Taste Magazine Food | Fashion Have You Got TASTE?

June 2012

Oh! Those Desserts! Desserts Frost Bake Shoppe

Pie Town

Euro Bakery

Treat!

Pallotta’s Italian Grill

Crazy for Cupcakes

2012 Summer Bridal Spotlight Top Ten Wedding Trends of 2012

Habitually Haute Event Design’s:

6 Haute Tips To Help You Cut Reception Costs

Events Hands Across Texas

Schuchardt Family Benefit Concert

Wicked Corkscrew

In Every Issue Lunch With Taste

Available Pets

Coming Next Month

Our Contributors

Business Spotlight - Mom’s Secret Chef

Special Guest Writer – Rachel Quayle A Brits Take on Dining in The Woodlands

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Taste Magazine June 2012

Desserts Frost Bake Shoppe 8

Pie Town 17

Euro Bakery 27

Treat! 42

Pallotta’s Italian Grill 21

Crazy for Cupcakes 38

2012 Summer Bridal Spotlight Top Ten Wedding Trends of 2012 48

Habitually Haute Event Design’s: 58

6 Haute Tips To Help You Cut Reception Costs

Events Hands Across Texas - Schuchardt Family Benefit Concert 24

Wicked Corkscrew 14

In Every Issue Lunch With Taste 20

Available Pets 45

Coming Next Month 61

Our Contributors 5

Business Spotlight - Mom’s Secret Chef 34

Special Guest Writer – Rachel Quayle A Brits Take on Dining in The Woodlands 30

Letter from the Editor..

Taste Texas Magazine is the next great thing

to find the best restaurants, wine bars, sports

bars, night clubs and fashion boutiques in the

area. Our first edition came out February 1,

2012. The magazine covers The Woodlands,

Conroe, Magnolia, Spring, Tomball and the

FM1960/Champions Forest area. We plan on

adding a separate magazine for Sugarland

and Katy later this year.

Our digital magazine features great venues

and boutiques for you to check out each

month. The magazine also has information

on great chefs, food related books and

products, new trends, date night ideas and

much more. Our fashion section highlights

fashions of the season and great accessories.

If you dine or shop at one of our featured

businesses please let them know you saw

them in Taste!!

Thanks,

Wendy

Editor-in-Chief:

Wendy Anderson

For advertising info or if you would like to be

featured in one of our issues please email us or

call: 832-620-6280

http://tastepublications.com

832-620-6280

info@tastepublications.com

We are hiring salespeople. Email or call me for more info!

Cover photo by:

http://johnwadephotography.net

Do It Yourself Displays On Sale!! North Houston Office Only

$60 for 2 day rental Must pick up and return to our office in The Woodlands, TX

Buzzards – Flamingos – Golf - Smile Faces - Cupcakes only!

Must Mention Taste Magazine to receive discount!

http://www.flamingos2go.com

Taste Magazine Contributors Nick Rama Freelance Writer Nick was born in Hong Kong, BCC and moved to the Houston area in

1981 and to The Woodlands/Spring area in 1986. Currently Nick has a

Foodie Website Dining Out With Nick – Houston and helps plan tasting

events for the Woodlands/Spring, TX area Foodie Club on Facebook. Nick

is all about helping the small business owner and supporting his

community. He is the Chairman for the local Montgomery County charity

group Hands Across Texas, dedicated to helping fellow Texans with

unforeseen life changes and giving relief to those in need to help rebuild

lives. Nick’s love of food and support of local restaurants make him a

great addition to Taste Magazine as a featured writer.

John Wade Freelance Photographer John Wade Photography started in Austin, TX as a hobby. Friends of mine

kept telling me that I had the eye for portraiture. So, I pursued photography

and am still learning. Photography is very enjoyable to me as I get a sense

of gratitude when my client sees their photo and loves it. That is very

rewarding. Through the years, I have come to meet some very fine people

that have encouraged and helped me with my dream. The success of John

Wade Photography depends on my passion for fine photos and great clients

like you. John is a featured photographer for events and articles in the

magazine. Find out more at http://johnwadephotography.net

Carla Soriano Freelance Writer Carla Soriano is a freelance food writer based in The Woodlands, TX.

Carla writes for the Houston Press’ Eating Our Words blog at:

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/author.php?author_id=3460 , and has a

food blog of her own: http://www.currentlyeating.com. When she’s not

eating, writing, or drinking beer, she manages marketing communications

and events for a local chain of three restaurants. You can find Carla on

Twitter @currentlysavvy.

Rachel Quayle Freelance Writer I'm a happy girl about town from hardly ever sunny, but always delightful,

England. I often travel across the pond to visit my parents in the

Woodlands. My Mum catalysed my passion for all things delicious. Were it

not for my weekly offering, hers would be the best roast dinner in the

world! When I'm not cooking, eating or writing about it; you will find me

and my bulldog sidekick Furkin causing trouble anywhere that sells

tequila...

Jeneba M. Wint Freelance Fashion Writer A born planner and fashionista , hails from the East Coast, specifically

P.G. County, Maryland, but now lovingly calls Houston, Texas home.

She has a B.A. in political science from Delaware State University

and an M.A. in City Planning from The Ohio State University. As the

owner & creative director of Habitually Haute Event Design, she has a

keen understanding of what makes an event special. Her style is

vintage glam and old world chic. Follow her on twitter

@hheventdesign and fan her page on Facebook at

http://www.facebook.com/hheventdesign . Also, you can read all about

her thoughts and musings on her blog Celebrating Life Instyle or even

book her for your next event at

http://habituallyhauteevents.com/design/

“If food is the body of good living, wine is its soul." A fitting

quote to describe Andrea and TD Williams. Together they

share a love for food and wine that forms the cornerstone of a

special relationship. By day Andrea is a Fitness Professional

and TD is an IT Consultant (a geek). Their passion for food

and wine started years ago and grew into a shared culinary

journey. Often asked about success in marriage, they say that

cooking and sharing wine together is key. With Andrea's

Italian-Lebanese heritage and her nutritional background from

the fitness profession, she has a special affinity for food. A

fantastic cook, she constantly explores new dishes and flavors

to pair with wine and share with family and friends. Drawing

from his technical background, TD loves researching details of

wine from the location and composition of vineyards to the

endless steps of the winemaking process. A Level 1

Sommelier, he shares his love of wine just kicking back with

friends or conducting tasting classes for local wine shops.

Together Andrea and TD make a great culinary couple who

love to share their passion for food and wine with friends old

and new.

Taste Magazine is proud to announce the addition of:

Andrea and TD Williams They will be heading up a new division of our magazine called:

The Williams On Wine!

They will have feature articles and design and create

some wonderful, unique events all centered around wine.

So stay tuned for more details!

Frost Bake Shoppe Article by: Wendy Lee-Anderson

I’ll be honest, Frost Bake Shoppe was originally scheduled to be in the first issue of Taste Magazine,

but at the last minute I asked them if they could wait until our June issue when we would be featuring

desserts. Thankfully, they were patient and waited until now to be featured.

Frost Bake Shoppe is owned by Terese Yates. Their first location on Woodlands Parkway opened on

April 13, 2010. Just recently, April 1, 2012 they opened their second location on The Waterway in

The Woodlands. She decided to open her first location when looking for a great place to get cakes in

the area and could not find any quality ones anywhere. She decided then and there to open the Bake

Shoppe and have yummy cupcakes , cookies and cakes available to local residents in The

Woodlands area.

For those of you that follow the shows on Food Network, Frost Bake Shoppe was selected and

chosen to be on the show Cupcake Wars. They competed head to head with three other teams on an

episode where they had to make cupcakes for the Espy Awards. Talk about pressure, creativity, and

just plain craziness. The episode reruns on The Food Network so look for it.

Frost Bake Shoppe is no stranger to being featured by local magazines, and papers, so I felt

challenged to learn things about their business that people may not know. Our meeting took place at

the new location down on The Waterway. Talk about cute. This place is absolutely beautiful.

Decorated to perfection. I sat down with Terese to learn more about her and her business.

One of my first questions was of course – what are your

most popular cupcake flavors?

Her answer with no hesitation, Strawberry and Red Velvet.

I learned during the interview that Terese is born and raised

in Texas. She is not only a fabulous female business owner

but also a mom that is involved in the community. Frost

Bake Shoppe participates in local charities, supports local

schools and has been a part of the fundraisers In The Pink,

The American Cancer Society, Bailey – Swing for Hope and

many more.

I asked her what makes Frost Bake Shoppe stand out

from other cupcake shops and bakeries?

She stated that because they are not a franchise they get to

make their own rules. They make all their baked goods

from scratch, they do not have to use a franchise companies

recipes, they get to choose what flavors to offer, their hours,

and what specials to run,

What two things can you tell me about that people may

not know about Frost?

First is that we do specialty cakes. We offer fondant cakes

and butter cream frosting. The second thing is that we hold

parties on location at our Waterway location. We do

cupcake decorating parties, wedding and baby showers and

of course birthday parties.

We also learned that the Waterway location does curbside

pickup and offer s free delivery throughout Waterway

Square.

Taste thinks that pictures are worth a million words. We

want to tease you and get you to go try out Frost Bake

Shoppe Soon. We had a great time at the shop and will be

back very soon.

Frost Bake Shoppe 6777 Woodlands Pkwy #304

The Woodlands, TX 77382

Store Hours

Monday – Saturday 9 am - 7 pm

Closed Sunday

Email: frostbakeshoppe@yahoo.com

Phone: 281-298-7474

Our new location in the Woodlands on Waterway Ave

next to Cinemark Theaters.

Frost Bake Shoppe

25 Waterway Ave #150

The Woodlands, TX 77380

Store Hours

Monday - Thursday 10 am - 8 pm

Friday – Saturday 10 am - 8 pm

Sunday 12 pm - 8 pm

Email: frostbakeshoppe@yahoo.com

Phone: 281-298-7375

Wicked Corkscrew Event on May 11th, 2012 Comfort Fusion Food – Korean meets - Texas BBQ meets - Vietnamese

Menu: Round 1 -Oak Smoked Pulled

Pork Goi Cuon - Fresh Spring

Roll / Confit Gulf Shrimp /

Butter Lettuce / Rice Vermicelli /

Carrot / Nuoc Cham

Round 2 -Kimchi Fried Chicken

Drumette - Local Yardbird /

Mochiko Crust / Dehydrated

Kimchi Dust / Gochugaru / Chile

Sauce / Radish Pickle

Round 3 -Smoked Salmon Wedge -

Baby Iceberg / Roasted Corn /

Heirloom Tomato / Spiced

Almond /Manchego Crisp /

Lemon Vinaigrette

Round 4 -Mini Corkscrew Taco -

Oak Smoked Pulled Pork / Green

Cabbage / Pico de Gallo / Green

Chile-Buttermilk Dressing

Taste Magazine was invited to an incredible dining event on May 11th put on

by Wicked Whisk Catering and Corkscrew BBQ. The following is a list of

what we consumed along with some wonderful photos and video. We were

honored to be a part of such a great show of culinary skills, fabulous food

and great new friends. Thank you for a wonderful evening.

Round 5 -Rare Waygu Beef Brisket Pho -

Rice Noodle / Mung Bean Sprout / Thai

Basil / Sawtooth / Jalapeno / Lime / Anise

Scented Consommé

Round 6 -Mezzo: Lychee Sorbet Push Up

Round 7 -Yellowfin Crudo - Ramp Kimchi /

Grilled Korean Pear / Black Sesame Oil /

Smoked Sea Salt

Round 8 -Waygu Beef Brisket Slider - Low

& Slow / Roasted Poblano / Habanero

Jack / Avocado / Pickled Red Onion

Round 9 -Oak Smoked Pork Shank - Cast

Iron Finished / Dehydrated Blackberry /

Pasilla Negra / Local Honey / Tellicherry

Black Pepper / Micro Cilantro

Round 10 -Peach Cobbler Ice Cream -

Nichole’s Cobbler + Space Age

Technology + Thai Basil

The Crew who pulled off this wonderful evening!

Click on the link to watch the video of the preparation of this

Fabulous dessert: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=3902506763442

Photos courtesy of: http://johnwadephotography.net

To view all the photos from this wonderful event please click on the link below:

http://www.tastepublications.com/#!EVENTS/c216y

Check out Wicked Whisk at: http://wickedwhiskcatering.com/

Check out Corkscrew BBQ at: http://www.corkscrewbbq.com/

Left to right: Honey Stone, Nichole Buckman, Jay Stone, Jonathon James, Will Buckman

I had a chance to sit down with Debra Loggins,

the owner of Pie Town Café and talk about all

the wonderful pies and how Pie Town Café

came to be. Pie Town Café was opened in

2001. In October of this year they will

celebrate their 11th anniversary. The first thing

I noticed when I entered was that it took me

back in time to a wonderful feeling of a soda

shop. It had a homey feeling – made you want

to sit down and enjoy some good homemade

food.

I asked Debra how she came up with the idea

for Pie Town Café and she had a very

interesting answer. At the time, she had 3

children under age 5 and her and her husband

were driving by a new shopping center being

built called Portofino in Shenandoah, TX. She

remarked to her husband that they should open

a business in the center like an old fashioned

pie shop. Her husband agreed and they started

their journey to restaurant ownership.

After designing and decorating a beautiful,

quaint new restaurant their next move was to

find the right chef. Not just any chef, but a

great chef. Again the couple struck gold, they

found Carlos Reyes. Carlos had over twenty

years experience in the business, with a

background as a baker and dietician. Carlos

developed the recipes for a delicious pies and

has been on board for all 11 years.

Pie Town Café Article Written by: Wendy Lee-Anderson

I had a chance to ask Debra a few questions.

What are your most popular pies?

Our most popular pie is the coconut cream

pie, followed by the caramel apple pecan and

the chocolate cream. We normally carry about

thirty pies each day. During October,

November and December that number goes up

to about forty. People start calling for our

pumpkin pie only served during the holidays

on a daily basis waiting for it to hit the shelf.

What makes your pies different from say a

grocery store bought pie?

All of our pies are made from scratch. We roll

out our crusts by hand. We do not use

commercial machines to roll out the different

crusts. All of our puddings are homemade and

we use fresh fruit for all our fruit pies fillings.

Do you sell just pies?

No, actually we have a full menu of

homemade dishes. We are open for lunch and

dinner six days a week and from 12:00 pm –

6:00 pm on Sundays. We serve homemade

soups and sandwiches and we also have ice

cream available as an excellent side to your

slice of pie for dessert. We ask our guests to

keep in mind that our food is not “fast food”

everything is made to order. Everything is

fresh.

How does Pie Town help support the

community?

We are very involved in the community. We

sponsor local school and churches. We have a

teacher appreciation program and also do

fundraisers for Non-profit organizations with a

50/50 split.

If you are looking for a really neat place to

have a great meal and awesome dessert go

check out Pie Town Café. We saved the best

for last----a variety of the pies they have

available is on the next page. Don’t drool on

your keyboard!

Pumpkin Cheese Pie Peach Pie Pecan Pie

Chocolate Pecan Pie Cherry Pie Apple Pie

Caramel Apple Pecan Pie Oreo Crème Pie Coconut Crème Pie

The fabulous pies at Pie Town Café

Pie Town Café 19075 I-45, Suite 111D

Shenandoah, TX 77385

Website: http://pietown.net

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/MhkHU8

Hours: Mon - Thu: 10:30 am - 8:30 pm

Fri - Sat:10:30 am - 9:00 pm

Sun: 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Taste Magazine Invites you to join:

Lunch with Taste is a bi-weekly lunch group that gets together for fun to eat at restaurants

featured in Taste Magazine. We meet on different days of the week to try and have as

many people to attend as possible. This is a free group. Join us on Facebook to keep up

with all of our events.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/255905054504620/members/

Upcoming Events for June 2012

We are celebrating Burgers

for our upcoming July issue.

Wednesday – June 6th, 2012 1:00 PM

3B’s - Bills Burgers and Beer

466 Rayford Road Suite 107

Spring, TX 77386

Friday- June 22nd, 2012 1:00 PM

Mel’s Country Café

24814 Stanolind Rd

Tomball, TX 77385

The Dominic’s Mud, available only at Pallotta’s Italian Grill, is a dessert that is an ice

cream, cookie and candy bar junkies dream. This dessert will satisfy your sweet tooth and

make your taste buds say “Wow!” This dessert is probably illegal in 50 States, so I am

glad to live in the great State of Texas where I can get this over the top frozen creation. I

actually think long time Pallotta’s customers would riot in the streets of Oak Ridge if they

ever decided to take it off the menu and I would lead the rebellion. I am surprised

somebody has not written and dedicated a song to the Dominc’s Muds.

Here is what Phil Nicosia Owner of Pallotta’s had to say about this sinful dessert.

Describe what is in the Dominic’s Muds?

4 layers of Mocha Almond Fudge ice cream, with chunks of Butterfinger candy bar in

between each layer, hot fudge and hot peanut butter drizzled throughout each layer and on

top, with a Nutter Butter and Oreo Cookie crust.

How in the world did this creation of this decadent dessert come to life?

Story goes that Dominic, George Pallotta's youngest son, would go in their home kitchen

at night and make a bowl of ice cream with cut up Butterfingers, crumbled Nutter Butters,

hot fudge, and peanut butter. George liked his creation so much that he created the

Dominic's Muds.

The Best Dessert in The Woodlands and Surrounding Areas

Article written by: Nick Rama

http://diningoutwithnickhouston.com

I heard the Dominic’s Muds has a very intense process to make, will you explain the

process?

It starts with thirty-Six gallons of ice cream, which comes from a specialty ice cream

vendor. We open hundreds of individual packages of Nutter Butter cookies and grind

them down to a fine texture, we then grind down over 50 LBS of Oreo cookies. Next we

unwrap and hand cut over 300 individual bars (over 8 cases) of Butterfinger candy bars

to varied small pieces. Melt down large quantities of hot fudge and peanut butter, just to

create our masterpiece!

This dessert has a strong following; I know a couple that comes to Pallotta’s every

year on their anniversary just to eat it. How long has it been on your menu and

how long does it take to prepare?

For almost 18 years, the Dominic's Muds has been sold as our signature dessert. We

make 12 large containers at a time, which produces 180 portions. It takes 3 people over

4 hours to make these 12 containers. We make Muds typically every month. That's a lot

of muds!

I noticed that you now offer different sizes of the Muds, and I am glad you do, the

original portion was just too much for date night. What are the new portions and

how much are they?

We now offer Dominic's Muds for 2 in a half size and have also offered Dominic's Muds

as a mini treat on caterings and banquets.

The Original Dominic's Muds...$10.99 (feeds 4-5 people)

Dominic's Muds for 2...$6.59 (feeds 2-3 people)

Mini Muds...$2.50 (offered for caterings and banquets) /

How would you describe Dominic’s Muds in 5 words?

Insanely delicious, indulgent, untouchable, rewarding, satisfying, comforting, impressive,

enough to share, worthwhile, chocolaty, peanut buttery, happy belly, homemade, unique,

nothing like it, exciting, that damn good...5 words are just not enough to describe it!!!

Pallotta’s Italian Grill LOCATION:

27606 I-45 North - Conroe TX 77385

(across the freeway from The Woodlands Mall in the Woodridge

shopping center)

281.364.9555

HOURS:

Sunday 10:57 am to 9:03 pm

Monday-Saturday 10:57am to 10:03pm

WEBSITE :

http://www.pallottasitaliangrill.com

Mini Muds

Hands Across Texas (HAT) is an organization dedicated to helping our community and

fellow Texans with unforeseen life changes. Our goal is to give relief to those that are

in need and help rebuild lives. Started by Scott Thompson and joined by the board of

directors, Nick Rama, Kendra Kinney Hartzo, Sandie Mathis-Sherman, Amy Lamb,

Jennifer Headlee, Melony Moore Berryman, Melody Moore, Kevin Eaves and our

latest addition Angie Gerstler.

We are excited to be hosting a benefit for the Schuchardt family, the family that lost a

mother, wife, daughter, and friend on April 17th, 2012. She was shot while trying to

prevent her three-day old baby Keegan from being kidnapped. Hands Across Texas

(HAT) and The Barnabas Society (TBS) a 501(c)3 non profit society invites you to

come out and enjoy The New 93Q, some good Texas BBQ, live music on two stages,

live & silent auctions, raffle & 50/50 drawings, kids activities, and so much more! The

benefit will be on Sunday, June 10th at Papa’s Ice House. Their address is 314 Pruitt

Road, Spring, TX, and will be held from 12:00 noon until 9:00 PM.

On the menu that day we will be serving BBQ plates consisting of brisket, sausage,

beans and potato salad for $10.00 per plate (includes one meat, two sides) or $15.00

per plate (includes two meat, two sides), and $5.00 sausage on a stick. We will also

offer hot dogs and pizza. Kids packages will be offered for $10.00, which will include

either a hot dog or a slice of pizza, a drink and three activities for them to enjoy. We

will sell additional tickets for kids activities for $2.00 each or 3/ $5.00. The kids

activities include: Moonwalks, Clowns, face painting, balloon popping game, dunking

booth, popcorn, and snow cone machines.

Taste Magazine is proud to help promote a

great group of people that make up Hands

Across Texas. The following, is information

about Hands Across Texas and a very special

event they are holding on June 10, 2012.

Hands Across Texas

Schuchardt Family Benefit Concert Article written by: Nick Rama

http://diningoutwithnickhouston.com

The many generous sponsors for this event include: 93Q, AV Discounters of Houston, The

Barnabas Society, Best Friends Vets, Big Texas Saloon, CC’s Café, Chili’s, Cisco Systems,

Cisco’s Salsa Company, Comcast, Corkscrew BBQ, Corset Boutique, Churrascos, Cynthia

Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Creative Memories, Disc Pro Printing, Donoho Jewelers, Elegant

Beginnings, Esigns.com, Eyemasters (soon to be Visionworks)- Tomball, Dr. Tammie Hicks

of Master Eye Associates Tomball, Flemings Steakhouse, Fuller's Vintage Guitar, Gigi’s

Cupcakes, Grotto, Gun Dog Supply, Halo Promotions, Houston Grand Opera, Houston

Symphony, John Wade Photography, Josie Drenner Photography, La Torreta Del Lago,

Locatellis Pizza, Messinhof Winery, Nook Grill, Office Dynamics, Orvis, Pallotta’s Italian,

Papa's Ice House, Pit Row BBQ, Rib Tickler, Rios Fence Company, Ron Carter Clear Lake,

Sawdust Mountain, Schwann, Sembera Security Systems Inc., Sun Coast Resources, Taste

Magazine Publications, The Exchange Club Of The Woodlands, Viva Iticate Bakery,

Walmart-Tomball, Woodlands Resort & Conference Center, Westin La Canterra, Whistle Stop

Tea Room, Wrights Printing.

Please contact Nick Rama to donate silent auction items or with any additional questions or

information by posting on the Hands Across Texas Facebook page or email him at:

nickrama@sbcglobal.net

The bands we have booked for this event are all donating their time. Where can you go to

hear this much good live music anymore? We have booked the following musicians/bands:

Buck Yeager Band, Placid Blue, Sundance Head, DunVille, Douglas Reid and the Hyred

Guns, Presley Lewis, John Loring, Clayton Gardner, Andrew Wade Band, Steven Chase &

The Lost Souls, Mandi Powell, Susan Hickman, Jeremy Bankhead, Dewey Wayne, Josh

Fuller, Philip Griffin Band, Mark Jones & Twenty Paces, Jonathan Mitchell Band, Dallas

Brading, Daniel Holmes, Kevin Calahan, Mike Amabile, Dusty Neuman, Heather Rayleen,

Bryan Shayne, TreynWrek, Lone Star Hippie and Outlaw Lynn & Who's Drivin. If you have

any questions, you can reach Scott on Facebook or email, which is:

scott.thewoodlands@yahoo.com

Please Like us on Facebook: Hands Across Texas

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hands-Across-Texas/134737216628426?ref=ts

Hands Across Texas 1481 Sawdust Road #920

The Woodlands, TX 77380

281-229-3571

Check out the video for this event at:

http://bit.ly/NqapOf

EURO BAKERY & CAFÉ Article written by: Nick Rama

http://diningoutwithnickhouston.com

Owned and operated by New York transplants Amjad &

Dimitra Khan, who moved to Texas from Queens, NY

where Dimitra was born and raised, Euro Bakery & Café

opened in December 2009, because Dimitra’s dream was

to open a New York style “hole in the wall” bakery.

Started mainly as a bakery with some sandwiches and

soups. When customers found out Dimitra was of Greek

decent they began asking for Greek Food. Dimitra and

Amjad decided to start adding Greek fare like Pastitsio,

Filet Mignon and Chicken Souvlaki and Moussaka, to go

along with their famous Pita Chips and Tzatziki sauce.

Since they already had the Tzatziki sauce, Gyros were a

natural next menu item. The hardest decision you will

have walking into Euro Bakery is contemplating which

dessert you are going to have out of their three cases as

you enter this quaint little restaurant/bakery.

Here are some of the questions and answers from sitting

down with the delightful couple:

Where did the inspiration for your recipes come from?

The recipes we use are family recipes with Dimitra’s twist

on them. Dimitra loves to cook and bake and is addicted

to the Food Network cooking shows. We moved to Texas

and all the baked goods we could find here in the area

tasted very commercial and processed, like Costco, Sam’s

and the super markets. We could not find the quality &

ingredients that we were spoiled with by all the small New

York bakeries we were used to visiting.

Do you do special occasions cakes?

Yes, we are known for all of our chocolate cakes, people

say the Chocolate Decadence (Layers of our rich chocolate

cake, filled with French chocolate buttercream, iced with

chocolate ganache with the side dipped in chocolate

sprinkles) is the best they have ever eaten. Our cakes start

at $32.99 and can be customized for any occasion.

Since this issue is all about desserts and that is what

made you all famous, my favorite dessert here is the

Galaktoboureko, tell us what that is and also what

are your best selling desserts?

The Galaktoboureko is layers of phyllo filled with a

creamy semolina pudding and soaked in honey syrup.

We sold 239 whole ones Thanksgiving week; it is as

authentic as you can get down here. We have excellent

Baklava and traditional Greek Cookies like

Kourambiedes (Greek Almond) Koulourakia (Greek

Butter), Melomakarouna (Greek Honey Dipped). We

also do many Italian Cookies like you will find in NY,

Italian Rainbow Cookies, Butter Cookies, Jam Filled,

Chocolate filled, Florentines and Italian Amaretti to

name a few. We have a strong following on our

Chocolate Decadence cake and our Apple Pie is made

with a Shortbread cookie top. Napoleans (traditional,

apricot and raspberry) and my famous lemon bars and

fudge covered brownies to name a few best sellers.

Euro Bakery has something called “Frozen Hot

Chocolate”, describe what that it is exactly?

It is an icy frothy drink made with lots of Belgian

Chocolate shavings, ice, and a little milk, topped with

whipped cream. We take a 15lb European chocolate

bar and shave them off by hand, you will not find

Hershey bars anywhere near this establishment.

Available in four flavors: Euro (which is semi-sweet

and dark chocolate mixed), Dark, White and Mocha.

Our Frozen Hot Chocolate is truly like you are

drinking a fine imported chocolate bar and is such a

great summer dessert, it is out of this world!

I love mom and pop restaurants because the

quality is usually better, seems you take pride in

what you serve here, tell me more about that?

Everything here is made from scratch with the highest

quality ingredients we can find, eggs, butter, flour…

only ”real food”. We eat everything here, our kids eat

here and we tell our cooks/chefs if you are not

comfortable feeding the food you are about to serve

to your own family, don’t serve it to our guest. We

even have vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options

on our lunch menu.

5 words to describe Euro Bakery and Café?

Homemade, delicious, family, unique and Greek!

EURO BAKERY & CAFE

LOCATION:

5010 Louetta Rd.

Spring, TX 77379

Phone: (281) 257-3023

HOURS:

MON-SAT 10AM – 9PM

WEBSITE : www.eurobakery-cafe.com/

FACEBOOK: http://on.fb.me/LQmxss

Photos courtesy of: http://johnwadephotography.net

TEX MEX AND THE CITY By: Rachel Quayle

Approximately 5250 miles away from where you

are sat, I am drinking a mug of tea. Penning my

thoughts in a Union Jack notebook whilst my

British bulldog snores on my lap. As far as clichés

go, I’m not doing myself any favours. For five

years now, this self-confessed food snob, has bi-

annually made the 12-hour journey from my

beloved England, to visit my parents in The

Woodlands, TX. Each time I come with a mission:

1. To rope me a cowboy.

2. To eat as much red meat as humanly possible.

3. To properly educate you, my dear American

cousins, on the universal inaccuracies

surrounding your renaming of the humble

‘chip’ to ‘French fry’. More on that another

time.

When I first arrived, hungry and naïve. I

was frankly disappointed. Looking back at

my first trip five years ago, I shudder to

think how narrow minded I was about the

local cuisine. In fairness however, the

appearance of chain after chain, a P.F Changs

here, a Cheesecake Factory there, had dashed

my expectations of cowboy cookouts. All

adequate eating establishments, but nothing

that reflected the true gourmet potential of

your wonderful corner of Texas, and the

passion for locally sourced produce that I

know you residents have.

Disheartened doesn’t begin to describe the

way I felt. That is until we stumbled across

Mel’s Country Café in Tomball. This

ramshackle building in the middle of

nowhere is a small slice of food heaven.

From their famous ‘Mega Mel Burger’,

(which basically consists of a whole cow

slapped between a bun) to their humble

home cooked catfish suppers. All their meals

are fresh, local, simple, tasty Texas food for

the soul. It was the ‘Monte Cristo’ however

that truly inspired me. http://www.melscountrycafe.com/

A triple layer sandwich with ham, turkey and Swiss

cheese, battered and deep-fried. Served with

powdered sugar and raspberry sauce’. This was the

cardiac arrest on a plate I had been waiting for. As

Mel’s food got to work clogging up my arteries, I

also felt it giving my belly a hug from the inside out.

This institution that has been in the Weirich family

since 1977, is a great place to take visitors. May they

be from across the pond like I, or just down the road

in Spring. Just remind them to leave their belts at

home.

I left Houston content and eager for more

gastronomic treats. Let it be said now, that The

Woodlands never fails to disappoint. My personal

favourite establishment may shock you, fine reader,

being as this carnivore of epic proportions is about

to whole heartedly recommend Uni Sushi on Market

street. I normally only gorge on a meal that has

mooed, quacked or oinked its way into the frying

pan. Personally, being the patriotic Brit that I am, I

enjoy my fish, deep-fried with a side of mushy peas.

Sushi is relatively new to the north of England, and

is nowhere near as popular as my old friend the beer

battered cod. Which is why visitors to the area, find

the idea of raw fish, novel and delicious. This gem

of a restaurant, offers the usual rolls, nigiri and

sashimi, along with a whole host of fusion items that

don’t fail to delight. The lobster Macaroni cheese is

a triumph in culinary exploration! The crunchy

panko crust hides creamy elbow pasta that has been

delicately kissed with jalapeno, and staggeringly

sweet chunks of lobster make their beds among the

tasty tubes. My personal favourite item on the menu

is the ‘spicy chopped scallop’ served with roe and

thinly sliced scallions over ice. These pearls of

flavour explode in your mouth like lightly spiced

bombs. The only thing stopping me from picking up

the bowl and pouring it down my throat in one, was

my reduced hand eye coordination that I attribute to

their phenomenal yet lethal ‘lychee and Saki

martinis’. But ladies, leave the children at home. Uni

is sexy and sumptuous, not family friendly. Besides,

all parental respect is lost once your kid has

witnessed you stab your partner with a chopstick for

the last ‘tempura Oreo’... (foodgasm). http://www.unisushiwoodlands.com

Burger from Mel’s Country Café

Honourable mentions go to my fellow Europeans

setting up shop in and around The Woodlands. From

the triumph in home cooked family style Italian

dining you will find at Capri. (In my opinion, this

small restaurant in Spring, offers the most authentic

pasta dishes this side of the Mediterranean.) To the

formidable fine dining experience at Chez Nous.

The five star establishment is nestled between

houses in the domestic suburb of Humble. Their rack

of lamb with port jus haunts my dreams until I wake

up salivating and disappointed.

The best little gem I found in The Woodlands is the

Gourmet Bakery and Café on Woodlands Parkway.

The breads and pastries made fresh daily usually sell

out by 1 p.m. But it’s their palmiers that have me

inventing reasons to venture into their neck of the

woods at such ghastly hours of the morning. These

crisp sugary buttery hearts are the most addictive

food I have found. (apart from that special brownie

at college, but we wont go into that.) Whenever I am

stood at the check in desk at George Bush

International, it is always with a lump in my throat

and a tear in my eye. I well up at the thought of

having to leave my lovely mum and dad yet again;

but only do the tears cascade when I remember that

there is no palmier substitute waiting for me back in

Blighty, and it will be a whole six months before my

sweet tooth is satisfied.

I cannot bear writing an article about food in The

Woodlands without mentioning Corkscrew

Barbecue. If you’ve not already been you must have

been living under a rock. I am not going to say

much, as this institution on Budde Road has to be

tasted to be believed. Eating at the exemplar Texas

BBQ is without shadow of a doubt my favourite way

to lapse into a meat coma. You simply cannot call

yourself a foodie until you have tried the pulled pork

tacos, or the chicken, or the ribs, or the brisket or the

cobbler. In fact just stop what you are doing and go

there now or may the gastro gods smite you down

and force you to eat under the golden arches of

doom forevermore.

http://cheznousfrenchrestaurant.com

http://www.capri-pasta.com/

http://www.thewoodlandsgourmetbakery.com

http://www.corkscrewbbq.com

There are so many more places I’d like to mention.

Kudos to Americas, Cru, the Tappas Bar [sic] and

Becks Prime. However it’s four o’clock on a rare

sunny Sunday here in England, and I haven’t been to

the pub yet, which I’m sure is a crime.

But thank you to The Woodlands for teaching me

some invaluable lessons. Most notably that if you

ask a man if that’s a gun in his pocket or he’s just

pleased to see you, it probably is a gun. But also,

that BBQ should be treated like a religion, that

dieting is not an option, and never to settle ever, for

frozen microwaved genetically modified chain

rubbish when there are so many better local family

run and downright tastier alternatives that need our

constant support. Use ‘em or lose ‘em guys! But I

still have a lot more to gain from The Woodlands, I

haven’t yet found the perfect Texas steak, (all

suggestions welcome) nor have I found that elusive

cowboy either (ditto). So it looks like I’ll be eating

with y’all again soon!

Rachel Quayle enjoying

A Lone Star beer.

Business Spotlight Mom’s Secret Chef

Article by: Wendy Lee-Anderson

Mom’s Secret Chef is run by a brother and sister team of Julia and Eric Ward. They

have been running the operation for six years. Opening Mom’s Secret Chef happened

purely by chance. The business was originally owned by someone else and Julia had

stopped by and learned that they were going to close down or sell. She spoke to her

brother and they both agreed this was a great opportunity and decided to go for it.

Julia started her career during the dot.com craze. She lived and worked in the San

Jose, CA area. She planned many corporate events for the company she worked for

and after the dot.com crash she relocated to Washington, DC where she ran several

dessert stores. Her cookies and homemade desserts were a huge hit. Eric also has a

background in the dot.com business but then followed his passion to cooking. He

prepares most of the entrees while Julia focuses on the desserts.

Mom’s Secret Chef is the answer for the nightly

question "What's for Dinner?" Their menu changes

weekly so you can serve a wide variety of dishes

with the ease of just heating them up. No messy

kitchen, no dirty pots and pans. Best sellers include

King Ranch Chicken, Creamy Chicken Enchiladas,

Meatloaf, beefy Cheese Macaroni and Chicken

Pot Pies Need a yummy dessert to finish off a great

meal, they have you covered; from homemade

brownies, to cake pops to cakes. pies and cobbler.

The prices of the entrees average to about $4 - $6

per person.

Mom’s Secret Chef is an excellent solution for

work at home moms, stay at home moms with busy

schedules, empty nesters and people that are

homebound. They have many customers that

come and pick up food for families that just had a

baby, friend or family that have an illness or death,

and people recovering from surgery. It is a great

gift to help out a busy family, new mom, or family

member that can’t get out or cook.

When asked if they plan on expanding they said

they made the decision to expand their business by

adding delivery on Wednesdays. They offer a

special meal for the delivery but feel free to add on

extra entrees to stock up your freezer for quick

meals for when you are on the go. They also do

deliveries to businesses with orders of 20 large

entrees or more.

Mom’s Secret Chef uses the freshest of ingredients.

They shop from local area markets and merchants

and only use fresh produce. They only purchase as

needed so they have very little waste. They can

cater for small to large gatherings, company

picnics, weddings and graduation and birthday

parties. They ask that you call to discuss your event

and minimums may apply.

Mom’s Secret Chef 5135 FM 1488 Rd.

Magnolia, TX 77354

Hours:

Monday-Thursday 10AM - 6PM

Friday 10AM - 3PM

Saturday By Appointment

Sunday Closed

Phone: 281-259-0040

Website: http://www.momssecretchef.com

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/K40Oc7

Crazy for Cupcakes Written & Photographed by: Carla Soriano

They’re sweet. They’re small. They’re

expensive. They come topped with colorful

sprinkles, pieces of fruit, candies, assorted nuts,

and slivers of chocolate, among other things.

They’re a little tricky to eat. They are a little big

phenomenon called cupcakes.

While they’ve been in existence since the 18th

century, the cupcake industry in the U.S. took off in

1996, with the opening of Magnolia Bakery in New

York’s bustling Greenwich Village. The

neighborhood bakery quickly made a name for

itself with its mini vanilla cakes topped with pink-

hued vanilla buttercream icing. So much so, that in

1999 the owners published a cupcake recipe book

entitled The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook: Old-

Fashioned Recipes from New York’s Sweetest

Bakery.

Shortly thereafter (beginning in 2005), the bakery

made appearances in quintessential American TV

shows Saturday Night Live and Sex in the City. In

2006, Magnolia Bakery appeared in the movie The

Devil Wears Prada.

In the summer of 2010, cupcakes were further cast

into the spotlight via wildly popular reality

television shows Cupcake Wars and DC Cupcakes .

The celebrity queen of crafts and domesticity,

Martha Stewart , also put out a cupcake cookbook

in that same year.

Pop culture may have instigated cupcakes’ rise in

popularity but the sweet delicacies’ continued

acclaim is most likely due to the fact that they’re

highly likeable – and not just because they’re

delicious.

Hubbell & Hudson

Gigi’s Cupcakes

To begin with, cupcakes’ small size makes them easy to

eat – whether it’s on the go, at a party, or on the living

room couch. There’s no fuss to eating them. Simply

remove the disposable paper cup it comes in, take a couple

of bites and voila! They’re gone, and you’re pleased and

you’re done. Isn’t convenience king?

Another one of cupcakes’ strong suits is that they’re apt for

eating by one person just the same as they’re apt for

feeding 100 people. If only one person is involved, the

diner can choose the flavor of their liking without feeling

obligated to ask the opinion of his or her dining

companions in order to please everyone. And if there’s a

group of 100 planning to eat cupcakes, everyone can pick

their favorite flavor. Plus, no one will have to share,

nothing will have to be sliced, and the resulting mess will

be relatively small. The same cannot be said for other

popular desserts like cakes and pies.

Speaking of flavors, the extremely wide variety of flavors

that cupcakes come in is almost uncanny. If you’ve

thought of a cool flavor combination, chances are it

already exists. From syrup filled cupcakes to edible

flower-topped cupcakes to booze-infused cupcakes, the

possibilities are pretty much endless. Definitely another

factor that adds to their likeability.

Last but not least, aren’t cupcakes oh-so-cute? If mere

looks could take people to heaven, cupcakes would be the

biggest culprit of sending people to heaven. Their colors,

toppings, and intricate decorations are enough to consider

cupcakes works of art. This is precisely why any occasion

that includes cupcakes is instantly turned into a festive

occasion.

With so many reasons to love cupcakes, one thing is for

sure: the cupcake craze is here to stay!

Frost Bake Shop Gigi’s Cupcakes

Enjoying a bite at

Frost Bake Shop

Enjoying another bite

at Frost Bake Shop

Are you crazy for cupcakes?

Here are some local spots where you

can get your fix:

The Cupcakery Market Street-The Woodlands

9595 Six Pines Drive, Suite 960

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

281.298.2889

www.thecupcakery.com

Frost Bake Shoppe (see article on page 8) 6777 Woodlands Pkwy #304

The Woodlands, TX 77382

281.298.7474

25 Waterway Ave #150

The Woodlands, TX 77380

281.298.7375

www.frostbakeshoppe.com

Gigi’s Cupcakes 4747 Research Forest Dr. #150

The Woodlands, TX 77382

281.651.5637

www.gigiscupcakesusa.com

Hubbell & Hudson Market The Woodlands Waterway

24 Waterway Ave. #125

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

281.203.5600

www.hubbellandhudson.com

Out of This World Cakes & Cupcakes 4711 Louetta Rd. #101

Spring, TX 77388

281.719.8871

www.outofthisworldcakes.com

Treat (see article on page 42) 126 Vintage Park Blvd.

Houston, TX 77070

281.251.0016

www.treat-cupcakes.com

Photo taken at:

The Cupcakery

Treat! Cupcakes –Vintage Park Article written by: Nick Rama

http://diningoutwithnickhouston.com

Treat! is owned by Shar Ron Aaron and Shirley Sembritzky, both of whom have a background in both

the food industry and customer service. Shar Ron and Shirley decided to open this delightful cupcake

shop because they saw a line wrapped around a cupcake shop across town. They tried the cupcakes there

and decided they could do much better. Treat! offers 18 flavors of cupcakes daily, made from scratch,

not including the breakfast offerings available at 8am (Maple Bacon cupcakes, Blueberry Cream Cheese

muffins and Jalapeno Cheddar scones). In addition to their cupcakes, they have Sugar Cookies, Cake

Pops and Pup Cakes for your doggie (honey, molasses, peanut butter and carrot) perfectly blended into a

gourmet treat for your four-legged friend.

I sat down with Shar Ron and Shirley to learn how they built their dream business and here is what they

had to say:

What sets you apart from all the other Cupcake businesses around town?

We only use the finest ingredients available; we buy from businesses like Swiss Chalet. Only the top of

the line goes into our cupcakes: European butter, Madagascar vanilla and European chocolates. We

make fresh lemon and lime curd, fresh strawberry & raspberry jam, and even our marshmallow crème

are hand made in the mornings which takes hours to prepare. Treat! serves European style coffee which

is brewed one cup at a time and only as ordered. We do this by having 13 full time employees.

What is your business philosophy for your

shop?

Shirley and Shar Ron came from working at

Champions Golf Club. Their job was taking

care of the customers needs and knowing what

they wanted. We lived and worked with a

famous golfer, Jack Burke, he told us to “Buy

the best you can buy and try not to screw it

up” and treat your business and customers like

“Everyday is Grand Opening day”. We live

those words everyday. Mr. Burke has really

been an inspiration. When we opened,

Vintage Park was 90% vacant, our friends and

members of Champions Golf Club really

paved the way to our success by their

patronage.

What are some of your best sellers? My

favorite is the Rocky Road Cupcake?

Key Lime, Chocolate Lovers, Tiramisu, 24KT

(carrot cake)…we have so many repeat

customers that have their favorites, that is the

reason we have 18 flavors featured daily.

Tell me about some of the special

events/caterings you have done.

We have done many weddings, birthday

parties and special events; recently we did a

special peanut butter and chocolate cupcake

for the Vince Young Youth Charity. We did

the Guess anniversary party at the Galleria

and the unveiling of the new Porsche 911.

We’ve also done events for Toys for Tots and

600 cupcakes for the Susan G. Komen kickoff

party.

Freshness seems to be something Treat!

strives for, what happens when you bake

too much?

We bake everything fresh daily, at the end of

the night we will donate to local charities,

hospitals and fire stations. We would never

sell a day old cupcake here!

You have a staff of 13, impressive for a small business, tell

me about how this makes you successful?

Jenny Black is our head Baker and Kitchen Manager; we also

have two additional interesting bakers one from Venezuela

and one from Trinidad who both ran bakeries in their

homelands. We also have two more bakers that have

extensive baking backgrounds in Houston.

Gigi, who is usually up front, has a fan base of regular

customers. Jordan is our youngest and is so dependable.

Kaylin we hired because she has a great personality and she

is tall and can reach all the shelves that we can’t (laughs)!

We also have Ashley who is a Jack of all Trades and has been

with Treat from the beginning. Everyone is like our family.

5 words to describe Treat! Cupcakes?

Awesome, Quality, Family, Best and Home.

Treat! Cupcakes

LOCATION:

126 Vintage Park Boulevard

Houston, TX 77070

281.251.0016

HOURS:

MON-WED 8AM – 8PM

THUR-SAT 8AM – 9PM

WEBSITE :

www.treat-cupcakes.com/

Photos courtesy of: http://johnwadephotography.net

Kitty Kat, ID: A171073

Female, Corgi/Basenji Mix, 45-50

lbs 9-10 months Intake: 09/07/11

INQUIRIES: EMAIL

mcas_online_team@hotmail.com

with ID

ABOUT ME: Kitty Kat came to

shelter in early Sept and was about 3

months old then. She has spent most

of her childhood at the shelter. This

girl has most likley never been in a

home. She has grown up to be a

bigger girl, about 45-50 lbs, and she

really knows nothing but the shelter

life. She is heart worm negative and

has been spayed.

June’s

Available Pets

Maya, ID: A180148 (DIAMOND IN

THE RUFF - reduced adoption fee)

Female, Flat-Coated Retriever mix

Intake: 2/20/2012

INQUIRIES: EMAIL

mcas_online_team@hotmail.com with

ID

ABOUT ME: Maya is very calm. She

knows basic commands and is an

absolutely sweet dog. Really love this

dog!

June’s

Available Pets

Rambo, ID: A181456 (MCAS

PURRL - reduced adoption fee)

Male, Domestic Shorthair, 1 year old

Intake: 2/18/2012

INQUIRIES: EMAIL

mcas_online_team@hotmail.com

with ID

FEES: $80 for dogs, $70 for cats, $25

for long-term dogs (Diamonds in the

Ruff) and cats (MCAS Purrls) at the

shelter more than 60 days.

INCLUDED: Costs for spay/neuter

surgery, vaccinations, de-worming,

and micro-chipping (microchip

included with full-price adoptions

only, available for $25 with

discounted adoptions). Adult dogs

have been tested for heartworms and

cats have been given a feline

leukemia test.

Lucky, ID: A178771 (MCAS

PURRL - reduced adoption fee)

Spayed female, Russian Blue mix,

3 years old Intake: 1/8/2012

INQUIRIES: EMAIL

mcas_online_team@hotmail.com

with ID

Click here for my LOLz image:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.ph

p?fbid=371129162927066

MORE PHOTOS:

All packed up and ready to go

home!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.ph

p?fbid=362485037124812

----> Visit our website for our latest

ADOPTION SPECIALS:

http://www.mcaspets.org/adoption-

specials.html

Summer 2012 Bridal Spotlight

Taste Magazine’s Top Ten Wedding Trends of 2012

From décor to cakes to dresses and more

And Habitually Haute Event Design’s

6 Haute Tips To Help You Cut Reception Costs

Photo Credit: Liz Banfield

Number 1: Pink! All hues of pink are hot for summer 2012 weddings.

Taste Magazine’s Top Ten Wedding Trends of 2012

Photo Credit: Victor Sizemore Photography

Number 2: Outdoor Chandeliers

Having an outdoor wedding? If so, add an outdoor chandelier for a spectacular touch of romance.

Top Left: Monique Lhuillier Spring 2012. Top Right: Manuel Moto 2012

Collection. Middle Right: Sassi Hollford 2012 Collection. Bottom Right: Rosa

Clara Spring 2012 Collection. Bottom Left: ‘Bernadine’ by Maggie Sotter.

Number 3: Illusion Neckline Gowns

Gowns are much more modest this year. Following the trend of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

http://www.arome-flowers.com/wedding-flowers-gallery5.html

Number 4: Peonies Wedding Bouquets

Peonies come in a wide varieties of colors. They make a gorgeous wedding bouquet of all different shades.

http://www.irisartdesigns.com

Number 5: Storyboard Wedding Invitations

Looking for a new twist on wedding invitations? Try a storyboard invitation to surprise your guests.

http://www.goodthingsweddingfavors.com

Number 6: Eco-Friendly Favors

Re-nu, Re-use and Recycle are in for 2012 These favors are a sure hit for the eco-friendly bridal couple.

http://www.saycheeseforfun.com They have an office in the Houston area.

Number 7: Photo Booths

So much fun! Rent a photo booth complete with props for your guests and bridal party to make some great memories.

Number 8: Metallic and Colorful

Wedding Cakes

Silver and Gold and Bling! So pretty. Also wonderful pops of color are another way to show your style.

Images courtesy of: Kristi’s Cakery located in Spring, TX

http://www.facebook.com/#!/kristiscakery

Photo courtesy of Project Wedding

Herbs used in table decorations, centerpieces or just a touch here and

there are popular for Summer 2012 weddings.

http://heart-of-light.blogspot.com/2010/11/super-simple-printable-napkin-rings.html

Number 9: Herbal Touches

Photo Credit: Annie McElwain

Number 10: Local Food Sourcing and

Wine Pairings

Caterers are using local ingredients to make fresh and simple meals.

Gourmet enthusiasts are pairing each course with a different wine.

Habitually Haute Event Design’s 6 Haute Tips To Help You Cut Reception Costs

Article by: Jeneba Wint of Habiltually Haute Event Design

•Yes, Your Event Needs A Theme! It will save

you time and money and you will be less likely

to spend money on things you don’t need!

Choosing a theme will often help determine the

venue for your event. A Rustic Chic Wedding

Theme will be best showcased at a barn or a

ranch, whereas a hotel ballroom is perfect for a

Classic White Wedding. Choosing a theme,

cuts down on decorating costs and unnecessary

purchases by narrowing down options and

creating structure. A theme allows you can

build your event around the décor rather than

molding a venue to the theme you've chosen.

For example, find an elaborately decorated

ethnic restaurant, and then provide the

musicians and entertainers for a Mediterranean

themed event. Your décor, menu, and

aesthetics, are already taken care in one simple

decision, which equals less headache!

•No Frills? Skip the fancy linen vendor and

instead use the house linens for tables at your

event (Yeah, I know, but hear me out). Add

some luxe and ornate details, such as, detailed

fine china with beaded charger plates;

statement gold or black flatwear; goblets;

elaborate centerpieces with lush florals;

statement runner; gorgeous napkins and DIY

personalized napkin rings; and lots and lots of

candle light (did I already mention candlelight

is a must for any event) with added vintage

glam candlestick holders !! Fabulously Haute

& Effortless Gorgeous!!

•It’s All About The Season! Choose the date, day of

the week, and season for your reception wisely.

Certain times of the year in certain parts of the country

will cost more than others. Also, if you are looking to

stick to your budget, have your reception on a Friday

or Sunday. It will save you a couple thousand dollars

on your venue and with your vendors. Stay away from

summer and fall months to avoid price hikes!

Keep Those Florals To a Minimum And Buy In

Season! Make the most of your flowers, RECYCLE

!!! There is no reason that the flowers used at the

ceremony can't be displayed at the reception. When

deciding on flowers, ask your floral designer to create

complimentary arrangements for both the ceremony

and reception, so that blooms and arrangements can be

interchanged as needed. Always check with your

florists or floral designer to find out about in-season

blooms that match your reception theme and color

palette.

Dress Fit For A Queen? It is your wedding day and

you are supposed to look your absolute best, but that

doesn’t mean you should break the bank! Today, there

are so many options to keep you fabulous on your big

day on a budget: Search the web for a sample sale in

your area; Find a local bridal consignment boutique; or

Borrow or rent a dress, Check out a site like Rent The

Runway for haute rental bridal and evening wear.

To DIY or Not To DIY? Yes, you should DIY for

your wedding creating, custom and personalized

favors, décor, or even centerpieces. Have a plan and

recruit creative and crafty family members & friends.

Remember, this is not the time to think you are a

carpenter, audio visual professional, nor a caterer.

Stick to what you know and feel confident doing! Your

love and passion will shine through your fabulous

home made goods and your guests will feel the love!

Think photo collages , candles and holders, or table

numbers.

Coming Next Month

Burgers

For The Dogs

Nail Fashions

Business Spotlight: Trader Joes

Opening June 15, 2012

Thank you for reading Taste Magazine North Houston.

See you in July!

Taste Publications

http://tastepublications.com