Subject: Styrofoam

• No, Seriously, It Really Is Falling

  August 2, 2006

• Turkish Delight

  July 20, 2006

• What a Butthole!

  September 7, 2007

• Turkish Delight

  July 20, 2006

• Last Night: Super Happy Fun Land Reopening

  January 26, 2008

• Over the Weekend: Super Happy Fun Land, Drinking and Hockey...But Not All at the Same Time

  January 28, 2008

• Hot Plate

  May's Ice Cream

  August 26, 1999

• Hot Plate

  October 14, 1999

• Evolution Vs. Science, The Deathmatch: Part 1

  We're semi-liveblogging the Scopes Monkey Trial of the 21st Century -- today's meeting of the State Board of Education, which is discussing science standards. Here's the first report:Board member Barbara Cargill of The Woodlands said she "loves high school students." She really loves them when they support loose interpretations of evolution in schools. Christopher Mittal, a senior at Middle Christian School in San Antonio, skipped school today to tell the board that it's OK for a science nerd to

  January 21, 2009

• The "Taco Man" Truck at Bubbles

  The egg and chorizo breakfast taco comes with a free roasted jalapeño and your choice of red and green homemade salsas at the taco truck parked behind Bubbles Carwash at Westheimer and Bering. The business is called the "Taco Man" and its run by two brothers from San Luis Potosi. The truck is one of those elaborate rigs popular in L.A. with the louvered skylight vents above the cooking area. Barbacoa and al pastor tacos were also available at 9 a.m. I went for a cup of black coffee, and was p

  January 27, 2009

• Sainted Supping

  April 11, 1996

• Deli Dream

  July 25, 1996

• For The Person Who Has Everything - A Double Wall Stainless Steel Tiffin

  Photos by Jay Francis I discovered Payal at 5615 Savoy (just off of Harwin near Hillcroft) a few years ago when I went in search of some Indian stainless steel cookware. The Indians do spectacular things with stainless steel: dishes, cups, teapots, pressure cookers...you name it. And when I walked into Payal for the first time, my thoughts went back to the warehouse scene in the 1st Indiana Jones movie.

  February 25, 2009

• A Taco Truck with Carhops

  The taco truck called "Taqueria Hecho En Mexico 2," is parked beside a vacant lot on Blalock just south of Campbell. When you pull into the dirt parking lot, a carhop in a uniform approaches the driver's window of your car with an order pad at the ready. Taquitos here are 99 cents and are guaranteed to be 100% chilango. (That's slang for a native of Mexico City D.F.) I tried pastor (pork) suadero (brisket) and campechana (chorizo) tacos. Each had only a couple tablespoons of meat, but the con

  February 25, 2009

• Clubland

  May 28, 1998

• Wake-up Call

  July 13, 2000

• Flavors of the Fifth at Davis Meat Market and Burt's Meat Market

  February 19, 2009

• Michael A. Salter: “too much”

  The Styrobots are coming! The Styrobots are coming!

  November 6, 2008

• Best Horchata

  Fiesta Mart deli

  September 26, 2002

• Simposio

  An old favorite has opened at a new location, but is its upscale Northern Italian fare still worth the price?

  January 17, 2008

• "Rebecca Ward / Jason Rogenes / Dan Steinhilber"

  Finesilver hosts three gallery-specific installations

  October 4, 2007

• Venetian Bistro & Pastry Shop

  Flaky Pastry

  May 31, 2007

• Dates and Camels

  A new Afghani restaurant on Bissonnet offers a novel way to break your Ramadan fast

  October 5, 2006

• Who You Gonna Call?

  Some of Houston's best salseros aren't Latino

  August 31, 2006

• Pure Bliss

  In more ways than one, Balaji Bhavan is Little India's hottest eatery

  May 18, 2006

• Improv Art

  Dan Steinhilber brings balloons, hangers, a tarp and packs of gum to the CAMH

  May 4, 2006

• Where Carnitas Meet Foie Gras

  Cultures collide at Washington and Asbury, with wonderfully tasty results

  March 16, 2006

• Water You Doing This Weekend?

  Nothing? Then paddle to the 34th annual Buffalo Bayou Regatta

  October 13, 2005

• This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

  August 11, 2005

• Good Morning, America

  Randy Twaddle's work is both politically charged and successful

  February 3, 2005

• Cajun, Twice Removed

  Great food, lousy atmosphere? Get it to go!

  January 13, 2005

• Pasta-bilities

  Paul Kittelson plays with his food in a new show at Barbara Davis Gallery

  December 9, 2004

• Save the Dome

  Teaching kids to keep their heads

  March 20, 2003

• Best Creole Restaurant

  Frenchy's

  September 26, 2002

• Best Milk Shake

  Hard Rock Café

  September 26, 2002

• Stirred and Shaken

  Brain Freeze

  May 23, 2002

• Multicultural Masala

  Have you heard the one about the American food critic and the Pakistani cab driver who walk into a barbecue joint?

  June 8, 2000

• The Meat of the Matter

  Why do people go to steak houses? Steak & Chophouse on the Boulevard doesn't know.

  August 5, 1999

• A Better Breakfast at Manena's

  Photo by Katharine Shilcutt Vigilantes rellenos from Manena's Grabbing breakfast on the go can get stale very easily.  Egg McMuffins, breakfast tacos, Starbucks muffins, kolaches, donuts... All the quickly-obtained breakfasts of the busy, the mindless consumption of fast food, wearing upon you after so many Mondays spent idling in neutral at Whataburger, inhaling fumes from cars ahead of you while you wait for your taquito and Diet Coke.  It's certainly no way to start your

  April 27, 2009

• H-E-B Recalls Beef Products

  In Robb Walsh's recent feature story, "Not So Clear Cut," he explains how meat purveyors treat tough cuts of meat by marinating them with enzymes in commercial vacuum tumblers. But the practice has its risks, as Walsh writes: "We can thank vacuum tumbler technology for turning previously tough cuts into excellent fajitas. But as always, there's a catch. As one A&M meat scientist explained, the process of marinating beef faces the same inherent problem as grinding beef. If you start off with on

  July 1, 2009

• Texas Traveler: Admitting Defeat To The BBQ In Salt Lick

  Photos by Mike Giglio It started with 24 ounces of Icehouse. Texas Traveler was headed to Austin Friday morning with a couple of friends. We'd already stopped at the overflowing Buc-ee's along the way, and managed to secure some fudge samples -- peanut butter, rocky road and cookies and cream, all equally great -- to hold us over. Next up was Salt Lick, the famed BBQ haven in Driftwood with the option for all-you-can-eat brisket, sausage and ribs. And at Salt Lick, you can bring your own b

  July 8, 2009

• Texas Traveler: Admitting Defeat To The BBQ In Salt Lick

  Photos by Mike GiglioIt started with 24 ounces of Icehouse.Texas Traveler was headed to Austin Friday morning with a couple of friends. We'd already stopped at the overflowing Bucky's along the way, and managed to secure some fudge samples -- peanut butter, rocky road and cookies and cream, all equally great -- to hold us over. Next up was Salt Lick, the famed BBQ haven in Driftwood with the option for all-you-can-eat brisket, sausage and ribs. And at Salt Lick, you can bring your own beer.The

  July 8, 2009

• Food Fight: Battle French Fry

  Photos by Katharine Shilcutt Five Guys vs. Jax GrillDid you know that Monday was National French Fry Day? Yeah, neither did we. We were still distracted by trying unsuccessfully to find poutine for Canada Day (July 1, ya hosers). But take National French Fry Day and combine it with Bastille Day (July 14, mais non), and you have the perfect recipe for the next Food Fight: Battle French Fry.French fries are a tough food to define, tougher than you may initially think. In the most basic sens

  July 16, 2009

• True Blood, Episode 10: Sister Gertrude, Bride of Christ, Soundtracks a Visit to the Vampire Queen

  Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. Though we're picking up midway through Season 2, from here on out as each new episode airs, Rocks Off will bring you a short report on the featured music. Episode 2.10, "New World in My View"​One of the reasons Rocks Off began this column was to help bring to the li

  August 25, 2009

• Punjabi To-Go

  October 8, 2009

• Donut Patrol: The Depths of the Heights

  ​When you walk in the front door of Bakery Donut at 1203 11th St. in the Heights, you are overwhelmed with all the choices. There are lots of kolaches, twisters, filled bars and all sorts of breakfast food. The bacon sandwich on a whole wheat English muffin looks awesome. And the donut case itself is a riot of color. I figured I had found one of those stellar little mom-and-pop doughnut shops that put the chains to shame.

  October 14, 2009

• Stirred and Shaken: Catbird's Truck Stop Cappuccino

  Photo by Troy Fields​Bartender Matt Trimble of Catbird's (1336 West­heimer, 713-523-8000) is an impressive man. Before taking his current job, he undertook a weeks-long bicycle odyssey from Houston to New York, sleeping on the side of the road and surviving on his ability to charm strangers. He dates an exotic journalist who makes a young Christiane Amanpour look like a present-day Helen Thomas. And, most importantly, he made me an outstanding Sunday hangover cure, despite sufferi

  October 21, 2009

• CATBIRD'S TRUCK STOP CAPPUCCINO

  October 22, 2009

• Steam Punks: Baristas Throw Down at Houston's First Latte Art Competition

  Photos by Katharine ShilcuttSilence Huang points out good and bad characteristics on a calibration cup of latte.​Judging a latte art competition is deceptively difficult, as we found out on Friday night. Silence Huang, one of our fellow judges and a master barista from Taiwan, drew careful diagrams on the back of our judging sheets, pointing out all the idiosyncrasies and aspects that we should watch for in each cup of latte that hit the table. "Which of these looks more balanced and symmetr

  November 2, 2009

• Late Night Scene: Taco Cabana

  Photo by rpongsaj​Okay, confession: It's been years since I went to a Taco Cabana without the aid of a much-needed designated driver. But the bell tolls for all of us, and tonight it's my turn to drunk-sit and someone else's turn to drag me there for tortillas and queso. Walking into the Kirby and 59 location, I notice it's both brighter and smaller than I remembered. After talking a couple friends out of ordering margaritas (it's unfortunately just shy of 2 a.m.), combining a couple of

  November 6, 2009