portfolio

In late April of this year Isabell met me for a weekend in Houston. Most reasonable people would ask, "Why meet in Houston? It's not a destination." ... and they would be right. But after having lived in Houston for just over a year myself, I found the city is tough to beat when it comes to restaurants and the arts. Here is a run down of a few of the places Bell and I hit up - some of my Houston favorites:

~ Mark's, from chef Mark Cox. This is the best restaurant I have ever been to - hands down. Everything from the excellent and constantly changing menu of American cuisine to the great wine list to the old church-turned-restaurant atmosphere makes Mark's number one in my book. One of my good friends, Emily Resling used to be the wine director at Mark's, making each visit a even more of treat. On the night Bell and I came in to the restaurant she pulled what we both agree is the best bottle of wine either of us has ever had: a 2004 Joseph Swan pinot noir. Amazing. Emily's since moved on to a new position in Seattle (the new hometown for both of us), but remains a great wine insider for me.

~ Empire Cafe ranks right near the top of my list of favorite coffee houses. The cafe serves a great breakfast, has excellent coffee and espresso drinks and has nice outdoor patio - a must-have in Texas.