On our Saturday adventure to the Woodlands, there had to be coffee involved. And why not a cupcake, too? We knew we would be eating dinner out, so the healthy choice was to share. Sometimes we choose wisely, sometimes we do not. This was a wise choice.... though now looking back, I want a cupcake. Right now.

A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
I don't do free product reviews. I don't go places or eat things or anything like that because anybody else paid for it. Maybe it's because I am an old-fashioned blogger... I just want stories about people's lives, without feeling "sold" on a product. It's like getting invited to someone's house and then realizing it's actually a Mary Kay party or a Tupperware party and feeling compelled to buy something. It just makes me feel icky.

Because I like reading narrative blogs, that's how I blog.

So when I say that I went to a certain cupcake place, it's because I have a passion for local food and coffee and finding interesting places, and I probably found a recommendation on Yelp (I do love yelping!) so we went there.


And it was delicious!

CUPCAKES! CUPCAKES! CUPCAKES!

Usually, when presented by a large menu or in this case, SO MANY kinds of cupcakes, my brain freaks out a little... Fortunately, Brandon doesn't have that problem. He chooses what has immediately struck his fancy. And then doesn't have the inner-berating that there might be a better option that happens inside my head (#weirdbrainproblems).


Our choice was a Nutella cupcake & an iced mocha.

I was surprised that it was a white cake inside, then we realized it was probably hazelnut with a hazelnutty filling and Nutella frosting. Not an overbearing Nutella flavor, but the cake was moist and crumbly and sweet enough to be delicious without making our teeth hurt. :)

You know what is even sweeter than cupcakes?

Our dear sweet Devereaux. We do love that little guy.

After we visited Fernland Historical Park and made a library stop, we headed out for coffee in the little town of Montgomery. While most of our coffee GPS searches on the outskirts of north Houston have looked like this:
Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks....etc.
There have been just a few un-Sbux coffee companies for enjoying.


As a parent, the thing I appreciated most about this coffee shop... is that Devereaux napped for most of our stop. I was like, "BRANDON! WE'RE HAVING A COFFEE DATE!" :D :D :D

We chose a big ol' chocolate muffin and chocolate cake ball. I think we were feeling deprived of chocolate or exceptionally hungry. We determined that one should never eat muffins while wanting cake, because the muffin will always come up short. Just eat cake. And be happier.


Brandon's cappucino. He has been trying really hard to convince me that coffee without sugar is good. I am... less than convinced, but his cappucino does look nice!

My hazelnut latte.

In the end, we should've just gotten cold brew coffee... because isn't this a cool contraption?

There are some nifty items in the gift shop corner (plus some Texas love).

And we are inspired to create food by those scrumptious-looking cupcakes.

I will give happy faces to the fact that Montgomery Coffee Company does their own roasting. And it is pretty good coffee!

I will give sad faces to their coffee shop's lack of background music. There is nothing more awkward than a coffee shop without music, because one is forced to listen to other people's conversations and it is... awkward.

I liked the spot though, so we will just assume that someone forgot to turn the music on during that day and we will probably go check out this coffee shop again. Because I want cold-brew coffee made in a scientific-looking thing.

Here are some true words to leave you with. :D

Our Saturday adventure that started with our visit to the Houston Arboretum continued on the road to a coffee shop and beyond. I (of course) have been searching out new and interesting coffee shops in Houston.

The problem is... Texas is BIG. HUGE. Massive. Full of roads and traffic and people. So our adventure led us towards the Heights neighborhood of Houston, with a few more people than we prefer and ALOT more driving than we intended.

The Heights neighborhood feels really artsy to me. And hipster-y. Full of people my own age with way too much disposable income, meaning they are willing to pay the more-than-ideal prices at interesting restaurants and coffee shops.
#Devereauxyawns

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a good cup of coffee. I am truly impressed when a barista gives me a real mug with real latte art. I like the drink that maybe takes a few more minutes, because it is fresh and delicious and just plain good.

But I don't really like crowds. I guess you could say, I'm just conflicted.

We walked into Siphon Coffee and there were people everywhere. Brandon jumped in the line and I noticed a spot on a leather couch in the corner that was open, so Devereaux and I went to claim it. Since the couch was right across from another couch currently occupied by another young couple and a their 8-week-old baby, we struck up a conversation about babies, baby carriers and naptime. There was a little joking about this being an unplanned playdate! Maybe it'll be a new thing---playdates in coffee shops. :D

I devoured this crumbly, buttery blueberry muffin in mere minutes, because I was starving (I shared a little with Brandon). Though we didn't see a sandwich menu, I eventually saw people with paninis and felt slightly deprived, however the muffin was enough to be more than satisfactory.


The real claim to fame of Siphon Coffee is their siphon-made coffee. During the brewing process, the water is pushed upwards instead of downward like traditional drip coffee. It's a super-cool, scientific-looking way to make coffee that makes the coffee taste.... about the same (if we're honest), or slightly lighter and less acidic (if we're playing the coffee snob card). The appeal is mostly that the process just looks so darn cool! Brandon was fascinated, but I was too busy bouncing the baby to take photos. You can see the process here if you're interested.

The coffee is served in a cool glass pot with a (non-glass) cup for drinking. You can order a siphon-coffee for one or for two. We ordered for one (since I dig lattes and mochas), and I just sipped Brandon's.
After our first couple-friends left, another couple sat down across from us and struck up a conversation. And we proceeded to chat for another twenty minutes about jobs and industry and Fairfax, Virginia (I know?!) and where to get the best coffee.

It was a limited-picture coffee stop, but we enjoyed being social and seeing the siphon coffee and people-watching. Sometimes talking to people is more important than taking pretty pictures (the photographer in me gasps!). And steaming coffee in glasses looks cool.