Name the occasion—we've got the perfect spot to celebrate it. Let's take a look at this week's picks for where to go for a coffee date, a special-occasion seafood dinner and a birthday breakfast.

Coffee Date

Salento Cafe & Wine Bar
2407 Rice Blvd.
713-528-7478
salentowinecafe.com

At some point or another in all of our lives, we must consider where to "meet up for coffee"—the phrase is usually interchangeable with "a drink," "lunch," or "a glass of wine." Whether we drink coffee is irrelevant. The point of this meeting and spending time with another person.

As a coffee addict and blueberry muffin fiend, I came across a spot that, in my opinion, was made for a coffee date: Salento Cafe & Wine Bar in the heart of Rice Village. In a pedestrian-friendly area surrounded by shops and restaurants, this is a true sidewalk cafe. The space itself is warm and inviting, with romantic murals painted on the wall and an intimate dining room. Soft, classical music plays in the background, and the fragrant aroma of fresh, baked pastries fill the air. Wi-fi is free, so it's a great place to post up for a few hours.

Salento transitions from coffee bar by day to wine bar by night, with a variety of wines by the glass or bottle. Menu selections include caprese salad, cheese and charcuterie, Campo Bello pizette, and salmon risotto. 

Special-Occasion Seafood Dinner

There's something so festive and fun about dining on seafood, oysters and wine at a beautiful seafood restaurant, and for that, a visit to Holley's in Midtown is a must.

Holley's Seafood & Oyster Bar
3201 Louisiana St.
713-491-2222
holleyshouston.com

Chef Mark Holley's fine-dining haven for seafood lovers sits on the bustling corner of Elgin and Louisiana, giving it a stunning downtown backdrop. The restaurant features a trendy bar, exquisite dining room, and a menu of dishes made from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and fresh-caught seafood brought in daily from the Gulf. Portions are generous, so plan on sharing if you want to make it to the dessert course. One of the more remarkable seasonal dishes on the menu for this spring is the Dayboat Scallops topped with herb salad, carmerlized onions, pomegranate and Texas grapefruit—phenomenal. Top-notch service is the icing on the cake, no matter what you're celebrating. 

Birthday Breakfast

Weights & Measures
2808 Caroline St.
713-654-1970
weights-measures.com

Weights + Measures, the Midtown restaurant Houstonia reviewed in our April issue, quickly became a neighborhood hot spot soon after its opening earlier this year. Between the hours of 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. on any given day, you can drop by and experience all that this diverse eatery has to offer. From the bake shop to the bar, the team at W+M has raised the bar for other restaurants as it can manage all of the moving parts and execute each component of the one stop shop beautifully.

Though I find it a fantastic new spot to celebrate a birthday at any time of day, the fact that they offer a remarkable breakfast menu daily from 7 a.m. onward sets this place apart. The delicious offerings include the truffle egg and salmon sandwich, baked ciabatta french toast, and cake donuts with fried chicken, along with a kids menu for your little foodies. Large tables fill the bright, spacious dining room, and the contemporary decor make it a fun place to celebrate your special day.

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