Where to get coffee, croissants, ice cream and cocktails in Houston

The temperature in Houston is reaching the 100s this week, and the only way many of us can bear the wet heat is to think of all the other great things Houston has to offer, like food,. food, and more food.I won’t complain, though—I’d been to so many cold places in the last couple of winters (I.e. Grand Rapids, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Toronto when it was -10°F!), that I promised Houston I wouldn’t complain about its summers this year. At the end of the day, I would rather be hot than frozen, and so I’ve found myself saying things this month like, “It’s hot today…but I’m not complaining, just observing,” much to the amusement of my perspiring friends.So today, because I’m so focused on the climax of summer, we’re going to discuss lighter fare: places you can go after eating to cool down, with an iced latte, ice cream sundae, or a ice cold mint julep.

The best coffee in Houston

David Buehrer is a coffee guru. He’s the most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to that ubiquitous brew. He travels to southeast Asia and South America in search of the best beans, and we get to taste his passion right here in Houston at both Greenway Coffee and Blacksmith.Now, I’m not a coffee connoisseur by any means—I don’t even drink coffee unless it’s the weekend—but the hubs, who used to be a barista at that infamous Seattle based coffee chain, knows good coffee, so when he says Blacksmith makes great coffee, I believe him. (Also remember that the hubs is an even harsher critic of my cooking than Gordon Ramsay!)Another friend, who also appreciates a cup of brew, gets his from Greenway Coffee, a stand in an underground food court catering to Monday-through-Friday office employees in the Greenway Plaza area. Greenway is where you go if you want to grab a coffee to go on a weekday.If you’re looking for a place to meet an old friend or brood over your messy novel on your laptop, Blacksmith is the place to go. Order your coffee of choice and a snack to satiate those long hours of chapter revisions—the hubs and I love their housemate yogurt. Maybe if you’re lucky, David will be available and school you on coffee.Blacksmith1018 Westheimer Rd.Houston, TX 77006832-360-7470Greenway Coffee5 E. Greenway Plaza, #610Houston, TX 77046713-961-0584

The best croissants in Houston

The first time I ever visited Paris, I was twenty-two, had just graduated college, and was backpacking through western Europe. I stayed with my great uncle, who lives just outside of metropolitan Paris, and every morning, his wife would have a basket of freshly baked croissants from the neighborhood boulangerie waiting for me on the kitchen table. I had never tasted croissants quite like these—with swirls of dark chocolate laced throughout the crust—and sadly, even with a return to Paris a decade later on my honeymoon, I have never been able to find those chocolate-laced croissants again. Sure, there were ones filled with chocolate, but none laced with it. (If anyone can tell me where to find these chocolate-laced croissants, I will be ever grateful. Extra gratitude if they’re attainable for someone living in Houston.)Regardless if they’re filled or plain, I love croissants with their flaky crust, pillowy layers, and rich butter throughout. When I’m not in Paris, I fulfill my croissant craving at Common Bond. They come in plain, chocolate, or almond, and they’re as big as your face. (I should've held the Common Bond croissants pictured above next to my face as evidence.) The closest thing to the real stuff this side of the Atlantic, Common Bond croissants are something else. Be prepared to wait in a very long line if you go on a weekend morning.Common Bond Cafe & Bakery1706 Westheimer Rd.Houston, TX 77098713-529-3535

My favorite ice cream shop

Ice cream is a summer essential, but who doesn’t love ice cream all year round? It cools you off in the summer, but it melts slower in the winter. My pet peeve is melted ice cream. It’s all a matter of preference, but I like mine dense yet creamy,a scoop you can really bite into.Cloud 10 makes memorable flavors like black sesame, marzipan, goat cheese, and Nutella marshmallow, to name a few of their constantly rotating ten flavors.Cloud 10 Creamery6216 MorningsideHouston, TX 77005713-434-6129

Some Southern sweets

When a visiting friend wants a quintessentially Southern dessert, I suggest the beignet; the cousin to the donut, beignets are fried dough dusted with confectioner’s sugar and drizzled with honey.I’ve made homemade beignets, and I crafted some for the Ikea Sweden Metod campaign I did last year, but when I just want to relax and get the soft white powdered sugar all over my lips and fingers without having to heat up frying oil myself, I go to Chez Beignets on Bellaire (cash only!). Beignets are delicious with a latte, and if you imagine hard enough, you’ll be taken straight to an open-air coffeeshop in New Orleans.Crescent City is a more centrally located beignet shop, and it recently reopened its doors on Westheimer just west of the Galleria.Chez Beignets10623 Bellaire Blvd., #C100Houston, TX 77072281-879-9777Crescent City Beignets6383 Westheimer Rd.Houston, TX 77057832-581-2788

A Southern drinking establishment

In continuing our Southern tour, next on our list of places to try is Julep. Lauded by many as the best bar in Houston, Julep strikes the perfect balance between Southern summer idleness and enthusiastic satiety. Inside, the two-blade ceiling fans circle lazily overhead, while outside, the patio furniture swelters with the Houston heat. But everywhere, there are ice cold juleps sweating in their mason jars and smoked blue fish being eaten atop saltines.Casual and refreshing, Julep is a haven for the heat in Houston.Julep1919 Washington Ave.Houston, TX 77007713-869-4383

For whiskeys

Whiskey has been experiencing a revival lately, which means Houston is starting to get its share of whiskey bars and enthusiasts. Two I enjoy are Public Services from Chef Justin Yu, whose restaurant, Oxheart, has been named the number one restaurant in Houston by critic Alison Cook. Public Services is a full bar with foci on whiskey and wine. The hubs had his last birthday celebration here because he loves Old Fashions, and they make a mean one.Public Services Wine & Whisky202 Travis St., #100Houston, TX 77002713-516-8897A slightly “divier” whiskey bar is Ninja Ramen, which originally opened as a ramen shop but has since flourished into an even better bar.Chris Huang serves a wide variety of often rare Japanese whiskeys, but to keep it accessible, you can get yours with a side of Spam musubi. He’s been working on expanding the cocktail menu, and on a recent visit, I tried his balut cocktail mixed with juice from the fertilized duck egg, complete with a little rubber ducky floating on top. (Chris is just that kind of guy: hardly serious about anything, except maybe pushing the boundaries.) (And if you don’t know what Filipino balut or Vietnamese hot vit lon is, you can watch Andrew Zimmerman try balut in this video.)Ninja Ramen4219 Washington Ave.Houston, TX 77007281-888-5873

My local watering holes

This last section is devoted to two of my neighborhood watering holes I frequent. They’re nothing extraordinary; rather, they’re just two casual bars where you can kick back and enjoy a beer or mixed drink with a group of friends (or strangers) for a low-key Saturday night. Liberty Station was where I had my MasterChef season 3 victory party, and its younger sister Cottonwood is where I’ve spent many nights chatting with friends over a Pimm's Cup and strawberry pie. Both are laid-back bars with plenty of outdoor seating. Cottonwood has a kitchen while Liberty does not, but both usually have food trucks parked out front slinging small bites.Maybe I’ll see you there!Liberty Station2101 Washington Ave.Houston, TX 77007713-640-5220Cottonwood3422 N. Shepherd Dr.Houston, TX 77018713-802-0410Native Houstonians, where are your favorite coffeeshops, dessert shops, and drinking dives? Trying any of these places for the first time? Let me know what you think.