Soup Dumplings and the Quiet Hours

I dream of the days when things go back to some semblance of normalcy; when friends can gather freely, show affection, even catch up over a drink and some heavy bar music; when old acquaintances can be in close quarters to hear about everything that’s been missed over the months. I can’t wait to embrace my friends, to drive around Houston with them blasting loud music and finding an abandoned parking garage with a view of the city we call home. Upon the gradual opening of establishments and the return to an adjusted form of normal, I have the perfect itinerary for my first day out.

I’ll wake up a little later than my usual 7am alarm, taking my time to put on some makeup and finding the perfect outfit. I’ll probably wear my pink gingham dress so I can just throw something easy on whilst looking cute, pairing it with my Nike Air Force Ones. Then I’ll meet my three best friends at Yauatcha, arguably the best Dim Sum in Houston. They are unrivaled in the quality of their food and the level of service; the word I would use to describe Yauatcha is perfect. Utterly perfect. My absolute favorite dish there are the soup dumplings, steaming and packed full of savory, silky pork broth and a well endowed mixture of scallions and pork, with just a dash of spice. I could eat six of seven in one sitting, regardless of nearly burning my mouth with each bite. Of course we’ll have to wash it down with a perfectly paired oolong tea, which aids in digestion, and then it’s onto the next activity. My favorite second hand store is Petty Cash; their collection of high quality, name brand sneakers and obscure, unique pieces makes every trip successful. We’ll take our time going through the pieces, talking and laughing maybe every few seconds before having a 90s movie-worthy montage, a fashion show of all the pieces we found. We may come away with three or four items, each, to celebrate our glorious reunion.

The next move would definitely to go to a local popsicle shop, Steel City Pops, for their legendary sweet tea popsicles. We used to get the sweet tea popsicles every year at a multi-school arts festival, where Steel City was always one of the main vendors. So we’ll get a few sweet tea pops to go, before we go sit in the park outside of the Menil Collection, a beautiful eclectic, privately owned rotating art gallery. The park out there is so peaceful, as well as provides a seamless transition from the hustling city to a more suburban perspective. After laying out there for hours, talking, listening to good vibes, and eating our pops, we’ll go to grab a bottle of cheap champagne before going to our favorite parking garage, our special, hidden gem. It overlooks the entire city, and is always deserted. The entrance is almost hidden, you would never know that the most beautiful view of Houston is from the top of that garage. I found it when I was in high school, and since high school, I’ve only taken my closest friends up there. It’s almost a safe place for me and my friends. The last place I go before I leave home is always that parking garage, watching the sunrise and sitting there thinking before I make a monumental move. So with that being said, we’ll go up to that parking garage, champers in hand, and play some new, underground music. It’ll start off with some really high energy music, music for us to jump around to and to laugh to, before switching to a mellow vibe, opening up the trunk of my truck, and looking at the skyline as we fall deep into thought, talking about less surface level topics and addressing deeper, more personal ideas going around in our heads. We’ll talk until the wee hours of the morning, sharing some good music, good champagne, and good company for the first time, since quarantine began. We’ll finally realize that we’ll be living in the good old days, instead of reminiscing about other times.