Devour Houston

Hello Heaven.  A store just for chocolate treasures.  Handmade from Venezuelan Chocolate without preservatives, additives, or artificial flavors.  The ganache is made from honey, not sugar.

Here we go with the sampling.  I tried 6 total: 2 truffles (Trufas) and 4 chocolates (from the Chocolate Collections).

First up:  the Bourbon Trufa:. Did not disappoint!  This is a serious Truffle.  Rolled in unsweetened cacoa, the rich, chewy, dense dark ganache on the inside was paired perfectly with a hint of bourbon.  Not overpowering.  This was amazing.

Second: Champagne Rose Trufa:  whereas the Bourbon truffle was serious, this trufa is light and happy.  Light milk chocolate mousse on the inside.  The truffle is dusted with pink sugar.  Subtle hint of Champagne Rose just to give the chocolate flavor.  A little crunch from the sugar dusting.  Excellent.

Now up the Chocolates:

I started with the Key Lime.  Definitely Key Lime flavor.  The Key Lime overpowered the chocolate, in my opinion.  While it did remind me of a mini-Key Lime pie, the fresh lime juice and zest was just too much for me.  I was looking for more of a chocolate pop.  Beautiful to look at, though, with the hand painted green swirls.

Next up:  Peanut Butter & Berries.  While I am normally a Peanut Butter/Chocolate Purist (don’t taint their relationship), I actually really enjoyed the black berries “pate de fruit” on top of the ganache.  The berries were a subtle marriage with the peanut butter and chocolate that really, really worked.  The chocolate was gorgeous with hand painted yellow, red, pink, and orange stripes.

Third Chocolate: Pink Salt.  Strong dark ganache with a touch of pink salt from the Himalayan Mountains.  I was expecting to love this chocolate as I am a salt-aholic.  However, this combination did not work for me. 

Finally, the Hazelnut Praline.  Very creamy hazelnut praline blended with milk chocolate ganache.  Not dense.  Easy to pop a lot of these little guys.

My Take Away:
My favorite surprised me with the Peanut Butter and Berries.  My least favorite was the Pink Salt.  I also really, really, really, really enjoyed the Bourbon Truffle.  This little chocolate ball is for serious Chocolate Lovers!

Araya Artisan Chocolate
River Oaks
2013 West Gray
Houston, Texas 77019
www.arayachocolate.com
 

I loved the vibe I felt when walking in the new City Centre location of Cyclone Anaya’s.  The interior design is a funky Tex-Mex feel.  Exposed brick, cement floors.  Bright, light windows.  Funky nooks, crannies, and details.  It’s a fun place!

We went for Sunday Brunch, which was a fun time to sample as we ordered breakfast and regular menu items.   The pancakes ($6) came with 2 strips of Applewood  smoked bacon and a bowl of fresh fruit.  The flapjacks were super delish.  Thick, dense, but still tender.  I could really sink my teeth into them.  The bacon had excellent flavor, as well…. and the perfect crispness.

The Breakfast Americana came with two eggs, Applewood smoked bacon (yum!), beans, rice, roasted potatoes, and the bowl of fruit ($8).  The potatoes were roasted with rosemary.  Tender.  Not greasy. 

Finally, we tried the Quesadillas (1/2 order = $9; full order = $13).  The quesadillas (beef or chicken) come with guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo and lots of yum.  Thick, soft tortillas (with the perfect crispness on the outside as you would expect on a quesadilla).  Stuffed full of cheese and meat.  Very delicious.  Very gratifying.

I loved the new location of Cyclone Anaya’s.  The atmosphere was fun and hip.  The prices were great for the big portions.  The staff was friendly.  I will go back — and sit on the patio which looked perfect for a Margarita drinking afternoon. 

Cyclone Anaya’s
City Centre
(I-10 at Beltway 8)
3 other Houston locations and 3 in Dallas
www.cycloneanaya.com

I love me some Escalante’s.  Consistent.  Delicious.  I love the Queso Blanco — luscious, creamy, heavenly melted cheese.  Throw in some ground meat, pico de gallo, and poblano peppers.  And, Yum!  Crunchy chips.  Crisp, not greasy.  Their Queso (cup = $6.50) partnered with a cold, smooth margarita is such a great formula for yumminess!  Their Margaritas are THE Best!  Fresh ingredients.  Excellent Tequila.  Great craftsmanship.

One of my favorite items on the Escalante’s Menu is their Tortilla Soup (cup = $5, bowl = $7).  Fresh. Light. Packed full of big chunks of carrots, squash, celery, chicken.  Fresh avocados on top.  Light broth.  Melty-cheesy Jack cheese.  Mmmmmm  Mmmmmm!  It’s an especially nice alternative to heavy TexMex….or right after one devours the entire bowl of Queso (you think I’d do that?).

One other menu item that I think is worth noting is their Flan ($6).  While ordinarily, I’m not a huge flan fan (much preferring something wrapped, dipped, and stuffed with chocolate), their flan is a creamy and dense custard with a delectable caramel syrup.  This dish is an extremely satisfying way to end a meal.