Blake Whitaker

John Edwards: Still A Houston Press Exclusive!

John Edwards Admits He (Kinda) Lied To The Houston Press

The Facts of LifeBag

Photos by Blake WhitakerPreparation is keyImagine a catastrophic hurricane has severed communication with the outside world. You're thirsty, but the water coming out of the tap is contaminated. Society has devolved into lawlessness, and your neighbors have stolen your bottled water by torchlight. Th ... More >>

Quanell Critics, Harvard Law and Extreme Recycling

Highlights From The Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

Drive-Thru Prayer

Jesus is a convenient guy

RIP, Some of Our Best Of Houston® Winners

Hardly Knew Ye

John Edwards, The IRA and Jesus Christ

The Fugitive

The Facts of LifePack

Photos by Blake WhitakerPreparation is keyImagine a catastrophic hurricane has severed communication with the outside world. You're thirsty, but the water coming out of the tap is contaminated. Society has devolved into lawlessness, and your neighbors have stolen your bottled water by torchlight. Th ... More >>

This Week In Deliciousness

Photo by Robb WalshI can't write this column on an empty stomach. It's difficult to maintain your trademark acerbic wit when all you can think is, "I would literally murder somebody for that hamburger / pizza / pastry / whatever insane but incredible dish from Feast we've featured this week." ... More >>

$7 at Cali Sandwich

Photos by Blake WhitakerWhere: Cali Sandwich What $7 gets you: Delicious Vietnamese sandwiches, and then some. For seven bucks, you can purchase some greasy burger-joint fare, which is similar to methadone in its ability to induce sickly listlessness and regret. Or, if you're near Midtown, you can ... More >>

Realizing You Don't Have What It Takes To Want To Be A Millionaire

Photos by Blake WhitakerOn the way to our first ever game-show tryout today, we saw what we took at the time to be cosmic encouragement. Competing for space in Airline Drive's forest of signage was the Moonlight Inn marquee, which spoke to us: "You are awake. Don't dream it -- do it." Of cour ... More >>

The Beginning Of The End For Wilshire Village

Photos by Blake Whitaker​It looks like Wilshire Village, that strange, 1940s apartment complex on West Alabama and Dulavy, is finally facing the wrecking ball. Based on what we've observed so far, the demolition is still in the foreplay stages -- a little sidewalk-breakin', some strategically bl ... More >>

Trying to feed the homeless? Not so fast! Meanwhile, METRO blows $80K congratulating itself.

Highlights from the Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

A Taste of the Divine

Photo by Katharine ShilcuttThe rare creature herself, captured in the wild​To paraphrase Wayne Campbell, Saint Arnold's Divine Reserve No. 8 is "a fox. In France, she'd be called la renard. Hunted, with only her cunning to protect her." And hunted she truly is. The extremely limited-productio ... More >>

Boosted Booze and Marvin's Angels

Highlights from the Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

Civil Discourse?

Highlights from the Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

Election Day In Houston Is As Thrilling As Expected

Photos by Blake WhitakerELECTION FEVER!!!!!! You probably won't catch it.​Outside the East End's Settegast Park Community Center this morning, the situation was getting out of hand. Annise Parker and Gene Locke campaign workers were engaged in a shouting matching over one of the myriad issues that ... More >>

The Very Center Of The Center

Photo by Blake Whitaker​ We always knew it -- even with the closing of the Bookstop, the corner of Alabama and Shepherd is the center of the world. Or the "Center of the World Center," as the city's public works department might put it.We can only be glad that the Amboy Dukes didn't hire the DPW t ... More >>

This Week In Deliciousness

So wait... someone who doesn't live in a dorm sells Frito Pie made with Doritos?​ Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where today's snowfall has got us breaking out the 55-gallon drum of chicken soup. We started the week off with Greenway Barista's daring proclamati ... More >>

Aftermath: How Many Bodies Washed Up At Our Washington Shore Party?

Photos by Son LamTonight's the Night: The fist-pumping contest got pretty heated.​Well... zero, in traditional New Jersey cement-shoes terminology. But despite the miserable weather, which did its part to create a proper Jersey Shore atmosphere, Rocks Off's Washington Shore party filled the Washin ... More >>

Mai's -- The Photos (Updated)

Photos by Craig Hlavaty​Houston fire officials say no one was hurt in the fire at Mai's, but there does seem to be extensive damage. A busboy told Hair Balls that the fire "started in the back" but everyone was able to quickly evacuate the building. The damage seems most severe on the second flo ... More >>

No Pho-king Way: Bye-Bye Mai's, At Least For Now

Update: The official HFD release says "Houston Fire Department arson investigators have ruled the cause of a fire at Mai's Restaurant on Milam due to a cooking fire (wok)." Photos by Craig Hlavaty​Firefighters continue to battle the blaze at Mai's, and reports are grim. (In terms of property, at ... More >>

Food Fight: Battle Empanadas

Photos by Katharine ShilcuttEmpanadas with a side of chimichurri sauce.​It's not often that we get so grossed out by a certain food item that we nearly immediately throw it in the garbage, walk away from the entire plate and go off to sulk angrily, our appetites lost for the rest of the day. U ... More >>

You Won't Be Waiting Long If You Vote Today

​This item is by Chris Vogel, Craig Malisow and Blake Whitaker.It's 11 a.m. at the Third Ward Multi-Service Center. The expansive, modern facility is spotless, the voting computers are shiny new, and poll workers are lined up behind a rectangular table, organized and ready for action.Only thing is ... More >>

World Cup 2010, As Seen From The Bars In The Pre-Noon Hours

Photo by Monica FuentesAttack of the vuvuzuelas​With the U.S. down 1-0 early -- again -- the mood at Sawyer Park on Washington Avenue was somber.Those who had skipped work, or skipped doing whatever it is people with trust funds do in the morning, to pack the sports bar for the 9 a.m. match agains ... More >>

The Buffet of Despair: Inspired by Are You Gonna Eat That?!

​Think your food predilections are a little weird? Local author Steve Wiley has your penchant for peanut butter and banana sandwiches beat with his new book, Are You Gonna Eat That?!: A Collection of Crazy Culinary Concoctions. According to Wiley, the book was a long time coming: The idea an ... More >>