Welcome Summer with a Scoop of Hank' s Ice Cream

Restaurant:

Hank’s Ice Cream

Location: 

9291 Main St, 

Houston, TX 77025

Hours:

Tues – Sat: 12 – 8

Sun: 3 – 8

Ambiance:

It’s finally summer y’all! That’s right: put away your flat irons and heavy make-up pallets because they’re a complete waste of time in this weather.

The sweltering summer heat that came the day after summer solstice led me straight to Hanks Ice cream on Main Street panting for any and every frozen treat. Hank’s has been around for almost 30 years now and the business prides itself on its homemade ice cream. When I walked into the ice cream shop, I was quickly greeted by two charming southern women who informed me that they still use the very same equipment to make ice cream as they did when the shop first opened. I ordered my treat, looked over the walls that were filled with old family photos and attempted to pay with a debit card before they told me that they only take cash or checks…so come with your stacks on deck.  

What I ate:

I ordered mint chocolate chip ice cream on a waffle cone that darn near melted before I got to the car. I had to save my fabric upholstery from a new stain by inhaling the majority of the ice cream in one hasty bite. Despite the brain freeze that came tumbling after, I was very pleased with my selection. Per standard delicious ice creams, the treat was quite smooth and full. You could almost taste the home-madeness, if that even makes sense. If you are ever in the area, I strongly suggest that you stop by Hank’s Ice Cream!

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.

---

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.

Ruggles Green

Restaurant: Ruggles Green

Location: 

801 Town and Country Blvd, 

Houston, TX 77024

Hours:

Sun – Thurs: 11-10

Fri & Sat: 11-11

Ambiance:

Ruggles Green is a café in Texas that cooks its dishes with natural and locally grown ingredients. Of their 4 locations in the Houston area, I went to the City Centre location near Memorial City Mall. Customers are to order their food at the counter then seat themselves wherever they please. I went on a Friday afternoon, so their was no wait and plenty of places inside and outside to enjoy my grub.  

What I ate:

It’s summer, which means that I am socially obligated to watch what I eat so that I can look my best in this year’s swimwear, so I ordered a salad.

…. And a chocolate crème brulèe cheesecake for desert sans the shame….

The dessert consisted of a layer of New York style cheesecake topped with a layer of their popular chocolate crème brûlèe custard, caramelized, served with vanilla bean ice cream. The treat was good, but was very rich…almost too rich. I’m usually able to finish deserts, but this one was a bit too much towards the end. The richness of the cake was not too much to scare me off from returning to the restaurant, however, and I’ll be sure to bring a friend next time to share so as to not waste half of the cake nor eat myself into a diabetic comma.

---

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.

Best Donuts- Katy, TX #Review

Restaurant: 

Best Donuts

Location: 

811 S Mason Rd
Katy, TX 77450

Ambiance:

Today I went to Best Donuts in Katy off of Mason Rd.Pretty arrogant name, eh? The place is built like a standard donut shop with few places for people to sit and pans of kolaches and donuts on display. I visited the business around noon on a Sunday, so the only other person in the shop was the friendly clerk who emerged from the kitchen promptly after I arrived.

What I ate:

I kept it simple with this week’s treat and ordered a chocolate donut and a sausage kolache and grew weary as the clerk popped my kolache into a microwave before bagging it up. I did not expect a warm selection of donuts and other breakfast treats on a Sunday afternoon, but still…it felt a little off. Nonetheless, I kept an open mind and sampled my selections after leaving the shop and setting off for home.

The donut and kolache both looked very basic, so I was very pleasantly surprised to find that they were quite different from similar breakfast treats from other donut shops. The donut tasted homemade and wasn’t too sugary nor did it taste like a piece of bread with chocolate frosting spread on top the way some chocolate donuts do. The kolache tasted very fresh, despite its visit to the microwave early on, and the bread was buttery and soft.  Of course, I’d have to taste these two selections again, preferably early on in the day so as to taste them while they’re at their freshest…or at least that’s the excuse I’m using to go back next Sunday. I’d say that this was the best donut I’ve ever had, but in this vast city of great food, I’m bound to find a shop that rivals accuracy of Best Donut’s name.

---

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.

Three Brothers Bakery- Houston,TX

Restaurant:

Three Brothers Bakery

Location: 

12393 Kingsride Ln, 

Houston, TX 77024

Hours:

Mon-Thurs: 7-7

Fri: 7-8

Sat: 8-8

Sun: 8-6

Ambiance:

Today I went to the Memorial location of Three Brothers Bakery in Houston, TX. The inside of the bakery was very simple and clean and the display cases were filled with several types of goodies to drool over while the friendly clerks could be seen cutting cakes behind the counter. The overall ambiance of the establishment was very composed and hospitable.

What I ate:

Everything in the display cases looked oh-so delightfully edible, so it was hard to choose just one treat to take home and make sweet love to enjoy. After several rounds of eeny-meeny-miney-moe, I ended up ordering a chocolate macaroon and a chocolate éclair.

Neither one of the treats was hot and fresh, but both were scrumptious. The chocolate macaroon almost tasted like an Almond Joy and was so packed on the inside that even a bite of the tiny pastry still felt like a mouthful. The chocolate topping on the éclair was perfectly whipped and the filling in the middle was smooth, creamy and decadent. This place will definitely be added to my list of frequentpick-me-ups, but I’ll be sure to pop my treat into a microwave next time before digging in!

---

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.

Grub Burger Bar- Houston TX

Restaurant: 

Grub Burger Bar

Location: 

799 Town & Country Blvd. Houston, TX (Upstairs from Urban Outfitters, next to Ra Sushi)

Hours:

Sun-Thurs: 11-10

Fri & Sat: 11-11

Ambiance:

This past Saturday I went to Grub Burger Bar with Brunch and Conversation. Grub Burger Bar is located in the City Centre on the west side of town. The restaurant has two other locations in Texas: one in College Station and another in Dallas. The City Center location was very clean and stylish without being all fancy-pants and whatnot. The majority of the people who worked there all seemed to be around 17 years old, but were still friendly and professional nonetheless. The only concern I had with this location was that the bathroom was a bit untidy and I had to scrounge for soap to wash my hands.

What I ate:

I initially set out to bond with my dear friend and people-watch (of course), but my intentions quickly changed once I took a look at the menu. Two words ladies and gentlemen: spiked. Milkshakes. So you mean that these lovely people have combined the sweet American innocence of a shake and the delightful dangerousness of alcohol into one beverage? Yes I tell you.

Yes.

I glanced at the six different spiked milkshakes until I set my heart and taste buds on the mint chocolate chip spiked milkshake with vodka, coffee liqueur, crème de mènthe, Andes Mints and chocolate. The desert received several longing stares from the other patrons as the waiter made his way to my table and I couldn’t help but to awe over it’sgorgeousness before I took my first sip.  The drink was smooth and sweet with a kick at the end…kind of like a Power Puff girl. I loved it!

All in all, the drink definitely lived up to my expectations and is probably the best sweet treat a hard-working teacher could ask for!

Mint Chocolate Chip Spiked Milkshake

Brunch & Co. had a Guacapotle Burger w/ a Texaz Spiked Milkshake

I'm a bit picky with burgers. The burger was simple, no big flavor- the guac added the missing flavor which I wished to have had more of. The fries, although they looked good, lacked flavor as well; if I were to compare them to other places I've eaten. The milkshakes are the BOMB DIGGITY- highly recommend!! XO  - Brunch & Co.

---

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.

Panaderia Puebla- Houston TX

Restaurant: 

Panaderia Puebla

Location: 

16215 Clay Rd #214,

Houston, TX

Hours:

Mon-Sun Until 10pm

Ambiance:

It’s Cinco De Mayo, so I thought I’d celebrate Mexican heritage by conducting this week’s review on a bakery that serves Mexican pastries. After an extensive Google binge, I set my sights on Panaderia Puebla because of its almost 5 star review summary.  The bakery is located on the west side of Houston, TX near highway 6.

Panaderia Puebla has an interesting setup: next to the door are large silver trays with serving tongs. Patrons are to take the serving tools and serve themselves from the tall glass displays of pastries that sit along one of the walls. Not all of the pastries were labeled, which would make things difficult for someone who is not familiar with Mexican desserts, so I suggest that you brush up on your high-school-diploma’s worth of Spanish before you visit. The entire kitchen could be seen from the front counter and the employees were very friendly.

What I ate:

I took the size of the trays as more of a challenge than a circumstance and gluttenously filled the self-serving dish with pan dulce, also known as sweet bread.  Each of the pretty pastries was covered with sprinkles and I managed to get at least 6 of them with my total only coming to $4 and some change. The clerk bagged up my pickings and I hardly set foot out of the door before I took a bite. The pastry tasted as though it was teetering between freshness and staleness, but was still a bit soft. I wasn't too impressed by the desert at first, but the taste eventually grew on me until I was left with one less pan dulce and a desire for more. Overall, the treat was bueno, but not muy muybueno.

---

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.

Small Cakes- Houston,TX

Restaurant:

Small Cakes

Location: 

12149 FM 1960 West, Suite E (F.M. 1960 between Eldridge and Fallbrook)
Houston, Texas 77065

Hours:

Mon – Sat: 10-8

Sun – Sat: 12-5

Ambiance:

After several weeks of passing Small Cakes on my way to and from work, I decided to stop on by for my regular sugar fix. I walked into the joint and was nudged towards the counter by the loving, typical bakery smell that entices me so much. I then heard a sigh from one of the employees. When I looked at her to see what was the matter, she let me know in a rather annoyed tone that they weren't open. Seeing as though I had just walked five miles, I did not have enough energy to throw some ‘tude back in her direction. I simply replied with “Well …then why is the door unlocked?” I felt a bit put-out (literally) and went back to my car where I watched the clerk lock the door until the store officially opened 10 minutes later.

What I ate:

I wasn't too excited about the employee’s unpleasant attitude, but I went back anyway. I didn't want to stay too long for fear that the place was still, in fact, closed and that I’d be thrown out again like Uncle Phil did Jazz on The Fresh Prince of Bellaire (I’m exaggerating), so I ignored the lengthy cupcake menu posted near the register and ordered the first thing that caught my eye: a Hot Fudge Sundae cupcake. The chocolate cake was topped with whipped frosting, nuts, chocolate drizzle, a cherry and taunted me all the way until the clerk boxed that baby up and sent me on my way with an apologetic smile.  

I took my first bite and was sold. The hot fudge sundae cupcake was definitely one of the best cupcakes I've ever had. It was sweet and moist and everything my sweet tooth could ever ask for. I’ll definitely be stopping by there again despite my interaction with Ms. Thang and her unlocked door.

A little verbal abuse ain't too bad if there’s a cupcake at the end of it. Ya feel me?

---

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.

Ritter's Frozen Custard - Katy TX

Restaurant:

Ritter's Frozen Custard

Location: 

3427 N Fry Rd Katy, TX

 

Hours:

Sun-Th: 11-10


Fri and Sat: 11-11

 

Ambiance:

Ritter’s is sweet and simple: the dinning area is completely outdoors and the seating is modest. The picnic tables nestled under shady blue and white umbrellas make it an ideal spot to fill your belly with a summery treat and dream about your plans post summer solstice (76 days and counting).  

---

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

Crave Cupcakes- Houston TX

Restaurant:
Crave Cupcakes

Location:
1151 Uptown Park BLVD.,
Houston, TX 77056

  

Hours:

Mon-Fri: 8-8

Sat: 9-8

Sun: 10-7

Ambiance:

After gorging myself on American food and margaritas with Brunch and Conversation, I suggested that we shimmied on over to the cupcake place down the street. She obliged and we soon found ourselves the very sleek establishment that is Crave Cupcakes. This cute little bakery is embellished with a modern décor of stainless steel, glass and pops of an almost Tiffany’s blue. I absolutely adored the fact that the bakers could be seen through a glass wall creating the sweet treats.

What I ate:

After looking over the menu, I decided to try the Crave Mint Chocolate Cupcake. The cashier boxed my selection up in a trendy box and I excitedly walked back to my car in order to nom the whole thing down like an animal in solace. Now, I wouldn’t say that the cupcake was bad, but I was not impressed. The top of the cupcake was moderately moist while the bottom of it was a bit dry. Though the frosting was a dose of minty-chocolaty goodness, the cake itself did not live up to the expectations I set for it based upon the ambiance and friendly service of the bakery. To be blunt, I felt as though I could’ve made a better cupcake myself from a box of Betty Crocker. 

In short: I ate it, I didn’t hate it, but I could’ve made it and I don’t crave it. I will, however, go back just to make sure that my one so-so cupcake was not a fluke. 

---

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.