Houston Bars Supporting Hurricane Harvey Relief

You know, we are almost a week post Harvey(in Houston) and who would have thought that Texas would be the state to unite the country. I've read stories and heard of different people who've driven many miles just to come land a helping hand in Texas. It is amazing to see how much good there is left in our world, sometimes our TVs show so much of the bad that we forget what greatness we are capable of. Many people from all walks of life have united on a mission to save "our neighbor."

It's definitely been one crazy couple of days that grabbed headlines across the country and even got international coverage. Many people have lost a lot, that's one thing that not many can see; in fact I can't really see it either. But what I do know if Houston, and I know there are many communities who have lost a lot and any help would be appreciated.

#HashTagLunchBag Houston Prepares Lunches for the Homeless

I had the pleasure of spending my Saturday morning making lunch bags with #HashTagLunchBag and the Hive Society. #HashTagLunchBag is a social organization whose purpose is to bring awareness to and fight hunger in local communities. The organization was started in 2012 by a group of friends in Los Angeles, California, and has taken over the nation.

I first heard of this organization through a celebrity's Instagram profile, but once I learned that Houston had its very own #HashTagLunchBag group, I was even more excited. A group of over 100 volunteers gathered at Grooves of Houston on December 13, 2014, on the same mission. To tackle hunger in Houston. The volunteers made a total of 807 lunch bags, which were given out to the homeless around the city of Houston.

It's amazing what a group of dedicated individuals can come together and do. For the friends who started this organization just a few years ago, they probably didn't see what a huge impact it would have. I'm beyond grateful to have spent my weekend with people who share in the same beliefs, people who believe in giving back and helping others. We are all busy(supposedly), but no one is ever too busy to lend a helping hand.

I look forward to the many #HashTagLunchBagHou events  to come, and also to meeting other great people of Houston. For more information: hashtaglunchbag

xo,
D.

La Madeleine Country French Cafe - Tanglewood Court

I was invited to come break bread with Patrick Leon Esquerré(the founder of La Madeleine Country French Cafe) and his staff at their 18th Houston location. The new restaurant is located in the Tanglewood Court on San Felipe and Fountain View. The event consisted of a small introduction over coffee and pastries, followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony and lunch.

The location features an open patisserie, allowing customers to see their pastries being made by the bakers. This location is open, and has windows all around that draw light in.
La Madeleine is a family spirited company that was started 30 years ago, when Esquerré decided to bring a taste of France to the United States. Their first location opened in Dallas, Texas in 1983 and currently have over 70 restaurants nation wide. The guests, which consisted of some of the city's influencers, enjoyed a tour of the facility and a meal courtesy of La Madeleine.


For more pictures, visit my facebook page

With the founder of @lamadeleine at their Tanglewood grand opening VIP event. He does speak french 👌✊👍 #brunchandconversation

A photo posted by Dalida💋 (@lavidalida) on Dec 12, 2014 at 8:29am PST

Dessert Gallery Review

Restaurant: Dessert Gallery

Location: 

3600 Kirby Dr., 

Houston, TX 77098

Hours:

Mon – Thurs: 11-10

Fri & Sat: 11-12

Sun: 12-10

Ambiance:

After yesterday’s Father’s Day dinner with the fam, I snuck over to Dessert Gallery on Kirby in Houston. Dessert Gallery is a spacious establishment with places for patrons to sit and enjoy their sweets after they are order at the counter in the front. The baked goods are displayed in the front along with a menu with each of the cake flavors offered by the slice.

What I ate:

After browsing the display case and the extensive menu (with pictures! :) I ordered a slice of the Toffee-licious cake that consisted of yellow cake soaked in espresso and topped with toffee. I was a bit worried about the term “soaked” as it generated some horrendous thoughts of soggy cake…yuck! Luckily, the cake I received was no soggy at all and tasted of rich coffee down to the last morsel. The frosting was very full and creamy and the crunchy toffee on top added a nice texture to the dish. It was, in fact, toffee-licious.

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Guest Blogger:

Erin Barlow is a teacher and self proclaimed cookie monster.
When's she's not busy teaching, you can find her searching high and low, for the next best pastry.

Tiny Boxwoods- Houston, TX

Restaurant:

Tiny Boxwoods

Location:
3614 W Alabama St,
Houston, TX 77027

Hours: 
Mon-Sat 11am-9pm
Sun 11am-6pm

Ambiance: 
Tiny Boxwoods is located on West Alabama St., between Edloe St. and Timmons Ln. It is owned and managed by Thompson and Hanson. The restaurant is really tiny and intimate, its entrance makes way to the Thompson and Hanson shop and nursery. If you are looking for a venue for your wedding, THIS IS IT! I can't say good things about their service though. Our waiter was inattentive, he basically came to our table twice- to take our order and bring the check. Needless to say, we did not get dessert. 

What I Ate:
I ordered a Brussels Sprouts pizza, it was decent- But I don't recommend it. My friend ordered the Beet Burger with a mountain of chip fries.She wasn't very pleased with her order either.The food was aaalright, not all that I had hoped it could have been. Maybe it's better for brunch. If you've been, share your experience in the comments section.

(sorry I didn't get a good picture, bad lighting)

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Hungry's Cafe & Bistro- Houston, TX

Restaurant:
Hungry's Cafe & Bistro

Location:


Hours:
M-Th 11-10
Fri 11-11 Sa 9-11
Sun 9-10

Ambiance:
The Rice Village location is situated on Rice Boulevard near the Rice University Stadium. The restaurant is in a very tight and busy location, so finding parking is usually quite a hustle. You'll enjoy a casual environment with a large food serving. I recommend coming with friends on a beautiful sunny day and enjoying some brunch and conversation...get it, get it? But anyway, the service staff is pretty nice, although they can get a little inattentive--okay a lotta.

What I Ate:
I ordered the Croissant Egg Sandwich and an Orange Mimosa. The sandwich was delicious minus the addition of avocado in the croissant. Hot avocado? No hunnie, you can leave that to the side. The herb roasted potatoes and fruit were a great completion of the meal though. Overall great place to hang out and eat!

Please note: They are in the process of expanding(finally!) Adding on an Upstairs bar area for Happy Hour

Croissant Egg Sandwich