Williamsburg (Brooklyn)

Ramin Bahrani: Expand or Die

For At Any Price director Ramin Bahrani, bigger films demand bigger targets.

Barbecue, Onions and Red Soda: Dispatches from the 2013 Foodways Texas Symposium

When I first heard about the theme of the 2013 Foodways Texas symposium, I was wary: two-and-a-half days of barbecue panels, meals and talks. Two-and-a-half days? Not that there isn't fertile ground to plow for topics, but the sheer amount of time devoted to discussions of smoked meat seemed excessi ... More >>

DOJ Eyes Will Be On the Ground in Harris, Fort Bend counties on Election Day

Voters in Harris and Fort Bend counties will get an extra treat on Election Day: Federal poll watchers. As a result of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (now 47 years old!), the federal government attempts to make sure every registered voter regardless of race, color "or membership in a minority langua ... More >>

Fear of Wine: Oenophobia = Xenophobia

In this week's New York Times dining section, wine writer Eric Asimov -- the Solomon of wine writing, as I like to call him -- asks: "Should a Wine List Educate or Merely Flatter You? [and] How Adventurous Should a Wine List Be?" His op-ed came in response to a flurry of blog posts that followed a ... More >>

Sacha Baron Cohen's The Dictator

More culture-clash yuks than comedy revolution.

The 6 Ugliest Rich Churches In Houston

Jesus, mad at the money-chagers for building such an ugly church​We do love our churchin' here in Houston. And our donatin', which allows churches to build massive, eye-catching temples. And some of them turn out very ugly. We're not talking about churches who don't have much money -- or who ... More >>

Houston's 5 Ugliest Restaurant Buildings

Photo by ThisIsIt2​Stop! Don't say it! This isn't a mean-spirited post designed to mock restaurants for the sake of pageviews. Because let's be honest -- most of Houston is pretty damned ugly, and the great thing about living here is showing people the beauty that lies underneath the tangle te ... More >>

Our Idiot Brother

Long-haired dreamer has predictably profound effect on his siblings.

Glasnost

The Five Creepiest 2010 Christmas Ads

The Christmas ads this year seem to be creepier than ever. Maybe it's the recession. But what used to be a joyous collection of sledding electric razors and wide-eyed kids running to the tree has turned into something bizarre and cruel. The five worst offenders: 5. Phillips Senso Touch 3D Razor I ... More >>

Interpol

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Ohmygod, We Have A Guest Blogger!!!

Our guest blogger for the week, taking time off from reality shows​As you are almost certainly aware, Houston's biggest story of the week is about socialite/reality-TV personality Erica Rose's dog giving birth to three pups.As Culturemap explains, the births were the miraculous result of a serendi ... More >>

Music Cities

Texas has its own brand of March Madness

The Great Green Room In the Sky: The Grim Reaper's 2009 Musical Roll Call

​Thankfully, 2009 was a sorry year for the Greil Marcus Rock Death Meter. Aside from the not terribly unexpected (but still weird) demise of the King of Pop, few bona fide legends went on to the Great Green Room Beyond the Sky. The Rock Death Meter rates rock deaths on a ten-point scale in three c ... More >>

No Reservations: Outer Boroughs

Photo by duluoz_cats​Regretting having spent almost his entire life in Manhattan with nary a trip to the four outer boroughs, Anthony Bourdain took on the robust culinary scenes of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island in this week's episode of No Reservations. It seemed like a familia ... More >>

Hotel Time Again

Whiskey Boat looks up from two years of live rehersals and realizes it's a band.

Through Being Cool

$13 at Baby Barnaby’s Cafe on Fairview

Artists' Lofts

The Elder Street Artist Lofts sold itself as a place for artists to live and work. So where are all the artists?

Between Is and Was

A New Orleans boy in Houston ponders what nevermore may be

Todymania!

Houston's scene sees the release of its second great pop-rock CD in six months; also: March Music Madness hits town on the touring front

Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players

Wednesday, December 17

The Eclectic Company

Inman Gallery's latest show offers an assortment of West Coast artistic souvenirs

Club Directory

Retro Electro

Meet Larry Tee and the circus freaks of electroclash

Brown Wins Historical Award

AH-HA recognizes the mayor for his contributions toward preservation

Raw Roots

Excavations for plantation artifacts - and the real truth - are unraveling the genteel gloss covering Texans' old notions about the slave era here

The Mall That Ate Katy

Big money, big lobbyists, big tax breaks. The Mills Corporation is bringing one of its "megamalls" to Katy, and it's hardly business as usual in the little town on the prairie.

Pagodas on the Prairie

Why are 8,000 Chinese soldiers standing guard outside of Katy? Ask Mr. Poon.