Enthusiastically Bored: Top Ten Things To Do in Houston, a running list

I will add to this list, so rankings may change and some things might even fall off the list. Nevertheless, I will do my best to lead you in a decent direction within a place we love to call home, Houston, Texas.

10. Sundance Movie Theater:

Have you been to it, yet? Well, Brian and I went Friday evening and decided to take full advantage of the food and wine bar and experience everything the movie theater had to offer. I mean, the whole idea of watching a movie with a glass of wine, legally, and eating a gourmet meal sounds pretty appealing. If you have already been there, then you know you pick your seats with your tickets, which is very convenient.

We walked over to the food and wine bar and ordered a margarita pizza and BBQ chicken quesadillas. OK, so that is not really gourmet, but it isn't a tub of popcorn, covered with fake butter or a greasy hot dog, either. Anyway, we took our food and drinks to our assigned seats and were ready to watch Safety Not Guaranteed. The food was decent. My wine was tasty, and I believe Brian enjoyed his beer. Now, the movie was pretty funny. Mark Duplass from The League and Aubrey Plaza from Parks and Recreation were hilarious (http://www.safetynotguaranteedmovie.com/index.html). Brian kept telling me not to laugh as loud, but if you know me, that is sort of impossible. Overall, I am glad Sundance is opened. The concept makes sense. We loved going to Angelika and were sad when it closed, so at least something a little better took its place-- definitely better than another Edward's Cinema. Overall, highly recommend you check it out, if you haven't already.

9. Houston Sports Complexes

This is an obvious must. I mean, it is nice being in a city where you can watch PROFESSIONAL basketball, football, baseball, soccer, hockey, etc. Even if you are like me and find most of your teams visit Houston, well, at least, they visit Houston and you get to see them play. However, I must say two Houston teams I definitely cheer for are the Texans and Dynamo. Speaking of the Dynamo-- the new stadium is really nice and orange.

With the new stadium, aka, BBVA Compass Stadium, it will bring other events to Houston, such as rugby. Who went to rugby Saturday night? We did. Who knew anything about the game? We didn't. Who watched the entire game? We didn't. Isn't that awful? I shouldn't even write about it because I have nothing worthy to state about it, EXCEPT its fans. I must say the USA Rugby team has some pretty loyal and expressive fans, which made for a great people watching evening. If it weren't so damn hot, then maybe we would have stayed until the end, just to see if any of the expressive fans could make us shake our heads or laugh more. While we were there, I took a few pictures...

Who wears short shorts?

Man in white leotard....

So the stadium management had to tell a large group of men to put on their shirts.

The guys who put on their shirts

And, well, America, the beautiful

8. Eat Out in Houston

Another obvious choice. I mean, it is one of the best parts of living in a city, restaurant choices. My 3 new favorite places to dine are:

Uchi (http://uchirestaurants.com/houston/)- I was probably one of the last people to finally try Uchi. A part of me was waiting for the hype to subside, but another part of me thought, maybe, it is just hype. Therefore, I walked in to Uchi with low expectations, sad to admit. BUT, I am here to state, it is my new favorite restaurant. I love the food's creativity and flavor combinations. The menu is so fun to read, a little overwhelming, but still, fun! In fact my girlfriends and I couldn't concentrate, so we had the Chef's Tasting, which is a great way to try things you may or may not otherwise choose. We picked a fabulous bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, and it paired well with everything we ate. My favorite dishes were raw or undercooked. While the hot dishes were tasty, I preferred the cold tastings. Perhaps, I was just in the mood for the raw fish. Nevertheless, the place rocks! Finally, something from Austin worth the hype. Sorry, Torchy's.
Underbelly (http://underbellyhouston.com/)- In my little ol' opinion Chris Shepherd is the best chef in Houston. When he closed Catalan, I was devastated. Then the chatter began about Underbelly, and it couldn't arrive in Houston soon enough! LOVE IT!!!! Of course, we die for the Korean Braised Goat and Dumplings. When has anything partied like that in your mouth??!! The goat is so well-married with the spicy, tangy, sweet sauce, and the light, cuddly little dumpling-- will make you beg for more. And we do. Thank you, sir, I'll have another. Everything I have eaten at Underbelly has been delicious! In fact there was a month or so we went at least once a week. Well, last Saturday we returned from a small break, so the weekly streak may need to start, again. TOO GOOD TO MISS!!!
Brasserie 19 (http://www.brasserie19.com/)- At this point this place is old news, but I don't care. It is consistent, and worth every last bite. The best bread and whipped butter in town. The best selection and quality of oysters in town. The best Dirty Gin Martini in town. Another place where I have liked everything and anything I have ordered. The house-made Salmon Gravlax was a dish I had never heard, and oh, wow! It is a perfect hors d'oeuvre- salty, creamy and added to toast the flavors dance on your pallet.

All the pictures are from my night at Uchi. I will try my best to remember the name of each dish, but can make no promises I am right. With the Chef's Tasting it was hard to keep up with it.