—————————————————— Best Mexican Bakery 2005 | Arandas Bakery | Best of Houston® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Houston | Houston Press
The four-foot portly baker outside Arandas Bakery on Airline represents all things hot and yummy. Grab yourself a stainless serving tray and a set of tongs here at Jose Camarena's first Houston bakery and start loading up. The fresh-baked empanadas, pig cookies, orejas and cream horns run the entire south wall of this spotless eatery, where a crack team of aproned assistants keeps the operation running smoothly. Piping-fresh bolillos spill forth from a stainless-steel mouth at the far end of the store every 15 minutes. And anyone who knows anything about these white buns knows that straight from the oven is the only time to consume them. Need something sweeter? An assortment of flan and tres leches cakes is also available, along with custom-order wedding and birthday cakes.
So successful has been the first Tasting Room in Uptown Park that Jerry and Laura Lasco recently opened a second location in Midtown. The Uptown location serves about 200 different wines from around the globe, each hand-selected by the owners. Here, you can taste, drink and shop for wines in a stylish, comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. Novice wine lovers will enjoy the savvy staff, always ready to give advice. Wines by the glass start at $5, and bottles start at $10. Here's to good taste.
There are two Tropioca shops in Houston, and while the downtown spot isn't too shabby, the original Midtown location features something that adds a little spice to your pearl-filled smoothie consumption: the most beautiful customers in town. We don't know where they come from, but if you're in your early twenties, Asian and hot enough to have your own photo spread in FHM, then you most likely will descend on this place. Oh, yeah, and the bubble teas are delicious. Our favorites: the green tea melon with litchi jellies, and the strawberry pina colada with pineapple jellies. Tropioca is the ultimate in fine concoctions and fine-ass patrons. It's a beautiful experience all around.

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