Category: About Us

Hey there friends, it’s Lauren. Since my birthday was this past weekend, it’s my turn to give you a run down on all of my favorite things!

First things first, there is little I love more than all things pink and sparkly and sprinkles. There is just something so happy about that combination, that a birthday without them just seems wrong. A majority of my everyday accessories are pink, and I’m always looking for more ways to incorporate pink into every aspect of my life. Going along with the pink theme and the arrival of warmer weather, I am all about Rosé these days! Right now my favorite is Whispering Angel, but I am new to the rosé trend so always looking for more suggestions on what to try!

Wine and Cheese and other Treats!

Of course, wine and cheese make the favorites list – we do have a whole blog about this after all. When I first started drinking wine, I was definitely a fan of Pinot Noir and not much else. But luckily, I now have broadened my horizons and am for sure a Cabernet Sauvignon girl now! I have lots of favorite cabs, and have definitely not tried all of the amazing ones out there. Right now, I buy mostly Educated Guess, Decoy, and anything else that will give me bottle club points at Goody Goody. You heard it from Julia a few weeks ago, and some people give us a hard time for being basically the same person, so naturally our favorite cheese is the same. You can’t ever go wrong with the Trader Joe’s Cheddar Gruyere Cheese and their pita crackers. I am also a sucker for the Boursin cheese that you can find at just about any grocery store. Another favorite wine and cheese combo is a good glass of any red wine, pepperoni pizza, and of course, ranch dressing. We have a tradition at our house that we have wine and pizza every Sunday night for dinner. Makes for a super easy dinner with limited dishes to wash and smiles all around! Other snacks that you will always find in our pantry or fridge – Goldfish (been my favorite snack since I was a little girl and I don’t think that will ever change), Dr. Pepper, and cookie dough!

Houston and Dallas

Being a Dallas native I was skeptical of the restaurant scene and really everything about Houston before I moved here, but wow I have fallen head over heels for this city! There are too many amazing places to eat and go to happy hour that it makes it very hard to pick a few favorites. I will have to agree with Julia that my favorite happy hour in Houston is Heights Biergarten. It is just really hard to beat the great deals, amazing atmosphere, and proximity to home! A close second on happy hour spots, and maybe my favorite spot for date night is Harold’s. My dad actually recommended it to us right when I moved to Houston a few years ago because he knew the owner, Ali. They have great happy hour deals and INCREDIBLE food. My favorite thing to order there is the Butterhead Salad and the Shrimp & Grits.

Since this is a post about my favorite things, I think it would be wrong not to mention my favorite things in Dallas that I make sure to get every time I go back to visit. First thing, Mi Cocina. This Dallas staple had a brief stint in Houston, but is now only in the Big D and a few other places north of Houston. I always order a Mambo Taxi and the Rico Salad with beef. So if you find yourself in Dallas make sure to stop by one of their many locations – my favorite one is in Highland Park Village though. I also love going to Wild About Harry’s on Knox. Ever since I was little I ordered the same thing – vanilla custard with M&M’s. Sounds so simple, but wow is it good! Also in Dallas, I always enjoy shopping and seeing old friends, but mostly just spending time with the fam.

Other Favorite Things

I love traveling to any body of water – lakes, rivers, oceans – you name it! Weekend road trips to the lake or floating the river are some of my favorite summer weekends. I also LOVE going to the beach. Recent trips have been to Hawaii, Dominican Republic, Cancun, and Jamaica. Last year we went  on a big group trip to the Dominican and it was one of my favorite trips ever! I also love Texas A&M football games, sitting by a pool, being outside, playing tennis, going on walks, Rangers baseball, Dallas Cowboys football, Grey’s Anatomy, and monograms.

My Absolute Faves

While all the above definitely make the list, I would be wrong if I didn’t mention my most favorite person, Austin, and our new furry family member, Dixie! All of the above are best enjoyed with these two.

That’s all for now! Hope y’all enjoyed learning more about the pals! Now we want to get to know you! Let us know what some of your favorite things are!

Peace & Pinot,

The Other Pal

Hi there pals, it’s Julia. This week was my birthday, so I’ll be sharing some of my favorite things with you. For an easy skim of my list, run through and look for the bolded words.

Wine and Cheese and snacks

Obviously. Love wine and cheese. I’m trying to learn more about both, so I’m always trying new things. I think a big part about learning in general is stepping outside of your comfort zone and just tasting. Not to say that I don’t have my favorites! I just try and mix it up. When I just want something that I know I’ll like I go for the Trader Joe’s Cheddar Gruyere Cheese and some sort of goat cheese. Those are my all time faves. I also love Manchego and am a big fan of a little funk when trying new cheeses. As for wine, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Malbec is my go-to. Its full-bodied and I just always typically like it. I don’t really have a go-to bottle, I’ll just scan bottles that I want to try at the store on Vivino. I do this every time I buy wine and I don’t care that I’m the crazy person taking pictures of labels. I just read some reviews and check the rating and average price and wah-lah! I’ve got my pick. Some other wines I love (if you’re looking for something new to try) are Cabernet Sauvignon (Have you heard of it? lol), Super Tuscans, and Tempranillo. Snacks. KETTLE CORNNNNN. It’s a weakness of mine for sure. Some fun snackage I love to add to cheese boards to add to the grazing are Spinach and Artichoke Dip and Snack mix- like the Sweet Cajun Heat mix at HEB— Yum!

Houston

We have tried A TON of happy hours in Houston. My favorite happy hour to date is Heights Bier Garten. They never ever disappoint. Their happy hour is unbeatable with their half price craft cocktails that are delicious. The atmosphere is great and in my opinion, it is also the best patio bar in Houston. There are a million but this place takes the W for me. Favorite wine bar is 13 Celsius. In our previous blog featuring 13 Celsius, we talked about how it has the most wonderful European vibe and it really is true. It has the best atmosphere and honestly the best and knowledgeable staff. They are so helpful with talking through which glass to try. I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite restaurant but two of my top and the dishes that I order at each could not be more different. I love Nidda Thai ( don’t @ me about how it’s not the best without a rec 😉 lol but really) and I usually order the Yellow Curry and the Steamed Dumplings. So good! I also always have the best leftovers for the next day! The other place that I always love is Adair Kitchen and there I order the Superfoods Bowl.

My fave other Stuff- Places and Things

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to travel- especially with the love of my life (I said I love cheese), Trevor. Traveling is a new love of mine because I really never did before we got married, but I have a feeling that my travel bug is sticking around. Italy has been my favorite (and I also think that it will stick around awhile too). It won me over with the views, the people, the food, the wine, the history, the art, the lifestyle, the everything. In Texas, one place that will always have my heart is the Texas Hill Country, specifically Fredericksburg. It’s always so lovely and if you haven’t been, you should. The wineries are great and there is plenty cute factor with the shops down main street.

     

Some things that make me smile: candles (I’m a sucker for Capri Blue Volcano, but who isn’t), plants and flowers, board games, Aquaphor, HomeGoods, and Texas A&M football.

Welp. That’s a wrap! Those were a few of my favorite things. Stick around for Lauren’s later in April 🙂

Peace & Pinot,

One of the Pals

Happy New Year Friends!!! We hope you all had a restful and fun holiday season!

We finally made it through January and we just wanted to start off being back with some life updates and everything you can hope to see from us in 2019!

We had a super exciting holiday season filled with weddings, time with family, and lots of laughter with our friends.

In case you are new around here let us tell you a little about ourselves.

Lauren: Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Lauren has recently made Houston home and is taking the city by storm (not a literal storm because Houston has enough of those) in every way! Although Dallas will always have her heart, we sure are happy that we get to do all of Lauren’s favorite things with her now in Houston – shopping, eating great food, drinking good wine, and being social butterflies! Lauren married Austin in December at a beautiful winter wedding in Dallas. Austin influenced the move to Houston in the first place, and boy are we happy about it! Oh, and don’t forget to ask her about her new bling and the new house! The newlyweds can’t wait to host friends and family at their new home with all the wonderful cheese boards and wine glasses from the registry! A few of Lauren’s favorite things include: chocolate chip cookies, Dr. Pepper, quesadillas, and of course Taylor Swift (her recent concert may or may not be the best night of Lauren’s life besides her wedding day-which of course takes the cake). When it comes to wine and cheese, you can find her sipping on a classic Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Manchego cheese.

Julia: A Houston native, Julia is sure to always find the best wine and cheese deals in the entire city! Raised just outside of HTX in Katy, TX, Julia married her high school sweetheart, Trevor post college (we’re still swooning!) and they are now living in the galleria area. Together, they have been already able to check many things of off their life bucket list! Her passion to travel with her hubby and explore different places and cultures has enabled them to cross the world – and even perfect Julia’s perfectly paired palette. From teaching to the non-profit realm her heart for serving others is prevalent even in her home-life. Coupled with her desire to host, Julia makes sure everyone leaves her home with full tummies and a big smile. In the words of her husband when it comes to throwing parties—“She’s a little extra” and it’s our favorite thing about her! She’s a lover of all wine and especially the “nibblets” to go with it. A sucker for reds, but Malbec is always her go-to because it pairs well with her favorite kind of night – steak on the grill and board games surrounded by the best of friends.

This year we have a lot of new and exciting things in store for you all. We will be taking you on a food and drink adventure around Houston and some other exciting destinations. While wine and cheese will always be a staple, we are going to focus more on happy hours, hosting at home, and gathering community around the table. We are so excited to share more about ourselves and get to know you as we take this journey together!