exploring

HOUSTON
Tessa Soard P.3
 Una: Titas Tacos
Tita’s Taco House was the first stop on our tour of Houston, and was my 2nd favorite
place on this trip. It is open from 5am to 2pm, making it perfect for breakfast and
lunch. It opened in 2009, which means it has been operating for 13 years. The tacos
are delicious and the atmosphere is lively and full of joy. I loved it.
 Dos: Dona Maria
Up next, Dona Maria Restaurante: “We are a family business
committed to pursuing excellence in the preparation of high
quality food, with a homemade flavor. Our project was born
from understanding the reality of this society where we live,
where lack of time sometimes forces us to resort to fast food,
often not very healthy, and at other times too expensive. Our
goal is to provide you with these wonderful products so that
you can eat delicious dishes at home, without losing the
charm of artisanal food.” This little fast food shop was so
cute, and I enjoyed the food.
 Tres: Mi Tienda

Mi Tienda opened on Wednesday, December 7th,

2011, and is a branch of HEB. “The new store concept
is designed to create a more authentic experience for
Latino shoppers,” Juan Alonso (the Houston regional
vice president) said. “The interior is designed to
resemble a small village.”
Cuatro: La Estrella Flea Market

The Estrella Flea Market is home to over

200 vendors, and is open Friday-Sunday, so
if you need a place for some weekend
shopping, this is the place to go. It has
been described as a “Sprawling indoor
market with stalls offering merchandise &
services, plus options for food &
drink.”-Google
Cinco: Arandas Bakery
The Arandas Bakery has to be my favorite
place that we visited. The room if open but
not deserted/empty. It is filled with the
delicious smells of baked goods and
decorated with christmas lights. The way it
works is you grab a tray and tongs from a
little stand by the wall of drink fridges, and
then circle your way around the room,
grabbing whatever you want from the
shelves of treats lining the walls. Then, you
bring your tray to the center island, where
workers will bag your items and you can
pay a really cheap price for some really
good food. 10/10!
 Sies: 2101 Polk Street
We couldn’t find the Selena mural, but we found this one with Aztec gods. This is a
part of a giant wall of murals that were very unique and very bright.
Siete: Houston Open Air Farmers Market
The Houston Open Air Farmers Market was huge, filled
with stalls selling all kinds of food. It opened in 1942,
and is open from 6 AM to 7:30 PM. There are spices,
produce, plants, flowers and all kinds of things that are
amazing for a really good price.
 Ocho: Encanto Movie

The Encanto movie is really good and I enjoy

the music. My favorite songs from this movie
are “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” “Dos
Oruguitas,” and “Colombia, Mi Encanto.”
Nueva: Loteria Mural
The Loteria Mural is found in the
middle of the street in this huge
sidewalk area. It depicts cards used in
the Mexican version of BINGO. The
cards of ‘El Catrin’ and ‘La Dama’ were
doors (probably to restrooms), but
sadly, they were locked.
 Diez: The
Heritage Society
Mexican Mural
This mural is located in the Sam Houston
Park, which is filled with historic
buildings and a museum. It has a
beautiful trail lined with trees that at this
time of year are wrapped in lights.
 Conclusion:
This activity was so much fun. The places were so cool to
explore and I really enjoyed doing it with Nirasha and
Sophia. Everything was beautiful and the food was really
good. I will definitely revisit some of these places, and
bring my family with me. (I went with Sophia’s dad,
Nirasha, Sophia and I did it in a group.)