Six Fun Ideas For Making Memorial Day 2020 Special
Friends and family are sure to plan time together in observance of the holiday. While we pause to honor the military hero’s who’ve passed in service to our Country, we’re also sad for the those who’ve lost loved ones or fallen ill to the coronavirus. This Memorial Day 2020 holiday in Houston will be unlike any other in our history.
Many worry about staying safe as we return to work or venture out to our favorite nearby shops, stores restaurants and eateries. Some folks are not able or ready yet, and that’s okay. For those who are getting out and about, Town & Country Village is here for you. We’ve been Houston’s go-to West-Side shopping and dining destination for more than four decades. Whether you want to have family gatherings at home, meet a friend out or get some much-needed shopping done, we’ve curated some must dos for making your Memorial Day weekend special.
#1. Kick-off Your Memorial Day 2020 Weekend With Something Sweet & Savory
There’s no better way to kick-off a holiday weekend than with great food! Town & Country Village has fifteen fantastic restaurants and eateries now open. Most with dine-in and take-out options.
Go For The Ice Cream, Pastries’ & Cappuccinos
The simple pleasure of treating yourself to a divinely crafted dessert or freshly baked bread boosts that happy feeling. If you want to serve up heavenly pastries, breads and desserts without all the work, Town & Country Village is the place for you this Memorial Day weekend. Here’s our top stops for making the weekend a little sweeter.
La Madeleine French Bakery & Café
Welcome to our favorite French escape, where you can unwind on the shaded patio or inside near a cozy corner. The awesome array of viennoiserie, pâtisserie, breads, coffee, wine, sandwiches and picnic-friendly sharables will make this holiday more like a staycation. You can’t go wrong with the fresh baked croissants, French baguettes, cappuccinos, expressos and delicate pastries. Prefer to-go? Your French faves can be delivered to your car. Just order online or through the App, pre-pay, call 713 465-7370 and press “4”. Your sealed order will be delivered to your car. Bon appétit!
Creamistry
The name of this shop says it all. Fresh cream made frozen with liquid nitrogen. It freezes up ever so creamy. There’s more than 60 delightful flavors and toppings to choose from. Madagascar Vanilla Bean, Cheesecake, Milk Coffee and Thai Tea top our favorites list. Signature Creations like Quantum Coffee, Elemint and Strawberry Bond are to-die-for. Just as popular are the custom nitroshakes, affogatos and ice cream sandwiches. Pick up pints to go for your next Netflix binge. There’s also vegan, dairy-free and organic options.
Randalls Signature Café and Bakery
The Signature Café and Bakery in Randalls is well worth a stop if you’re planning a big weekend breakfast for your family. Impress them with a Continental breakfast spread of Glazed Donuts, Chery Turnovers, Danish Bear Paws, Cinnamon Rolls, Blueberry Muffins, Raison Bread, Bagels and Cream Cheese. Want to add some Deli trays for your weekend fridge sharks? Randalls can prepare to your liking for same-day pickup.
#2. Plan A Casual-Fare Memorial Day Meetup With Friends
We know you’ve missed seeing your besties. Make a date to catch up on your latest quarantine coping sagas like home haircuts gone wrong or your best and worst picks on streaming movies, podcasts and shows.
Café Express
This colorful modern Café is near Beltway 8 and Kimberly Lane. It’s an ideal place for meeting up with your friends, who you probably haven’t seen since the lock-downs began. Café Express original recipes were created by founder, Chef Robert Del Grande – a James Beard Award Winner. The cuisine was inspired by European café cuisine and Del Grande’s Southwest roots. The signature salads, hearty sandwiches, juicy burgers, pasta and grilled entrees are creatively prepared and made fresh from scratch. The portions are ample enough to share, even though you won’t want to. There’s also pretty patio dining, a kid’s menu and to-go via pickup or delivery.
In addition to Café Express don’t forget to include a stop for the legendary hot dogs, coney islands, and burgers at James Coney Island, a Houston favorite. They’re having a hotdog of a deal On Memorial Day – get 10 original coneys for $10. And there’s no limit, dine-in or take-out. (Cheese .30 cents per coney extra). Just as popular is the magnificently fresh Mediterranean fare at Zoe’s Kitchen. Both have outdoor patios and socially distanced seating. For foodie fanatics who are staying at home, pick up a Memorial holiday feast at Quizno’s Subs or Snooze An AM Eatery, both have extensive to-go menu options.
#3. Have A Festive Memorial Day Barbecue
Prefer to celebrate and cook at home this Memorial Day weekend? Omaha Steaks has everything you need for a family cookout in one easy stop. There’s specialty steaks like the butchers cut Filet Mignon, seafood; Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, Split Lobster Tail, gourmet meats; Lamb Veal, Bison Roasts, Poultry, Pork, wine pairings and amazing starters and sides. One side dish we can’t do without are the Steakhouse Hash Browns, made with Parmesan cheese and green onions. Look for a smoking deal on the Gourmet Stock-Up Package: 29 items all for the combo price of $179.00 includes five gourmet meat varieties, sides and cheesecake!
To top off the evening gather round the tube for the all-American, National Memorial Day Concert. Every year PBS hosts a star-studded concert on the Sunday before Memorial Day. This year, it airs on Sunday, May 24th at 8 p.m. Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise will co-host a special presentation. Enjoy performances by Grammy-nominated member of the Grand Ole Opry Trace Adkins; Grammy Award-winning gospel legend CeCe Winans and the National Symphony Orchestra and more. Let the entertainment begin!
#4. Get Ready For Summer!
Take advantage of the three-day weekend to plan for upcoming summer holidays and your summer fun. Get ready for Father’s Day June 21st, Independence Day July 4th and we hope Back-to-School in August. Plan a Summer staycation weekend with a little pampering. TCV is a destination in its own right, the area is perfect for strolling, shopping and settling down for a nice dinner. Design your day with private in-store shopping by appointment, a steak dinner with fine wine at Flemings Steakhouse or a seafood feast at McCormick & Schmick’s. Add to that a new hair style, manicure and pedicure and you’re golden. Make the summer of 2020 eventful with the merchants you love at Town & Country Village.
Celebrate Dad
Father’s Day will be here before you know it! Don’t wait until the last minute to find the perfect gift for Dad. Plenty of shops are open and this Memorial Day weekend at Town & Country Village. Our friendly merchants will help you find that special gift, even for the hardest to shop for Dad. We’re gifting the men in our life to a much-needed hair-cut at Town Square Barber Shop along with shoe-shines, and leather boot restorations at The Village Cobbler.
If distance is keeping you away from Dad this Father’s Day, send him a thoughtful care package. Great gifts are available at Mine Gifts & Monograms, Gap and many of our other retailers. Parcels & Packages can easily handle your shipping needs.
Boost-Your-Brain Power With Books, Games, Videos & Learning
Young or old, it’s important to keep our brains active. Barnes & Noble opens for in-store shopping May 22nd and has wonderful books for summer reading. Think bestsellers, mysteries, biographies, histories, sci-fi, romance or the latest novels and non-fiction titles. Hot new releases include The Hunger Games prequel, John Grisham’s Camino Wind and Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner. Check out the 100 Books of Summer lists for teens, young adults and young readers. There’s also movies, TV and music videos as well as toys, games and more for kids. You can even join the B&N Bookclub!
Learning Express brings the joy of toys home for your kids. With countless educational and fun toys, your children can enjoy entertaining, quality screen-free time. Best sellers are the Doinkit Darts, Jellyfish Lamp, Super Stadium Baseball Game and Shashibo Shape Shifting Boxes. Get the whole family involved and stock up for summertime family game nights! The friendly ladies at Learning Express are able to help you find the best toys and games for any age and interest.
# 5. Carve Out Some Me Time
Let’s face it, quarantine has not been easy and it’s time for some self-care as we transition back to a more normal life. These Town & Country Village merchants have products and services that support and inspire self-care rituals.
Relax The Back
This health centered retailer provides a holistic approach to their definition of the six categories of health: sleep, recliners, massage, fitness, travel and office products. Put healthier and happier back into your life with essential ergonomic and wellness products that relieve and prevent back and neck pain. Shop a smart selection of relaxation, lifestyle and innovative back products. The Gym Ball and Exercise and Therapy Foam Rollers are must have’s for super stress relief.
Athleta
Get your Zen on all while looking good. For the weekend yoga warrior, to the seasoned athlete, Athleta has the high-performance wear you need to get back out there. Keeping active makes us feel good, looking great while we do it makes us feel even better. Athleta’s activewear is road, court and water tested. They give us the perfect balance of performance and style. Creating your own yoga and stretch space at home? The yoga mats by Manduka® and eQua come in a variety of colors and provide the right amount of cushion and comfort. You’ll defiantly want to check them out.
The Bar Method
Continue your self-care regimen with The Bar Method, who is reopening the day after Memorial Day on May 26th. They have ultra-cleaning and sanitizing procedures in place and are following new policies to maintain social distancing. The Bar Method delivers long, lean sculpted muscles, fat burning cardio, and a feeling of personal strength, confidence and poise, all in an hour. Every Bar Method class starts with a warm-up and upper-body exercises, followed by a sequence of leg and seat work at the barre and core exercises on the floor. If you’re not ready to join the in-studio classes checkout the daily livestream classes via @barmethodhoustonmemoriallive.
Celebrate National Meditation & Mental Health Month
Did you know May is both National Mediation Month and National Mental Health Month? You may want to learn more about mindful meditation which leads to improved mental health at Headspace. Headspace is a global leader in meditation and mindfulness through its meditation app and has over 65M users across 190 countries. Use this collection of exercises to infuse a little more mindfulness into your Memorial Day weekend. Anyone can try Headspace on a two-week trial basis for free.
#6. Give Your Living Space Some Love This Holiday Weekend
TCV has three remarkable home décor purveyors to help you enhance your living space. No matter what room you’re working on, or your budget, you can enliven any space with stylish accessories, art accents or a smart piece of furniture. We’ve got the winning trifecta of home décor shopping! Come and explore these stores.
The Accessory Place
This stylish shop has fine home furnishings, art work, accessories, gifts and spectacular silk floral arrangements. Chat with their talented sales staff and team of gifted designers who’ve been beautifully furnishing Houston area homes for close to 30 years.
Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn’s expertly crafted collections offer a wide range of stylish indoor and outdoor furniture, accessories, decor and more, for every room in your home.
Cocooners will love PB’s easy-breezy bedding collections. Explore their bath section for luxurious towels and handsome bathroom accessories. Consider adding decorative trays and bowls to your rooms for function plus personality.
Williams Sonoma
This iconic brand is all about home-life. They have everything you need to fully outfit your kitchen or your latest cooking craze. Baking to grilling they have you covered. We adore their foodie and beverage products. Specialty waffle and pancake mixes, dipping oils, cooking sauces to gourmet chocolate and candy are must haves for our pantry. On the home décor front, shop the quintessential California look. WSH’s furniture, accessories, lighting and bedding selections will take you back at the beach in style.
Bonus: Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma offer complimentary design services.
Merchants Are Practicing Safety & Social Distancing Guidelines
The merchants at Town & Country Village are glad to be reopening. With all the latest safety protocols and social distancing requirements in place, they have everyone’s safety in mind. Please support these fine local merchants this Memorial Day Weekend.
