Since I came to Houston in 2004, I have witnessed an important gastronomic evolution in the City. 10 years ago, most of the places you could find were chain Restaurants, and although some of them were pretty good, they were lacking character, originality and that vibe only the owners of the place can give by showing their passion for food in each and every one of their dishes.

Today Houston is totally different. It has been opening spectacular restaurants for several years in a row that are unique, and are run by young talent avid to create and innovate new culinary concepts. I love going out on the weekends and discovering that it place to go to.

Yo Mariana besides always looking for a place to go out for dinner, I'm also trying to find wonderful breakfast places. For me there is no greater pleasure than waking up to a freshly squeezed orange juice, a good cup of coffee and depending on my appetite, a small pastry and a piece of fruit or some delicious eggs prepared in any of its thousands of ways. Breakfast is without a doubt my favorite meal of the day.

That's why when I heard all this chatter about this new Bakery/Restaurant Common Bond, I had to go and see it for myself.  Since you get in, you can sense that vibe I was talking about at the beginning, young, kind and talented entrepreneurs with that excitement to share with you what they have to offer.

It's a very casual place with high ceilings and lots of light. You get in line to order and that long pastry display totally wins you over making it practically impossible not to order one of them. They have enormous chocolate, almond and fruit Croissants, Macaroons, Éclairs, mini Fruit Tarts, as well as packaged products such as pastries, jams and spreads. You can also purchase bread to take home; they have Baguettes, Ciabattas, Bialys (a Polish bread similar to a Bagel but with a filling) and the traditional Pain de Campagne or Sourdough.

What I never expected to find on the menu, was a Chicken "Torta". I had to order it although I was totally skeptic, and was really doubting if they were going to bring me a "real torta".

Well, was I surprised when I got this ... a real Mexico City Style "Torta"! In a Telera roll with Guacamole, Mexican cream, jalapeños and Cotija cheese. It was delicious and I highly recommend it.

Common Bond is now on my list of favorite places to go in Houston. Not only did I get delicious bread and pastries, discovered a very good place to have breakfast or lunch, but I also tasted the best "Torta" in Houston. The whole experience was a real revelation.

Reading a little bit about the owner Kathy Sanders, I found out that besides having all the gastronomic credentials and being a Houstonian, she was the first "Julie", because just like in the movie Julie and Julia, she cooked each and every one of Julia Child's recipes to really master French Cuisine.

Breakfast is served from 7:00am to 10.30am and Lunch opens from 11:00am to 3:00pm. They will also host their first Pop-up Dinner on Monday October 6th. For this event you need a reservation and they will offer a fixed 5-course meal with optional wine pairing. I'm sure it will be a hit.

Here are more photos:

For more information visit their website by clicking on their logo:

Common Bond 1706 Westheimer RoadHouston Tx 77098

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