Date Night!

Last week while Jonathan and I were getting ready for work one morning I asked him, "We haven't been out for a date in awhile. Want to go out for a date?" So we did! On Thursday evening we got all dolled up and went to the Pass. Of course Jonathan could tell you all about the chef and how this restaurant is one of the best in Houston but I'll just tell you that it was really really good! One of these days my nagging will work and Jonathan will write a blog post about all his foodie knowledge... So anyways, Pass and Provisions are two restaurants that are owned by the same chefs and share a building. Provisions is the more casual bar food and Pass is the really fancy/tasting menu only restaurant. It was amazing food and we definitely want to go back to Provisions because they also serve some of our favorite dishes that we had.
 

Apple miso soup with red bell pepper froth, oyster, foie gras gel, and focaccia with white chocolate and olives.
Shockingly my favorite thing was the focaccia, and I don't like olives!

Tofu wrapped in house made pasta (the green thing under everything) with nori sushi.



An amazing salad! They froze salad dressing using liquid nitrogen!



It melted! Hehehe I'm easily amused.

Lobster roll! You know how much we love these!



Duck with a foie gras mousse salad thing on the side that was really good!

This was the cheese course. Looks like an oreo but tastes nothing like it!

Dessert that was a deconstructed fernet.
Don't know what fernet is? Me neither, but it was yummy!


We had a great night. It was one of the meals where every dish had something that really surprised us. I always love meals like that. Plus we need to work better at fitting in date nights every once in awhile since we seem to always be busy!

Friday night we went to Miller Outdoor Theatre with some friends to see the Houston Symphony. Unfortunately it was the busiest I'd ever seen it and we didn't actually see the symphony but we did chat, munch on snacks, and listen to the music. Plus the show ended with fireworks which we had great seats for since we were all the way in the back. How lucky were we?


It was actually quite pleasant weather wise. Being in Texas we are pretty much stuck inside all day during the summer so it's nice to go out in the evenings and enjoy the fresh not quite as hot air.

This weekend we are off to the New Braunfels area for a friend's birthday. I'm looking forward to a weekend and tubing! I've never been tubing even though I lived in Austin for 3 years. That was a fail... It's going to be awesome floating the river, drinking some beers, and enjoying the scenery. I hope you have a fun weekend planned too!

-Chelsey

Rienzi and Bayou Collection and Gardens

A few weeks ago Jonathan and I finally got around to visiting Rienzi! I never knew of any historical houses in Houston to visit. We recently found out that there are two in Houston owned by the Museum of Fine Arts called Rienzi and Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. Once I heard about them I immediately wanted to go. What was even better was that I found a Groupon for Rienzi! It never has to be expensive to get out of the house and see new things. So anyways, Rienzi was the home of the philanthropists Carroll and Harris Masterson starting in 1952. I believe the home was named after the architect that designed the house. The Mastersons were a fairly wealthy family and developed a large collection of European art, furniture, etc. It is absolutely stunning. I wanted to take many pieces home with me. Our tour guide was really nice and especially patient with us since we asked so many questions. We learned a lot of interesting tidbits. For instance, did you that when the English started creating their own porcelain and china they often had Asian inspired designs? Before that time, porcelain was only available in Asia and those were the only designs that the English knew to paint. They ended the tour with the family wedding gown that has been passed down from generation to generation. Of course only the girls were interested haha. Rienzi hosts many events but the only weddings allowed on the property are for family members. The family wedding gown has been worn by five brides with the last wedding in 2010ish (I think). Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take any pictures inside the house but I do have beautiful pictures from the outside of the house. By the way, it's free to just visit the gardens!

Jonathan was smart to wear sunglasses. I'm a little squinty.



It's a beautiful place and the tour was well worth it. We've also been to the Bayou Bend Gardens but haven't toured the house to see the collection. Every Thursday in the months of October and March BBCG has a Sip and Stroll. The admission is the same cost as normal entrance plus they have wine and cheese. We went last October and it was awesome. The gardens are amazing and the house looks beautiful. The house was the home of philanthropist Ima Hogg and the collection is American art and furnishings compared to the European Collection at Rienzi. Both locations have events all the time and their website has their calendar of events. I even noticed that admission to BBCG is free on the 4th of July! We may have to check that out. If we do I'll be sure to tell you all about it!

-Chelsey