo, we just liked the sauce which is great for dipping with the in-house focaccia bread sticks.

This is where it all fell apart, the bartender said that they have the best and fresh pasta.  That guy over sold it a tad.  So my coworker got the Cacio e Pepe, and I got the Pesto Rigatoni.  I got suckered in by pesto.  I will say the pasta was gummy with a feeling of it not being freshly made as the bartender had described.  The pancetta and pesto was good, the flavor was good, but the vehicle that delivered was not good.  So, that made for a disappointment.

Another interesting thing, they are known for their drinks.  I had asked our server, how come a drink that's made with Moscato d'Asti, how come they don't sell or serve the wine by itself.  That was a head scratcher.  But from what I saw on the list, the drink list is really what they're most proud of.

Generally speaking, parking is fine, there's plenty.  The servers are new and they're excited.  They had 3 hostess but their 'station' was a corner of the kitchen bar, so that's interesting.  Some friends tried at a later date and said that the food gotten better.  I may try again another time, but for now, drinks are key here.

Il Bracco

1705A Post Oak Blvd

Houston,TX 77056

713-532-9950

https://www.ilbraccorestaurant.com/post-oak/

 

Sleek chocolates

I went to run an errand and saw this place.

Stopped by out of curiosity.  I mean, when you see the word Chocolate on the sign, you stop by.

You walked in, and see 2 giant crepe makers at the front.  You walk around the counter and here's the display of chocolate.

I got some that looked good, but when I got home the ganache part are thicker than I liking.  Maybe it would've been better with a cup of strong coffee?  I think when you grew up having Godiva and graduate to more exotic chocolatiers, your taste buds gets snobbier as you grow.  At any rate, it's not bad for a starting effort.  It's not exactly my jam, but I may come back for the crepes later.

Sleek Chocolates

5868 Westheimer Rd

Houston, TX 77057

https://www.sleekchocolate.com

 

Cafe Louie

Been seeing posts about this place and pretty excited to try them.

It's really a neat area in EADO.  It has market next door, a PopSton in the front of the building and a juice bar at the back.

The inside is pretty hip.

I got the Golden Milk on ice.  

Got an Egg on the roll - it has scramble eggs, bacon, sausage, brown butter, onion, in a brioche bun.  That sandwich is massive.  I had to cut it in half and still didn't finish.  

So this place has a hip vibe to it.  Don't get me wrong, food is good, and it's worth coming down here for it.  That crowd is definitely young and music might be loud.  Come early catch a coffee and a sandwich.  It's better weather outside, grab a seat outside.  Water and busting of plates are self-serve.  Follow their instagram as they sometimes have collars with different chefs in town for dinner and what nots. 

Cafe Louie

3401 Harrisburg Blvd

Ste G

Houston, TX 77003

346-446-5770

https://www.cafelouietx.com

 

Southern Sweets

Went back to Southern Sweets for an afternoon picker-upper.

Everything here is so 'grammable'.

Cute little nook.

I got the Banana Creme Brûlée Pudding. 

Can't forget the Nilla Wafer on top.  Every bite has a clean bite of banana in there.  The cream is not overwhelming or too sweet.  You get some bread pudding in there, and it's perfect with a cup of coffee.  Take my word for it.

Southern Sweet Bakehouse

4530 Beechnut St

Houston, TX 77096

713-485-0954

https://www.southernsweetsbakehouse.com