Waiter, Where’s My Blood?
I ordered bun bo hue at Huong Giang Hue restaurant the other day. Stirring around in the bowl, I couldn’t find any congealed blood. When the waiter stopped by my table to see if everything was all right, I complained about the missing ingredient. Bun bo hue just isn’t bun…
Bayou Beat: HOB’s “Blues Schoolhouse” Band Seeks Musicians, Discovery Green Announces Spring Lineup, etc.
[Ed. Note: We are not trying to encroach on Ms. Magnolia City Mixtape’s territory, but once in a while the news piles up too fast to wait an entire week.] It’s our party and we’ll pimp if we want to: Perhaps you may have heard about this “Washington Shore” soiree…
Port Arthur Mayoral Candidate On Whether Describing A Potential Ass-Kicking Is A “Threat”
They do political debates a little differently in Port Arthur. Not for them the tedious policy points of Bill White and Farouk Shami; instead they get into whether saying you’ll kick someone’s ass is a threat or a promise.Former Mayor Oscar Ortiz is running for his old office, and as…
Unidentified Woman, Bayou Body Count No. 39
Who knows, maybe Michael Bryant could’ve gotten away with it.He stashed the body under water, not an awful move, and then he could’ve just walked away.But no. He had to go and turn himself in.Good job … seriously.At about 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Bryant and his brother drove over to…
The Big Three: Bacon, Pineapple, and Jalapeño
We aren’t sure if it’s the dreariness of winter, our taste bud-dulling cold, or just plain boredom, but lately we’ve been quite insistent on eating food with flavors that really pop. None of this milk and white toast crap for us. We want to know what we’re eating even if…
Light Rail Vs. Bus: The Video
What’s it look like when a Metro light-rail train broadsides a Metro bus? Now we know!!The agency has released security video of the incident; here’s CNN’s version of things.We think two very, very different thoughts were going through the minds of the engineer and the bus driver.The engineer was thinking…
Guitar Zero: Should My Instructor and I See Other People?
If you’ve ever been in a relationship, you know how the cycle works. The first month or so is that period where you make exciting discoveries about each other, where every experience is new and – more often than not – rewarding. Then, unfortunately, the second month rolls around, and…
Recipe: Chimichurri
This recipe for chimichurri, the traditional Central and South American condiment and marinade, is simple and really easy to make, so there is no excuse to use the stuff from the jar. In Peru, as well as other countries, chimichurri is served with churrasco steak, which is one of Abuelita’s…
A Pervert With A Very Specific Fetish
Fabian Michael Sims knows what he wants, and it’s not just a do-over on his first name.What he wants is, to be sure, nothing too fancy: He wants a) a woman b) with two kids c) bending over d) in the kid’s section of a bookstore. He’ll take it from…
Great Moments In Douchebaggotry: Axl Rose Fails to Get In the Ring (MotherF’er)
Great Moments in Douchebaggotry is brought to you by Rocks Off’s upcoming Washington Shore party, Thursday, February 11 at the Washington Avenue Drinkery. All types of douchebags are encouraged to attend. Everyone knows (or should know, at this point) that Axl Rose is… contentious. He regularly shows up late for…
Wine of the Week: Antonio Gianola of Catalan
Antonio Gianola is no stranger to the Houston wine scene. In fact, you’ve probably read multiple articles on him and his restaurant, Catalan. So, how did this former medical biller and coder become the talk of the town? One glass of wine at a time. “I was good at medical…
Game Time: The Five Greatest Moments Of Tracy McGrady’s Expiring Contract
When it comes to player transactions and contracts, the NBA is a funny league. The classic contractual life cycle of a depressingly disproportionate number of NBA players goes like this:1.) Play under your rookie contract for a few years2.) Impress enough teams for someone to eventually way overpay for you…
How Popular Is Our Washington Shore Idea? It’s Already Being Ripped Off
Don’t be fooled by this Web site. Rocks Off is not organizing a pub crawl on Washington Avenue. The only thing we have lined up for our readers is the Washington Shore party tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Let Rocks Off be the first to say now that between the…
Artisan Chocolates at Whole Foods
All-natural Lake Champlain Chocolates from Vermont are one of the stars of the Valentine’s Day “Sweets for Your Sweetie” display at Whole Foods Market on Kirby. The company’s chocolate blog is an amusing glimpse into life in a chocolate factory. I like the post about “frog day” on the manufacturing…
Wild On Washington Avenue: The Outtakes
Washington Avenue is Houston’s ne west destination for young people and people trying to pass as young; hip people and those trying to remain hip; well-to-do and those who nurse a beer through the night.It’s also become a place where residents complain about drunks pissing in their yards at 2…
They’re Modifying The “Bible Of Psychiatry”: Five Houston-Specific Disorders They Should Consider
The DSM, the so-called “Bible of Psychiatry,” is getting a re-do. More mental disorders will be included, as the Washington Post says: Children who throw too many tantrums could be diagnosed with “temper dysregulation with dysphoria.” Teenagers who are particularly eccentric might be candidates for treatment for “psychosis risk syndrome.”…
Thanks, But No Thanks: See What Dallas Has to Deal With All the Time?
Rocks Off would like to thank Force Field PR and, we suppose, Neon Indian for sending the above picture to our email this morning. It nearly made us spray coffee all over our monitor. We don’t quite know where to start, except to venture a guess that if you wore…
Sampler Plate: This Week In Food Blogs
Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Confessions of a Gluttinous Chinaman: One of two blogs that we were…
Melissa Trujillo, 18, Bayou Body Count No. 38
Normally, we here at Bayou Body Count deal in unidentified bodies found in dumpsters and drug dealers or buyers who get greedy and then get shot. So what’s up with the recent spate of domestic violence? Lately, it seems like it’s been nothing but mothers and fathers suspected of killing…
Expanding The NCAA Tournament to 96 Teams: That’s March Madness
Last fall, the NCAA began discussions regarding a change to the men’s basketball tournament, otherwise known as March Madness. This is currently a 65-team tournament. Win or out. And it determines the best college basketball team in the country. It’s a huge moneymaker for the schools and the NCAA. Cities…
Behind the Lyrics: From B-Boy to D-Boy, Mayalino Makes Believers Of Those Who Find His Music
Mayalino – “True Story” from FULL FLEDGE ENTERTAINMENT on Vimeo. We don’t know how many times Michael “5000” Watts has hosted a mixtape and didn’t chop and screw it down. We can’t imagine it’s been many. We don’t know how many times extremely respected producer Happy Perez has heard an…
Breakfast Radishes with Butter
I celebrated the harvest of the first radishes from my garden this morning by having them for breakfast with a little butter. It’s a pleasant flavor, nothing earth-shattering. Probably better with a breakfast beer instead of the coffee I was drinking. I am not sure whether the practice of eating…
The Blood Will Out in A Picasso at Stages
Photo by Bruce BennettActor James Belcher was on stage the other day starring in A Picasso at Stages Repertory Theatre when he cut a finger on a metal door and couldn’t stop the bleeding.”A big blood drop is coming and dripping off the end of my finger … The rest…
Saving Term Limits Is A Real Emergency!!
The right-wing gadflies of Houston, people like Barry Klein and Bob Lemer, are up in arms and rousing the troops against an effort to relax term limits for Houston city council and mayor.There’s a meeting tonight about the matter, and Lemer sent out an e-mail blast last night encouraging people…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: Bob “Crazy Heart” Woodruff Reflects on “King of the Road”
For a country singer who vanished from sight for ten years, Los Angeles songwriter Bob Woodruff has been in the press quite a bit lately. Two weeks ago, the Huffington Post (ahem) compared him to Bad Blake in the Oscar-nominated movie Crazy Heart, and Andrew Dansby of the Houston Chronicle…
DeBakey High Racks Up Another Honor
Honors are nothing unusual for the Houston school district’s DeBakey High School. And frankly, after you’ve been named Best High School after an extensive study by the Houston Press, everything else is a bit of an anti-climax.But we guess the folks there will still accept the latest good news, from…
An Ode to Valentine’s Day
Four score and many years ago, Valentine’s was born, Leaving gals aflutter and hearts aglow, yet many men forlorn. These days it’s hefty and overwrought, yet forgetting it’s a sin, Why do we go through all the angst, when Hallmark gets the win? Reservations are tough, expectations too high, and…
Idol Beat: The Hollywood Shuffle Begins…
Here we are in Hollywood, kids! Yes, the dingy, tourist-ridden section of Los Angeles that’s become a handy way to package and sell the myth of stardom to the unsuspecting. Hollywood is so quintessentially American that if it didn’t exist we would make it up as a place to put…
Brew Blog: Banana Bread Beer from Wells & Young’s Brewery
This week’s historical excuse to sample a beer comes from February 9, 1900, when the English established the Davis Cup tennis competition. A good, potassium-rich recovery food for athletes playing tennis or other taxing sports (i.e. not golf) is bananas, and thus we have two excuses for discussing this week’s…
American Idol: The Hollywood Shuffle Begins…
Here we are in Hollywood, kids! Yes, the dingy, tourist-ridden section of Los Angeles that’s become a handy way to package and sell the myth of stardom to the unsuspecting. Hollywood is so quintessentially American that if it didn’t exist we would make it up as a place to put…
Where Have All the Sex-With-Animals Videos Gone?
Remember the good ol’ days, when it was perfectly permissible to, you know, allow the family furry friend to lick your peanut-butter-slathered genitalia clean? Okay, okay, easy there, Judge Judy. Before you condemn, it’s a good source of protein, no matter from where it originates. You can bet your lil’…
Artist of the Week: Can You Guess What PincheGringos Sounds Like?
Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Heavy metal is good. Spanish is good. Heavy…
Stirred and Shaken: Komodo Pub’s Nuclear Rainbow
It didn’t take long to realize Komodo’s Pub (2004 Baldwin, 713-655-1501) is no dive. The Internet (specifically, Yelp.com) might have you believe that, but careful on-site analysis of the bar reveals that the Internet is full of bullshit. A real dive doesn’t have “nice flow,” unless that’s referring to a…
Craigslist Prank Leads To Felony Charge For Disgruntled Friendswood Woman
Police in Friendswood allege that 33-year-old Amanda Anderson got even with her former employer the new-fashioned way: via Craigslist.They allege that she took out what must have been a very generous help-wanted ad for various contractors. Once it hit the ‘net, Anderson’s old boss was swamped with eager entreaties for…
I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Valentine’s Day Personals
Valentine’s Day is swiftly approaching, and love is in the air. Or maybe that’s just pollen. Whatever it is, it’s making us a bit woozy in the head, if not the heart. Plus, we’re a bit anxious, what with hoping our mail-order bride gets here by the 14th. (We paid…
Pandora, Beaumont: What’s The Difference? Sam Worthington Will Find Out
Sam Worthington thought he went to strange places, with odd natives, when he went to Pandorain Avatar. Just wait until he meets Southeast Texas.The Bayou blog informs us that details have been finalized on a new, very dark Michael Mann-produced film that involves murder most foul in an area most…
The Appeal of Banana Leaf
It’s been a little over six months since we reviewed Banana Leaf (9889 Bellaire Boulevard, Suite 311) — the cozy outpost of Malaysian cuisine in New Chinatown — and it occurred to us over the weekend that we hadn’t visited the place since. It just didn’t seem right, after all,…
Then Tracy Porter Intercepted The Bag Of Money And Returned It
Wearing his gear proudly, this Indianapolis Colts fan robbed a bank inside a Randall’s on FM 1960 Friday night. We assume he needed the cash to put down a boatload on the Colts giving four and a half.”The photo clearly shows the Colts logo on the shirt as well as…
The Shameless Chef: Hamburger Soup
Let’s face it, my saucy little aardvarks; these past couple of weeks, I’ve given you creative goddamn gold. I’ve been shooting unique, simple dishes at you like it’s no big deal. Well, today I’ve decided to go with something even simpler than normal, something absolutely anyone can throw together from…
Attention Houston: What To Do When a Beloved Music Venue Says It’s Shutting Down
Rocks Off is here to help. That’s why we keep an eye out for stories that, while they may not have anything to do with Houston per se, can still provide a valuable lesson. So as much as we delight in poking fun at Austin, the recent plight of the…
Tough Day For Fort Bend High Schoolers
High winds knocked out power to Elkins High sometime last night, causing a basketball game to be canceled. But even though power wasn’t restored as the school began opening this morning, parents were not informed and kids went as if it was a normal day.Once they got there they were…
Mexican Avocado and Egg Salad
“Guacamole bobe” was the name of this item on the appetizer menu at Rustika Café on the Southwest Freeway at Buffalo Speedway. The description listed the ingredients as avocado, caramelized onions and hard-boiled eggs. It came with tortilla chips, and it tasted fabulous. What a great idea for a dip…
Albums All You Sudden Saints “Fans” Can Enjoy While You’re Smirking
Far be it from Rocks Off to rain on anyone’s Super Bowl parade, but are we the only ones bothered by this massive, conveniently timed outpouring of love and affection for New Orleans? It started right after the Saints beat the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game, when admitting…
Game Time: ESPN, For The Sake Of High Comedy, Do Whatever It Takes To Keep Chris Berman
In the end, all we want from any medium of entertainment is to be moved emotionally in one direction or another. Whether that emotion is joy, anger, or sadness, as long as it’s removing us from the boredom of our everyday lives in some way, then it is serving a…
Casa Mariachi in Pasadena
For a lazy Saturday night dinner, our family ended up in Pasadena. After some deliberation of where to go — “Applebees?” “Ew! No!” — someone suggested that we go to Casa Mariachi (5824 Spencer Highway, 281-998-2272). None of us had been, but it was near our gathering point, so we…
Magnolia City Mixtape: Sign the WestFest Petition, And Other Stuff You Need to Know
MTV Shows Are you READY for Rocks Off’s Washington Shore party this Thursday? If not, this video of Jersey Shore’s Snooki interviewing Phoenix on MTV will melt your brain. If you read even one Houston-based music Web site, you probably already know that a petition is circulating to show support…
Unidentified Man, Bayou Body Count No. 37
Not much is known about a man who was shot to death early Saturday morning, but it’s a good bet that he didn’t die thirsty.Officers got a call about a shooting at 2054 Wirt in northwest Houston. When they arrived, they found a dead man in a parking lot.The cops…
Hot New Chocolatier in Town
Dark chocolate bark with chipotle and almonds marked the beginning of a romantic Valentine’s Day season at my house. My wife is wild about chocolate and chile pepper confections, so I try to buy her some every year at this time. I used to mail-order the wonderful chocolate-and-chile pepper bark…
Lawsuit On KBR’s Deadly Iraq Convoys Is Revived
We have written before about the issues surrounding people who drove truck convoys for KBR/Halliburton in Iraq, including a 2004 feature story.Basically, it was a tough, tough gig. And when six civilian drivers were killed in an incident six years ago, they their survivors sued in federal court in Houston.A…
Wondering Where to Park for Our Washington Shore Party? Look No Further…
Of all the things you don’t want to see in a rearview mirror, a marauding police car ranks pretty high. Especially if you have had a little too much to drink, which is something that Rocks Off knows just a little about. For our Washington Shore party Thursday night, here…
Feb 9 DVDs: Couples Retreat and That’s How We Do It
The thinner, younger version of Vince Vaughn of a few years ago was more physically attractive, but the heftier, 40-year-old version we see in Couples Retreat is more attractive in other ways. He’s smarter, for one. (Vaughn not only stars – with name-above-the-title credit – he also co-wrote the screenplay…
The Basics: Cookbooks
We recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal on Alton Brown’s top five favorite cookbooks. You remember Brown. He’s the quirky chemistry geek on Good Eats and one of the commentators on Iron Chef. If you’re one of the few non-Food Network junkies, you might recognize him from…
Latest Poll: Is Kay Bailey Hutchison Headed For Third Place?
The latest poll on the GOP gubernatorial primary has just been released, and it’s got some surprising stuff in it.Rick Perry still leads the field, albeit with an uninspiring 39 percent. After that, though, is where the surprise comes in — Kay Bailey Hutchison leads tea party favorite Debra Medina…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: “Nowhere Man” and Houstonian-Turned-Superproducer Frank Liddell’s Other Early Favorites
Houston native Frank Liddell, whose Nashville production credits include roots-rocker Chris Knight, Texas music phenom Jack Ingram, budding megastar Miranda Lambert, and his wife Lee Ann Womack, has a surprising set of early music impressions. “I can’t remember the first one but there were a lot of odd ones,” says…
Five Things We Learned From Sarah Palin’s Big Houston Visit
Houston was the epicenter of Palinmania this weekend, as her fans breathlessly awaited her appearances at a Rick Perry rally and some sort of motivational convention.There were many things to take away from the whirlwind visit of the woman who is ostentatiously keeping open the possibility of running for President…
The Mexicanization of the Hot Dog
In Houston, as in Chicago, Los Angeles and Denver, Mexican-style hot dogs have been increasing in popularity. But when the mainstream hot dog chain James Coney Island introduced a Sonoran hot dog last year, you could feel the seismic shift as the tectonic plates of German and Mexican culture banged…
Marilyn Sue Gillespie, 58, Bayou Body Count No. 36
No one had seen Marilyn Sue Gillespie for days. Then, not surprisingly in this homicidal town, she turned up dead.Police say they fielded a call Friday morning about a possible dead person at 3333 Cummins Lane, near Lakewood Church. And sure enough, when officers arrived they found the 58-year-old Gillespie…
Ask a Rapper Hustler: “Dot Com Don” Tosin on Slang That Should, and Shouldn’t, Be Retired
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place – lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good – so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted…
Ka’ak Sandwich?
Recently, we found ourselves starving during a tedious day of used-car shopping. Unwilling to make such a big decision on an empty stomach, we were pleased to find ourselves within walking distance of Droubi’s Bakery and Deli on Hillcroft in Sharpstown. After devouring a plate of Middle Eastern goodies including…
Look! It’s Jesus! In Everything From Kit Kats To Cheetos To Toast
Harry and Sandra Choron, both with long-term experience in the publishing business, have released their latest book, Look! It’s Jesus!. You can tell from the cover (a slice of toast with an image of Jesus burned on to it) that the Choron’s approached the project with a mix of awe…
Kata Robata Chef Chat, Part 2: Jean-Philippe Gaston
After our interview with Kata Robata’s Manabu Horiuchi, he demanded we interview his chef de cuisine, Jean-Philippe Gaston, an integral part of Kata Robata. We sat down with him for a few bonus words. Eating Our Words: What is your role on the Kata Robata menu? Jean-Philippe Gaston: If you…
Aftermath: An Analog Synth Lover’s Paradise With Roomies!, Weird Weeds, J.D. Emmanuel and Stellar Om Source
We regularly stand in awe of just how involved Lance Higdon is in the general Houston music scene. His industriousness might not be as well-recognized as that of Robert Ellis or Geoffrey Mueller, but Higdon simply doesn’t know how to sit still when it comes to making and promoting music…
Texas Traveler: Heading Home from Big Bend
Ed. Note: This is the sixth part in a series about driving to Big Bend National Park and back. This might be Too Much Information, but after three days of camping in the desert and one long 14-mile hike, Texas Traveler was ready for a shower come Saturday. We woke…
Pop Rocks: Quick Hits
We’re going to mix it up a bit on Pop Rocks today. Usually, I stick with one subject for the entire piece because I’d rather not depend too heavily on snarky line-item entries. But let’s face it; sometimes there’s just too much going on in the world of pop culture…
Distant Early Warning: Asleep at the Wheel, Heartless Bastards, High On Fire, Thrill Kill Kult, Will.i.am, White Rabbits, etc.
“The Festival At The Mink” With White Rhino, Alkari, The Manichean, Flowers To Hide, The Sour Notes, Giant Battle Monster, Gretchen Schmaltz: Sat., Feb. 27, 6 p.m., $8. The Mink. Asleep At The Wheel: Fri., April 30. Dosey Doe Coffee Company. B L A C K I E, Rapeworm, Wife:…
Where Are We Drinking?
You may not recognize this place in broad daylight, but you certainly wouldn’t be able to miss it at night. Can you guess where we’re drinking this week? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
With The Saints Out Of The Way, Houston Claims Title As Worst Football City In America
Now that the Aints finally is, three cities remain as contenders for the title of Most Inept Pro Football City in the World: Cleveland, Detroit, and Houston.Jacksonville is the only other city whose team has never made a Super Bowl, but as a baby franchise they don’t count. Especially since…
We Didn’t Nail Palin, But We Heard A Mighty Powell
Today’s Get Motivated Seminar at the Toyota Center had been touted for months as the premier event for local entrepreneurs and business folk to come and hear words of wisdom from some of the giants of industry, finance, military, and politics. Oh, and it would also feature none other than…
Metro Can’t Get Out Of Its Own Way, Apparently
Photos by Paul KnightIn a bizarre incident, a Metro rail and Metro bus collided in front of Metro’s headquarters in downtown. The bus driver ran a red light causing the wreck, but an investigation will ensue, according to Metro spokeswoman Raequel Roberts. The wreck happened a little more than an…
Texas Traveler: The Electric Tortero
Matamoros, the Mexican wonderland across the bridge from Brownsville, is home to many fabulous eateries, including this very popular torta shop. The Cubana a la Mexicana was the top of the line here. It included milanesa, roasted pork, ham, sausage, fried egg, slices of white and yellow cheese and a…
Lawyer Drops Lawsuit Against Those Nasty Homeless
The showdown between a downtown lawyer and his unwelcome, unscrubbed neighbors at the homeless shelter across the street has come to an anti-climactic end: personal injury lawyer Harry C. Arthur has dropped the suit. Arthur had sued Christ Church Cathedral and its homeless outreach program, The Beacon, last December, saying…
Keeping the Change at Georgia’s Farm To Market
Sandy’s Market on I-10 at Dairy Ashford was long our favorite grocery store in town, even though it meant a drive not only outside the Loop but outside the Beltway. An odd sort of hippie paradise in the endless monotony of the west Houston suburbs, the spacious and richly scented…
Enron, Coming Soon To A Broadway Theater
Enron is coming to Broadway after earning raves in London. Not the company, which pretty much stopped earning raves the second its slimy workings were exposed, but Enron the theatrical production, which is described as a “highly theatrical, music-infused new play.”Two cast members have been announced for the Broadway production;…
Men’s Venison Barbecue Dinner
Note: this article has been corrected from its original version. The Garden Oaks Baptist Church Men’s Venison BBQ dinner is coming up this Monday. The men of the church donate their deer meat, and Mikeska’s Barbecue in Columbus does the cooking. The spread includes venison sausage, haunch meat and backstrap…
Is The Old Quarter’s Wrecks Bell Retiring? Is Brett Favre Going to Throw Another Interconception?
Rocks Off got an eyebrow-raising email this morning from Rex “Wrecks” Bell, owner of Galveston’s Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe, the Island’s successor to the fabled downtown venue made famous by Townes Van Zandt and so many others. (Read John Nova Lomax’s September 2008 cover story on Bell here.) The email…
Willie Mae Pakoejoe, 60, And Herman Pakoejoe, 56: Bayou Body Count Nos. 34-35
It was a couple of hours before dawn on Friday along the 5700 block of Munson Lane, not far from Missouri City, when Willie Mae and Herman Pakoejoe’s granddaughter awoke to the crack of gunfire.She pulled the covers back, got out of bed, and went to her grandparents room to…
Chef Chat: Kata Robata’s Manabu Horiuchi
Ever since Kata Robata opened its doors on the corner of Richmond and Kirby, the praise has been constant. The heart and soul of the operation is Manabu Horiuchi — or Hori-san, for short. We dropped in on him to take a look at his operations and talk fish. **We…
Game Time: Peyton Manning Is The Best….Oh, No, Wait, He’s The Worst
Nowadays, when it comes to sports observations, with the advent of the internet, Twitter, and the ability to pretty much watch any highlight or interview that we want to either on our computers or on television at any moment of the day, human nature is to overreact to everything, if…
Check Out This Video Preview of Our “Washington Shore” Party
This past weekend, we took our esteemed new intern out on Washington Avenue to take some video of the area’s native wildlife at night. We hope the video gives you a little taste of our “Washington Shore” party at the Washington Avenue Drinkery this coming Thursday at 8 p.m.. It’s…
School Lunch Redux
Last December, Eating Our Words shined a spotlight on school lunches, taking to task both funding for and quality of food in schools. While the intent of the post was to serve as a wake-up call to students, parents and schools alike, HISD took offense, citing its new food prep…
Sure Enough, The Prius Joins Toyota’s Recall-O-Rama
Toyota is expected to release this week plans to address the latest problem with the Prius. Although the company has been announcing — for about the last five months — massive recalls and plans to stop producing and selling cars and trucks, this is the first Prius-specific issue. The problem…
World’s Dumbest Counterfeiter Leads Police To Her Own Door
Last week, we brought you the story of the world’s worst counterfeiter. This week, we bring you quite possibly the dumbest.In a nutshell, an employee at a Domino’s in the town of Porter called the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office last Friday and told them that one of their delivery drivers…
Aftermath: Local Trifecta Shreds a Super Bowl Sunday Scout Bar
Reasons to see The Last Place You Look live: They put on a hell of a show. They were named 2009’s best alternative band in Texas by 94.5 The Buzz. They’re actually really nice guys. Sunday night, at a post-Super Bowl party hosted by Scout Bar and A.D. of The…
Odd Pair: Chocolate and Orange Moscato for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is really just another excuse to eat lots of chocolate and drink too much champagne. Everywhere you turn, it’s chocolate-covered strawberries, red-and-pink sweets, and bubbly beverages. But whether you love the holiday or hate it, you will definitely want to try this odd pair for Valentine’s Day. A…
Perry & Palin, Sittin’ In A Tree: Empty Seats, Bad Music And Lots Of Old White People
With all the attention focused on yesterday’s annual Clash of the Performance Enhanced Titans in Miami, it was easy to overlook the other star-studded exhibition taking place in town. An event that, like the Super Bowl, boasted top-tier entertainment and a boisterous crowd while requiring little in the way of…
Monday Mix Bag: Aztek Escobar’s Great Mystery, Deep Cold’s Hip-Hop Fusion, and 5-Year-Old Rapper Declares He’s a “Big Boy”
Remember all those coming-decade predictions we made about major-labels discovering Houston Latino rap artists and starting a movement to integrate this group of artists into mainstream hip-hop? Well, it almost happened in 2005. Houston’s Aztek Escobar created a tremendous amount of buzz around the country when he became the first…
New Orleans Airport’s War on Terrorism: King Cakes
Okay, so Hair Balls was in New Orleans Sunday trying to get out (yes, we know, wrong way) after a business trip and found out the hard way that it would have been better to order a cab before the Mardi Gras/Saints parades started that day, rather than after. Cab…
Aftermath: The Houston Symphony’s “Red Carpet Oscar Party” at Jones Hall
A Liz Taylor dead ringer greeted concert-goers this weekend at the Houston Symphony’s Red Carpet Oscar Party, while inside, the Jones Hall stage produced its own celebrity look-alike. Aftermath swears conductor Michael Krajewski looks (and sounds) a lot like Larry David, but our companion likened him to Bob Balaban. Part…
New Orleans Airport’s War on Terrorism: King Cakes
Okay, so Hair Balls was in New Orleans Sunday trying to get out (yes, we know, wrong way) after a business trip and found out the hard way that it would have been better to order a cab before the Mardi Gras/Saints parades started that day, rather than after. Cab…
My Organic Dirt Patch: Paydirt!
Hallelujah, all hail my first bowl of lettuce! I thinned out the garden and got enough baby greens for a couple of salads this weekend. But my wife is still laughing at me. Granted, one bowl of lettuce is not much to show for the hundred bucks I spent on…
Kevin Ford, 40, Bayou Body Count No. 33
Last week, we told you about a man suspected of killing his daughter. The tragic trend continued, as a mother is now suspected of slaying her son.Police say that the mother of 40-year-old Kevin Ford shot her son Friday during a struggle over a pistol. The woman had grabbed the…
Turning The Screw: Scarface, H.I.S.D., Bun B, Chamillionaire, DJ Trill OG, The Kanye, Lil’ Wayne, Eve, Jay-Z, DJ Screw & Lil’ Keke and More
Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off’s weekly rap post. It probably won’t rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: Wire To Wire Speaking of H.I.S.D., DJ Flash Gordon Parks put together a Scarface mix for you to download…
Texas, Thy Name Is Vanity (Plates)
It’s been only three months since a private company began offering a wide range of high-priced vanity plates for Texans, and let’s just say the company knew what it was doing.Almost $1.2 million has been spent on the plates in those three months.That’s a lot of vanity.”It’s surpassed our estimate,”…
A Horchata and a Big Black Bird
We were riding our bike on one of those ” it’s so nice outside, we will make ourselves feel guilty if we don’t do something outside today” kinda days. We rode through Bellaire, and after a couple of hours, our energy-spent legs needed a snack. We went straight to the…
Cougars Keep Stumbling, Fans Don’t Seem To Care
If there were such a thing as justice in this world, then there would have been no winner to Saturday’s Houston/Southern Mississippi basketball game. Unfortunately, the rules of basketball dictate that there must be a winner, thus Southern Mississippi’s Torye Pelham tipped in the ball as the buzzer sounded to…
Aftermath: Justin Townes Earle, Rowdy Songs for a Staid Mucky Duck
One of the saddest moments in the human emotional pantheon has to be the moment when the newness of something wears off and all that is left is grim utility. With technology, it’s the first time that expensive piece of shit you bought turns into “this stupid piece of shit”…
Where Are We Eating?
A hot corn tortilla. A cool smear of sour cream. The beginnings of an excellent taco. Does this look familiar to you? Think you know where we’re eating this week? Leave your best guess in the comments section below…
Songs That Might, Or Might Not, Inspire the Texans to Next Year’s Super Bowl
Now that the streets of New Orleans are running muddy brown and gold with the vomit and urine of 100,000 Saints fans, it’s more obvious than ever that we really dodged a bullet when the Vikings lost the NFC Championship Game. Rocks Off knew Prince was a Vikes fan. What…
This Week In TV: Meat Cat and Oprah as Mediator
I’m adjusting to the rain, hoping for sun, and wondering why I keep dreaming about Meat Cat. This was the week in TV Land: • Lost is back! The show’s sixth and final season opener drew a bigger crowd than last year’s, and the episode itself was a tight, fantastic…
A Nation Asks “Who Is That?” Except They Say And Spell It Strangely
It was in doubt until that pick-six — but from the time Tracy Porter hit the 30-yard line with nothing but green in front of him, the celebration was just a matter of time.The New Orleans Saints, who went decades before their first winning season, who play in a stadium…
Dynamo Begin Pre-Season With Questions To Answer
The Houston Dynamo held their first scrimmage of the preseason Saturday against Houston Baptist University — a side from the NCAA’s mighty Great West Conference. Any Huskies fans out there hoping for a David versus Goliath scenario were sadly mistaken. This was more of a man versus boy confrontation, as…
Listology: Dirty Honey DJ Brett Koshkin’s Overseas Discoveries
For the past month, local soul DJ (and former Houston Press music listings editor) Brett Koshkin has been traveling the world in search of adventure and vinyl and he found plenty of both. Through India, Amsterdam, and France he scoured for records and experienced exotic things that most people can…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where we’ve already made reservations for Valentine’s Day dinner at Hooters. We started this week off by chatting with meat revivalist Morgan Weber, who can get a steak back up on its feet and walking around as long as…
Charge Up Your Electric Cars For Free In Downtown Houston, For A While
Officials from Houston and Nissan announced today that the Electric Car is terrific, and Houston is jumping on the electric bandwagon.The city will be buying even more electric cars — specifically the Nissan LEAF — to bring its total fleet to 40, and it will be “consolidating its motor pool,”…
Rocks Off’s Favorite Movie Scores, Oscar Winners or Not
Just because Céline Dion won an Academy Award in 1998 for the song we darest not speak of (lest it be stuck in your head all day) doesn’t necessarily make it one of the best songs in the history of filmography. But it was a huge worldwide hit, and as…
Girl and Boy Split. Who Keeps Which Facebook Friends?
Ready to put your thinkin’ cap on? ‘Cause we’re gonna need some crowd participation here. It’s like a Choose Your Own Adventure, only with zero page-turning, and we’re pretty much selecting the shenanigans for you. It’s our blogpost, and we’ll pull a Fidel Castro if we want to. Okay, so,…
Happy Hour Scene: Ragin Cajun
We were disappointed early on during our trip to the Ragin Cajun for happy hour, realizing that it was not a place to go alone. We say that assuming that someone goes to a bar alone for two reasons: to get blind drunk or to hook up. We didn’t see anyone…
Bistro Alex’s Shrimp and Grits
Brennan’s used to be one of my favorite places for lunch. While we wait for the reopening, I tried the brunch at Brennan’s new sister restaurant, Bistro Alex. The best thing I sampled was the jumbo shrimp and buttery grits. The shrimp were served heads-on, so you had to peel…
Rocks Off Has a Few Missed Connections of Our Own
Hey, you ever seen Craigslist’s Missed Connections? It’s for people who saw someone who intrigued them on the street yet, for whatever reason, they didn’t go over and say “hi” and are now looking to correct that mistake. It is filled with solid gold every single day, like this 24-karat…
They’re Already Droppin’ Their Gs For Sarah Palin’s Appearance
Rick Perry fans, Alaska fans, fans of incredibly inexperienced cliche-spoutin’ national politicians, they’re all pumped for the big rally Saturday featuring the governor and Sarah Palin. And Ted Nugent, too, but that’s just icing on the cuckoo cake.Jes’ how downhome is alla this speechifyin’ a-goin’ to be? We can take…
Songs to Help You Get Over the Saints’ Inevitable Loss on Sunday
Hey New Orleans, how’s it going? Big game coming up this weekend, huh? Yeah. Look, Rocks Off is happy for you guys and all – you’re one of our favorite cities, really – but we need to talk. Are you sitting down? Good, good. Now believe us, we didn’t want…
Game Time: Nibbling Off The Super Bowl Prop-Bet Buffet
Let me say up front that if you’re looking for an extensive preview of the Super Bowl that breaks down the various positional matchups, dissects how Peyton Manning tries to pick apart a Cover Two scheme, and surmises which blitz packages the Colts will use to try to rattle Drew…
Chocolate Thong at Leibman’s
When it’s time to slip into something more edible this Valentine’s Day, you’ll want to don the latest in tasty underwear — a chocolate thong, or a “male pouch” made out of candy beads, depending on whether you shop in the his or hers department. We found both at Leibman’s…
Inquiring Minds: Justin Townes Earle Is Not Going Electric
The last two years have been a coming-out party of sorts for Justin Townes Earle. Two albums into his career, Earle is cultivating a devoted and intense following among older roots listeners and young indie-rockers. The older people get roped with his slant on a classic form and the younger…
A Dog Cheers For The Saints, And The World Chuckles
Your “Who Dat” dog video of the day, to get you ready for Sunday:…
Openings and Closings
Perhaps the saddest news out of this latest crop of restaurant shutterings comes from B4-U-Eat, which reports additional information out of the Cafe Zol (2411 S. Shepherd Drive) closing: “We’re going to have the biggest party at Cafe Zol on Sunday, February 14,” says executive chef James Peterson. “Our owner,…
99 Red Luftballoons In Discovery Green, Except There’s Only One And It’s Not Red
The holidays are over (unless you count Valentine’s Day), but the Administaff Holiday Balloon is still flying at Discovery Green. The balloon goes up in a controlled float, reaching as high as 35 stories and giving riders a 360 degree view of the city (we sure have a lot of…
The Coolest Hood Has Free Admission, But It Comes With A Price to the Artist.
Stunta “IMMA HARDHEAD” feat. Sho Stoppa and Yung Kleva Music Video from G Films on Vimeo. What did The Joker say in the flick The Dark Knight? “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.” It’s what we were taught by our entrepreneurial mentors growing up. It’s simple…
The New Shatterproof Pint Glass
On Thursday, the British government unveiled a new shatterproof pint glass. There are currently two different prototypes in the works; both are hard to break and will keep the glass shards together if they do. This comes in response to the country’s growing problem with alcohol-related glass attacks. Who knew?…
Alecia Castillo, 15, And Melissa Cole, 31, Bayou Body Count Nos. 31 And 32
What kind of a man shoots his wife and daughter and then kidnaps his son? We’re not sure, but police say 39-year-old Jamie Cole did just that.Investigators claim that Cole and his estranged wife, Melissa Cole, 31, started arguing Thursday evening when he showed up at her place at 725…
Jose Delarosa, Two Unidentified Women, Bayou Body Count Nos. 28-30
It was a bloodbath near Aldine Thursday as three people were shot to death and another two were critically wounded. This one had a little bit of everything: men busting into homes guns blazing, a police chase, a horrific car accident and then a lawman ending it all with a…
A Tale Of Aggies, Viagra And Sheep
What do you get when you cross Aggies, Viagra and a bunch of female sheep? If you said “a groundbreaking biological study that could mean a sea-change in the promotion of human fetal development,” you’d be exactly right. (What, were you thinking this was some sort of sheep-fucker joke? Not…
Great Moments With Mr. Rockefeller: Buddy Guy, Erykah Badu and a Naughty Prom
[Ed. Note: To help spread the word about next Friday’s benefit for the Houston International Festival’s education programs at Rockefeller Hall, featuring Texas Johnny Brown and Marcia Ball, Rocks Off asked iFest director of performing arts and former Houston Chronicle music critic Rick Mitchell to reminisce about the most memorable…
25 Things To Watch For On Super Bowl Sunday
Football fans are well aware that the Super Bowl is Sunday. This is the most important football game of the year, which means that telecast is going to be geared to all of those millions of people who only watch football once a year. So here’s a brief primer for…
Moules Frites at Jeannine’s
I stopped by the tiny eatery called Jeannine’s Bistro at 106 Westheimer and got a pot of mussels steamed in white wine and a big paper cone full of excellent Belgian frites with homemade mayonnaise the other day. The large order, which comes with two dozen mussels, is a bargain…
Houston May Be Fat And Stupid, But It Ain’t Drunk
As we all know, Houston annually makes a serious run at being named the country’s fattest city, apparently the only running most Houstonians do.And a while back a national website ranked the intelligence of various big cities around the country and found us to be sadly lacking in smarts.Which puts…
Five Spot: 5 From Chamillionaire’s New Major Pain Mixtape
Not only did Chamillionaire release his new mixtape, Major Pain, this week, but he also announced that he and former-partner-turned-former-feud-mate Paul Wall would be reuniting for a tour (including SXSW) soon. Paul and Cham, if you’ll remember, scored the No. 19 spot on The Countdown with Get Ya Mind Right…
Coffee Review: Amaya Roasting’s Brazil Fazenda Monte Alegre
Amaya Roasting Company has been pushing seasonal coffees since its inception, so it is no surprise to see new- and old-crop coffees appear and disappear from its lineup. This Brazilian coffee from the Sul de Minas Gerais region is a single varietal – 100 percent Yellow Bourbon, which means its…
Is DJ Pauly D One of the Most Despicable Italians of All Time?
We were as shocked, shocked as anyone to hear rumors that Jersey Shore alum Paul Delvecchio, AKA “DJ Pauly D,” had “creeped” on fellow MTV reality star Farrah Abraham (Teen Mom). Mankind’s future is safe, however, since Pauly D himself has squashed the story: Sorry, MTV fans: no Jersey Shore/Teen…
Tim Qualls: Tim Qualls Is Built Like An Aztec Temple
Somewhere between the United States of Neil Young and the Republic of Trip Hop wanders a man names Tim Qualls. His debut EP, This is Our Land, combines a hell of an acoustic strum-and-pick with a low-down blues beat that keeps the funk just funky enough to set it apart…
The Office Tries To Regain Its Mojo
Blame it on the break. There hasn’t been a new, non-clip-show episode of The Office since December 10. That’s two months for the season to lose momentum, and the effects were felt in last night’s ep, “Sabre.” I also think I should come to The Office void of any other…
The Week in Photos
Although the week has been blustery and rainy, that hasn’t stopped the talented photographers in the Houston Press Flickr pool from capturing the city — even in its off days. Want to see your own photos featured here every Friday? Jump in the pool yourself. As always, for more information…
Super Bowl XLIV: Corn It Up
Colts fans, listen up. Looking for a new way to channel the Hoosier State at your Super Bowl adventurganza? The answer may be easier — and cheaper — than you think. Indiana is smack dab in the center of the Corn Belt, which produces 50 percent of all corn grown…
The Return of Radar Eyes: Dull Knife Records Owner Brent Tipton
Radar Eyes: State your name and purpose. Brent Tipton: My name is Brent, and I am curator of Dull Knife. RE: You’ve been releasing music by underground recording artists from Houston and beyond for about three years now it seems! What are you guys all about and why do you…
Five Thoughts That Will Be Going Through Texan Fans’ Heads On Super Bowl Sunday
Super Bowl Sunday is not even a bittersweet day for Houston Texan fans normally, seeing how the team is usually so far from being a contender to play in it that not being in it causes agita.This year, though, things were a little different. The Texans and their fans had…
Twitpics From Space!! Twitpics From Space!!
That picture? It’s San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge — as seen from space. Note the shadow. Astronaut Souichi Noguchiis Twitpic-ing his way in orbit, sharing his photos on one of them there social-media things.He’s also Twittering non-picture stuff, although to be honest “De-gassing of the portable water bags are complete…
Jerry Jones’ Ego Triumphs Yet Again
From what we’ve heard, Cowboys Stadium is a crap-tastic, glorified sports bar: Unless you shell out for the big-bucks seats, you’re gonna be stuck way, way upstairs looking at a giant TV screen, overpaying for beers.But Jerry Jones loves his billion-dollar monument to himself. So much that he’s convinced the…
Your Chance To See The Houston Story!! If You Dare!!
If you’re the type of person who streams movies over the net without a care for viruses, then you have a chance to see The Houston Story by going here.This 1956 epic stars Gene Barry and Barbara Hale, the secretary from the Perry Mason series, and it was directed by…
Great Moments In Douchebaggotry: Courtney Love Bashes Her Daughter On Facebook
Great Moments in Douchebaggotry is brought to you by Rocks Off’s upcoming Washington Shore party, Thursday, February 11 at the Washington Avenue Drinkery. All types of douchebags are encouraged to attend. We don’t know if you’ve been following along, but if you have, you already know the life of Courtney…
League City Ladies Room Peeper Nabbed
Imagine this scenario, ladies. You’re out shopping, and your bladder is bursting. You rush to a stall and sit down to pee. Ahhh, bliss. Suddenly, from the stall next door, this head appears under the partition:That head belongs to Dickinson’s Juan Gomez, who is alleged to have peeped under partitions…
Unlikely Sex Toys: The 5 Kinkiest Kitchen Utensils
In one of our many strange and winding trips through the twisted pathways of the Internet, we stumbled across this site: http://www.xxxitchen.com. Despite the URL, it’s not nearly as NSFW (that’s Not Safe For Work, moms, which the rest of this post is — so stop reading now and go…
There’s Absolutely Nothing That Could Possibly Go Wrong With NASA’s New Human-Looking Robot
NASA and General Motors have announced a new space robot, called Robonaut 2, or R2 for short (The name “Desperately Hoping to be Relevant via Outdated Pop Culture References,” or RHROPCR, was apparently rejected for being too long.)”Our challenge today is to build machines that can help humans work and…
Houston Coffee Scene: Fontana Coffee Roasters
Nestled away on Taft St. between Fairview and Gray lies a neat little white warehouse that holds Fontana Coffee Roasters and Alltex Refrigeration. Head roaster Keith Adkins services many a restaurant in and around the area, and even delivers to the closer locations on his bicycle. In this photo, there…
A South American Breakfast at a Greek Cafeteria
Harry’s (318 Tuam) is hands-down one of our favorite places for a leisurely breakfast on the weekends. Its unassuming exterior hides one of the best spots in town for a good, hearty breakfast that won’t cost an arm and a leg, with cheerful service to boot. It’s not the place…
Are You Listening, @TexasMonthly?
If you follow @PapaBeav, you were either amused or annoyed by his recent Twitter campaign to get @TexasMonthly to do a cover story on him and the restaurant he heads as chef, Beavers. So many Twitter users bombarded @TexasMonthly with messages about @PapaBeav — real name, Jonathan Jones — that…
Walter’s Staying On Washington Until At Least April
This past week we found ourselves at Walter’s On Washington about three times for various shows, amateur boxing matches and the random drink (or five). The club’s rumored move has been Internet and scene fodder since word of its then-imminent change of location came to light last fall. It’s now…
Game Time: A Radio Programming Question…Please Let Me Help You
We all have certain things that are on our sports “bucket list,” and whether it’s because I’ve loved football from the time I was in diapers or whether it’s because I am now in a line of work where it seems like everyone except me has been to one, attending…
Dan Jenkins’s Favorite Cheese Enchiladas
Yesterday, I ate some of Molina’s “Enchiladas de Tejas,” old-fashioned cheese enchiladas in chili con carne topped with raw onions. When I was researching the “Temples of Tex-Mex” feature, I heard about this dish from Tex-Mex enthusiast and legendary sports writer Dan Jenkins. “The first time I ate Mexican food…
He Said She Said: Songs For A First (Perhaps Only) Date, Part 2
He Said is going to admit right here and now that he has never been a master of the first date. True it is that we have dated some very awesome and artistic women, but we always lack when it comes to that first swing out of the box. He…
San Jacinto Battleground Among State’s Most Endangered Historic Places, Group Says
Is it a good or bad thing to be named one of the state’s Most Endangered Historic Places?The Sam Jacinto Battlefield is going to find out, having earned that dubious honor this morning.”The landscape is all that remains of this important historic site, and without a comprehensive preservation plan that…
Brew Blog: Indian Food and Real Ale Brewing Co.’s Phoenixx Double ESB
This week on Brew Blog: a suggested beer pairing. We stumbled on this one last week after cooking up an Indian feast at home (dal, Bombay potatoes, veggies, naan). Thinking of the ginger, garlic, cumin, turmeric, coriander and mustard seed madness to come, we wagered a bet on a beer…
Jose Azua, 16, Bayou Body Count No. 27
Sixteen-year-old Jose Azua was simply slinging tacos at an outdoor stand Wednesday night in north Harris County when he came face to face with a guy holding a gun.It wasn’t long until the Harris County Sheriff’s Office got a call about a shooting.When deputies arrived, they found Azua had been…
There’s A Bomb At SXSW, MacGruber!!!!
The South by Southwest Film Festival has firmed up its lineup, and it includes a film by artiste Michael Gondry and….MacGruber.There is a lot of hatred out there for the Saturday Night Live MacGruber sketches, but we have to admit we like them. Mostly because they come in small doses,…
The H-Town Countdown, No. 1: The Geto Boys’ We Can’t Be Stopped
Roughly 84,000 rap albums have been released in Houston since 1989. We’re counting down the 25 best of all time every Thursday – or we were. Got a problem with the list? Shove it. Just kidding. Friendship. Email it to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Note: With all due respect to Prince Johnny C,…
Who Dat?
Hell has frozen over. The New Orleans Saints are going to the Super Bowl this Sunday. So, to celebrate, we give you our twist on traditional Buffalo wings, Cajun Chicken Wings. These wings are so good and so easy, you’ll look for any excuse to make them. Even Colts fans…
VD Gifts: Chocolate Bar’s Pizza of Love
Among the many Valentine’s Day specials at the Chocolate Bar on Alabama is this giant chocolate pizza topped with cinnamon hearts, nuts and sparkling white icing and adorned with chocolate cupids and twin chocolate hearts. The chocolate pizza comes in an actual pizza delivery box and sells for a mere…
Breathe Easy, Houston: We’re Not Getting The GOP Convention
Yesterday we noted that respected national publication Hotline had reported that Houston was one of four finalists for the 2012 GOP convention. Naturally, this caused much panic among those people who aren’t the kind to listen to Glenn Beck and nod their head saying “Damn, that man makes sense!!”Houston, we…
He Said She Said: Songs For A First Date, Assuming They Still Exist
It’s been a long time since the committed She Said has been on a first date, and while the romantic in her likes to think of how exciting, flustering and fun a first date can be, the realist in her knows that life is full of hundreds of awkward first…
Aeros’ Assistant Almost Gets A Moment In The Sun
At about 1:30 yesterday afternoon, a young man named Jeff Crawford got a phone call from Houston Aeros assistant GM/assistant coach Troy Ward. And it was one of those phone calls that every sports fan dreams about.The phone call asking him to suit up with the team for last night’s…
Venezuelan Street Food – Catered
We were recently fortunate enough to sample some homemade Venezuelan empanadas that were muy deliciosos. Made by Rosalba Verde, a native of Venezuela, the flaky pastry dough came in several versions — stuffed full of chorizo and potato, ground beef, or chicken breast mixed with green olives, onions and mild…
Idol Beat: The “Best of the Rest,” Or So Fox Says
Last night’s American Idol was a clip show, plain and simple. Nothing else going on at all. Granted, every cattle-call audition episode can feel like a clip show, with an endless run of short, forgettable stories placed one after the other. But last night’s installment didn’t even pretend to be…
American Idol: The “Best of the Rest,” Or So Fox Says
Last night’s American Idol was a clip show, plain and simple. Nothing else going on at all. Granted, every cattle-call audition episode can feel like a clip show, with an endless run of short, forgettable stories placed one after the other. But last night’s installment didn’t even pretend to be…
What? Someone’s Actually Gonna Do Time For Identity Theft?
Nakeshia Brown, a 30-year-old Houston woman, has been sentenced for stealing the identities of patients while working as a nurse at Memorial Hermann Hospital. The Houston Press wrote about Brown’s case in a cover story about identity theft, published in June of last year. The story highlighted the fact the…
Lonesome Onry and Mean: Two Top Producers Recall Their Earliest Musical Memories
Two of the better known roots producers on the scene have radically different memories of the first music of their childhoods that gripped them by the ears and heart. Gurf Morlix, whose notable production credits include Lucinda Williams’ Grammy-winning Car Wheels on a Gravel Road as well as stellar albums…
Tasting Beer: Samuel Smith’s Lager
American microbrewed beer may be the passion of many a beer knurd here in Houston, but we recently geeked out sampling English microbrewery Samuel Smith. We’d been fans but had failed to experience its version of a lager until now. Medium hoppiness and light body make this a refreshing brew,…
If You’ve Ever Dreamed Of Running Away With The Cirque…
Dreamers wanted!! To enter the glamorous world of that crazy business we call “show”!!!The people behind Cirque Dreams Illumination, which we’re guessing is a show that combines acrobatics, song, lights and dreaming, are looking For You. They’re looking for you, that is, if you fit this very limited category: “aspiring…
Pop Rocks: Let’s Never Fight Again, James Cameron
I finally managed to catch Avatar last weekend. I don’t know if holding out this long was more because of the demands of infant children or my holding out hope that withholding my handful of dollars might keep the movie from steamrollering to the top spot in all-time box office…
Rear Window
Viewers have to remember Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window was made in 1954. It helps explain ice princess Grace Kelly’s pre-Gloria Steinem brand of feminism. Kelly plays Lisa, girlfriend to Jeff (Jimmy Stewart). Jeff’s got a broken leg, so he’s confined to his apartment. He spends his days napping and watching…
Galveston Mardi Gras
It’s February, and on Galveston Island that means one thing: Mardi Gras. The annual mega-party kicks off this week with celebrations across the city. More than 250,000 people will cram onto the island between now and Fat Tuesday, wandering around town with beers in hand, enjoying everything from concerts to…
Triple Focus
It’s a mix of old and new at Triple Focus. Three dance companies — the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Urban Souls Dance Company and Ad Deum Dance Company — share the stage during the Dance Month event. Each group will perform new works and favorites from their repertoire. The three…
I Hate Hamlet
Steve Miller, the director of Texas Repertory Theatre’s production of I Hate Hamlet, says the 1990 farce has the “perfect recipe for some wonderful theatricality to happen onstage.” The backstage story follows Andrew Rally, an actor who takes the job of playing Hamlet in Shakespeare in the Park after his…
Miss Saigon
When you’re borrowing ideas, you might as well borrow from the best. That’s exactly what Claude-Michel Schšnberg did when he used Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly as inspiration for his award-winning Miss Saigon, presented here by Theatre Under the Stars. Like the opera, Schšnberg’s musical follows an Asian woman who is…
A Prairie Home Companion – LIVE in HD
For millions of devoted listeners, the week just isn’t complete unless they’ve heard the soothing vocal intonations of Garrison Keillor, as he hosts the radio variety program A Prairie Home Companion. Most, of course, don’t get to see the author/humorist/musician as he performs, since he records the show on a…
Let’s Misbehave: The Early Cole Porter
Drift away into a jazzy bygone era as Bayou City Concert Musicals performs the greatest hits of one of America’s music icons in Let’s Misbehave: The Early Cole Porter. This is the latest in a series of performances by the group spotlighting the masters of the Great American Songbook. Today’s…
True Love Lies
Theater LaB, a company known for its on-the-edge comedies and dramas about the struggles of contemporary life, is tackling Brad Fraser’s True Love Lies. The show examines what happens to a middle-aged married couple when the husband’s ex-lover comes back into their lives – an ex-lover named David. According to…
“Skeez 181: 1000 Faces”
Skeez 181’s art career is an anomaly: Eighteen years as a talented artist have yielded countless canvases, commissions and sculptures, but zero gallery shows. “I’m the type of artist that forever believes in not keeping my work,” the graffiti-style devotee says. “I either sell [my paintings] or give them up…
American Menu
If you can’t stand the heat…you know the rest. So do the five women sweating away in the airless kitchen of Don Wilson Glenn’s American Menu. Inside the small-town diner in East Texas, Mary, Buella, Martha, Johnnie Mae and Na cook up quite a drama as they bitch, dream and…
Tom Green
Tom Green is taking his comedy offline. The original MTV prankster-turned-Internet talk-show host is returning to the stage. “I’ve done stand-up over the years off and on,” he says, adding, “I’ve never done a stand-up comedy tour before.” So far, so good – Green reports sold-out shows in Atlanta and…
Nano Fiction Reading Series
Writers Laurie Clements Lambeth and Greg Oaks share their work during today’s edition of the Nano Fiction Reading Series. Lambeth, currently at work on her second book of poetry, saw her debut collection, Veil and Burn, selected for the 2006 National Poetry Series. Oaks, who teaches creative writing at Lone…
Almost, Maine
Houston three, New York zero: Recently, longtime Big Apple actors Kim Tobin, Georgi Silverman and Rick Silverman moved to Houston, where they found a ripe environment in which to start a new theater company, the Brave Dog Players. Today, alongside local co-founder Philip Lehl, they’ll mount the Houston debut of…
“The Forgotten Faces of Fort Craig”
Come face-to-face with history at “The Forgotten Faces of Fort Craig” at the African-American Museum. Presented by the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, the exhibit includes the mummified remains of a Fort Craig Buffalo Soldier, looted from his resting place by grave robbers. A team of experts eventually discovered that the…
“Moments, Memories, and Voices”
Photographer/artist Earlie Hudnall Jr. and artist/poet Naomi Polk chronicle the rise — and recent fall — of Houston’s Fourth Ward in the art exhibit “Moments, Memories, and Voices: Let Us Remember.” Established by freed slaves after the Civil War, the Fourth Ward area (also known as Freedmen’s Town) is rich…
Bocón
Twelve-year-old Miguel just can’t keep quiet. He’s a chatterbox, a bocón. In the play Bocón, written by Lisa Loomer and directed by Talento Bilingüe Artist-in-Residence Angeles Romero, Miguel flees a Central American regime for the freedom of the United States. When he’s separated from his parents and forced to take…
Jan Bethancourt
Local author/illustrator Jan Bethancourt has the right idea: We should all Eat Chocolate with Breakfast. The book, which Bethancourt wrote and illustrated, encourages women to trust in their abilities and talents, and to remember to be good to themselves, maybe even spoil themselves from time to time. Bethancourt will be…
Pig Farm
Playwright Greg Kotis is known for mixing dark comedy with socially relevant themes. That was certainly the case with Kotis’s most famous work, Urinetown the Musical. And it’s the case with Pig Farm, currently being mounted by Black Box Productions. Pig Farm examines the idea of corporate farming by following…
UCLA Film & Television Archive Festival of Preservation
Three excellent films from three different decades are on the schedule this weekend for the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s Festival of Preservation, making its first-ever stop in Houston. John Cassavetes’s 1974 film A Woman Under the Influence is set for Friday. Gena Rowlands is the mother at the center…
Topdog/Underdog
Suzan-Lori Parks’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Topdog/Underdog is the fast-paced story of two African-American brothers who have been pitted against each other since childhood. Lincoln is an ex-hustler who works as an Abraham Lincoln impersonator at an arcade (we kid you not), and Booth is a petty thief who wishes he had…
Gentleman Jack Art, Beats + Lyrics Tour
If you have an “I want it all!” attitude toward your entertainment, the Gentleman Jack Art, Beats + Lyrics Tour is just for you. “It’s not your typical fine-art event,” says event co-producer Dubelyoo. “This is art for our generation. It’s live music and art installations. It’s two extremes coming…
“Transmutations: Material Reborn”
It’s easy to tell what inspired the title “Transmutations: Material Reborn” for the exhibit currently on display at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Susan Sloan, curator for the show, selected work from 28 jewelry artists known for transforming the materials they work with into outlandish and yet completely wearable…
Mex on the Beach
The Peruvian-style ceviche at Yelapa Playa Mexicana had mahi-mahi, squid and shrimp pieces tossed with “local citrus” fruit and avocados in a mélange seasoned with pasilla chiles and hibiscus. It’s one of the most ingenious ceviches I’ve ever had, if a little on the sweet side, and one of three…
SPECIAL NARCO EDITION
Dear Mexican, How can a formerly proud Latina like myself feel proud to be Mexican again after my beloved relative was murdered in Mexico by narcos while visiting? I still have love for my heritage, and I understand that many Mexican people live in desperate situations because they have no…
Good Turn
There’s sex and violence of a more interior nature in Benjamin Britten’s adaptation of Henry James’s classic ghost story The Turn of the Screw. It’s creepier, too, since children are involved in nameless abuses that may, or may not, have happened. A young, virginal governess arrives at a desolate country…
Yippee Ki Yay, Fils de Putain
As personal assistant to the U.S. Ambassador to France, James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) can keep himself in well-tailored suits and keep his terrific-looking kittenish girlfriend (Kasia Smutniak) in a nice Paris apartment. This is the basis for director Pierre Morel’s delicate study in trans-Atlantic manners, From Paris With Love,…
TAPS HOUSE OF BEER’S PEAR PLEASURE
Certain Washington Avenue bars achieve a state of near-tolerability around the middle of the week, but I still managed to encounter some weekend conduct on a Tuesday trip to Taps House of Beer (5120 Washington Ave., 281-701-4248). I was getting the bartender’s recipe for the vodka-based Pear Pleasure shot he…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Body in Fragments”, “Dana Frankfort: Pictures”, “Robert Pruitt: The Forever People”, “Ron Hoover — A Retrospective: 1972-2006”, “Wishing Well for Houston”
“Body in Fragments” The Menil is always great at creating little mini exhibits from its vast collection, grouping together and juxtaposing modern and contemporary works with primitive art. “Body in Fragments” is no exception. The title says it all — every piece on display contains an element of body fragmentation,…
A Toast to Tosca
International soprano Patricia Racette, a Houston favorite for many seasons, has taken on the juicy title role in Giacomo Puccini’s meaty Tosca (1900) at Houston Grand Opera for the first time in her career. The question is, what’s taken her so long? Tosca is a difficult character to play, partly…
Corky’s Debt
“Give Houston a big old kiss for me,” signs off Mayo Thompson after more than an hour on the phone. Even after 15 minutes spent discussing various aspects of his hometown, it’s a surprising bit of sentiment from a musician and artist who, in previous interviews, could politely be described…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Un ballo in maschera, A Picasso, Thunder Rock
Un ballo in maschera If Puccini’s Tosca is the early 20th century’s most compact opera, then Giuseppe Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera (1859) is the 19th century’s. This adaptation of a Eugene Scribe play about the killing of Sweden’s Gustave III was radically changed by the Italian censors; the setting…
Ultimate Victory
Chamillionaire is the rapper you can take home to mom and dad. His albums contain very little swearing, and, in fact, he won’t even curse when he’s quoting other rappers. When describing the music he liked as a child, for example, he recalls Snoop Dogg’s famous “Bitches “Ain’t Shit” line…
New Found Glory
It’s hard to believe that Coral Springs, Florida’s New Found Glory is now entering its 13th year of syrupy-sweet pop-punk carnage. The lineup has remained unchanged the whole time, as lead singer Jordan Pundik’s heartbroken sneer remains indelible. NFG’s self-titled 2000 LP fully took hold of the burgeoning pop-punk scene…
Tim Easton
A virtual unknown in these parts, Tim Easton is a giant talent on the roots/folk-rock scene. His shows and records continually make critics drool, but Easton doesn’t come through these parts often enough to have built a solid following the way he has in the Midwest and on the West…
Houston’s Jesus Predicts Troubles
SPACED CITY Houston’s Jesus Predicts Troubles More death coming to Caribbean, He says By Craig Malisow In case you haven’t gotten your share of tragic news out of Haiti, a reliable Hair Balls source tells us there will be plenty more death and destruction within the next 30 months. And…
Bellamy Brothers
Chances are, subconsciously, you know the entire Bellamy Brothers catalog by heart. That’s the magic, for better or worse, of siblings David and Homer’s tuneful, mellow country-rock — if such a thing were possible, they would be the Journey of the twanging set. At times the going does get sappy,…
Depraved Houston, a jacked-up rodeo and Jennifer Aniston
Houston Haters Online readers comment on “Boycott Houston, Because We Are So Depraved,” by Craig Malisow, Hair Balls blog, January 19: Sweet! Not only do I encourage them to boycott Houston, they should put their money where their mouths are and actually liberate anyone currently living here who agrees with…
Jud Johnson Band
Now here’s something you don’t see every day: a local band headlining House of Blues. In the big room. On a weekend. But head over to the Houston Pavilions Friday night, and that’s exactly what you’ll find. (We’ll pause for just a moment to let that sink in.) On its…
Crash Reports
Steve Morrison probably never knew what hit him that April afternoon in 2008. After the 52-year-old swimming-pool company owner eased off the brakes of his green Saturn and headed south down Hillcroft across Westpark, a Nissan Frontier driven by a 28-year-old Salvadoran immigrant named Rosa Villegas-Vatres slammed into him, caving…
Johnny Falstaff
Johnny (Wolfe) Falstaff has been pounding honky-tonk hardwood floors around here so long he’s on his second name. The veteran of the Sundowners, one of the first Houston bands to find the nexus where honky-tonk and rockabilly meet punk, is known for his outrageous duds, flamboyant style and bad-boy attitude…
Ben Allison & Man Size Safe
Jazz fans sure like Ben Allison. The New York-based musician’s ninth CD, Think Free, was released just a little more than three months ago, and has already spent several weeks in the top spot on the CMJ jazz chart. Down Beat readers like Allison, too, citing him in the Best…
Table Seven
“My husband’s dream is to own six restaurants,” said Shelley Elham, talking about her husband and business partner, Babak. The new Table Seven (700 Durham, 713-426-1171) in the busy Washington area is the fourth of their restaurants, which include Table 7 Bistro and District 7 Grill. “We live in the…
Whiskey in the Jar
Like St. Patrick’s Day itself, the Blaggards’ “Stout Irish Rock” is a Hibernian-American tradition, folding Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” and Ramones-style punk into a bottomless well of high-tempered Celtic tunes that go down smooth even without a pint of Guinness or shot of Jameson. The multiple Houston Press Music…
Marvelous mollusks at Stella Sola
It is fitting that the wood-roasted mussels ($12) at Stella Sola (1001 Studewood, 713-880-1001) come with a broth made with Lone Star beer. The restaurant’s name means “Lone Star” in Italian, and it’s Bill Floyd and Brian Caswell’s take on Italian food, which they describe as “Texas Tuscan.” The mussels…
‘Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky
Sitting in a lobby chair next to a smallish stage, Mark Towns looks pretty ordinary. He’s medium-built, maybe six feet tall, with his lean legs tucked underneath his chair. His grayish hair, a little longer than shoulder length, is a bit frazzled and pulled back hastily into an unflattering ponytail…
