12850 Memorial Drive, Houston
On Halloween this year, I found myself with a few hours to spare between various Halloween events at my kid's school. It just so happened that Halloween in H-town was simply beautiful this year. Yes, it was 80 degrees. But, the morning was cool enough to justify my traditional orange sweater and the air was void of humidity. So, with time on my hands on this beautiful day, I decided to spend a few hours by myself at Town and Country Village on Houston's west side.
Like most Houston shopping plazas, Town and Country has already started decorating for Christmas. So, embracing the holiday spirit, albiet the wrong holiday, I ran a few errands in the shops. Before I knew it, I was starving and ready for lunch.
There are several lunch options in Town and Country. But, since it was a day of luxury, I decided to opt for sushi at Nori Sushi Bistro. The restaurant was fairly busy with the lunch rush, but the hostess seated me immediately. I perused the menu; the selection was extensive. Many of the rolls were Texas-themed including: the Hushpuppy, the Rockets Roll, and the Rodeo Roll. I ordered miso soup as a starter. The soup was flavorful with fairly generous amounts of tofu and seaweed. For my main course, I played it straight with an order of tekka maki rolls and an order of salmon sushi. But, I couldn't resist ordering at least one Texas themed roll, so I ordered the Cowboy Rolls. The tekka maki were good as was the salmon sushi. I especially enjoyed the minimal rice to fish ratio on the salmon sushi.
The Cowboy Roll consisted of shrimp tempura with a mayo hot chili sauce. The tempura was tasty and the sauce hot enough that it didn't warrant the addition of wasabi laced soy sauce. My only complaint was that the rice was just a bit to sticky for my tastes. Of course, sushi rice needs to be sticky so that it adheres in the roll. But, this rice was just a bit too glutinous.Overall, the sushi tasted fresh and the prices were reasonable for a substantial lunch. Plus, I was able to eat in silence while reading my Kindle. It was basically like a vacation.
After lunch, I decided that since it was Halloween, I deserved a sweet treat at Ooh La La: The Dessert Boutique. Pastry Chef Vanessa O'Donnell is a Texas native who has opened 3 boutique bakeries in the Houston area (and she's not even 35 yet!). From the moment I walked up to the storefront, I was impressed by the super cute decor. The shop is girly, girly, girly! It's the perfect place for a sweet treat with your daughter or your girlfriends.
But, the pastry cases were even more impressive than the decor. Huge, beautifully decorated cupcakes, a wide variety of cakes, and french macarons. I'm very picky about my macarons. I was spoiled in Paris years ago, and ever since I'm pretty selective. But, since it was Halloween, Ooh La La had special ghostly macarons. I had to try one!
This macaron was pure perfection. The texture was fabulous -- not too firm, not too squishy. Excellent. The macaron was toasted marshmallow flavored. It tasted like warm vanilla and brought back memories of the best campfires on cold autumn nights. Paired with a cup of coffee, I felt like I had take a vacation to gay Paris! (all for the bargain price of $5). I see many mommy breaks at Oh La La in my future.
With only crumbs remaining of my macaron and all of my shopping complete, I decided to call it a day and head home to wash my daughter's Elsa costume before trick or treating. Every so often, Mama needs a break. Rested and rejuvenated, I felt ready to tackle Halloween night!
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