Mandy "favouritethings" G.'s Profile

I assume this is like if you don't want to move because your child [the kind with opposable thumbs] would have to go to a different [read: worse] school district. That's why I wouldn't move. I've been taking my four-legged, furry kiddo to Pooch Pad since he was around 8 weeks old - for the last 9 months.  Anywhere from 1 - 3 x week.

I've been told it's the cheapest place in town [pay cash and it's only $20/day]. Either way, this is definitely the best place for my 50 lb monster. They don't baby him ... but they do spoil him. He gets to run around with lots of other playful monsters, play in the pool, climb in plastic castles ... and make new friends. He also is taught not to jump, how to share and nap time means nap time. He comes home exhausted and whines everytime we pass the house.

It's disheartening to see negative reviews about a 'rude owner.' The only light I can shine on that is ... it's usually her and maybe 1 or 2 other staff looking after 10+ dogs, while attending to their owners, her business and answering the phone. Her first priority is making sure the dogs are safe and taken care of ... so she may have been distracted.  The only time she seemed distant to me was when she lost her best friend and Pooch Pad welcome committee,  Max - but when I came back that eve to pick up Waylon we cried together sharing memories of how wonderful Max was ... and I'd only met him months before.

She - and her staff - are in this business because they genuinely love dogs.

And if anyone would like to sponsor my man ... I'd take him there everyday.

Also, I've only ever taken my monster to Petco for grooming but ... seriously ... Pooch Pad is WAY better and cheaper.

Hello facelift! Confession: Boheme has been my local hang out for 3 years -- with varying lengths of hiatuses at times.

I miss my fav Chris but they new staff is amazing and friendlier than ever. The new outdoor facelift makes it feel ... more awesome bohemian and less sketchy bohemian [I'm a fan of both]. ... did I mention I'm a sucker for chimineas?

But I'm here to love on the new [beta] menu. It seems every time I've gone there's a new trial menu with half the things unavailable but tonite I got just what I wanted - a Mediterranean Lamb pizza ... hello lover. I'd also be down to try to the Mediterranean Chicken pizza, Chicken Rosemary pizza .. and that's just the carnivore menu. They have also have a selection for herbivores.

They up'd the wine selection as well.

All in all ... I'm back. The creepy, club crowd has dissipated and my old lover is back.

I've been to Natachees numerous occasions. While the fried pickles began my addiction ... I'm going to have to start a Fried Green Beans Anonymous group.

The burgers are my solid go-to if I'm actually eating a full meal rather than just lots of munchies and sides. The grilled cheese is awesome as well. The meals are HUMONGAZOID and def built for sharing. This is a place I can actually take my dad when he comes in town - it's "none of that healthy, weird crap," in his words.

The quirks:
Fried Green Beans don't come as a 'side,' only as an appetizer. [thumbs down]
The wine is served in Winnie the Pooh jam jars [thumbs up!] but don't go if you're looking for a wine list.
Mimosas and bloody marys only served one day a week and not on the same day [thumbs down]
Live music! [2 thumbs WAY up]
$1 Schlitz on happy hour [HECKS YES!]
Saint Arnold Root Beer [woohooooo!]

p.s. also I'm jealous that the kids meals actually come in an awesome lunch box. Will someone loan me their kid so I can steal it? Show owner comment »

I do love Grand Prize. I think I loved Ernie's more though. It was infinitely easier to get a drink as Ernie's. To date, I've been 3 or 4 times as Grand Prize. The hype has it's popularity up ... unfortunately. Last night, I went with a group. I attempted getting a 2nd drink at the bar 2 times before I just gave up and got the buser to get me water.

On a 'slow night' I'm totally down to chill on their back patio for hours. I love that patio. The people are so nice. It should my type of place but, alas, until they 1) get more people behind the bar or 2) get less popular, I think I'll stick to Leon's. Or Poison Girl.

I hope to update this with a "I TAKE IT ALL BACK, I GOT A DRINK!" very soon ... pretty please.

After 2 visits in 2 weeks, I'm in luuuuuuurve with this little place.

Visit numero uno: Happy Hour with the girls
Arrived on a weekday around 6 on a rainy afternoon. The place was fairly empty. We sat at the bar for the 'free food' happy hour. (highly recommend) ... sampled the brushetta, pizzas, various dips & gnocchi. HOLYOMGHELL ...the gnocchi. We ordered off the happy hour menu ... which I found out later changes daily because when I went back for the champagne cocktail I had, it had changed. The cocktails were girly - numerous flavours of bellinis, etc. We ended with wine. Very decent wine selection.

Visit numero dos: dinner with friends
The pizza menu is not for those with trouble making decisions. Goat cheese, salmon ... various fruit, cheese and meat variations seperated into traditional and non-traditional. The pizzas are somewhere between personal size or split with someone depending on your appetite [and if you're on Weight Watchers or not].

Now for the HOLYOMGHELL moment #2: the dessert cream puffs filled with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate. AND the lemon ice cream and vodka concoction. Let me be clear: YOU MUST HAVE THE VODKA & LEMON ICE CREAM thinger. As in, stop what you are doing right now and go have it. And then maybe have a 2nd.

Other awesomeness: fast service, pizza's are out in less 10-15 min, reasonably priced, adorable decor.

I've now been to XX more times in 3 months than I've ever visited El Patio [both locations combined]. Yes, I know the 2 are still relatives but the changes JJ has made to El Patio Midtown are phenomenal. Getting this out of the way first ... no, I'm not a blue margarita fan.

The first time I went I sampled a couple menu items: the 'wangs,' ceviche, chorizo torta and nachos [I forget the specific name but they have chorizo & eggs on them.] OH MY AWESOMENESS!

The second time I went was for a social media shin dig ... 200 people converging on 1 bar at the same time. The drinks were hard to get but the food was passed around freely and good times were had by all.

Today was my third visit. At 3pm we were scavenging for happy hour post our margarita lunch and I raved about my first visit to XX. So at 3pm we plopped down on the patio and proceeded to have a 2 hour happy hour. If only I would have had the tummy-capacity to eat anything on the menu. I asked our waiter if I could just keep the menu and oggle it.

My advice? Skip the Pisco and go straight for the Mojito. As I tweeted, "Como se dice, 'nomnom tasty?'" It's a beautiful, tasty cup of gingery fizzing awesome! And I can't wait to go back for everything on the menu.

Summer Fridays are my absolute favourite days of the year - FRIDAY MARGARITA LUNCHES! You see, [almost] every Friday in the summer, my friend and I indulge on margaritas and Mexican food on Fridays.

Today we hit up Pico's. Why do I not go here more?! I hadn't been to Pico's in YEARS [like before Yelp years] and, despite the location, I can't figure out why. The menu is full of Tex-Mex staples like enchiladas and tacos as well as traditional Mexican dishes [at least, I think they're traditional]. I got the fajitas - pretty typical for me on Weight Watchers. [Bonus points for refried black bean option.] The fajitas were solid. The onions weren't to my carmalized awesomeness standards ... but overall "Yay! I'm a fan."

But, to the true reason we came, the margaritas. There's an actual rita menu - with about 10 options between $7 and $13 but we spied the "Luncheon Mugarita" for $2.95 and took the plunge. Their house rita was awesome - not too tart or sour like so many. Did I mention they were less than $3?!

While all good things must come to an end, Pico's made it very sad for Margarita Fridays to conclude. GIVE ME TEX-MEX OR GIVE ME DEATH.

In a world [neighborhood] of tex-mex options ... I'm confused by El Real. I want to rate it higher but  .. would I go back? Um, I could think of other places that would leave me way happier - whether that be Hugo's or Chupultepec. El Real serves a market I don't know exists.

I went with a friend for our Friday Margarita Lunch. First impression ... valet only ... sortof of my pet peeve. Minus a star. But I walk in and the staff is uber-attentive and friendly. Plus a star. Menu ... extensive. Plus a star. But if El Real is trying to be my old school Te-Mex place ... they're lacking the dishes/options - this is the first point of confusion. The menu reads like it's trying to be somewhere between a taqueria and upscale Tex-Mex taqueria joint.

The salted chips and hot salsa made a good diversion while trying to decide on the menu. Both myself & dining partner ordered from the regular menu rather than the lunch menu because the options were just too limiting - and nothing like our stand-by, nastalgic Tex-Mex joint. The margaritas however, were not a diversion. They're supposedly tequila, lime juice and agave ... for the skinny version - the regular adds cointreau. Both were so tart they were un-drinkable.

I will say the food is g-o-o-d. GOOD! But if I wanted my cheese enchiladas or tacos al carbon, I'd go to Chalutepec. [and the ritas are way better] My dining companion loved her puffy tacos though which can't be found in many other restaurants. But if I wanted more of the foodie meals offered ... I'd go to Hugo's. It's like El Real is trying to be Hugo's and Chapultepec. But without achieving either. Not to mention [again], I can get a better rita at both places.

It's not that my experience was bad [outside of the valet & ritas] , I just can't figure out what I'd go back for.  So I give it an 'A-OK'

I've passed Jackson's close to daily as I drive home. I rarely see it populated. The dirt parking lot is usually empty around 5pm as I drive home. But I've been curious by this former-Decades, neighborhood staple ever since I saw the patio pop up before they opened. [I'm a sucker for a patio ... even in 100+ temps]

I've been in the mood for expanding my horizons ... shaking things up ... probably a symptom of heat exhaustion and severe dehydration - possible utopian hallucinations. So when a friend asked where we were going before DiverseWorks' event at Poison Girl Sunday - I suggested trying Jackson's.

4pm on Sunday the parking lot consisted of exactly 3 cars. I parked next to the grill that was smoking something fierce [I may or may not have left my windows open in hopes of a little a'natural residual BBQ car air freshener.]

I saw a sign for $4 bloody marys and BBQ. +1
Very friendly bartender immediately served my friend and I +1
Outside on the patio my male friend had a brolove fest with the grill master  ... long story long ... I love Jacksons.

We ended up returning after our function. The bartender threw a massive left-over plate of beer can chicken, brisket and pork chops back on the grill to heat us up our 2nd course and we sat on the patio till well after 10 talking. It was like stumbling upon the nicest neighbor's backyard BBQ [who makes a mean cocktail] and making friends.

Plan on planting my BBQ-loving butt on that patio every Sunday and being lazy, catching up with old friends I never knew and throwing back some beers. It's what Houston summers are made of.

See y'all Sunday.

So I've been quiet on Yelp for sometime. But Jonathan's inspired me to sing a little ditty. As most of my review's state, I'm a fan of hole in the wall -- I don't know that The Rub quite fits that description but it is small. Luckily, I met momzers for an early lunch.

I splurged on their grilled avocado burger, mom had the fish & chips [and cheesy grits]. The plates arrived and it was all so pretty and decadent. One of those moments, your heart sinks because you know you'll need a 2nd tummy because the doggy bag just wouldn't do it justice but to leave anything that beautiful on your plate would be a crime.

After a momentary set back [my burger was quite on the rare side of well but they remedied it], it was every bit as decadent as first impressions gave. The sweet, slow dough bun was perfect - grilled avocado ditto.

I'm not a grits girl but I couldn't stop reaching across the table for mom's. She raved about her fish and couldn't stop saying "Oh I'm definitely coming back!"

The service was tops. Food fab. Thanks Jonathan's The Rub for taking my day to new happiness levels.

[yes, I asked my burger to marry me.]