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

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

Empire Café Review

Hidden behind bushes and parked vehicles is one of the shrouded gems of the Westheimer Curve. Empire Café feels like a hub where artists, writers, and wretched poets would gather to discuss passions and politics over coffee and cigarrettes. But this artsy-fartsy café is much more than that, it's a place where you can get lunch.

Having been there several times to stuff my face with pasta, I had arrived there with a different kind of appetite. I wanted to try more of a poor man's meal. I decided to go for what seemed like the logical option when you just want a bite. I went astray from my usual and got the Soup and Sandwich combo (OK, maybe this would require a couple of bites rather than just one).

My intern and I sat outside in the patio to enjoy the outdoors, and not necessarily the view (it's just passing cars). As we waited in a table under the shade, we noticed the mixed crowd of people who eat at this ecclectic eatery- and let me tell you, it was far from my romantic vision of philosophers. This crowd was rather much more realistic, with folks in business attire or trendy Emo-getup. However, the one thing that remain true to my vision was the smell of cigarrette smoke, as the guy sitting next to us slowly burned one in his mouth. Ugh!

By the time our food had arrived, the smell of smoke had instantly dissipated. I could smell the soup... an extravangant Tomato Basil. This soul warming consommé instantly made me sweat (because it was already really hot outside). I don't really like tomato, but I'm a sucker for tomato basil soup and Empire Café is one of a few places in town which makes a really good cup!

Then, there was the sandwich: breaded chicken, provolone cheese, tomato, and bacon?!! on ciabatta-batta (an insider joke) bread. It tasted like it should be illegal. My intern had ordered the same thing, but she said hers was too buttery. I ate the whole thing.

Considering I was going for a poor man's meal, I spent about $11 on this plate, plus an iced tea. Using my rating system of BURP=delish!, GULP=pretty good, and BARF=yuk, I'd say this place gets a GULP!

Empire Café

1732 Westheimer Rd.

Houston, TX 77098

(713) 528-5282

Julia's Bistro Review

For those who don't know, anything "bistro" means it's going to be tiny portions. So, walking into Julia's Bistro for lunch, I had arrived with the pre-conceived notion I was not going to be full. However, Julia's Bistro is a really nice place, especially, if you're looking for a place to impress your date. It serves a fusion of Mexican and Latin American cuisine. It's posh, colorful and contemporary, so you might want to dress up for this one.

Anything "bistro" also means it's going to be pricey. Luckily, my co-worker and I were there to take advantage of the lunch menu.

I was really craving something healthy, so I went for the "Croquetas de Salmón" (salmon croquettes crusted with bread crumbs) without realizing I had ordered from the appetizer section. When the plate came in, I was shocked to see the food was really, really tiny. For sure, I was not going to be full! Needless to say, the salmon was heavenly. It was crisp, tangy and tasted like delicacy. I killed it in 5-min., but I was still very hungry!

Thankfully, my co-worker and her Mixto Exotica were staring right at my face. She kindly shared half of her delicious, exotic salad which included shrimp, a mix of fruit, like pineapple and mango, and was served with a Tahitian vanilla vinaigrette dressing. Her salad was plenty enough to be shared by two people (or at least that's what my co-worker said after I asked her if this was enough for her). She also ordered the Potato Soup and was extremely pleased by it.

Figuring I still had room for dessert, I decided to go ahead and order the Bread Pudding. Let me tell you, fresh off the oven, this was as good as it gets.

Julia's Bistro may be a bit pricey (our bill came out to be about $40 including our two drinks), but the food is really great. Using my rating system of BURP=delish!, GULP=pretty good, and BARF=yuk, I'd say this place gets a BURP!

Julia's Bistro

3722 Main Street

Houston, TX 77002

(713) 807-0090