Portugal

Seasons 52 Opens Today with a Full Menu of Dishes Under 475 Calories

Seasons 52, the new restaurant located in the new Millennium complex on Westheimer adjacent to Bo Concept, is opening to the public today. "The name Seasons 52 represents the 52 weeks of the year," said Reuben Rolf, the managing partner. "Every week, our menu offers a side panel of new dishes that ... More >>

5 Essential Foods for a Lucky, Healthy, Prosperous New Year, with Recipes

All throughout the world, different cultures have their own way of celebrating and ushering in the New Year. (And, of course, not everyone celebrates the New Year on January 1.) And while most Texans are familiar with the idea of having a pot of black-eyed peas or Hoppin' John on New Year's Day, the ... More >>

Top 10 Restaurants in Greenway Plaza

Last week, we took a look at the 10 best restaurants in Upper Kirby, a part of town that abuts this week's spotlighted neighborhood: Greenway Plaza. While it's considerably more difficult to define Greenway Plaza than Upper Kirby -- which has strictly set boundaries, unlike the area around the mast ... More >>

Openings & Closings: Downtown Derring-Do

Restaurants and bars are betting on downtown in increasing numbers, as more business owners perform daring feats like -- gasp! -- moving into vacant spaces on Main Street or taking over failed locations with zest and zeal. Now that I've gotten all of the Errol Flynn language out of my system for th ... More >>

A Marshall Plan for Mexico?

Euro 2012 Final: Houstonians Love Fútbol

According to UEFA predictions, approximately 250 million soccer fans tuned in to watch the Euro 2012 final match on Sunday evening. Compare that to the 111 million that watched this year's Super Bowl, and you get an idea as to the impact and significance of this event. The game pitted reigning champ ... More >>

Mahler & Mendelssohn

Woodlands Wine & Food Week to Take Place June 4 to 10

Food and wine lovers, rejoice. Just a few short days away is a big-time celebration of gourmet cuisine and marvelous vino. The annual Woodlands festival, put on by the event-planning extraordinaires at Food and Vine Time Productions, and now in its eighth year, is slated to draw more than 10,000 att ... More >>

Notes From a Kitchen: Chefs' Obsession Asks: Are Chefs Artists?

Photo by Patrise Shuttleworth​Notes From a Kitchen: A Journey Inside Culinary Obsession is like a VIP pass to a chef's stream of consciousness: all those secret ideas, moments of inspiration, ingredients, preparation, serving vessels and flavor memories, finally revealed. Every chef has them. ... More >>

Portuguese Palate

Houstonians get a taste straight from the home country.

Take a Staycation at Portugallia

Last year, my favorite Houston restaurant in which to take a staycation -- you know, pretending you're out of town on some food adventure when in fact you've really got $20 in the bank once the meal is over -- was Cafe Mawal. At this little converted house near the Galleria, it always feels like be ... More >>

Ingredient of the Week: Black-Eyed Peas

Happy New Year! Forget that pesky diet; start off 2012 on the right (lucky) foot with some black-eyed peas. (We're talking the legume, not the music group.) Eating black-eyed peas on New Year's for good luck and prosperity has long been a southern tradition. Some say it stems from Rosh Hashana, ... More >>

The Film Issue: 10+

The Film Issue

Looking back on the year in movies, and what's coming in 2012.

SPECIAL CONQUISTADOR EDITION

Wine of the Week: A Delicious Portuguese Quaffer

​This weekend found us at Canyon Lake where Tracie P's family (they're from Orange) takes their summer vacation every year. The menu at the lake varies very little and the fare is invariably lip-smackingly delicious. This year my favs were Tracie P's King Ranch Chicken and my mother-in-law Mrs ... More >>

Free Radicals Blend Break-Dancing, Capoeira Into Fitz's Show

​The Free Radicals remain an institution of incredible sound here in H-town, having amassed 13 Houston Press Music Awards in the realms of jazz and funk since their inception in 1996, as well as making a name for themselves as one of the city's most prolific protest bands. So when founder Nick ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Shiva Patel of the Queen Vic Pub and Kitchen

​Yesterday we spoke with Chef Shiva Patel about how she came to start new British- and Indian-inspired restaurant, the Queen Vic. In today's segment, we learn more about her culturally rich heritage and how it's manifested on the playful menu. EOW: Culturally speaking, both the Queen Vic and ... More >>

Five Fortuitous New Year's Foods

A30_TsitikaEat grapes for smooth sailing in 2011. ​Not like you need any excuse to stuff yourself during the holidays, but take heed of what you eat around December 31st if you're interested in a little extra good fortune. Depending on who you ask, certain foods -- if consumed on New Year's -- ... More >>

Top Eight Notorious Concert Disasters

Daniel R. Davidson via WikipediaThe Station fire in West Warwick, R.I., 40 seconds in​Recently, indie-rock juggernauts Arcade Fire were prevented from playing a gig in Portugal by NATO, which is having a summit on the same date. Arcade Fire offered to play a day ahead of time, but NATO decided ... More >>

Wine of the Week: Vale do Bomfin Douro Valley 2007

​This Portuguese wine is a gem, in its rich, jewel-toned color, its complexity and its price. From the Douro Valley in Northern Portugal (as the name states), this wine was originally produced only for the enjoyment of the Symington family, a renowned name in the world of Ports. After repeated ... More >>

Human Rights Watch Blasts Treatment Of Mentally Disabled In Immigration Cases

No appointed lawyers, unlike criminal courts​Alberto was born in Portugal, but moved with his parents to the United States before his second birthday. In time, he received his green card, becoming a legal permanent resident.But Alberto was bipolar, and as the decades ticked by, he found himself ho ... More >>

ACL Fest Releases Schedule; Adds Black Lips, Silversun Pickups

black-lips.com via FlickrBrand-new ACL 2010 adds The Black Lips​The Austin City Limits Music Festival released the schedule grid for this year's gathering in Zilker Park Oct. 7-9. The festival also added several bands, including Atlanta garage-punks (and recovering exhibitionists) the Black Li ... More >>

Random Ingredient: Octopus

​What is it? With the World Cup finally coming to a close, there's been a lot of chatter about a certain cephalopod named Paul that resides in Germany. With all due respect to the "octopus oracle," we present today's random ingredient. Octopi are actually in the mollusk family. They're eaten ... More >>

Believe It Or Not, There Are Bigger Crybabies Than Cristiano Ronaldo

​We've reached the quarterfinal stage of the World Cup, and some big names have already been unceremoniously booted after early round losses. Not many people were surprised at France's exit, and The USA and England were lucky to make the Round of 16 in the first place. But Italy, the reigning ... More >>

Wine of the Week: Famega Vinho Verde 2008

​Last week, Amber Ambrose talked about vinho verde being the perfect Houston summer beverage after a wine tasting at Central Market. Well, it must be catching on because we've found ourselves running into vinho verde everywhere from grocery stores to wine bars. This week, we are featuring Fa ... More >>

Playbill: Portugal. The Man

In Honor Of David Beckham's Houston Debut, 10 Of His Not-So-Great Moments

​On Sunday, October 18, the Los Angeles Galaxy make their annual trip to the Bayou City to take on the Dynamo. Finally joining the traveling circus that is the Galaxy is English International David Beckham.Beckham is a world-wide icon; he is to soccer what Michael Jordan was to basketball. He's kn ... More >>

Obscure Wine Grapes: Touriga

Photo by Robb Walsh​Touriga Nacional is an ancient Portuguese varietal that was probably introduced to the Iberian peninsula by the Phoenicians. It's a black grape that typically has high tannins and very concentrated fruit flavors. The grapes are most famously used in the highest quality port ... More >>

A Chat with Mike Sammons of 13 Celsius

Photo by Sarah Rufka​To some, a bartender is just a server with something to lean on. But Mike Sammons is an example of how, with passion and creativity, the job can be so much more. "I started doing this to make money, but I was really good at it because I liked it," he says. "I don't think p ... More >>

The United Nations of Food at Phoenicia Specialty Foods

Port for the Holidays

I was at Spec's the other evening and ended up in the Port section.  I struck up a conversation with a guy who looked a little overwhelmed by all of the different choices and we ended up having a nice conversation about port.  Here's some basic information that I hope will help you with ... More >>

Shots in the Dark

Reflecting its moment, Cannes 2008 takes a decidedly serious tone

Shots in the Dark

Reflecting its moment, Cannes 2008 takes a decidedly serious tone

Wines of Portugal Tasting

Refreshing offerings from the Minho region

Mexican Problems and the Iberian Peninsula

Special Spanish Edición

Oporto Café

This Portuguese wine, tapas and espresso bar on Richmond doesn't take itself too seriously

Mariza

Fado singer brings her passionate music to Houston

5 Wines That Will Blow Your Mind

Five Wines That'll Blow Your Mind

Dynamos and Quarter Horses: Cha-Ching!

Partners in Rime

People Under the Stairs fix the leak

Beautiful Dreamer

An adopted transvestite searches for Mom but runs into everything else

Booking It

These travel narratives are as much about the teller as the terrain

Feeling a Draft

Football season never ends

Best Portuguese Restaurant

A Taste of Portugal

Perfecto Night Out

Paul Oakenfold takes the DJ booth at M Bar

Gem on Jones

Get to A Taste of Portugal before Tony Vallone tells everybody about it

Not on Your Nelly!

Nelly Furtado refused to forget her roots or dress like a tramp. She won a Grammy anyway.