Coco's Crepes & Coffee Review

Coco's Crepes & Coffee and I have a history. I've taken many people to this place and it's primarily for one reason: their awesome crepes! But recently, my affair with Coco's has evolved into something much more serious and not just your usual late night after dinner calls for dessert. I had failed to see there was more to Coco's than her sweet rewards. I came to realize Coco's Crepes & Coffee also serves a good lunch!

Coco's Crepes & Coffee is owned by the same folks who own Mia Bella and Saffron. In fact, the owner is one of coolest, nicest guys: Ali Bendella, who served me a tray of crepe samples on my birthday last year. Bendella was able to incorporate his Mediterranean upbringing into his food and even the ambiance of this cozy café. Enter and there's even Electronic/Arabesque music playing.

Lately, I've become infatuated with Coco's Turkey Spinach Panini. Nothing like a crisp sandwich to entice my taste buds and satisfy my appetite. It's the succulent mayo in this panini which has a special taste to it. I also had their very special Coco Loco smoothie, which tastes like a refreshing Piña Colada without the alcohol. Boo! Price tag: about $9.

But a trip to Coco's wouldn't be complete without having a taste of their notorious crepes. One single bite and this 5-min. affair might turn into a long-term relationship. I go for the classic Nutella crepe (Nutella is a pretty famous worlwide brand of chocolate hazelnut spread). The crepe's dough is not as paper-thin as the ones they'd serve in Europe, but it is pretty darn close and just as delish. Price tag: about $4

Coco's Crepes & Coffee has outdoor sitting for those who like to people watch-and believe me, there are lots of pedestrians on this side of Midtown. They also have Wi-Fi for the "social networkers."

One of my favorite places in town, Coco's Crepes & Coffee gets a BURP! using my rating system of BURP=delish!, GULP=pretty good, and BARF=yuk.

Coco's Crepes & Coffee
218 Gray St.
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 521-0700

Amazón Grill Review

Call Amazón Grill a steal. This quick chain eatery is really worth more than what you pay for. This is where you go when you're hungry, want to spend OK money, and you want it NOW! Order, take a number, have a seat and they'll bring it out to you. There's a plantain bar and a soda bar, too (they used to have a salad bar, but understandably they've cut back on costs).

The mastermind behind Amazón Grill is Michael Cordúa, a self-made entrepeneur from Nicaragua, who seamlessly was able to blend the best of Latin American cuisine in a modern, laid back kind of a place.

Marketing-wise, you'll notice they were able to brand and capture sort of an urban jungle kind-of-feel, mixing tropical plants and greenery over concrete space. The art itself has been deliberately picked out with Alberto Godoy paintings. Godoy is a Cuban artist who hails from Houston. His signature is painting subjects who are pudgy.

Whenever I go to Amazón Grill, I go for the kill. I get the Puntas, which is tender grilled beef over jalapeño sauce. This really is to die for...You won't get something like this anywhere else in town for $13. It comes with rice, veggies, and a side of sweet plantains. But what makes this an entirely unique plate is the jalapeño sauce, which gives it a nice kick and compliments the meat perfectly. (You might opt for the black bean sauce if you're not into spicy, you wuss!)


Another great plate, which my intern ordered, is the Piraña. No, this isn't piraña from the rain forest, but it tastes just as dangerous as its name sounds. Piraña is pecan-crusted tilapia with maple-lime sauce. It's interesting to see how maple can be used in other ways than putting it over pancakes. The tilapia is so tender, it literally melts in your mouth. Plus, the crispiness of the pecan crust makes it much more indulging than having a grilled filet of fish. This also comes with a side of rice, veggies and sweet plantains, as all entreés do. This plate is $12.

Using my rating system of BURP=delish!, GULP=pretty good, and BARF=yuk, Amazón Grill gets a BURP!

BTW I did not have dessert this time, but I can guarantee you Amazón Grill serves one of the best tres leches in Houston.


Amazón Grill
5114 Kirby Drive
Houston, TX 77098
(713) 522-5888

Brown Bag Deli Review

Did you forget to pack your lunch? Brown Bag Deli's got you covered. Come and grab your very own lunch bag in this quick eatery, but get there early because there's always a line!

Brown Bag Deli is about sandwich choices. You get to choose your bread, meat, cheese, toppings... you name it, you probably choose it. The place in itself is an experience. You get to check mark your choices on items printed on a brown bag. And yes, just like you did when you were little, you also get to write down your name on the bag so no one else gets it. The idea is that if you're on the run, you can just stuff your sandwich in the bag and go!

Well, that seems like a lot of paper waste right? Who knows? But the food is pretty health nut stuff. They serve wheat bread, baked chips, reduce fat cheese, and such. So, you'd figure in one way or another they might be into recycling too. I did notice their cups are biopolymer containers. Biopolymers are made from plant materials which means it's renewable. They also break down and are good for composting. But enough of this green crapola! It's up to Brown Bag Deli to "choose" whether to recycle or not.

I've been preconditioned to make healthy food decisions for a while now. So I chose:

• Bread: Wheat
• Meat: Egg Salad
• Cheese: Monterey Jack
• Topping: Mayo, Deli Mustard, Lettuce, Tomato.
• Side: Fresh Fruit Cup

OK, so not really healthy stuff with the mayo and the mustard, but healthier than what could have been. But what about the sandwich? I was pleased, very pleased. Everything tasted really fresh and the sandwich portion was pretty big. Very messy to eat, though, or maybe it's just me who's the messy one.

If you choose to go for the combo rather than getting things individually, you'll save about $.50 when you order a drink. I spent a total of about $10.

Brown Bag Deli gets a GULP under my rating system of BURP=delish!, GULP=pretty good, and BARF=yuk. Oh, yeah! Did I mention lots of hotties in here? Doors open at 11 a.m.

Brown Bag Deli
2036 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77098
(713) 807-9191