Smoothie King, now an international franchise, grew from humble roots. Back in the 1960s, founder Steve Kuhnau ​set out to mix up a smoothie that would ease his allergies and low blood sugar. Equipped with just some fresh fruit, other nutrients and proteins, and his home blender, Steve eventually found the perfect balance. His health started improving, and in 1973 he decided to share his discovery with the masses at his first nutritional smoothie shop.

The lone shop evolved into more than 650 Smoothie King locations that, today, serve the same nutritional smoothies to customers in the continental U.S., Korea, Singapore, and the Cayman Islands. That includes a location on West Holcombe, where customers note that the staff is especially friendly and the owner often personally oversees operations.

Many of the smoothies can replace an entire meal, with anywhere from 7 to 45 grams of protein in each serving of 20 ounces. Try a Lean1 chocolate smoothie with bananas and almond. It packs 27 vitamins and minerals and 22 grams of protein into a mere 293 calories, staving off later cravings and helping your body burn fat. Or nourish your body with a fruity snack in between normal meals, such as the apple kiwi kale smoothie—it's full of illness-fighting vitamin C and antioxidants.

Smoothie King
2617 W. Holcombe Boulevard
Houston, TX 77025
(713) 661-1663
www.smoothieking.com/stores/store.php/134
www.yelp.com/biz/smoothie-king-houston-15

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr jessica mullen

While pie has a seemingly endless number of different variations, the savory pie is often overlooked. For those whose taste buds skew toward the savory, there are a lot of reasons to love these savory pie recipes.

Lucinda’s Spinach and Ham Pie [marthastewart.com]
Equal parts salty and flaky, this Italian-style pie is everything that a savory pie should be. Eat it for breakfast, with a salad as a light lunch, or even as a dinnertime side dish—the possibilities are endless with such a uniquely versatile dish.

Mushroom Pie [allrecipes.com]
Mushroom lovers will simply adore this dense, flavorful pie that is filled with fresh mushrooms. Swiss cheese and heavy cream give it a deliciously rich taste, while bacon acts as a surprise ingredient to offset the earthy taste of the mushrooms.

Leek and Bacon Pie [huffingtonpost.com]
Although this dish technically looks like a pie, it doesn’t have the usual pastry crust. Instead, a savory custard layer acts as the base for all of the delicious bacon and leeks inside, and a crumbly top gives it just the right amount of extra crunch. It may seem complicated, but this pie includes only seven ingredients and takes just 45 minutes in the oven.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/cookbookman17

In French, “tout de suite” translates to “right away”, which is appropriate for a place that serves cupcakes so decadent, you’ll want to hurry in to try them. While Houston's Tout Suite Cafe is a combination bakery and cafe that specializes in cupcakes, that's not all that you’ll find on the expansive menu here. Salted caramel and tiramisu cupcakes mingle with Vietnamese steak sandwiches and avocados stuffed with quinoa and fried eggs, while cold-pressed juices and hot, fresh coffees are available to wash it all down.

The restaurant’s spacious interior has a stylish, industrial vibe, with long, communal tables, smaller cafe tables, and bare lights hanging from the ceiling. There are even benches covered in pillows where you can cozy up with your laptop to catch up on work!

Tout Suite Cafe is open daily.

Tout Suite Cafe
2001 Commerce St.
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 227-8688
www.toutsuite.co
www.yelp.com/biz/tout-suite-cafe-houston

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr marfis75