Visiting Texas: Food & Beverage Festivals in Texas

Hey Foodie Butterflies. Have you ever been to an event planned specifically around one of your favorite foods? If you are a lover of all things food, beer, and wine related then you have to check out some of these food and beverage festivals going on in Texas.

Around the World From Home: Best Places for Cultural Cuisines in the Houston Area + World Food Day

Foodie Butterflies, what’s your favorite cuisine? Mexican and Italian are my favorites but I definitely enjoy experiencing all cultures of foods. How do you know if you don’t like it if you don’t try it?

Anyway, it’s World Food Day (October 16th) and I wanted to share with you guys some of my favorite places to enjoy international cuisines + checkout my favorite foodie quotes below:

Around the World from Home: Date Night at Nach-Yo Ordinary Tequila Tasting

Butterflies, I recently attended a tequila tasting for date night and it was so much fun. Tequila is a product of Mexico and is one of the world’s most recognized and favored spirits. Ironically, Mexico City is one of my travel goals…I’m looking forward to touring the tequila and Frida Kahlo museums while visiting. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy my tequila drinks here in Texas.

In the Kitchen: Boozy Holidays to Celebrate

Post contains adult content and is intended for readers 21 years and older.

Butterflies, when you’re done adulting for the week, what’s your favorite adult beverage to unwind with? Whether you are a beer, wine, shot or cocktail person, if you’re looking for a reason to indulge in your drink of choice, check out these boozy occasions to drink to below. Also don't forget to check out my list of Texas Food Festivals and my Texas Breweries series.

Visiting Texas: Popular Places to Brunch in Houston

If you’re in the Houston area and are looking for somewhere to enjoy weekend brunch, here’s a list of a few of my favorite places to brunch in and around the Houston, Texas area (list is in no particular order):

Local Restaurant Food Delivery w/ Caviar

This post contains affiliate links.

Butterfly Foodies! If you’re looking for an easy way to order food from the best local restaurants in in your city, you should check out Caviar. Caviar let’s customers in cities across the U.S. order food for immediate delivery or schedule ahead on Caviar’s free mobile app for iOS and Android and on the web. Caviar provides customers with quick, reliable delivery or pickup service from wherever they are. 

Caviar is currently offering all new customers $5 off $30, $10 off $50 or $15 off $75+. Plus, new diners get free delivery on their first order too! Details are below!

In the Kitchen: Winc | A Monthly Wine Subscription Box

This post contains affiliate links.

Hi Butterflies, what’s your favorite wine? If you’re still trying to decide then you probably should check out Winc’s monthly wine club. Winc is a modern wine brand that makes it easy to find wines you love. 

Visiting Texas: Brunch at B&B Butchers & Restaurant in Houston

New Year’s Eve In + Sparkling Wines Under $15

Butterflies, since New Year’s Eve is a few hours away let me start by saying...alcohol should only be consumed by adults aged 21 years or older who can do so responsibly AND discharging firearms in the air for fun is not what’s up. With that being said...OMG it’s almost 2018! I’m not complaining one bit, I’m gratefully looking forward to another year. I’m still trying to recover from the Christmas hustle and bustle so I think I’m going to stay in with the kiddo and guy and just take it easy. We’ll probably play a few games, eat some tacos, pop some bottles of sparkling wine and sparkling apple juice and light some fireworks. What are you guys doing for New Year’s Eve?

If you’re thinking about celebrating the new year with some bubbly, here are a few of my favorite inexpensive sparkling wines.

Visiting Texas: Houston We Have Zaxby's

This is a sponsored post, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hey Butterflies! So I'm aware that I'm probably tardy to the party on this one but omg have you tried Zaxby's? Truthfully, two days ago I didn't even know Zaxby's existed but I had an opportunity to dine at the Zaxby's restaurant that recently opened in Spring, Texas so I said what the heck and went for the experience; it was definitely "indescribably good" and now I wish there was a location closer to me. 

Zaxby's is the home of some of the best chicken fingers, wings, salads and milkshakes you'll ever have. If you're on the fence about what you're having for lunch or dinner, why not give Zaxby's try? They cater too so if you have an event coming up Zaxby's is an option, just don't forget the Zax Sauce. 

Visiting Texas: Houston Restaurant Weeks Benefiting the Houston Food Bank: Del Frisco's Grille

Happy Sunday Butterflies! It's Restaurant Weeks in Houston and today I had the pleasure of dining at Del Frisco's Grille for Sunday Brunch and....it was AMAZING! A well prepared three course meal for only $25? I mean who wouldn't enjoy that?

The menu consisted of three options per course to choose from. I tried the Philly Cheese-Steak Egg Rolls for my starter, Red Velvet Waffles for my entree and Peanut Butter & Toffee Mousse for dessert. Sounds yummy right? Lol, It so was! Beverages are not included in the meal price so prepare to pay a little extra to try one or two of the tasty drinks at Del Frisco. I tried the Screwdriver (because it's one of my favorite drinks) and it was pretty awesome, and by "pretty awesome" I mean the alcohol to ice ratio was on point. lol

Specials by Restaurant.com -Blockbuster MOVIE Event

In keeping with the whole summer of awesome movies theme I thought I'd share another movie/food deal with you guys. Restaurant.com, the trusted and valued source connecting restaurants and diners nationwide, wants to help kick-start your summer with a blockbuster event! Whether you're celebrating mom (Mother's Day is this weekend Sun. May 11th) or just looking for a night out with friends or that special someone, enjoy this Specials by Restaurant.com Dinner and A Movie deal. With this exclusive offer from Specials by Restaurant.com (similar to Groupon, Living Social, or Amazon Deals), you'll get two movie tickets to use at one of your favorite movie theaters along with a $50 Restaurant.com eGift Card, all for just $28! Click here to check out this awesome deal.

Don't miss out on this show stopping event as this offer is only available for a limited time (ends in 2 days)! Specials by Restaurant.com deals make great gift ideas for everyone. Also, click here to locate your theater. 

Visiting Texas: Studio Movie Grill in Houston, Texas

This is a sponsored post.

Hey Butterflies! So I've personally never been to a Studio Movie Grill, but with it being basically summer already there are a lot of new movies that are hitting the big screen (like Spiderman and soon the new X-Men) and with that being said; lately I'm hearing a lot of talk about how great Studio Movie Grill is and now I really want to experience SMG. For you guys who've never heard of Studio Movie Grill; SMG combines the latest Hollywood releases, featuring 100% digital projection, with restaurant quality food and beverage from an American Grill menu and full-service bar. Want to experience SMG too? For movie listings, showtimes, and directions to a SMG theater, please visit StudioMovieGrill.com and if you use promo code SMGFamily you can get a $5 movie ticket to any movie of your choice! Sweet right? Also, there's a new bar and lounge area at SMG Copperfield location for all of my Houston area readers so be sure to check it out and let me know what you think!

Visiting Texas: Ocean's Restaurant in Houston

Prior to this last visit I had been to Ocean's a few times before in the past mostly for happy hour or a quick business meeting but neither time did I reserve a few seconds to take in this establishment. Now that it's a thriving Mexican ceviche eatery it's hard to believe this place was once a regular two story house; revamped, given a modern look and the name Ocean's.

Now on to the food...



Ocean’s Salad



Starting with the Ocean's Salad, I have to say it was creatively prepared. This salad is started with a mix of lettuce and red and yellow bell peppers topped with goat cheese, then garnished with tomatos, crispy noodles and pecans and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette.









Prime Filet Mignon Taco

The Prime Filet Mignon Taco consisted of one or two thin slices of beef, minced white onions, and cilantro on a corn tortilla. Since I dined during their "happy hour special" this single and very tiny taco only cost me $5, do I think it was worth it? As I ate I couldn't help thinking, for that same five bucks I could have gotten at least 3 to 4 tacos from a couple of places in my own neighborhood. In this situation you are defiantly paying for the atmosphere.



Citrus Margarita



Sangrita





The drinks were average, there was nothing extravagant about the drinks at all but for the price I have to confess I expected a little more.

Ocean's patio for outdoor dining

The one other thing I like about this place other than the fact that it is conveniently located in the Midtown-Houston area is the patio. I have dined on the patio at Ocean's twice and each time I really enjoyed it. If you choose to visit Ocean's you will find that the patio area has a very peaceful and relaxing atmosphere depending on the evening you decide to visit; each time I visited Ocean's it was on a weeknight so there was no crowd and the weather was beautiful so I'm sure that enhanced my patio experience even more.

Summary:

Overall my experience at Ocean's was almost fair. I wouldn't recommend this place if you're looking for somewhere to enjoy a hearty meal at a decent price. I would however recommend Ocean's for a nice quit place to have a drink or two with friends or meet with business associates or if you just want to get some work done while enjoying the sun and a little fresh air.

Cost Rating:
Experience Rating:

Overall Rating:

*Ratings are conducted based on a cost for quantity/quality ratio.

Ocean's

819 W Alabama St

Houston,TX 77006

Ph: (713) 520-7744

Photos courtesy of My Ultimate Photography



Visiting Texas: Best Houston Area Cajun/Creole Spots

Some refer to it as "Cajun food" while others call it "Creole food" but nevertheless if you're from the South like me you’ve probably heard of and love them both. The words Cajun and Creole both derived from the French language. By definition Cajun is used to describe the French-speaking Acadian or "Cajun" settlers of 17th century Nova Scotia, a colony in Canada they named Acadia, from akade, the Micmac Indian word for ‘plenty’, who were driven off their land and into exile by the British to the Acadiana region of Louisiana. 

In the Kitchen: A Newly Discovered Passion for Cooking

I just recently discovered that I have a passion for cooking! The presence of food in Houston is amazing and I want to share my thoughts on it all with you. As a kid growing up Sunday’s meal was the best meal of the week, it brought the entire family together. It has been my experience that for some wonderful reason unknown food has the tendency to bring individuals together.

I must admit I have a love for food, my favorite being Nachos! I LOVE CHEESE! Next to that would be pickles, pizza and hot wings but as I continue growing and moving forward in life I'm discovering that eating health has become one of my biggest concerns for me and my own family so I've decided to go on a mission to learn "the art of cooking".

In the future I plan to post more blogs about food and cooking. I will be sharing my personal restaurant reviews, different recipes (both published and my personal creations), cooking tips and grocery money saving tips that I will be learning along the way. I must add I in no way shape or form intent to make a career out of cooking, it's a simple for pleasure. Please feel free to comment and share your ideas.

Bon Appétit!

Mika Dione B.