Hilton Hotels Corporation

The Best Hip-Hop at SXSW 2013

I remember going to SXSW a few years ago without a place to sleep, less than $100 to spend, no agenda, badge, wristband, or RSVP. I bar-hopped up and down Red River, made friends, snuck into Stubb's, ate cheese pizza and drank Lone Star. After years of busting my ass as a music photographer and wri ... More >>

All-Star Friday: Rookies, Legends and Media Chaos

Admittedly, I've never been to an All-Star event, definitely not as a member of the media, but one thing is for sure: this isn't a weeknight Rockets game. Players, celebrities and media descended on downtown Houston for All-Star weekend 2013 and filled every square inch of space in the Toyota Center ... More >>

Rap Capitalism

ScoreMore is the successful byproduct of booking agents Sascha Stone Guttfreund and Claire Bogle trying to deliver the acts they wanted to see.

Big Wins for Chris Shepherd and Bobby Heugel at the 2012 My Table Houston Culinary Awards

It wasn't quite a Lord of the Rings-style Oscars sweep for Underbelly last night at the 2012 Houston Culinary Awards -- the restaurant didn't win in every category in which it was nominated -- but chef Chris Shepherd and mixologist/bar owner/restaurateur Bobby Heugel took home four awards between th ... More >>

Dust Off Your Flannel

Does the looming '90s revival presage a Nirvana-style breakthrough?

Highway Robbery at the Sheraton New York or A Cautionary Tale of Minibar Snickers

As long as I've known about that monstrous invention known as the hotel mini-bar, I have also known better than to satisfy my hunger and thirst with its overpriced wares. The first time I encountered a mini-bar was at an Embassy Suites during a family vacation to Philadelphia. The idea of staying in ... More >>

BlackFinn's Average American

Midtown "grille" offers something for everyone.

Healthcare for Homeless Head Meets Michelle Obama, Gets Big Surprise Check

As founder and president of Healthcare for the Homeless -- Houston (HHH), Dr. David Buck is a busy man. So busy, in fact, he was taken aback when his office got a voice message from U.S. Representative Gene Green's wife Helen saying that she would like Dr. Buck to attend the Centennial First Lady's ... More >>

In Search of Spring Break

Looking for booze, babes and beach parties on Galveston Island

Health Department Roundup

We're kind of disappointed there's not a flash-point restaurant or bar in this week's crop of inspection reports - the kind of place that usually brings out the worst in bitchy internet commenters. No one gets worked up about the food-service area of the Hampton Inn on I-10. It's spotless, by the wa ... More >>

The Best (Fake) SXSW 2012 Rumors So Far

It happens every year: an errant rumor turns Austin and SXSW upside down for a few hours or even days, leading to mass hysteria, mild apathy, and sometimes sadness. At my first SXSW in 2001, I got a "hot tip" that the Beastie Boys were going to join Mix Master Mike at La Zona Rosa for a secret show, ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Kevin Naderi of Roost

Photos by Mai PhamChef/Owner Kevin Naderi of Roost​It's not often that a small restaurant becomes an instant hit, but from what I could see on a busy Tuesday night with a small line forming at the door, neighborhood eatery Roost possesses everything it needs to make it -- a small, cozy space; ... More >>

The Super Bowl Prostitution Hoax

Indianapolis mobilizes for an epic battle with an urban legend.

Frankie Sanders: Union Boss Put in Travel Vouchers for Hotels Closed by Katrina

Make sure your fake receipts are not for closed hotels.​If you're going to rip your union off for $10,000 by putting in fake travel vouchers, don't put in one showing you stayed at a New Orleans hotel while it was closed because of huge Hurricane Katrina damage. It's just common sense. Con Ar ... More >>

“Bayou City Noir: The Photography of Marvin Zindler”

“Bayou City Noir: The Photography of Marvin Zindler”

SXSW Find: Valerie June At The 18th Floor Hilton Garden Inn

Craig Hlavaty​ Each year at SXSW there are certain artists that you find either by sticking around after the artist you came for, or coming to the venue early, for said artist you came for. Memphis' Valerie June is our first and best find so far this year, coming directly after Buxton at the 1 ... More >>

SXSW: Local Band Makes Good, A Wild Flag, DJ Quik & A Witch

Photos this page by Marc BrubakerBuxton​Marc Brubaker: For Rocks Off, sometimes SXSW isn't about seeing new bands or drinking until Sixth Street becomes a blurry swath of humanity. It's nice to check in with our hometown boys and see how they are received by the ears and arms of the masses in ... More >>

SXSW Music, Day One, Minus One...

Craig Hlavaty​Tuesday marked the first full day that Rocks Off was on the ground for this year's South By Southwest in Austin, and it was also the last day of the interactive and film portions of the ten-day festival. This made for some fun culture-clash, as the typically tech-driven and nerdier h ... More >>

SXSW For Dummies: Keep That Beer In Your Pocket

Photos by Stacy SchwarzYes, that's Superbad's Michael Cera playing bass with Mister Heavenly at Bat Bar (wherever that is) Tuesday.​See more SXSW silliness from Tuesday in our slideshow. It's time: this week, hordes of bands and interlopers will descend upon Austin and do their best to take i ... More >>

2011 South By Southwest Supplement

Buxton takes its bump to the roots-rock big leagues in stride.

Death by Disco — ‘70s Murder Mystery Dinner Show and Dance Party

Terry Grier Girds His Loins And Wants You to Do the Same

Photos by Margaret DowningFormer Governor Mark White with Terry Grier​Declaring "we can't afford to press the pause button on our children's education," Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier vowed to continue doing the things he believes have to be done, even if the Texas economy is in the cr ... More >>

Brew Blog: Boulevard Brewing Company's Unfiltered Wheat Beer

​Ever since my business unit got stuck in Austin for nearly a month during Hurricane Ike, living out of the Embassy Suites on South Congress, my kids have been deeply infatuated with the place. Not Austin, mind you, but that hotel. The "Nightly Manager's Reception" has a lot to do with that. F ... More >>

On-Campus Houston Concerts Now Ancient History

​ For lots more posters from Hofheinz, see below and our slideshow. Essentially, universities in Houston don't have rock concerts anymore. In fact, pretty much all across America, institutions of higher learning are focusing less on bringing in live entertainment for students and more on bui ... More >>

Bartender Chat: Mindy Kucan of Anvil Bar & Refuge

​Mindy Kucan, who was named Best Bartender in the 2010 Best of Houston® issue of the Press, used to commute to Houston for her shifts at Anvil. "I'm originally from Houston, but had moved to Austin to bartend at the Hilton. Then I got the job at Anvil in November of 2009, and I would commute ... More >>

Bryan Caswell: No Pity

​Last night, half of Houston tuned in to watch Chef Bryan Caswell of REEF and Little Big's represent the Bayou City on the Food Network's newest show: Next Iron Chef. I didn't watch it. I was catcalling people from the back of a banquet room at the Hilton during the otherwise classy My Table ... More >>

The Houston Culinary Awards Get a Facelift

Photo courtesy of My TableThe steel awards themselves (no more glass!) weren't the only new things this year.​"You can't help but feel great when you're honored and respected by your peers and Houston diners," said Sean Beck today, after bringing home a stunning two awards at the annual My Tab ... More >>

Pop Rocks: Hope Justin Bieber Dies Before He Gets Old

​Oh, calm down. This isn't a call for the murder of American's favorite prepubescent pop idol. Sure, the former YouTube sensation from Stratford, Ontario who dresses and talks (and Tweets) like a diminutive Tupac Shakur has made more money in the last two years than you or I will see in ten li ... More >>

2nd Annual Houston Fine Mineral Show

Can't afford diamonds? Try some mineral crystals.

It's Not Easy Being Green: How Venues And Festivals Handle All That Garbage

Marco TorresSold-out Jay-Z crowd = A lot of trash at Toyota Center.​ On any given night, 18,000 to 25,000 people fill the Toyota Center, whether to watch the Rockets play or to see Lady Gaga in full regalia. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces more than ... More >>

Snackshot: Moonshine

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​If you've got some cash to spare at SXSW and you love comfort food, Moonshine (303 Red River) will scratch your itch in more ways than one. Located directly across Red River from the downtown Hilton -- no cabs or buses needed -- this high-end down-home restaurant i ... More >>

Run Through The Jungle: A Zoological Field Guide To SXSW 2010

​ Even if you've never pulled a trigger in your life, SXSW is, on some level, an exercise in hunting. Rocks Off had no idea how true this was until earlier this afternoon. As we were looking over the schedule at sxsw.com, we got the brilliant idea to note every band named after any kind of animal, ... More >>

Face-Recognition Software At A Hotel? What Could Go Wrong?

​If you're classy and rich enough to get your mid-day nookie-on-the-side at the Hilton Americas, be warned: Your face is going into a database.The hotel has announced that it's installed a security system that uses "facial recognition, license plate recognition and advanced motion analytics." It d ... More >>

Here's One Vote Against A New Dynamo Stadium

​So the Houston Dynamo are upset that Harris County hasn't yet given them money for their planned pleasure palace. Well cry me a river.I'm not sure if the Dynamo have noticed, but there's a rather severe recession going on in the country right now. And though the Dynamo are only asking for ten ... More >>

Breakfast Row on Westheimer

Photo by Robb Walsh Personally, I am pretty fond of the under $3 breakfast specials at Houston taquerias like Jesus Maria on Spencer Highway or Kiko's on Fulton. But when I have to entertain visiting grandparents at breakfast time, I head for the stretch of Westheimer just east of Beltway 8 nea ... More >>

Houston: Come for the Renovations, Stay for the Electric Cabs

While trolling the nether regions of the UK press, we came upon this, touting the wonders of Houston as a luxury vacation spot. It's all enough to make Hair Balls wish it didn't live here already so it could start making travel plans now!We cannot help but imagine how impressed our luxury-seeking Li ... More >>

Five Spot: Breaking Out the Musical Ugly Stick

John Edwards, The IRA and Jesus Christ

The Fugitive

WHY?, The Black and a nice surprise back at the hotel

Letters to the Editor

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Trench Warfare

There's a hole carved out of the earth 32 feet deep, 210 feet wide, and 400 feet long near the Texas-Mexico border.

Hotel Whitewash

What do the FBI and developer Wayne Duddlesten have in common?

Press Picks

Grade A

At the University of Houston, Barron's makes college food like you've never seen

Press Picks

Coffee with Betti and the FBI

Lightning strikes the ReBates Hotel; death toll unknown

Hotel Hell