Foodie News

Sugar for your sweetheart: Where to go for Valentine's treats

Chocolate-covered strawberries and so, so much more at Central Market'sChocolate Festival.
Triniti's chocolates come in rosewater, champagne and cherry.
Think cupcakes are girly? Vanessa O'Donnell has a Guinness version for boys andother beer-lovers.

Photo courtesy of Ooh La La

Look, guys (and girls): Valentine's Day just isn't that hard.

You don't have to think outside the box or order something like a pajamagram. (Seriously, do not ever order anyone a pajamagram. Unless the message you are sending is "I don't ever want to see you naked again.")

Flowers. Candy. Kisses. Boom. Done.

I'm going to leave you to your own devices on the kissing and I know better than to predict flower preferences, but here's a quick list of where to get some of the best sweet treats in town.

Fluff Bake Bar

Fluff and Fat Cat Creamery are teaming up on a Valentine's Day bake sale to benefit Lucky Dog Rescue, with cupcakes, cookies (including Rebecca Masson's famed fluffernutters) and vanilla ice cream with chocolate covered cherries. Pick-ups are available every day until Feb. 14, but orders must be placed ASAP.

Triniti

If you can't make it to the Aphrodisiac dinner, you can still snap up some treats from Triniti, with three flavors of handmade chocolates made with rosewater, champagne and cherry, in boxes of 6 ($12) or 12 ($24).

Chocolat du Monde

The best imported chocolates in Houston are at this tiny shop in Rice Village, which carries Neuhaus, Leonidas, an array of truffles and some of the best toffee in Houston.

Ooh La La Dessert Boutique

Desserts can sometimes seem overly feminized, but for a boy with a sweet tooth, check out Vanessa O'Donnell's Guinness stout cupcakes. Created just for the Super Bowl, the treats have been so popular that they'll be hanging around for beer-lovers through Valentine's Day.

Central Market

Look, it's no coincidence that Central Market's annual Chocolate Festival runs through Tuesday. It's more than candy though — head here for everything from cake to chocolate bread, chocolate-covered popcorn, chocolate chicken mole and even chocolate water.

Kegg's Candies

Native Houstonians have a unique love of this store, which has been around for over 65 years. The signature pecan crisp is a nuttier, less sticky version of peanut brittle, and the divinity is, well, divine.

Sweet

Colorful, sweet and sophisticated, there's nothing that makes some people happier than the delicate taste of a French macaron. Pick up bite-sized versions of the treat in six flavors including coffee, pistacio, raspberry and lemon. There's also mini cupcakes, whoopie pies and cookies, all made in-house.

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bring on barnaby's

Favorite Houston comfort food spot picks Garden Oaks for 10th location

Courtesy of Barnaby's Cafe

Barnaby's Cafe is coming to the Stomping Grounds this fall.

Earlier this week, real estate developer Bryan Danna promised “big news…very soon” about a new tenant for the former LuLoo’s Day & Night space at his Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks. That news is that Houston favorite Barnaby’s Cafe has claimed the space for a new location that will open later this year.

When a Barnaby’s decal appear on the restaurant’s door a couple of days ago, news of the restaurant’s imminent arrival spread quickly on social media. It will be Barnaby’s tenth location, joining outposts in Montrose, River Oaks, the Heights, and more.

The restaurant will occupy a 2,250-square-foot space at the Stomping Grounds. It will offer a to-go window for people hanging out in the development’s green space as well as a gated, dog-friendly patio. Houston artist Roberto Cervantes will contribute works to the restaurant’s interior.

Founded in 1992 by restaurateur Jeff Gale, Barnaby’s is known for its wide-ranging and affordable menu of classic American fare, including salads, sandwiches, breakfast items, and dinner entrees. Customer favorites include the Lebanese chicken fattoush salad, chipotle black bean burger, baby back ribs, and green eggs, which are scrambled with spinach and artichoke hearts. Dogs can snack on a special “puppy menu” of ground beef, sliced chicken breast, or scrambled eggs over brown rice.

Stomping Grounds green space A to-go window will expedite orders for people in the Stomping Grounds' green space.Courtesy of Stomping Grounds

“Bringing Barnaby’s to Garden Oaks and Oak Forest has been on my wish list for more than a decade, so I’m incredibly grateful that Jeff Gale and his team saw Stomping Grounds as the right fit,” Danna said in a statement. “Jeff and I go back to his first Heights location, which was one of Barnaby’s first big moves north of Montrose, and I have always respected what he and his longtime team have built. Thirty years in the restaurant business is a serious accomplishment. You do not make it that long unless you know how to take care of people, build loyalty, and become part of the neighborhood.”

When it opens this fall, Barnaby’s will be open daily from 11 am to 9 pm. It will join other restaurants at the Stomping Grounds, including Fat Cat Creamery, Tex-Mex restaurant La Mex, Bollo Woodfired Pizza, casual sushi restaurant Himari, Little Sister Cake Shop, and High Five Mini Bar. Earlier this week, casual Vietnamese restaurant Pho Prime announced that it had claimed the space formerly occupied by The Pho Fix for a new location that will also open this fall.

news-you-can-eat openings stomping grounds barnaby's cafe