For Lovers & Friends

Well, amigos I have no excuse. I've been a bad bad Sizzle. BUT. I promise to make 2015 the best ever. It'll go down in Houston Sizzle History.  To answer some of your questions: Yes, I'm alive. No, I'm not quitting blogging/writing. Yes, I'm still eating fantastic NOMZ and documenting them. But that's enough of that. Let's talk about love. I want to tell you what to do on Valentine's Day. Not because I'm bossy, but because I don't want you and your date to sit at an overpriced prix fixe menu and eat soggy food that's been sitting on a counter and finish it off with a sad,  limp molten chocolate whatever and then pay out the nose for it and pretend it was 'amazing'. Just don't. 

 I have always loved Valentine's Day. I owe this to my folks who invented the Valentine's Day Raccoon who would always leave me some fun treats and then Momma would always make sure my outfit was #freshtodeath. It was never about a date/boyfriend for me, just about loving my friends, family and obviously that precious Raccoon and his sweet deliveries. 

Let's skip ahead now. WHAT are you doing this V-day? Don't even START with the whole "I'll be crying into a pint of Haagen Daaz with my Netflix." Wash your hair, stop wearing your comforter and do the following things with WHOEVER you choose to spend the day with. Pets totally 100% count. Duh. 

HOW TO MAKE VALENTINE'S DAY 2K15. THE BEST YET. 

-Invite your friends over, tell them it's BYOB and play some amazing games. (Heads Up, CatchPhrase, Cards Against Humanity, you name it. Plus wine makes it more fun.)

-Go to Central Market, go wild. Cook at home for yourself, whoever, and sit down and ENJOY the meal. Buy some super sexy artisanal chocolate and learn to enjoy a meal without your phone/iPad/TV. Play some music instead. 

-Make a picnic. Go sit outside at the Menil Collection and listen to the leaves blow around. People watch. Talk about things and stuff. Drink cold rosé and nibble on nomtastic cheese. If the weather is nasty, go to the MFA and piddle around, go grab a cold drank after at a funky new bar in the area. Trust me, Houston is blowing up these days with local funktastic watering holes.  (I'll compile a Sizzle approved list.)

-If you DO want to go to dinner. Don't. Please please don't overpay for prix fixe. They are CHURNING these orders out all day and probably aren't worried about your food being cold or even tasting good. I don't think this is the night you need to decide to go to the "hottest new resto" in town. Go on a Tuesday. Trust me. 

That being said.....

FUNKY/COOL/DELICIOUS PLACES YOU WILL LOVE TO NOM AT ON V-DAY:

-Mala Sichaun. Don't even get me started. Plus if you pay cash you get 10% off, neat! I have daily cravings for their Tilapia filet sauerkraut soup. I know, it sounds horrendous but it's insanely delicious. Dan dan noodles, spicy crispy chicken, red oil dumplings, kung pao chicken, spicy garlic eggplant. Just do it. 

-Himalaya. Damn good Indian food. Hilarious wait staff who are super excited that you're there and super excited about showing you new delicious foodstuffs. 

-Sit at the bar at any of your usual spots and order 10 appetizers. It changes your "usual" and I love sitting at the bar. You get to ask the bartenders fun questions about the place and sometimes you get some good scoop. Fun resto bars include (but are not limited to): Benjy's, Aka Sushi, Provisions, Pax Americana, and the list goes on. If you're dead set on having a rez somewhere, skip over to OpenTable and let them do the dirty work for you. It's super easy, convenient and you can even set up dinner on your smartphone. Genius.

And let's be honest, if you're with the right person, it shouldn't matter if you're sitting in the finest restaurant, or on the side of the road eating street tacos. Love just makes it all taste better. 

Happy V-day Sizzlers!

Stay tuned for some major excitement.