Midtown Houston Restaurant and Entertainment Guide

10 Foods Diabetics Should Limit or Avoid In Restaurants

2011-09-12T09:37:00.001-07:00

During a short conversation about foods diabetics shouldn't eat in restaurants with one of my brothers, he mentioned he was sitting in a Chinese buffet. None of the specific food items would come to my memory. The information from a short class on nutrition I attended a few years ago seemd to evade me. What I did remember was that diabetics should avoid things whose ingredients end in -ol or -ose, sugar and other simple carbohydrates.

I couldn’t erase the technical talk out of my mind and name a few simple menu items that could help him find healthy dinning options in Houston. So I did some quick research and put together this blog post to help everyone understand that some restaurant foods present a threat to people with type 2 diabetes.

After struggling to come up with the names of specific foods, I wanted to compile a list with a bunch of foods that are safe for diabetics to eat when dinning out and those which could cause complications.

Most of us are familiar with the hazards of processed breads. White bread, bagels and whole grains when refined or ground into flour lose some of their health benefits. So this month I want to remind everyone about some common foods that and can adversely affect diabetics. Some of the items on the list may be surprising to you. Many are not.

Common Foods Diabetics Should Not Eat

jelly beans,
baked potatoes,
cereals made from refined grains
margarine
processed foods
poultry skin
refined rice products
cream sauces

It's important to always give both sides of a story. That means giving you the good and the bad so you can draw your own conclusions. So, let’s look at some of the foods that offer health benefits to diabetics. This are not the only foods that offer good nutritional value, just a short list of some of them to help us all eat healthier and live longer.

Brown rice
Dried beans
Fresh fruit
Okra
Cabbage
Cucumbers
Egg Plant
Yams
Carrots
Oranges

Many of the same foods that we suggest diabetics should avoid or limit are also listed by the experts at Diabetic Living. There are three very good reasons why these foods are getting such a bad rap.

Most of them have been linked to high blood pressure, diabetes and other debilitating diseases.
These foods are high in added sugar.
They provide an empty source of calories that can cause unwanted weight gain( code word for obesity).

The data we provided about the foods diabetics should avoid was not done haphazardly or with any malice. I don’t want you to think that we are picking on any one industry.

Some of the of the articles I read while researching facts for this piece seemed to be very biased and slanted. If you would like to do some further reading, here are a few links on food and diabetes.

10 Healthy Dishes Easy To Find In Houston Restaurants

2011-08-12T12:23:00.001-07:00

Finding great tasting healthy food in Houston restaurants isn’t impossible, even if you are at an office party being held in a steakhouse or a networking luncheon. Vegetarian friendly food is becoming the only thing that more and more people dare put into their masterfully well sculpted bodies,
We have a few tips on how to go through any restaurant menu and pinpoint healthy dinning alternatives Houston Tx.
These are a few of the places serving cuisine that will keep you lean, healthy and wise when your appetite is craving vegetarian food and time doesn’t permit you to run home and prepare it.

Backstreet Cafe
Hugos
Block 7

Vegetarian and Vegan Dinning

There are plenty of Houston chefs who are cooking up delicious meals using organic foods and adding vegan meals to their repertoire. The local culinary artist at restaurants are becoming passionate about using garden fresh veggies, meat alternatives and great tasting natural foods.
Look for these terms on menus and reviews they are synonymous with food that was prepared by a health-smart chef.

Vegetarian Friendly restaurant
Alternative dinning
Organic food
All natural food
Green restaurants
Healthy Dining in Houston
Vegan restaurants
Houston Organic Restaurants -
Alternative menus
Meatless

The drink menus are following the lead too, by offering spring water, decaf green tea, and organic red wines. In addition to vegetarian options more people are requesting meals that are vegan and those prepared with gluten free food products.

During Houston Restaurant Week you can find dishes on menus all around town that are including legumes, beans, organic brown rice and quinoa, items that are mainstays of many vegetarian’s diet. Local Houston restaurants where you can find some healthy fare to eat any day of the week include:
Ruggles Green
Radical Eats
Ziggys Bar and Grill

Healthy dining is becoming a way of life for many people. At home family cooks are bolstering the health of their children by including one or more days of raw food in their weekly diets and preparing more vegetarian and gluten free meals.

Places to Eat Healthy In Houston

2011-06-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for vegetarian friendly restaurants in Houston you already understand the impact healthy eating actually has on your overall well being. For those of you that are considering adding nutrition conscious meals to your diet you’ll find the dinning establishment in this list are a perfect fit for you too.

Our focus extended beyond Midtown Houston restaurants, and includes a few places in other parts of the city that offer healthy dinning choices.

The results of our search for healthy dinning options shows that eating smart doesn’t have to stop with the main course. For people trying to rein in a wayward sweet tooth, there are plenty of delicious vegetarians and vegans baked goods available in local restaurants and markets too.

Conscious Cafe

A Houston Restaurant serving some of the best bean pies, muffins, healthy coffees and teas on the Southside.

My Fit Foods

Healthy Dinning made to order. You can order custom meals for breakfast lunch and dinner. Available for pickup at various locations including several fitness center in Houston.

Field of Greens

Houston Press readers voted Field of Greens one of the city’s best vegetarian restaurants. They are recongnized for thier delicious creative meals and friendly staff.

Green Seed Vegan

Vegan fast food served from one of Houston’s famous food trucks. You can find them near the TSU campus on Wheeler.

Moveable Feast

Moveable Feast has a popular weekend brunch that features organic eggs, chicken or vegetarian sausage, fruit pancakes,bottomless coffee or tea.

Ruggles Greens

Ruggles Green is certified by
the Green Restaurant Association. They offer delicious food that incorporate organic,all-natural, hormone-free, preservative-free, products.

Souper Salads

Raw Veggies are a permanent fixture on their salad bar and don’t forget to sample some of the warm and hearty soups. Sign-up for their club and get discounts on their meals.

Tafia

Tafia is where you can experience an elevated level of sustainable dinning, locally sourced produce. Their Green Plum Cooking school will show the how-to’s of preparing delicious fresh dinning at home.

Vegan Cafe

Houston's African American vegans flock to this restaurant located inside of S.H.A.P.E Community Center. This has helped this small restaurant gain a loyal following and build a reputation for thier scrumptious Saturday morning breakfast featuring: Oatmeal, Vegan Biscuits, Pancakes, Sweet Potato Pancakes, Scrambled Tofu.

Whole Food Market

Whole Foods is not only a place to buy organic food stuffs, they have healthy fare to go that you’ll enjoy whether you're just getting started on a healthy eating path or pursuing the road to wellness for years.

More On Healthy Dinning

Don’t forget to share this list of vegetarian friendly restaurants with your friends, family and neighbors. “Neighborhood Vegan Food Sharing Week” takes place June 18 to June 25. So share a vegetarian meal and this article with someone.

Thanks goes out to Lone Star Plate foe the ideas and lots of the places uncovered in this article. They are part of the growing network of outstanding vegan Texas blogs on the net.

5 Good Places To Eat In The Texas Medical Center

2011-05-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a look at some Midtown Houston restaurants where you can eat good while in the Texas Medical Center. We wanted to share these places with you, so the next time, hunger strikes while visiting or working in the TMC you will have a handy guide to use.

Recently while visiting a sick relative I took time out to do a little snooping to see whats to eat near the Hermann hospital complex. I was really surprised to find eating places everywhere I turned. They are on just about every floor and they have some really expansive variety of cuisines for diners to choose from.

The restaurants in and around Hermann Hospital are obviously designed with convenience in mind. The first dinning opportunities are along the walk way as soon as you exit the elevators leading from the parking garage, A couple of the eateries in that area are: Briochee doree and au bon pain, however both are closed on Sunday.

One of the places that is open on Sunday’s, where they serve up plenty of goodies is the Cafe Hermann. Its layout was very customer-friendly. It is as excellent use of space, with multiple serving areas spread around the entire room, instead of an old-school cafeteria style line, moving pass a steam table.

There was a nook containing a sandwich bar and across the way from there another area full of fresh veggies and a well stocked salad and dessert bars beckon you as you head toward the checkout line.

5 Good Places To Eat In The Texas Medical Center

Rising Roll
au bon pain cafe
Cafe Hermann
Brioche Doree
Starbucks

I drifted through several floors of the facility while on the hunt for something to eat. I eventually wandered into ye old standby, a vending area. It held the traditional soft drink machine and a line of snack machines filled with enough snacks to make a healthy heart stop pumping.

Quality Restaurants

If you’re like my mother, you will be able get a good sense of the dinning experience from the outside of most restaurants. Trash on the floor and tables that are allowed to sit full of dirty dishes, says plenty about the quality of the overall experience at food establishments. Poor cleanliness habits are symbiotic with bad restaurants the world over.

These are just some of the good places to eat in the Texas Medical Center we plan to bring you more about the fine restaurants in the TMC area so you can always find something that will soothe your hunger when you’re in and around Midtown Houston.

You can find plenty of restaurants in and around Hermann and the other hospitals to tide one over during any visit or doctors appointment in the Texas Medical Center. Be ware of the confusing directional signs in the buildings. I was reluctant to venture very far from the elevator for fear of being lost in a time warp.

Where To Find Your Favorite Sandwich In Midtown Houston

2011-04-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

We went in search of places where sandwiches rule in Midtown Houston. What we discovered is that there are plenty of businesses offering a decent pairing of bread and meat. An upside was that we did not have to limit our dining choices to delicatessens, burger joints and meat markets to get a sandwich made just the way we like them.

In Houston you can get gourmet sandwiches at steak houses, kolaches at donuts shops and a typical polish sausage to go at the convenience store across the street from the Greyhound bus station. Read on and see some of the other places that serve some awesome Texas-size sandwiches.

A Search For A Sandwich

Our tasty adventure started with some basic criteria, a search for something edible being served with bread. It was fueled by a 2 hour break between classes and a desire to be able find a few good places to enjoy a stomach warming bowl of soup and a sandwich after class at HCC-Central in Midtown.

With the abundance of yuppies and apartments for rent in Midtown Houston we were sure there were some healthier alternatives than eating deep fried fast food.

The biggest story has to be that a city with a reputation for taking the world to new heights has continued the tradition and elevated the humble sandwich to a new status.

Everywhere we looked we found them on menu after menu. It seems that every restaurant in Houston has a house sandwich, much like the Italians value there house vino.

Sandwich Shops And Delis In Houston’s Midtown

Houston families eat out more than people in any other U.S. city. We also seem to have a love affair with bread served with a heaping pile of all kinds of scrumptious goodies inside, Thanks to that fact, there is always something delightful to eat within walking distance from just about anywhere in Midtown, that will please the most highly discriminating taste buds. You can visit our restaurant guide to find restaurants in Midtown Houston that serve sandwiches. Here are a few more:

SubWay
Katz
Blimpie
Soup or Salad
Jason Deli
Quiznos
Which Which
The Vegan Cafe

What's In A Sandwich

Not since the days when John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich demanded to be served his favorite bread stuffed with a variety of meats, so he wouldn’t have to leave the gaming table to get a full course meal, have people paid so much attention to bread topped and stuffed with edible delicacies.

There were times during the Great Depression when just eating a jam sandwich, two pieces of homemade bread jammed together with nothing but air between them, was all some people would have to eat. We have even heard claims that when hungry trappers in the Louisiana swamps happened upon a snake it signaled time for a delicacy, snake on bread. Elvis Presley was renowned for eating peanut butter and banana sandwich with bacon

People shared with us how their comfort food during hard times, between paychecks and while attending college were sandwiches made from bread smothered with just ketchup, mayonnaise or syrup.

The Meat And Bread Makeover

The best way to describe a modern sandwich is bread filled with stuff. We tasted sandwiches with meat, without meat and with meat alternatives. An all time faux meat favorite is an fried eggplant sandwich discovered in Virginia, that’s next to impossible to find in Houston.

Rawfers, vegans and vegetarians who live in Midtown Houston apartments frequent The Vegan Cafe where they serve meatless sandwiches so full of delicious veggies that you’ll never miss the beef..

What's In Name
Today bread and meat has reached a regal status and very seldom will you find them simply being called a sandwich. They have acquired lively descriptive monikers like Natchitoche meat pies, Philly Cheese Steaks and Po’ Boys.

The love affair between the new generation of foodies and the delicious duo of meat and bread has prompted people to name them with the same care, fondness and fervor as they do their pets and children. Why settle for roast beef when you could have French dip it. Then there’s the American classic, a Hero/ Submarine, Dagwooda, Reubens and the names could go on for days.

Sandwiches From Around The World

In a handful of Midtown Houston restaurants you can experience food from just about any culture in the world. Many of the names used to refer to a sandwich differs by region and country. Gyros, Frankfurters and Baguettes were originally vital components of immigrant cuisine. Today you can find them listed on menus alongside mainstream dishes.
For authentic samplings of Bánh mì, Tacos or Cubans just drop into one of the Midtown bakeries, delis or food establishments owned by immigrants. A few of the well known eateries offering culturally oriented fare are:

Au Bon Pain-TMC
Rising Roll-Asian
Ga’s Restaurant-Vietnamese
Van Loc - Chinesse & Vietnamese
Hoang Son Sandwich Shop
Richi's Taqueria Las Americas

Our search for sandwiches in Midtown Houston resulted in us finding all kinds of delectable goodies being served between pieces of bread. It's your turn to get started on your tasty adventure.
The things that go into making a good sandwich run the gambit from all kinds of crunchy veggies to anything that can be chopped sliced, spread or dribbled on top of something. Buffalo wings and chicken nuggets reign on children’s menus, but when adults need a all in one meal, everyone prefers a big ol’ sandwich.

Places To Eat Near Reliant Stadium

2011-03-01T06:11:00.001-08:00

People wander down Main street looking for places to eat near Reliant Stadium have asnsot had to good fortune of discovering this fantastic blog. It’s only natural for workers and visitors during the Livestock Show and Rodeo, RV shows or attending home and garden exhibitions at the Reliant Park complex to get burned out with the food and prices at the stadium.

Once you down one too many burgers or hot dogs your body will crave for some serious nutrition, good eats, the kind of food that sticks to your ribs.

One thing I can’t help but notice about the area is that every franchise in America seems to have set up shop close to the gates of Houston's largest stadium. They seem poised to attract all the people who are too famished to drive further than a few feet from the gate.

The places that are popular with local residents aren’t these fast food establishments and none of them are part of a corporate chain. They are small businesses with names like:

Mama’s Oven
Hanks Ice Cream
Guy’s Meat Market
Baytown Seafood
Frenchy’s Chicken
Ruchis

It’s easy to spot hungry visitors in Houston. They’re the people blocking the street trying to turn or cruising slowly down the South Main corridor trying to figure out the confusing lanes that curve across traffic, in an attempt to find a restaurant with good food close to Reliant Park.

Mama’s Oven

One of the few Soul Food restaurants in Houston that’s located inside of the 610 loop is Mama’s Oven. You have to learn the place really well before you can accurately judge the best time to get there and not have to wait in line to get your food.

The menu encompasses a selection of beans, greens, chicken and pork chops and other traditional Southern style dishes cooked with a thick gravy perfect for sopping up with a biscuit.

Hanks Ice Cream

A few steps from Mama’s is a Houston landmark Hank’s Ice Cream. It’s been in and around the same area on South Main street for close to 20 years. A lot of folks claim it’s Houston’s best homemade ice cream.

(image by A D Forman)

The Houston business has a reputation for rich ice cream, full of flavor. It may just be the best in the Southwest. The demand for frozen dollops of sweet cream has increased so much there are several places selling homemade ice cream in Houston.

Hanks has the distinction of being the only one that can be found in about a half a dozen of places besides their original store. A few of their top flavors are

* Butter Pecan
* Strawberry
* Banana Pudding
* Orange Chocolate Chip
* Cookies 'N Cream

Hank’s ice cream is much more than just a Texas version of Ben and Jerry’s. The family owned ice cream parlor could easily become Houston’s first African American business to sell its homemade ice cream nationwide.

Guy’s Meat Market

East of Reliant Stadium is Old Spanish Trail (OST), a section of highway that was once marketed has a romantic link to the State’s Spanish past and historic expedition routes used by De Soto, De Vaca and De Navarez,
Today hungry people who appreciate having a butcher trim their meat and the taste of great barbecue for lunch can be seen crowding into a small storefront business there named Guy’s Meat Market.

You’ll see folks trying to keep a spot in the front of the line while their eyes dart from cooler to cooler as smokey wafts of frozen meat, stuffed pork chops and chickens prepared with special seasonings escape into the room each time someone opens the doors on one of the glass coolers.

Their menu includes some of best smoked sausage, brisket and beans in town. The size and diversity of the lunchtime crowd hints at why this places is so popular from 11:am to 3:pm each day..
Men in suits, office workers and people who just left the Texas Medical Center find themselves being lured into the meat market unable to resist the smell of burning hickory wood used to cook the barbecue that permeates the air around the business located just off Almeda and OST.

Baytown Seafood

You can always find fresh seafood in Houston restaurants. It’s one of the privileges of living along the Gulf Coast that we value and deserve because we have to put up with Hurricanes every year.

You won’t find wild Alaskan Salmon or King Crabs on most of the menus at small restaurants near Reliant Park that sell seafood. What they do have is plenty of delicious blue crabs and Gulf shrimp two-fingers wide served in gumbo, fried or stuffed.

When local anglers are too busy to catch their own supper they favor eating at the well known Baytown Seafood. It’s a place where they can find some of the same fish they would catch on their reel on the menu. The flaky white meat is served fried in a light golden brown cornmeal batter and occasionally a tempura. Trout, catfish, snappers and red fish are hands down good fish we love to catch and eat in Houston.

Frenchy’s Chicken

Once you visit Frenchy’s on South Main and Kirby you’ll realize that all chicken isn’t fried equally. Nobody can season chicken the way they do at this local chicken shack. They are known to handle up on cooking a mean pot of greens, red beans and rice too.

Over the past few decades Frenchy’s has garnered a reputation for being able to serve non-greasy, flavorful and juicy (white meat) wings and breast. Although the business has been able to grow out of the mold of being a family-owned business it still maintains that sameness in its recipes.

It doesn’t matter if you visit their store inside of H.E.B, in Mo City or the Frenchy’s location near Reliant Stadium, the taste of the chicken is really close to the original blend. Each store’s chicken has a similar flavor to it and it is never fried until it’s dry or tough.
Even though I’m believe it. It’s hard to convince others, my mother and most college students from the U of H and Texas Southern University that the Frenchy’s store near their campus doesn’t have a monopoly on Southern fried chicken.

Ruchi’s

When you’re craving real Tex Mex burritos, tacos and freshly chopped pico de gallo go to the corner of Main St. at 610. In the shopping center on the west-side of the street sits Ruchi's Taqueria Rincon De Mexican . A restaurant that everybody in Houston knows it’s name.

The small company has several locations and they all stay open late enough to catch the crowd leaving the clubs and people headed to work on the night shift. They serve creamy re-fried beans that are not dry and the best smelling, well roasted, mouth-watering chicken and beef fajitas that are only matched by the fact that they are never stringy.

Their platters aren’t over priced, yet full of meat. They have some decent re-fried beans or cooked au jus. Best of all they use a full size tortilla and not those puny little things that you’ll find at some of the local Taco trucks.

To discover these and other unique places to eat near Reliant Stadium a visitor has to be fortunate enough to get befriended by a resident and invited out to eat. Then they can learn both how to navigate the maze of traffic and where the little holes are that have been carved into the franchise food fabric.

Thank God It’s Food (TGIF) still being served by a few small Mom and Pop style restaurants where heart warming meals like the kind you get at home are lovingly prepared. They are always served-up with a friendly smile and in hefty portions worthy of the working man/woman’s hard earned dollars.

Finding Soul Food In Houston

2011-02-01T11:06:00.000-08:00

The secret to finding good soul food in Houston is much akin to the secret of a good steaming hot bowl of dragon stew, revealed in the humorous story by Tom McGowen, Dragon Stew. Achieving that home cooked taste that permeates soul food is something that restaurants in the South have been striving to duplicate for years.

If you enjoy soul food living in Houston has it’s culinary benefits. There are lots of establishments that offer some of the top soul food dishes on their menu. A word of caution to diners, Caveat Emptor, (let the buyer beware). Just because it says soul food on the outside doesn't mean they really serve soul food inside.

First of all. I’ve found in my travels that it’s nearly impossible for meals prepared for profit to recreate the rich meaty taste that makes us so enamored with the homemade dirty rice grandma cooked or cousin Vivian's chicken and dumplings.

For me it’s a unique pleasure to have so many good cooks in my immediate family within a few hours drive of the Houston. It makes it possible for me to always find a family gathering to attend where heaping helpings of down home cooking fills multiple rooms and is sometimes stacked on a row of tables so long they have to be set up outside in the backyard.

Several times each year my family prepares food and journey’s to East Texas to gather, connect and fellowship with our relatives that remain in the piney woods. Many of theses meals are centered around church activities and community events. Our branch of the family has a standing request to bring spaghetti.

Everyone always cooks enough food to feed 30 to 40 people. That includes bringing, plates, garlic bread and usually a drink or salad. The memorable part of these family events is how each family unit has developed a reputation for cooking a specific food really well.

It’s part of our custom to go from vehicle to vehicle to catch up on family details and reminisce while building a meal from the food prepared by the elder aunts, uncles and cousins, served buffet style from the trunk of their cars or bed of their trucks.

In the fairy tale to make the perfect bowl of stew didn't necessarily require a well done plump dragon in the recipe. Instead it had to be cooked by a dragon.

There are certain homemade dishes that every restaurateurs would love to duplicate.
If you are want to get a taste that’s close to some of the soul food dishes that are served at home, after a funeral and for the holidays by African Americans look for these specialties on the menu of a restaurant.

Black-eye peas
Collard Greens
Macaroni and cheese
Dirty Rice
Potato Salad
Cornbread Dressing
Chicken And Dumplings
Smothered Chicken
Fried Ribs
Beans w/Ham Hocks

One last thing, If you look behind the counter at restaurant in Houston that says it offers soul food nd notice that their are no black cooks and none of the employees look African American, you probably aren’t eating soul food.

It’s may be some good food, but the secret ingredient to good soul food is that it can only be cooked by a soul brother or soul sister.

Where To Grab A Quick Meal Near Texas Medical Center

2011-01-14T06:44:00.000-08:00

The next time you are in a hurry and in need of a restaurant where you can grab a bite to eat without a long wait, near the Texas Medical Center in Houston, you may want to check out these 4 places that are gaining a reputation for good food, served fast.

Cafe Express
Bodegas Taco Shop and Tequila Bar:
Charlie's Deli
Park Plaza Sandwich Shop

Fast service should never mean that you have to sacrifice quality, flavor or freshness. In the restaurant industry that means, that you don’t want to pay hard earned money for some warmed over frozen food that's been put into a micro wave to speed up the delivery time.
We have tried a few places around town that will remain nameless where they proudly serve you micro-waved food without hiding that fact.

We want to point out these 4 restaurants in Midtown Houston, because they not only serve good food, but work hard to create an exceptional dinning experience. I’m not talking about a hoity-toity style, but the kind of eatery where you can let your hair down, talk loud at the TV and relax comfortably after work or waiting which is a lot harder than working for most of us.

Bodegas Taco Shop and Tequila Bar
1200 Binz #160

Bodegas which is what small grocery stores that are sometimes combined with a wine shops in Hispanic communities are commonly called, lives up to its name.
They serve their version of taco soup and their menu highlights or a pizza and wine special.

If you have a group of hungry people in tow, you can get their wing platter that’s served with a pitcher of beer. Need to find more about their menu check online, at Bodegas Taco Shop.

Charlies Deli
1200 Binz Street

Not enough information available.

Cafe Express
MFA-Houston

If you are planning a trip and you are in or near the Houston Museum District the place to enjoy a quick bite to eat is at Cafe Express. It’s inside on the lower level of the Audrey Jones Beck Building at the MFA-Houston.

Cafe Express is noted for freshly prepared Southwestern cuisine with an artistic twist. You can get breakfast, a boxed meal or trays by visiting them or calling ahead.
They are open all week and 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and on weekends.

On weekends is they team up with the Museum of fine arts to provide a discount on dinner and a movie. All you have to do is arrive at the box office early enough before the film screening to dine, and ask about the film and food coupon for Cafe Express when you get your ticket.

The film box office opens about an hour before the films begin. . Click here to see the current MFAH film schedule.

Park Plaza Sandwich Shop
1213 Hermann Drive

Being located on Hermann Drive places this eatery smack dab in the heart of the medical center in Houston. There isn’t a website available at this time but you can find dozens of reviews online about this Midtown Houston dinning establishment.

They are listed in the top 10 restaurants in the Museum district by Urban spoon reviewers and Google maps show them on the ground floor of the Park Plaza Hospital building.

The wonderful part about these restaurants near the Texas Medical Center is that they all have varied menus full of tasty treats. The service and the food should match your expectations for quality Southern dinning.

Best of all is that all of these restaurants offer something for every taste bud and they serve many of the local favorites like subs and soups, burger's and fries.

The 12 Dishes Of Christmas

2010-12-25T07:11:00.000-08:00

Take a look at these 12 eclectic dishes that are being served on Christmas day at restaurants in and around Midtown Houston. We made sure you won’t be stuck just eating turkey and dressing. Some of the restaurants that are open will be serving seafood, South Asian cuisines and heaping helpings of beef in various forms.

We have a tip on where vegans and vegetarians who want to take a break from their culinary chores can find a suitable Christmas dinner in Houston that will please their palate.

Here’s the list of the places where you can dine on Christmas Day 2010 in Houston.

House of Blues
17 Restaurant
Whole Foods Market
Lancaster Hotel
Omni Hotel Houston
Ruth's Chris Steak House
Vic and Anthony’s
Kiran's Indian restaurant in Highland Village
Cleburne Cafeteria
The Moghul’s Restaurant and M Lounge
Daily Grill
McCormick & Schmick’s.

Continue below to see some of the details about the dinner menus that are being prepared for those smart enough to enjoy Christmas day and let someone else do the cooking.

House of Blues

To get a good meal without straying to far from Midtown Houston we need go no further than the Downtown District’s foot-stomping palace, the House of Blues. Their menu will include turkey cooked in 3 classic Southern cooking styles fried, smoked and roasted.

17 Restaurant

Christmas Eve or Christmas Day when she can be treated to 17 Restaurant's delicious specialties such as milk roasted veal breast and a chocolate decadent tart! Their hours on Christmas Eve are from 3 - 9 pm and on Christmas Day 11:30 am - 9 pm, and with a reasonably pre- fixed menu for both days around $55 per person.

Whole Foods Market

A prime-rib dinner includes roasted Brussels sprouts, Parmesan asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes for $179.99 for 6-8 guests. A vegan dinner includes field roast, mashed potatoes, butternut squash, vegetables, and gravy for $14.99 per person. A la carte options include sushi, pies and gravy, among others. Call any location.

Lancaster Hotel

Rated one of the best places to stay in the world by Conde Naste Condé Nast Traveler Magazine the Lancaster is also a place to get your eat on Christmas Day. The dinning experience is intimate and charming with a not so traditional holiday menu that boast a scrumptious meal of Fennel & Garlic Crusted Pork Loin, Shrimp, Mussels & Calamar.

Omni Hotel Houston

You can treat yourself are a fab yuletide meal at NOÉ the Omni Houston signature restaurant and bar. You can take spend some of your down time during the holiday at their other popular gathering places, the Black Swan , its hip urban bar and Café on the Green a Texas-style American Bistro offering breakfast and lunch.

This year the fare includes a lavish array of food stations. Champagne Station: Meat Carving Station ect. where you can choose from sugar glazed Ham, Prime Rib or that classic red meat, Beef with Horseradish Sauce and Au Jus.

Ruth's Chris Steak House

Centrally located in the heart of Houston between on Richmond Avenue. This
Houston favorite is keeping the doors open for Christmas Day for their loyal followers who want good food done great. You can check the website for the menu or stop by from 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. December 25th.

Vic and Anthony’s

Too busy to cook? Head downtown for a holiday meal at Vic and Anthony’s. The menu, straight up BEEF, Filet Mignon, Prime Strip, and Prime Ribeye. The crowd for this distinctive dinning experience should be sparse so you won’t have a long wait.

Kiran's

This Indian restaurant in Highland Village is one of the places to find something other than Turkey and dressing. You taste buds will be delighted with these mouthwatering dishes.

Tandoori Chicken served with Daal & Onion Kulcha
Lamb & Chicken kebabs served with Daal & Onion Kulcha
Lamb Tenderloin Tandoori Quail Served with Mushroom Biryani & Naan

Cleburne Cafeteria

One of Houston's best known dining establishments that keep its doors open on Dec. 25. is Cleburne Cafeteria. It has provide a generation of Houston residents and visitors with fresh ingredients and home-style meals.
Some of the staples on their menu are Baked Ham, Turkey & Dressing, Honey Lime Chicken Breast with Rice & Mango Salsa,

The Moghul’s Restaurant and M Lounge

The Moghul’s Restaurant has opened up in time for the holiday. It’ll be open for Christmas day for those that prefer to celebrate the day with South Asian cuisine. If you are a lover of Pakistan and Indian food. You can have dinner al a carte, from a menu that includes Leg of Lamb, Lamb Chops, grilled meats and fish from a tandoori oven or charcoal grill.

Daily Grill

Christmas Day Reservations
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Come Join Us Again On Christmas Day As We Serve Turkey And Prime Rib Chef's Specials. We Are Open Regular Hours.

Casarez Restaurante

This CreoleMex restaurant is technically closed on Christmas -- except to those regulars who sign-up for Christmas dinner. Then they'll feed you their brand of Creole Tex Mex for free.
Before you sign-up for the meal, stop in 807 Edgebrook Drive to try the gushed-about fajitas, the enchiladas verde or the blackened pork chops.

McCormick & Schmick’s.

Seafood trio, shrimp Lump meat crab cake and grilled Salmon and herb crusted Prime Rib will be served from 11 to 9 pm.

This is just a sampling of some of the many restaurants that are serving dinner on Christmas in Houston. We did not try to make this a comprehensive list we didn't touch on the soul food restaurants in Houston that are open, because there aren’t that may people who are probably searching for places to eat.

We want to take a few minutes to wish you Happy Holiday’s and a prosperous New Year and thanks for reading the Midtown Restaurant and Entertainment guide.

Thanksgiving Dinner Cruises In Houston

2010-11-23T06:06:00.000-08:00

Treat yourself, your family or your significant other to a special meal during a Thanksgiving Dinner Cruise. It will create a memorable, magical and marvelous Thanksgiving in Houston for you to remember.

The cruises are hosted onboard some of the incredible luxury yachts in the area.
Expect the holiday cruise to last anywhere from two up to four hours with plenty of food, fun and fabulous entertainment wrapped in a party atmosphere.

It’s the perfect way to ensure there is lots of delicious stuffing in the turkey, without experiencing the same old stuffy holiday routine.

Thanksgiving Dinner In Houston

The meals are served while the yachts are cruising on the loal waterways. They slowly float past some of the beautiful large estates on Clear Lake, the Kemah boardwalk and Galveston Bay.

The chefs seem to go all out to put together dandy, delightful and delicious dishes for the guest on each of the fabulous yacht cruises. You can expect to be offered several dinning options.

Lite fare
Full dinner
Specialty dinner

The typical Thanksgiving Dinner Cruise menu includes, turkey and a few other local favorites like Blackened Tilapia, garden fresh vegetables, appetizers and lots of salads to choose from.

Holiday Dinner Cruises

The price for an all inclusive Thanksgiving cruise cost, on average for adults: $69.95, children: $39.95.

City Lights Cruises
Star fleet Yachts
The big White boat
Houston Party boats

This is just our short list of places that offer holiday cruises that will be setting sail throughout the 2010 season. Visit us soon for more details about other great holiday cruises and meals.

6 Places For Scrumptious Soul Food In Houston

2010-11-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

Sensational, spicy soul food is easy to find in Midtown Houston restaurants, when your exotic taste buds began to crave down-home African American dishes like grits, smothered oxtails and/or barbecue.

You don’t have to settle for a bland cafeteria version of these delightful Southern specialties. Houston is where you can find the real McCoy served in cordial, clean and comfortable restaurant's throughout the city.

Southern Dining In Houston

We have personally visited all of the restaurants on this list and can tell you that our desire for eating African American cuisine in warm, welcoming, and wonderful atmospheres was met beyond our expectations.

One of the traditions of Southern African American cooking is heaping helpings of hospitality and food, all of these places have got that part down pat. Their menu items are a reflection of a variety of the other cultures that have influenced generations of African American cooks.

Soul Food Specialties

Yams

We found the yams served at “This Is It” to be the sweetest things this side of heaven. They were cooked with just enough cinnamon and sugar to flavor the dish and still allow the earthy taste of the yams natural sugar to seep through.

Fried Chicken

Fried foods have taken a beating in the quest for healthier dining choices, but the wings that we were served at Sparkle Hamburgers with a waffles and wings breakfast were as close to grease-less as you can hope to find anywhere.

Fried Catfish

If you have been avoiding fish at restaurants because they only serve the well known ocean varieties of Cod and Trout and you prefer that down-home taste of Catfish, Thelma’s got you covered. Although she is widely recognized for the way she almost magically infuses smoke into a piece of beef, the lady can work wonders with fried Catfish too.

Oxtails

This cut of meat has taken a beating from health eating advocates, because it is so high in fat and protein. But it’s a part of the cow that is considered a delicacy in soul food. As their name implies “Just Ox Tails” is the best place in Houston to find them on the menu any day of the week. They have no qualms serving them for either lunch or dinner.

Houston Soul Food Restaurant List

(abbreviated menu on Sparkle Burger Building)

Breakfast Club
Bobby Cues
This Is It
Thelma's Barbecue
Midtown Smokehouse
Sparkle Hamburger
Zydeco Diner

At most soul food restaurants in Houston and those in other cities around the country you can expect to find delicious corn bread and thick, biscuit sopping gravy on just about any menu.

If you know of any place in Houston with scrumptious Creole and African American cooking that deserves a place on this hastily compiled list of restaurants, we would like to know about them. You are welcome to add their address in the comment section below or by contacting us through the email link in the column on the right.

Houston Restaurants List Gets a Makeover

2010-06-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

Our latest edition of "Good Eats", our new Houston restaurant listings has been expanded to include places to eat near the Texas Medical Center and Reliant Stadium. It's just about ready for publication. We have added a few of the new businesses that have hung out their shingles in the last year, and any of the ones that somehow got left off our previous list.

You'll have a listing that will give you more than just access to the names by alphabetical order, food types, and area of town. It' ll be in a convenient widget that people can download to their home page or desk top gadget.

Here's a sneak peak at a few of the names that will be on our "Good Eats" Houston Restaurant List.

Amazon Grill
Amerigo's Grille
Aquarium
Baba Yega
Backstreet Cafe
Becks Prime
Bellaire Burger
Berryhill Baja Grill
Bistro Don Camillo
Bistro Provence
Blake's BBQ

Bobbie Cues
The Breakfast Klub
Bubba's Burger Shack
Buffalo Grille
Cabo's
Cadillac Bar
Cafe Adobe
Cafe Benedicte
Café Rabelais
Capriccio Tapas
Carrabba's Italian Grill
Catalan
Chez Nous
The Chocolate Bar
Christian's Totem
Churrascos
Cullen's Grill
Daily Review Cafe
Da Marco

Damian's
Dolce Vita
Dry Creek Cafe
El Rey
El Tiempo
Empire Cafe
Escalante's Mexican Grill

If our list of Houston Restaurants doesn't include one of your favorite eating places? You can get them added by leaving a comment with 3 reasons to include __(your favorite)________ in our list of places in Houston with good eats.

You don't have to be a patron. You can be the owner or just a fan of the eating establishment. Be sure you include some of the contact information for the business that you want added to our popular list this year.

Houston Restaurant: Barbecue Tour

2010-05-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

If you want to be a part of the latest Houston Restaurant Barbecue Tour, you better get a spot early. There are still a few places left on the bus to join one of Houston's favorite food writers on June 19, 2010 to get a taste of four distinct styles of Texas barbecue: African-American, Mexican barbacoa, German meat market, and open pit barbecue.

The four to five hour tour will excite and delight guest as they get samples of bar-b-que done right, in these four Texas styles.

Houston Food Tour Highlights

Some of the bright points of the Houston food tour will be some unforgettable experiences in which guest will have the once in a lifetime privileged to :

Learn from the experts the culinary differences of the styles of barbecue
See the huge barbecue pits in restaurants
Meet the real kings of smoked meat, the pit bosses

An air of mystery surrounds the names of the restaurants that will be visited. They're are being guarded with the secrecy of a covert CIA mission, until a few minutes before the tour.

Houston Food Tour Info

When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, June 19, 2010
Place: Visitors Center, City Hall, 901 Bagby Street
Parking: Theater District Garage on Rusk between Smith and Bagby
Seats Available: 22
Cost: $80.00. Check or Credit Card.
Reservations: Please call Sandra Lord at (713) 222-9255 for details.

This delectable Houston restaurant bar-b-que tour will be led by award winning restaurant reviewer Rob Walsh, who will have a few autographed copies of his cookbooks on hand for purchase, including "Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook".

Mr. Walsh is best known in Houston for his work as a food writer for the Houston Press from 2000-2010. He regularly conducts sold out food tours in Houston and other parts of the country when he's not busy working on his new book, blog, or speaking to food lovers.

Romantic Dinning In Houston

2010-05-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of exciting places that are preferred by couples, dinning in Houston, Tx. Most don't require that the person with you be your spouse, so if you have a significant other, a bunch of close friends from your Midtown Houston apartment complex, you can bring them, her or him along too.

We didn't limit our selection criteria to traditional dining rooms or generic menu items. We went on the hunt and discovered intimate, distinctive and different places where a majority of the patrons are lovers and couples. ,

List of Places for Intimate Dining

Dinner cruise

Star gazing
Balloon flight
Wine & Cheese Tours

We'll start with the two-hour dinner cruise on Clear Lake and Galveston Bay. A chance to dine on the water, bathed in moonlight is a romantic dining experience available on yachts in the Houston area.
The cruise onboard the huge yacht, will lift your spirit, senses and sensuality as you enjoy a few perks.and special views of :

sunsets on the water.
cruise by the Kemah Boardwalk
romantic dinner

The current schedule shows that the romantic dinner cruise last from 5:pm to 7:pm. You need to plan ahead and get there early unless you want to be left ashore when the yacht pulls away.

Here's some of the other romantic places to dine in Houston on our list. These places and their incredibly tasty food will be featured later issues.

Mystery diner cruise on a yachts
Breakfast cruise In Houston
Dinner cruise
Moonlight boat ride on Armand bayou

They feature romantic atmospheres, foster stimulating conversation and create a peaceful, enjoyable evening away from home that many couples in Houston long for.

All of these exciting jaunts require reservations and payments in advance. They are often sold out, so check with the individual websites to make sure seats are available and don't just show up on the day of the cruise thinking you'll be allowed onboard.

Related post:

Fun Dinning for Couples

Dinning In Midtown Houston

2010-05-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

The next time you're dinning in Midtown Houston, take notice that there does not seem to be any taco trucks in the area. Just about everywhere you go in this city you see them. In parking lots, on the side of the road and on pads sites at gas stations. These purveyors of quick and fast food, are seldom seen in this part of Houston.

I don't generally eat at a lot of them, but there are one or two that I patronize when I'm looking for some good Tex-Mex. They have been around for a few years and occasionally I'll visit them, when I am close by their location.

Mexican Food

The last couple of times I visited one of them to get Mexican Food, I noticed they have changed the size of their tortillas. The were about 8 to 10 inches in diameter, now they use a smaller one that seems to be about 5 inches.

The tortas and burritos don't seem to have been affected yet, but I'm sure they will be changing these menu staples too. These small eateries were once a sure bet, as a place where you could get a pretty good value for your buck. Now, cut backs have seem to have drizzled down to them.

We still have some grrrreat choices for Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican food in and around Midtown Houston.

Mexican Food In Midtown Houston

Taco A Go Go
Main Street near the HCC Metrorail stop

Cyclone Anaya Midtown
309 Gray Street

Ruby Tequila's Mexican Kitchen
2616 Louisiana Street @ McGowen near Chase Bank

Hugo's
1600 Westheimer in the heart of Montrose

La Mexicana Restaurant
1018 FAIRVIEW ST @ MONTROSE

El Patio Mexican Restaurant Midtown
Near Spec Liquors in Midtown

Maybe the reason Mexican food in Midtown Houston does not include mobile food trucks is they know that we love our tacos big and full of pastor, fajita and pollos.

They know little dinky tortillas are not welcome in this part of town. We're not going for it. When we have places to eat in Houston that offer heaping plates full of delicious Mexican food to dine on in Midtown.

Related Post

Barbecue In Midtown Houston

Midtown Houston Restaurants

2010-05-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

Several Midtown Houston Restaurants were visited by the City of Houston's health department inspectors in April. They were out and about doing their regular inspections alongwith a few unannounced visits. Thank God, the city's inspectors weren't able to find any life threatening violations in the local eateries.
Just the usual stuff, hair nets, food handling and poor lighting violations. Here some of the places mentioned in the April food establishment report.
HUNG BURGERS AND MORE
LA DOLCE VITA CAFE
SKYLINE DELI
TASTI D LITE
MINUTE MAID PARK

New $.99 Cents Barbecue Sandwich

I'm sure the mini-chopped barbecue beef sandwiches are usually pretty good. I won't embarrass the eatery by naming them, but I will add they have a nifty looking little sandwich for under a buck.

I had an unbelievable experience when I stopped in the Midtown Houston's barbecue restaurant selling these delightful treats. What was unbelievable, was the way the management acted. It ended up tainting my tastebuds.

What really got me perturbed about the place was how the guy who was managing that day, openly lorded over the waitstaff.

The poor young lady who was trying to finish her shift and go home, was chastised by her boss rather loudly. His tone and remark "I didn't get money", sounded more like a pimp than a manager. He was all over the poor waitress like white on rice about the money for two orders, a couple of guys had made and were sitting in the corner checking out the NCAA playoffs.

She explained that she hadn't collected the money. Obviously, the Midtown Houston Restaurant doesn't have a pay when you order policy posted. If they do, he should have simply reminded her that no orders are prepared until he receives the money.

Let me get off the soap box, and mention they've always had some pretty good barbecue in the past, but the terrible decorum spoiled a good meal for me.

Houston Restaurants:Barbecue

2010-03-02T06:12:00.000-08:00

I should be able to qualify as an expert on Houston Barbecue Restaurants. In the last couple of weeks I've grabbed pork ribs, chopped beef and links from local food establishment all over the city.

You don't have to go very far in Houston to locate fine dinning, Chinese, Soul Food or any cuisine that your palate desires. But, it's the wonderful taste of smoked meat cooked on a grill that people closely associate with Texas. I visited 5 different Houston restaurants in search of some delicious slow cooked meat.

Restaurants In Houston

Here's a list of some of the places that serve good barbecue in Houston that I can vouch for and regularly buy, eat and know their food. You can find these restaurants and plenty others in my new Restaurant Guide when it's complete later this month. I won't bother awarding stars or making other comments. I'll give you their addresses and let you be the judge.

Guys Meat Market
(713) 747-6800 3106 Old Spanish Trl, Houston, TX

Thelma Bar B Que
3755 Southmore Blvd, Houston,

Beef And Bun
4418 West Fugua

Burns Barbecue
8307 Depriest

Old Hickory Inn Barbecue
5427 S. Braeswood

Walkers Barbecue
Fannin

Lockwood Inn
Lockwood

Bobbie's Cue
Scott

5 Of Houston's Best Barbecue Restaurants

Lockwood Inn

Located on Houston's North side it's a place that has a long tradition of good barbecue. I went there for my favorite meat, tasty homemade links, They were sold out for the day when I got there. I reluctantly order a chopped beef sandwich, since I was pressed for time.

Bobbie Cues

This award winning chef just opened a restaurant on Scott across from he University of Houston. He knows how to season, smoke and serve up heaping portions of barbecue.

Beef And Bun
They're one of the few places that don't sell a rib sandwich. You have to get them on a Rib basket. It always overflowing with about 4 or 5 big juicy pork ribs and more fries than you can eat.

Thelma's

I was passing by and noticed there wasn't a line outside and made a dash for the door. I wasn't even hungry, so I took a barbecue rib sandwich to my mother, who's always game for some Thelma's. The ribs were small and the meat was tender with enough ribs for the two of us to feast on a single sandwich.

Old Hickory Inn

I had the pleasure of accompanying a friend who had won a free dinner when she correctly answered a question on the Antiqueman, Paul Wishnow's radio show to the Old Hickory Inn. We had a platter with double meat, sliced beef and links and potato salad and beans. The service was exceptional, the food was alright.

How To Tell Good Barbecue

It's always been my contention that good barbecue has to be marinated. I'm not that crazy about dry rubs and injecting stuff into meat. I like my meat in a wet marinate, so it can soak up the flavor for a couple of hours before being slow cooked. It only takes about 30 minutes of smoking to get the taste I like. But it requires several hours of heat before it's done.

I always use either oak or pecan wood sprinkled with mesquite chips that infuse their aromatic flavor into a slab of meat. When I can touch the meat and it pulls away from the bone I know that the meat has achieved the right level of tenderness and perfection that's neccessary befor any pork, beef or meat, is considered genuine Texas Barbecue.

Houston Theater: Ensemble Theater

2010-02-24T07:25:00.000-08:00

The Ensemble Houston theater cast of American Menu had the rare opportunity to visit the diner that inspired the play. It allowed them to take a look at the exact place that was in the head of the playwright. Their short impromptu tour even included some lunch.

Now that they are nearing their final performances. The long ride to Livingston, Texas the passionate work, and the long road it took from it's conception to the Ensemble's stage can be fully appreciated.

American Menu written by Don Wilson Glenn, characterizes a group of 5 Black women working at a Livingston, Texas diner in 1968. Martin Luther King Jr's assassination, the brutal murder of a black child in their community form the backstory. The Texas playwright uses witty prose to power the dialogue and fuel the worker's conversations that are focused on prejudice, poverty and each other.

Although it's Houston theater debut is directed by a woman(Eileen J. Morris), features an all-female cast (Shirley Whitmore, Detria Ward, Rachel Hemphill Dickson, Tisha Dorn and Lee Waddell) written from a female perspective, and can easily fit into the psyche of the largely female subscriber base of the Ensemble Theater. It's not a play just for women.

Its powerful themes are strong enough for any man, who will allow the playwrights masterful work about civil rights and uncivilized wrongs a place inside their head.

Houston Museums: Buffalo Soldiers Museum In Houston

2010-02-16T12:11:00.000-08:00

A groundbreaking joint effort between Houston museums and several Houston organizations may have created a new art form, because of the breathtaking exhibit detailing a piece of Black History. The Buffalo Soldiers Museum was one of the museums consulted after 39 well-preserved remains presumed to be Buffalo Soldiers were discovered in New Mexico.

Historical Art and Science Exhibit

The scientist from the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of Natural History along with some local engineers and other scientists went over the the bones with more that just the usual fine tooth comb. The museum exhibit combines art, technology, engineering and forensic science to unlock some lost military history and life at Fort Craig, New Mexico in the mid-1860's.

Modern technology afforded the use of microscopes, CT scanners, X-ray machines and digital measuring devices to reveal the true identities of the Black American soldiers. They unraveled clues to the rugged, isolated and often difficult conditions for soldiers at Fort Craig. These 21st Century tools enabled the scientists to positively identify 3 of the soldiers by comparing the details of their remains with the military enlistment records.

Black History Exhibit In February

The results is an exhibit of how forensic science can paint an accurate picture by pulling together small pieces of information to tell a story. This one of a kind, behind the scene look gives visitors insight into forensic anthropology and the techniques that are used to recover and assess important information such as the age, sex, stature, ancestry of skeletal remains.

It'll reveals for the first time publicly the intricate work that sculptors must do to capture the minute details needed to put a face on unidentifiable human remains. It's thought to be bold attempt to render the first known facial reconstruction of a Buffalo soldier. The face will be reconstructed in front of visitors during the Houston Museums, February Black History exhibit.

Buffalo Soldiers Museum In Houston

There have been two good by-products from the discovery of these remains. Something is finally being done to prevent the widespread looting of national treasures, remote burial sites like Fort Craig and old cemeteries, by relic hunters. And the bodies of these Buffalo soldiers were moved to a fitting and secure final resting place in the Santa Fe National Cemetery.

This incredible blending of art and science will bring some much needed attention and admiration to a group of once lost, but never forgotten African American soldiers and the Buffalo Soldier Museum.

Places For Couples To Dine On Valentines Day In Houston

2010-02-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

You can stop looking for fun places for couples to dine on Valentine Day in Houston. Instead check out this list of incredibly awesome places that many local couples are flocking to this year.

If your idea of fun includes wine, pajamas and fun then I've got some details on when, where and how you can get in on some big time partying in H-town. Here are a few places for you to consider:

Pajama Cruise
Love Bug Dance
Personal Chefs In Houston

Pajama Cruise

There will be party and games at the one-of-a-kind Valentine's Day Pajama Cruise. Not only can you dress down for this event. You're invited to wear your favorite pj's and slippers and you may want to bring your robe to keep warm on this grown ups only cruise.
The excitement begins at 11pm and last till the wee hours of the morning. There will be plenty of snacks to go around and your favorite 4 P's.

Partying
Pajama contest
Prizes
Party People

Love Bug Dance

Only in Houston can you get your groove on and stroll through a living, tropical rainforest at a Valentine Dance. The Houston Museum Of Natural Science has put together an enchanting evening for people who want an all-inclusive evening of romance. Included in the price of a ticket are:

Cocktails
Appetizers
Dancing
Live Music

Personal Chefs In Houston

It doesn't matter if you or your spouse, mate or lover is new to cooking or a connoisseur of fine dinning, a home cooked meal can become a special treat when you use team work. I've included these few brief facts you should know about on dinning at home from the “Bertolli Romance Report1”.

The average couple expressed that their relationships could benefit from more romance.

Most wanted to talk more in person and sit down to a meal more often with their spouse/significant other.

Two-thirds stated that eating meals at home promotes intimacy more than eating out.

Begin your romantic dinning adventure with the menu selection and the purchasing of the food and the love and happiness could very well last long past the lovingly prepared meal.

These places for couples to dine on Valentines Day make it easy to create an exotic memorable affair. It will be refreshing to escape the same old routine, hanging out in the same old places.

You're welcome to leave me a line or two in the comment section about your favorite, fantastic, fabulous and fun places for great dinning experiences in Houston.

10 Things To Do In Houston

2010-02-09T10:15:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for some fun things to do in Houston this week, check out this list. Here's a list of stuff to do that you'll surly love. It has a little but of everything on it, so that it's enjoyable whether you are single, a family or a pet lover.

1 Do Take advantage of the awesome amenities, skate park, golf course and other facilities offered by the city of Houston through the Houston Parks and Recreation Department.

2. Do leave glass bottles and/or containers in the car and keep your pet on a leash when you visit any of the 350 developed parks and over 200 greenspaces in Houston.

3.Do catch the high-powered action of NCAA Sporting events when you visit Houston. Houston is home to 4 major Universities that are always major contenders in their respective conferences.

4. Attending a NFL,MLB or any sports events in Houston requires that you get an early if you don't want to spend time in a traffic jam that has slowed to a crawl.

5. Take the NASCAR lover in your family out to Houston Motorsports Park for Pro Stock Car racing they'll also enjoy their Outlaw Pro Modified drag racing too.

6.Do your teens a favor and make a pit stop at the Cornerstone MX Park for some high flying motocross action. Houston also has Horse and Greyhound racing.

7. One of the really fun thing every visitor to Houston should do is take a guided tour of Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center or downtown Houston.

8. If you want to see some of the finest examples of rare, 19th-century furniture, pottery and Duchess De Caze Pink Camellias pay a visit to the Bayou Bend Garden's.

9. Another fabulous thing to do in Houston is to eat Soul food. Just Ox tails, This is it and the Breakfast Klub are the favorite eating places for many local residents.

10. Your to do list isn't complete until you've been on the lively tour at The National Buffalo Soldiers Museum In Houston.

There is always some fun things to do in Houston, regardless to what part of the city you reside, visit are traveling to. A few of the events may require the weather to cooperate, but if you give it a few minutes the weather will change,

Lots of the thing on this list are not only kid friendly they can be done on the cheap.

Target's Free First Sunday

2010-02-07T08:07:00.000-08:00

It's time for that Houston museum visit during Target's Free First Sunday, that you keep putting off. This weekend the Houston weather is finally co-operating and now it's your turn to commit. You'll be back in time for the Super Bowl if you venture out of the house for a couple of hours and take the kids to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and their popular event, Target's Free First Sunday.

You, the smallest members and the whole family will be beaming with delight as ya'll discover art and take part in a variety of cool learning activities. This Houston MFAH event allows visitors to explore, create and experience art, stories, a performance or a flick, and more! It's a great way to expose young children to art something they can enjoy for the remainder of their life.

No preregistration, No admission, it's a No brainer! This fantastic event is one that every Houston kid must see and do.

Art And Theater Companies In Houston

2010-01-21T06:07:00.000-08:00

Private art galleries and theater companies that are located in Houston, anchor Houston's dynamic art scene. They are always filled with vibrant exhibits, performances and world-class artist from around the globe.

It's a pleasure to be tell you about some of places where you can find great works of art outside of traditional venues, that are adding-to, building-up and influencing the city's cultural value.

ART--THEATER	CONTACT INFORMATION
Community Artist's Collective	713-523-1616
Crossline Art Gallery	www.crosslinegallery.com
Dominic Walsh Dance Theater	www.dwdt.org
Ensemble Theater	713-520-0055
Gallery Sonja Roesch	www.gallerysonjaroesch.com
Houston Center for Contemporary Arts	www.crafthouston.org
Heinen Theatre and Theatre One	713-718-6570
Houston Fire Museum	www.houstonfiremuseum.org
Inman Gallery	www.inmangallery.com
Kinzelman Art Consultants	www.kinzelmanart.com
Lawndale Art Center	www.lawndaleartcenter.org
Midtown Art Center	713-521-8803

We've realize that this list contains just a sampling of the places to experience art and where true lovers of live theater gather in Houston.

If you want a free listing for your business or organization in any of our guides just contact us.

Houston Theater

2010-01-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

I've started compiling an urban theater guide for people that want to catch some of the fabulous live urban theater that Houston has to offer. I have to agree with Atlanta director Kenny Leon who stated in a NY Times interview that regional theaters and today's hip, in-your-face urban theater are two different things,” he noted, “We shouldn’t try to make them be the same things.”

The contemporary language, themes and topics are the trademarks that set these unique community theater apart as a platform for artistic productions that are entertaining crowd pleasing events. If you have the name of a organization that needs to be listed in our free directory just drop me a line in the comment section of the blog.

Houston Urban Theater Guide

The Ensemble Theatre
www.ensemblehouston.com -
(713) 520-0055

Interactive Theater 333 South Jensen Drive
(713) 862-7112

Encore Theater
Cullen
I have already completed the listings in the our Urban Theater Guide for the the groups listed above. I'm sure there are lots of others that can benefit from being placed in the directory.

Natural Science Museum In Houston

2009-11-10T05:07:00.000-08:00

The natural science museum in Houston is one of the few places in the city where you can get a mega dose of entertainment and enrichment that will turn any hum-drum weekend into a awesome adventure. The displays at the Wortham IMAX® Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium and the world-class touring exhibitions held throughout the year will enhance the knowledge you and your family have about a diverse area of subjects.

Maybe you're not that keen on learning more about any of the exciting exhibits at the science museum in Houston. What about that lad or lassie that counts on you to help them with their science project. The Houston Museum of Natural Science is the ideal place to take them to get their brain cells stimulated for a project that will be anything but boring.

A Museum Filled With Fascinating Facts

Once your kids are exposed to some of the incredible facts found at the Houston science museum on everything from ancient cosmology and mythology to relevant ecological knowledge they'll be infused with ideas for some extraordinary science projects and ways to present their new found knowledge in class.

Every year hundreds of thousands of students visit the HMNS and come away with insights and answers to some of the incredible wonders of the world.

Discover Some Remarkable Results

Every kid wonders how bees fly and why we don't just walk off the earth into space. There is no better way to help them learn about these important facts of life than a stroll through the science museum in Houston on he weekend.
It's an incredible storehouse of over one million objects and specimens and has two satellite facilities that maybe closer to your neck of the woods than the museum district: the George Observatory in Brazos Bend State Park and The Woodlands Xploration Station.

The natural science museum in Houston has something to delight your always bored Barry, inquisitive Quincy and teenage Tina. The cool exhibits at Houston's Science museum are designed with every age group in mind.

Don't be surprised if you find yourself picking up a few new facts that give you the bragging rights to some of the know-how behind some of life's many questions that come-up in the next conversation with your friends. For a listing of what's happening this weekend at the museum take a look at the HMNS webspace.

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