Because December is (gasp!) almost over, I wanted to share some of my favorite eats, drinks, and treats.   And, most of all, I'd like to wish each and every one of you a very happy, healthy, successful, fruitful, and delicious New Year. 

All my best,

The Lunch Belle

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Mead 

Be it corn, wheat, potatoes, grapes...you can make an alcoholic beverage out of pretty much anything.  So, why not honey? 

Recently, I discovered mead, a.k.a "honey wine," at Distilled, one of my favorite local bars.  Ranging from semi-sweet to cloying, mead goes down almost too easily.  Which is precisely how I like my alcoholic beverages.  Bottoms up!

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Warm Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad at Blue Water Grill

Blue Water Grill's Warm Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad"Warm Brussels Sprouts."  Fine.  I get that.  But add "Caesar Salad" to the name?  That just sounds unappetizing.  And smelly.  If it were not for our server gushing about this dish after having asked what her favorites were on the menu, there's no way that I would have ordered this particular salad.  

Never, in a million years, would I have guessed how much I loved this bowl 'o greens.  Don't be fooled by the name like I initially was; the only thing "Caesar" about this dish is that the 'Sprouts are finished with a quick sautee in the namesake dressing.  Oh, and sprinkled with shredded parmesan cheese.

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Otto's Tacos

You all know what a sucker I am for Mexican food.  And you also know that, since moving here almost 10-years ago, I've been on a constant quest for solid Mexican restaurants.  Looking back, it's not that I haven't been successful in my tireless search, per se, I just haven't found more than a handful of places that I'd actually return to.  Otto's Tacos just so happens to be one of those "handful of places."

Aside from the fact that they make their corn tortillas in house (shwing!), it's the garlicky guacamole, the 'why didn't I think of that' Masa Fries + dipping sauce, that secret red marinade on the carne asada, and the shrimp taco in its entirety that took my breath away.

Corn tortillas are made on the premises!HorchataMasa Fries & spicy dipping sauceGuacamoleCarne asada tacoShrimp taco (my favorite).

Breads Bakery

As a discriminating carb-o-holic, I take my baked goods seriously.  Very seriously.  Especially when the said bakery is of Israeli-Jewish descent. 

Chocolate babka and Nutella rugelach aren't all that is sold at Breads Bakery.  Think olive and cheese breadsticks that are worthy of changing your life; bourekas; loaves of freshly-baked breads and crusty baguette; warm chocolate croissants; a small gourmet sandwich/salad counter.  That's just to name a few of the mouth-watering offerings...

Dark chocolate and Nutella rugelachCrusty, cheesy breadstickBoureka trio.

'Chicken broth rice' at Nyonya

With entree accompanying-rice options of "brown, white, coconut, or chicken broth," I decided to live daringly and choose the latter.  After all, who hasn't had the first three?  Can I just say that this was one of the best decisions I've made in recent memory?  Imagine your traditional, semi-sticky, white jasmine rice.  However, instead of being boiled in plain old boring water, it's simmered in rich and salty chicken broth.  The resulting rice is light yellow in color and full of flavor.  To be honest, I would rather eat 'chicken broth rice' than a traditional entree.  

Try. It. Now.  

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Shipley's Donuts

If you ever find yourself in Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport's terminal B, do yourself a solid and grab a fresh-from-the-fryer donut - or kolache - from Shipley's.  They're worth every last calorie, namely the glazed cake donuts. 

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Home for the holidays...

For Thanksgiving, I joined my immediate and extended family in Texas for an abundance of cooking, delicious food, and plenty of cheer.

Lucy (white dog) and my sisters dogs got to come home, too!Many margaritas were had......and for Christmas, I joined my immediate family in California, where my sister lives.

Not bad for a "winter" view!I ate more than my fair share of Mexican food.I got my In 'N Out burger "animal style."Mom, my sis, and I got matching David Yurman bracelets from Santa Claus.We went to a Van Cleef & Arpels exhibit at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana.

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Until we eat again (...next year!),

The Lunch Belle