Yes, yes, we've all bitched at some time in our lives that Valentine's Day is an arbitrary holiday created by greeting card companies to make money while simultaneously forcing single people to re-examine their sorry existences, and because of this, we've all become huge grouches. Until, that is, we actually do have someone to share the holiday with. Then it's totally a worthwhile endeavor.

The thing is, I don't think you need an actual person to get you giddy about love on Valentine's Day. This year, I'm declaring my love for something else. I'm declaring my love for Houston.

I moved here about seven months ago, and in that time I've totally fallen in love with this city. I honestly didn't expect to enjoy Houston as much as I have, but the food, more than anything, has won me over. This year, I'm thrilled to have Houston as my Valentine.

Here's why.

10. Food trucks Though there are seemingly endless arguments between Houston food truck owners and Houston lawmakers regarding where and when and how close and for how long food trucks can park, there's no denying that our restaurants on wheels are thriving. A number of food trucks including Good Dog Houston, Eatsie Boys and Bernie's Burger Bus have gone brick and mortar, while some restaurants have started rolling out food trucks as a separate business venture. And the best part is you can now get just about any kind of food you crave from a truck: sweets, salads, Korean food, Cajun food, tacos, pizza and everything in between.

9. Celebrity Chefs Monica Pope was on "Top Chef Masters," while Rebecca Masson was on "Top Chef: Just Desserts." Christine Ha, Alvin Schultz and James Nelson were all on "Masterchef" (Ha won), and Bryan Caswell competed on "The Next Iron Chef." And then there are all of our James Beard winners and nominees, among them Hugo Ortega, Chris Shepherd and Justin Yu. Thanks to these folks, Houston's getting a lot of national attention.

The story continues on the next page.