Woke up at midnight to pick up Beans from school. His band spent the day at Six Flags in San Antonio. The chartered buses took them back to school at this unholy hour. Ugh! I only hope he remembers all these sacrifices I did for him when he chooses a nursing home for me…
Found it hard to go back to sleep so I started planning for the day. The pool was filled up so I thought it would be nice to spend the Sunday lounging around. But as always, Houston weather did not get my memo.
Lots of rain! But see how blue and clear the water is. We did a great job!
So I thought we just better drive out and get brunch. Googling for the best place to brunch in Houston is not easy. There are so many good ones. It seems like there’s a huge market for people getting smashed on Sunday mornings. Sounds about right.
This is today’s choice. It’s up the The Heights, close to where we had dinner last night. We should just move here.The first floor is a coffee shop and market, filled with fresh baked pastries and gourmet delightsThe second floor is very casual. It reminds me of SanFrancisco brunch places.It also has out door seating. We opted out because while the inside feels Cali, outside is definitely Houston —oh so hot and humid!For my drinks, I chose Pink Port Spritzer. D had his usual Pinot Noir which looks all the same, so not picture-worthyAppetizer is a meal in itself. This is called Monkey and Friends — rosemary garlic monkey bread with all the bells and whistles—olive oil, olives, cheese and salami.Reeling from all the calories I had form last night, I chose a Bagel with scrambled egg whites, spin ash, tomato and feta, with lime garlic mayo.D had sliders called Sorry Charlie — seared tuna fillet with tomato jamDessert was heavenly—Pecan Praline Bread Pudding—made of croissants smeared with melted vanilla ice cream sauce
This is one of those restaurants that no matter how much you order, your bill never amounts to $100. Everything is quirky and inventive, but reasonably priced.
So of course, I had my second spritzer. I never got so buzzed with just $12!
D and I spent the better part of this week acid-washing the pool. For those of you who don’t know what the heck that is, it is when you drain out the pool then wash its walls with acid to remove all the gunk and algae that has accumulated, giving the water a greenish sheen. Like most things in life nowadays, YouTube makes it much simpler than it looks. When D brought this up, I replied in my usual, never-say-die, rah-rah girl “sure, why not?”. In reality, it is back-breaking! Although, there is a lot of satisfaction to be had when you see what a huge difference a good scrubbing can make.
the left side of this pic is before the acid wash; the right is the after
By noon, we have finished the entire pool and also installed new LED underwater lights. We truly deserve a treat! This is a huge project which entailed so much physical effort. Not an easy feat since it has become so humid. We decided to go out for early dinner while we wait for the pool to be filled with water.
We decided to try B & B Butchers and Restaurant. This restaurant appears on top of every list of the best restaurants in Houston. We simply have to try it.
This is a 100 year old building. Indoor dining has elegant decor. Outdoors, it has a roof-top patio with wonderful view of the Houston skylineWine list was extensive and cocktail list was very creative. I had a Washington mule—Reyka vodka, lime and ginger beerThis appetizer is a must-try—Carpetbagger in a Half Shell. A mini tower of thick house bacon, filet mignon, and deep fried oyster, drizzled with spicy sauce and blue cheeseI ordered Dry Aged USDA Prime Bone-In Rib Eye. Twenty-two ounces!!! That’s why it’s as big as my face…Note how perfectly they cooked this as medium. Exactly how I like it, slightly bloody in the middle.D had Wagyu Filet Mignon. The perfect medium.It’s amazing how they cook their meats perfectly.For our side, we had B & B Mac n Cheese. Confession—I can’t NOT order mac n cheese. If it’s in the menu, I always order it.By the look of D’s face,the horrors of acid fumes in our faces are all but a memory.We had a humongous chocolate cake for dessert. A perfect ending.
This was clearly one of the best steak dinners we ever had. As Texans and steak-enthusiasts, this is a very loaded statement. Now we know why this restaurant tops lists all the time. It can’t be missed for those who are unapologetically carnivorous. What a wonderful way to reward ourselves for all the hard labor we did.
