Simple Christmas Vanilla Bundt Cake

Also a year ago, a stranger told me this would be a challenging year for me. Now, I never paid it any mind, but as the year comes to a close, I always like to reflect on it. This year has been quite the challenging year, in all aspects of my life. For those who follow my blog, you'd notice I rarely discuss my personal life, that is because I like to keep it that way. And to keep things relevant to what you all care to read about. As I look at 2016(yes, I'm officially over the year too) I can't help but be grateful for surviving the year. It was challenging, yes, but I made it out strong. The things I have gained this year are much greater than those that I have lost.

Houston Press The Morning After Brunch Event | Giveaway

Brunch lovers Listen up!

On Saturday, October 1, 2016, Houston Press will be hosting their inaugural Morning After Brunch event at the Bayou Event Center. The Morning After is a Brunch sampling event that will feature bites from local brunch hot spots, alongside drink samples and music. What does this mean for you and I? Well, we'll have the opportunity to sample items from some of the city's finest, drink in hand. Gather up the squad, sink-up your devices, update the calendars, set your alarms or whatever you have to do to make sure you don't miss out on this event.

Tickets are already on sale, so head over to The Morning After to purchase.

Brunch & Conversation is proud to have partnered with Houston Press to give one lucky brunch lover a chance to win a pair of tickets to this lovely brunch. To enter you must be 21+, and follow the directions below.

1. Follow @BrunchandConversation on Instagram
2. Comment your favorite brunch spot in H-Town
3. Extra points if you share the link to this post on facebook or twitter & tag me in it

Brunch at El Tiempo Cantina

Summer is here y'all! The rain has come and gone( for now), and it's made way for our lovely and hot summer. Even though the heat and humidity can get quite overwhelming at times, this is my favorite month. June 21 doesn't only signify summer, but it also means my birthday is exactly 1 month away(So you have exactly one month to buy me a present..jk).

I can already picture a lot of us will be out on some patio for #SundayFunday downing a cool cocktail while enjoying some brunch and conversation to end the week. A couple of days ago, I was invited out for brunch at El Tiempo in the Houston Heights. El Tiempo is an authentic Tex-Mex restaurant that is owned by one of the most respected families in the Houston food scene. For more than 58 years, the Laurenzo family( known for popularizing "fajitas" in Houston) has dedicated themselves to perfecting a cuisine we like to love, Tex-Mex.

I enjoy my dining experience every time I visit any Laurenzo family restaurant, because I learn something new. When you enter the establishment, you'll see many pictures on the walls, each with its own story. During our brunch, we had the opportunity to eat and share some of the items on their menu. Everything was delicious, including the drinks, but I think the dish that stood out the most was the pancakes. It's funny, but not many places make great pancakes. I also enjoyed my Tamales, because obviously they're Tamales.

Owner, Domenic Laurenzo welcomes Houstonians for brunch on Saturday and Sunday at their Richmond, Navigation and Washington Avenue locations(all other locations will offer brunch on Sunday only).

Breakfast Hours:
Richmond: Sat & Sun: 9:30am-1:00pm
Washington: Sat & Sun: 9:30am-1:00pm
1308 Cantina: Sun: 9:30am-1:00pm
Vintage Park: Sun: 9:30am-1:00pm
Navigation: Sat & Sun: 9:00am-1:00pm
South Gessner: Sun: 9:30am-1:00pm
Westheimer - The Annex: Sun: 11:00am-1:00pm
Katy: Sun: 9:30am-1:00pm

Huevos Y Tamales: Eggs and tamales topped with chili sauce, with a side of mexican rice and fruit salad. Tamales pretty much speak for themselves, am I right?

Pancake Y Huevos: These pancakes were so soft and were probably the freshest pancakes I've ever eaten, anywhere. Perfect balance of sweetness.

Dinner Lab New Orleans with Chef Matt Heroman

On our first official night experiencing New Orleans, we were transported to a secret location for a unique dinner lab dinning experience. The experience took place in a warehouse in the 9th ward of New Orleans. With this being a conference and my employer being an expert on great brand experiences, it was only normal that our time in the Big Easy include some fun and great insight.

Dinner Lab is a one-of-a-kind dining experience that was started in New Orleans in 2011. The dining experience invites members to try exclusive dishes prepared by a chef, in a unique space that's only available for a couple of hours. We arrived around 150 deep, and enjoyed a small happy hour with appetizers and drinks before getting seated for the tasting.

We were welcomed to very well set tables, where we found our feedback cards and menu. The man of the evening was Chef Matt Heroman, who has been with Dinner Lab for about 3 years. Chef Heroman introduced some dishes inspired by the food he grew up eating as a child in Baton Rouge, LA.  The dining experience although it had a pretty slow serving time(probably due to a large group), was pretty amazing. The feedback cards encourage conversation around the table and allowed everyone to have a say in what they are eating. Overall, I am happy to have gotten to experience my first Dinner Lab in the city where it was born.

Dinner Lab is currently active in around 32 cities across the United States, with Houston being one of those cities. To learn more about membership, visit them here. In the meantime, here is what we had to eat.

1st Course: Ponchatoula Spring Strawberries: My #1 favorite dish of the evening, consisting of Chicory, celery and strawberries topped with a pefecttly sweetened vinaigrette and almonds.

2nd Course: Flying Pig Gumbo: Duck and andouille gumbo, topped with potato salad. My 2nd favorite, meat was cooked to perfection, the only thing that threw us off were the potatoes.

3rd Course: Beer Braised Pork Butt: Pork served in a pepper jelly jus, with a side of Potlikka greens which were drenched in vinegar.

4th Course: Key Lime Panna Cotta: Key Lime Panna Cotta served with a buttermilk granita, gingersnap streusel and pecan  praline. This was my least favorite dish due to flavor, there was way to much going on for a dessert.

M Bistro Restaurant Ritz-Carlton Hotel - New Orleans

Restaurant:
M Bistro Restaurant

Location:
921 Canal St.
New Orleans, LA 70112

Hours:
M-Su 12a-11:30p

Ambiance:
I spent a week working out of New Orleans early this month, during our yearly client conference. Along with the work that we did there, we also got the opportunity to experience the city. Staying in the French Quarter near Bourbon St. M Bistro is a New Orleans restaurant located just inside of the Ritz-Carlton. The hotel was once a warehouse, explaining confusing bottom floors. This classic, elegantly decorated hotel was home to the Spurs and Mario Batali the week we were there.

M Bistro was rated one of the best farm-to-table restaurants by Travel + Leisure magazine, and serves southern fare eats. Funny thing is, I never actually dined inside. I Opted to have my first day meal in the hotel courtyard(you should google it, it's amazing). My last meal was in room as I prepped for my flight back into town.


What I ate:
I arrived during lunch hours and immediately wanted something to eat. I walked down to M Bistro and ordered the Redfish and fried shrimp tacos, which were served with a side salad. The tacos were so delicious, even thinking about then now makes me want some. Although they were both good, the fried shrimp takes the crown. To drink, I decided on a cider( I love ciders & dislike beer). Stella Cidre  was refreshingly fruity with just the tiniest kick.
One my farewell brunch, I ordered the buttermilk pancakes, with bacon and a plate of beignets. There beignets taste different from those at Cafe du Monde; they are less airy but both delicious.

Brunch & Conversation Celebrates 2 Years

What was about two years ago, I made the decision to get to know my city. I decided that going around town, tasting food and sharing my experiences would allow me to learn the city as well as share with others the best places to eat.

This past Friday, I went back where it all started, Dish Society, to do what has now become a yearly tradition. It's been a whirlwind, 2 years of lots of driving, eating, drinking, conversing and writing. 

So I told y'all I'd be explaining why Dish Society is my favorite restaurant in Houston, right? Well, here's why. . . Ever since I was young, I had stomach sensitivity to heavy, acidic, greasy foods. At times I can smell or see a meal and my stomach will immediately tell me not to even think about it.  Being a blogger, you can imagine the crazy things I go through to satisfy my taste buds and also tell the story.

If that said, most of the times I steer away from tastings that have many course offerings( i.e. more than 3-4), but sometimes I just go with it and try to keep it light. Dish Society has been one of the local restaurants to satisfy my taste buds while also making my digestive system content. I've had light to big meals, consisting of many courses at this restaurant and have never encountered a problem. So that there is the reason why Dish Society is my favorite restaurant in Houston, judge from my feeling a few hours after eating.

To eat there, I recommend trying to build-your-own Farmer's plate, which gives you the option to choose a protein, and 2 sides. I always recommend that dining option. I also recommended some winter items that I have had on the menu; Brisket Stuffed Sweet Potato(to die for), Shrimp & Fish Tacos(amazing Sriracha sauce).

In all, thank you all for supporting Brunch & Conversation for the past 2 years and I hope you will only continue to support as I bring you more local, national and hopefully international dining experiences.

Cheers!