Today is Friday the 13th and like most millennials
(including myself) you're probably a procrastinator. So, in the daily struggle of just getting to Friday at
5pm, you've forgot that tomorrow is valentine's day.
I
get it. It happens to us all.
In the nation's fourth (arguably
third-yes, I'm looking at you Chicago) largest city, there's no shortage of
places to grab some grub under romantic candlelight but we all want to avoid
the cliche spots like olive garden and the long lines at Grand Lux or the Cheesecake
factory. And even though its payday Friday for most of us, that doesn't mean we
want to spend $250 bucks on valentine's day dinner. Here are some of my
favorite spots in the bayou city to celebrate your love (even at the last
minute and for less than $100+bucks a person).
Museum
District
Photo source: Sophia S.; Yelp
Davis St at Hermann Park
There are so many great
options in the museum district and its hard to pick just one. Recent tenant
Davis St tops the list in the area for food, flavor and value. Starting at $85
per couple, diners can enjoy dinner and receive complimentary brunch. That’s
the best deal I’ve seen in Houston.
The Heights
Avoid the heights if you
can. Why? Because the area will be filled with houstonians flocking to its
over-hyped and often overpriced restaurants. Long waits will be the norm in
this area but IF you insist...
Photo
Source: Arielle W.; Yelp
Bradley's Fine Diner
I've only been once but my
food was amazing. The most appreciate dish amongst the masses is the pot roast
which is served with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted baby carrots. Expect to
pay about $30-$35 per diner before the tip. Im a fan of design and the
restaurant is beautiful. The lighting fixtures, the exposed industrial look,
all romantic with a hint of masculinity.
Pearland
Photo
Source: Maria T., Yelp
Grazia Italian Kitchen
Grazia is new and from its
yelp reviews seems to be a Godsend for the area. I love Pearland; but its in
need of a better restaurant presence. Littered with chain restaurants and bars,
its not the best place to find fine dining. But at the tail-end of last year,
Grazia's Italian Kitchen opened in the southern suburb and created a roar.
A notable local favorite
is the Parmesan Breaded Eggplant, Fried,
Topped with Marinara, Mozzarella, Served over Spaghetti with Marinara.
For those of you who aren't big Italian
fans (like myself), they even have some items from the grill that are sure to
please, including the "Estrada", USDA Choice Boneless Beef Short
Ribs, Slow Braised with red wine, garlic, onions, carrots, mushrooms, celery
and served with garlic mashed potatoes. Sounds like a foodgasm.
Also make sure to stop by the bar for
their pineapple infused vodka.
No reservations are required for
Saturday and all entrees are under $30 per diner.
Bay
Area
Photo
source: Evett T., Yelp
Nobi Public House
Bay Area locals-Step away
from Cullens. No disrespect to the fine
dining location; the atmosphere and food is GREAT. But everyone will be there
trying to impress their significant other and $99 steak dinners for 2 (add
$40-$50 bucks if you wanna drink) is so 2002. Unique menus are hot right now,
and that means Asian Fusion and Craft beers-and you don't have to venture into
the city to find it.
Its not your typical
valentine's day location, but 20-somethings can appreciate Nobi Public House's
selection of beers and wine and their blend of american favorites with
Vietnamese flair. Grab their pork fries or nobi tacos for a treat and match
them with st. arnold's beer. The best part about Nobi? You can have a feast
there for under $25 a person.
Galveston
Photo source: Judi S,
Yelp
Olympia Grill at Pier 21
Galveston's no stranger to
good food. Houstonians and Islanders alike crowd the local restaurants for good
food and even better drinks. Offering greek fare with a flair, Olympia grill is
my obvious choice for Valentine's Day. the Pier 21 location has a valentine's
day menu that includes oysters fresh out of Galveston Bay, a Mardi Gras
Daiquiri to celebrate the season of celebration on the island this weekend, and
a Baked Haddock topped with a white wine lemon butter.
I would recommend their
$31 delightful duet, a 4ox filet served with garlic shrimp and plated with
their parmesan potatoes and roasted vegetables. you won't get a better deal for
a similar dish anywhere on the island and their parmesan potatoes are so good
you could eat a whole plate of them as an entree and be satisfied.
They also have full
glasses of wine for under $40 available for pairings with your entree.
Note: This is for the Pier
21 location of Olympia grill only, not the Seawall location.
Honorable
Mention
Photo
source: Briana L; Yelp
Pluckers....yes, the
chicken spot.
If super-romantic and
pricey meals aren't your thing or if you don't even care about valentine's day
but love great deals, check out pluckers for their dine-in 20th anniversary
dinner on Saturday at their Shepherd location. The menu includes some of their
items at their original price when they opened in Austin in 1995. Catch deals
like ten pieces of chicken or
burgers for $5 , cheese fries for $4 and $3 fried pickles.
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