This year for Easter, for the first time, we were not in St. Louis to spend time with our families. So, we decided to go visit our friends, Ashley, Jason, and Mildred in Sugar Land (Houston area). My husband was able to get off work a little early on Friday and we got off to an earlier start than expected, so we made it there just in time for dinner. The car ride was good because Cecil naps for short trips and it was much prettier than the last time we drove it, as there were wildflowers and greenery to see this time. After we let Cecil and Mildred become reacquainted, we headed out to dinner. We ate at Bombay Pizza Company, which is exactly what it sounds like-Indian pizza. Since moving, Mike and I have been exploring new foods more often, so we were up for it. Our pizza was awesome-it had a very thin crust and was covered in chicken, veggies, and had a kick to it. Mike talked to one of the employees and found out they are coming to Austin soon- excellent, Texas needs some good pizza! After dinner, we headed to Town Square to pick up some treats at The Sweet Boutique. We left with a variety of delicious treats including cake pops, cupcakes, and macaroons. Personally, I tried the red velvet cupcake (a favorite) and it was great! Saturday morning, Jason and Ashley treated us to kolaches from The Kolache Factory. For non-Texans, its hard to describe a kolache. Its almost like a sweet roll with some sort of filling. The filling can vary from eggs and meat, meat, cheese, or fruits. Mike and I tried the cheese and bacon and cheese and sausage and both were delicious. After getting ready, we headed to Houston for some fun. We started off at POParazzi's Gourmet Popcorn. They had over 100 different and unique popcorn flavors and prided themselves with making the flavors authentic. Mike and I got 4 small bags to share including: S'Mores, Reese's, Buffalo Chicken Wing, and Garlic Parmesan. All the flavors were yummy and we definitely had a hard time making our choices. While they don't have a store in Austin, we were excited to see that you can order their popcorn online. From there, we headed to Hay Market for lunch and beer. I think that Saturday was National Beer Day or something along those lines so we felt that it was our duty to participate. We tried some great beers and had a delicious lunch. The menu was very unique and had items I would never eat, including liver and tongue. But there were some tasty options, too. Ashley and I both ordered the Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, Mike got a jumbo hotdog, and Jason got something with a bunch of meat. The food was so good and very filling. Before heading back to the apartment, we stopped by the Beer Can House to take a few pictures and get a look. We thought it looked cool, but didn't really feel the need for a tour. It was nice to see more of Houston as we were driven around in Jason's new Mustang. After our adventures we were a bit tired, so we went home to watch the baseball game (Tigers v. Red Sox). All of us-including the dogs ,except Jason, ended up taking a much needed nap. We then headed to Diego's, a Mexican restaurant, for dinner. It was new and had a very cool vibe to it. The food was great, but you could tell there were a few kinks that needed to be worked out still. By this point, we were all quite stuffed so we picked up a few things at HEB for our brunch in the morning. Before we left Sunday morning, Ashley(she did most of the work) and I made a quick brunch of pancakes, bacon, and eggs. The food and company were great and it was a wonderful way to spend Easter. We had a great time in Sugar Land and Houston and can't wait to hang out with our Texas buddies again soon!

The New Austonian