Nom Nom!

Simply put, Chad and I LOVE food...all aspects of food! Wether we are cooking a new recipe at home or trying a new restaurant, the mood that food brings to the table is good for the heart (unless you are eating fried food).

With so many food options surrounding us, we have made it a goal to not eat chain within our first year of living here unless we are with friends or family. We thought it would be fun to share with you our Top 10 food experiences in hopes of receiving new recommendations in return.

Because each experience has been so different and difficult to compare, the listing is in alphabetical order.

TOP 10 
Carter and Cooley 
Chad and I stumbled upon this landmark deli as we explored the Heights' 19th Street strip. The food was good but the history surrounding the building and the friendly counter staff is unforgettable. As we walked into the deli we must have given off the "newbie" look, the owner of the deli immediately told us the items on the menu we had to order. It was as if he was wanting to give us the best first impression ever. We then spent 15 min. with the cashier talking about A&M and listening to him recall the good ole Bonfire days. I'm sure we could have chatted with him all day about A&M but 19th Street was calling our name. We left Carter and Cooley feeling like we were now regulars.
Cedar Creek
Cedar Creek had been recommended to us many times as a place we needed to try. With the weather cooling off and the wonderful outdoor dining of Cedar Creek, Chad and I thought it would be a great place to meet some of our friends. They had a wide variety of food that was easy to please all of our tastes, live music the wasn't too loud, and a laid back atmosphere that allowed us to enjoy each others company.
Celtic Gardens
College football season is underway and we had to find the perfect place to cheer on the Ags. After 3 attempts to watch games at the popular Aggie bar, we went around the corner and found this little gem. Delicious white sangria and an awesome outdoor space make this the perfect place to cheer on the Ags!
Chatters
This is our go-to option when we are looking for a good meal without spending $$$! The food is AMAZING, the staff is friendly and it is located directly across the street from our apt. Oh yeah, it is in a house with a style that I would like to own!
CoCos Crepes
French style crepe restaurant that reminds us of our favorite crepe spot in Denver. The savory crepes are super fresh and the dessert crepes are totally worth the calories! It is located in the heart of midtown so it is a great place to sit outside and people watch.
Dragon Bowl Asian Bistro
Neighborhood Asian restaurant in the Heights. The friendly staff and somehow "light" Asian food made up for the interesting taste in decor. We walked in expecting to walk out with the usual overly full Chinese food belly but was pleasantly surprised with the light and slightly different tasting dishes.
Grocery Stores
Selection, freshness and proximity, I couldn't ask for more!
  HEB
  Whole Foods
Ibeza Food and Wine Bar
Chad and I were the beneficiaries of a unique experience with a multi course Chef's Selection Dinner auction donation at this "Who's Who" spot of Houston. After watching many episodes of Iron Chef and Chopped, I couldn't wait to test my Food Network judging skills. The results proved that after 8 courses of delicious, exotic dishes with ingredients I could not pronounce, I shall remain an "Armchair" Food Network judge. BTW, the desserts are bigger than my head and taste better than most things you've ever had.
Laredo Taqueria
The reviews are correct. The line is out the door, the service is pushy and the tacos are worth it all.
Niko Nikos
After hearing that Niko Niko's was featured on 'Diners, Drive-ins and Dives', this restaurant was a must try. They serve delicious Greek food in huge Greek portions that make you say "Opa"!

Got recommendations? We would love to hear them!

Let the Good Times Roll!

After a quick 180' turn in our lives, we unpacked only to repack to go to South Padre Island with my family! Chad and I had been looking forward to this trip for quite sometime but for totally different reasons. Chad was hoping to catch up on a little R&R by lounging next to the pool and ocean and reading his new book (which is awesome since it is a new found hobby). I couldn't wait to see my family and reminisce on the good ole' days at South Padre Island. As a youth my family went to SPI every April for 10 years in a row and then life got in the way...I haven't been back in 15 years. I was so looking forward to fruit parfaits at breakfast, lunch by the pool and sand constantly in my swimming suit, but the thing I was so anxiously awaiting the most was to see little Emily and show her the SPI ropes.

We basically picked up where we left off 15 years ago with the addition of a little one and 3 big ones. Dad was immediately spotted neck deep in the ocean, Mom was organizing the weekend with Emily in her arms, Adam and Ben were dreaming of being on 'ESPN's Sportscenter' with unbelievable game winning catches into the ocean and Beth and Ellen quickly found joy in soaking up the sun while reading a book.

 

Based off of the expressions on Emily's face and the amount of times she licked her fingers to get more saltwater, I would be confident in saying that her first trip to the beach was a success! Emily didn't let her age or size limit her fun. She played in the sand, splashed in the water and even went out to the 2nd sand bar!

Although we have gotten older, the activities sure haven't changed! Ben and Ellen invited 5 year olds to join us and help bury Ben in the sand. We attempted kite flying which was not a success and played lots and lots of sports on the beach. 

As another successful trip to SPI ended we left with a ton of great memories, a wonderful tan and desire to return for another round. 

I had a hard time deciding which pictures to include in the post so I made a short slideshow to remember the fun.  Let the good times roll!

We're Movin' to the City

We've decided to give this blogging thing a whirl, and we plan on using this to share our life in the city with the few of you who care to read it. We don't have an agenda for this blog other than to keep our far away family and friends in the loop, so we aren't quite sure where it will end up. I'm sure there will be mentions of family, friends, the Aggies, random city adventures, work, and whatever else fun enough to make the cut. Suggestions are always welcome! 

Folks, we've moved to the city!

Welcome to PETERville…