The Mayflower: The Families, the Voyage and the Founding of America By Rebecca Fraser 384 pp. $29.99 St. Martin’s Press As children, we all learned the story about the Mayflower, the Pilgrims, and that famous al fresco celebratory fall meal from school history books and the Charlie Brown special The…
Or two and a half, if you count the live EP.
A stellar lineup of musicians that proves as much with this exclusive debut from upcoming LP Talk.
Sigmund Freud, Martin Luther King Jr., Christopher Hitchens, Kierkegaard, Pope Francis and Hitler. Where would one look to find this group all in one spot? And no, it’s not the cover of the Sgt. Pepper’s album. The answer, is Chris Cragin-Day and Max McLean’s Martin Luther on Trial, a Fellowship…
The last few months have seen some welcome innovation in the cry-along subgenre of dramas about finding the will to keep living after bodily catastrophe. First, in the notably sincere and unsensational Stronger, director David Gordon Green and his crew strove to strip away as much of such films’ usual…
Vocal chord damage is not sexy, people!
The idealized view of everyone from couture models to exotic dancers is turning toward the more body-inclusive.
As we sampled flavors at Dolce Neve Gelato one recent evening, the man behind the counter did a little sampling of his own, taking an impromptu survey of ice cream practices and preferences. As we rattled off a list of wildly disparate frozen treat emporia, it occurred to me that…
Not nearly as dumb as the title suggests.
The punk-tinged Houston four-piece sends up nighttime ’80s soaps like Dynasty.
Here’s a look at this weekend’s best culinary happenings: Houston Italian Fest at the University of St. Thomas Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 3800 Montrose The 39th Houston Italian Festival will feature live music and folk dance, film screenings, activities and cooking…
A Houston-focused approximation of a Viceland show.
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings: The Capital Grille, 5365 Westheimer, 840 West Sam Houston Parkway North, has launched its annual Wagyu & Wine event, available now through Sunday, November 19. For $25, guests are invited to the lounge to experience three…
His days of shock-rocking are over, and that’s for the best.
Night Market Thai, 9630 Clarewood, opened on October 3, according to Houston CultureMap. Mike Tran and chef Rikesh Patel have revamped the previous concept, Night Market Curry and Grill, into a Thai restaurant with an ultra-cool interior and colorful dishes that bring the heat. Melange Creperie will open its first…
HPD is on the lookout for some miscreants who pulled down a new 8-foot sculpture in honor of November’s International Quilt Festival.
With more than 1 million cubic yards of debris picked up from Hurricane Harvey, Houston Solid Waste Management is eyeing November to resume curbside recycling pickup in the city, Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a press conference on Wednesday. The city suspended pickup of the green bins on August 30 as…
Two Houstonians have been sentenced in an Oklahoma federal court for their roles in an elaborate — not to mention sort of creepy — online dating scam that defrauded multiple victims out of nearly $5 million. Ken Ejimofor Ezeah, 35, and Akunna Baiyina Ejiofor were sentenced to 11 and seven…
Imagine a series where Seinfeld meets Sartre.
Here come the Astros, breathing orange fire…
They might have been locked up in prison while Hurricane Harvey ravaged the Texas coast, but that didn’t stop prisoners from pitching in with Harvey relief in one way or another. Namely, by donating more than $50,000 out of their generally limited commissary funds. Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman…
Warren’s Inn, named after the late Warren Truesdale, moved into its current location on Market Square in 1987, and next to nothing has changed since. After all, why mess with perfection?
There are three things that make “Secret Sands” a great band name. The first is that it instantly transports you away from the bayous and concrete that make Houston the city we know and love to another part of the world, one where we all leave footprints under a bright sun as the wind whips…
This venerable Houston institution is huge enough to fit several sports teams and more TVs than you can shake a stick at (although why you’d want to do that, we don’t know), but not so huge that you’ll have to wait forever for a cold brew or delicious wings.
Levy Park now boasts a covered pavilion, two expansive lawns, a community garden, a children’s play area and splash pad (including a nifty molecule-like climbing toy), abundant seating, and carts full of board games and art supplies for creative types.
If you enter this fast-casual Cajun spot into your GPS, Siri will pronounce it as Gumbo Joke-ses, but the jokes on her. Gumbo Jeaux’s (it sounds like Joe’s, y’all) serves up quick and fiery Texas Cajun in an open kitchen where cooks entertain the customers as much as they bring the flavor.
Chicken-fried steak in white gravy is a Houston essential, but Ronnie Killen takes the dish to a new level at his new steakhouse-meets-barbecue restaurant, STQ.
For the sheer size and breadth of its cellar to the caliber of its floor sommeliers, there is no fine wine destination in Houston that rivals Pappas Bros. Steakhouse.
It’s not located in Houston’s Koreatown area off Long Point, and it may not be as traditional or authentic as some might like, but one visit to Republic Diner in the Heights, and you can’t help loving the retro-hip vibe of the place as well as the food.
At Front Porch Pub, the marinated steaks are grilled over hot coals while hungry meat-lovers gather on a massive wooden deck.
Sure, there may be newer, fancier nachos in town, but as the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” And the nachos at local standby El Tiempo Cantina — which has multiple locations around Houston — definitely ain’t broke.
Filled with more camera gear than logically possible and expert salespeople who are shutterbugs themselves, this is the place to get a new lens or camera body or just some assistance with how real cameras work in the age of the cell-phone selfie.
Another year, another crown for The Pastry War, where the selection of tequila is wide, the price is right (especially during the $5 margarita happy hour) and the margaritas are always deliciously boozy.
They have plenty of stuff for the average rider, but are really tailored to the enthusiast. After all, it’s the latter that keeps places like I-Cycle, the longtime Oak Forest cycling shop, in business.
The warehouse is chock-full of balloons, goody bag stuffers, patterned plates and cups, customizable banners and more — and the ready-to-help staff will guide you through the expansive space.
With a slight retooling of the roster and a full-time move of James Harden to point guard, D’Antoni turned last season’s .500 outfit into the third-best team in the league (by record, 55-27).
Whether you’re in need of football cleats or hockey skates, kayaks or snowboards, Dick’s has everything for both serious athletes willing to lay down the cash and casual shoppers who just want to pick up a lawn game and some jogging shorts.
Life Time is unrivaled when it comes to the flashy amenities and fitness perks that come with a membership. It’s the kind of fitness club where, if you do it right, you can turn indoor rock climbing into a weekly workout.
The National Museum of Funeral History is a highly fascinating museum, with 14 permanent exhibits, including the history of embalming, and “coffins and caskets of the past.”
True fans of jazz music know it demands close attention in the presence of other aficionados, and Cezanne is just the place for that.
Barney’s Billiard Saloon has everything you want in a pool hall: It’s dark, with nothing frilly or flashy. The beer is cheap. Each of the six pool tables is lit by two single overhead lights. And a couple of dozen bare-bones wooden stools line the bar, where live sports are continually on the screen.
Don’t freak out that the best Vietnamese restaurant in Houston doesn’t even serve pho or banh mi; there is more to Vietnamese cuisine than noodle soup and sandwiches. This tiny sleeper of a joint is one of only a handful of restaurants in Houston that specializes in banh cuon, steamed rice flour crepes, made-to-order in…
At the beginning of the year, fan-favorite gastropub Beaver’s brought its “damn good food and cocktails” to a second location on Westheimer, one that just so happens to be three-times larger than the original location on Decatur.
This Heights seafood eatery from Cherry Pie Hospitality boasts one hell of a sexy bar; a tiled olive-green and black and white beauty that’s all class and somehow harkens back to America’s oyster spots of yore — gleaming institutions such as Grand Central’s oyster bar.
Sixty-two years ago, a large dance hall and tavern called Esquire Ballroom opened on Hempstead Highway, on the outskirts of Houston and through the years it hosted legendary country acts like Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson and George Jones.
It takes a lot of guts to go against the grain when you’re an up-and-coming chef, but Ryan Lachaine seems to defy the odds with his new Montrose eatery Riel, which combines the flavors of his Canadian and Ukrainian heritage with the culinary influences of Houston.
Did you know that pancake flights existed? Judging by the crowd that forms outside the Montrose location of this morning bastion each and every weekend (and some weekdays too), it seems as though the word is out.
When your dogs come out of a busy day at Bed & Biscuits, they will be socialized, exercised and ready to go home and take a leisurely approach to life alongside their chosen human.
You get to choose the flavors in your sundae, and you can choose anything from sarsaparilla-anise to cilantro ice cream with roasted pineapple, which makes for the best sundae experience in town.
It’s here that we find respite under the healing hands of Dr. Philip Conklin, who draws from 35 years of practice and a whole-body approach to pick us up and send us back into the world feeling exponentially better.
These mobile saviors of technology come right to your door, sometimes a mere 20 minutes after your call, and they can fix just about anything that might have gone wrong, no matter who makes your device.
The English import is riding high on league charts now, having netted 15 points in 15 starts and amassed more than 1,300 playing minutes by the end of July. Not bad for her second year with the Dash.
With trails, both paved and dirt, wide-open green spaces and water features, there are few places better to walk Fido and yourself.
When your palate is craving a more elegant sort of libation, the kind of drink that is magicked up by someone with the title of mixologist who does strange and mystical things with various liquors, you’d best head to Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar and Spirit Lodge.
The best part of going to Hermann Park to ride a train is you can get there by train.
It’s almost as if Houstonians have rediscovered the patio in recent years. Any list of the best patios would often include a few staples, but as new venues and restaurants have embraced getting outside, we are in the midst of a patio renaissance. At the dead center is Axelrad, with…
Molina’s, a family-run business for more than 75 years, has built a reputation on its enchiladas. With seven enchilada plates on the menu, the choices range from chicken to beef, cheese and spinach-filled, topped with green sauce, Spanish sauce, mole, or chili gravy.
Viet Hoa International Foods offers an extensive selection of Vietnamese and Chinese groceries and dried goods, and serves the international Asian community well with an impressive variety of Korean, Japanese, Indian and Thai goods.
Big as a dinosaur bone and tender as all get-out, pitmaster Ronnie Killen’s incredible beef rib continues to set the standard when it comes to Houston’s crazy barbecue obsession with gnawing at the bone.
Driving to Katy just to see a movie might sound silly, but in the case of the Alamo Drafthouse, it’s worth the time and gas.
Forget meatballs in regular old marinara. At Greek taverna Helen in the Heights, the younger, more casual sibling to Rice Village’s Helen Greek Food and Wine, chef William Wright ups the ante with his Midas touch.
Bernie’s Burger Bus has a penchant for doing things in-house (daily ground beef, homemade pickles), and that grade A attitude doesn’t change when it comes to the house french fries.
The magical part about this Walgreens is you will almost never have to wait long. The pharmacists behind the counter know what they’re about and are quick to get prescriptions filled, and if you’re getting something new that you have questions about, they’ll be glad to answer them.
City Centre, west of Houston at the Beltway and I-10, is like a miniature city within a city, with its sprawling campus of shops, restaurants, hotels and entertainment. The pedestrian mall could easily fill a full day or whole weekend of action.
Whether you’re a 24/7 vegetarian or just out for a meatless Monday meal, Local Foods is a great bet for vegetarian food that’s so delicious, you’ll forget you’re eating plant-based at all.
We’ll never be a New York or a Chicago, but stepping off the METRORail and onto Preston Station will at least give you the illusion of being a walkable city. There’s plenty to visit, plenty to walk to, without having to worry about the burdens of parking.
The doctors at Ben Taub’s ER have been known to pull off medical feats that sometimes seem like miracles, saving the lives of some of the most critically injured people who are brought into the hospital.
You can go the DIY route, picking your flowers as you go; you can leave it to the experts to make the recommendations; or you can pre-select an arrangement from the shop’s website.
What other mall in Houston gives you the chance to get an American Girl doll styled after you as you grab a bite at Tout Suite and check out the model trains courtesy of the Houston Tinplate Operators Society?
With a team of professional dancers, a repertoire of more than 60 pieces, a robust center that offers an array of classes for children, teenagers and adults, and more than 20 years in the game, the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company (colloquially METdance) has the professional dance company thing down pat.
Warren’s jukebox — with its eclectic mix of Sinatra, Otis, Sam Cooke, Dylan, John Lee Hooker, Paul Simon, REM and Louis Prima, among many others — makes sense.
House of Pies gets its own share of misfits and late-night dates and families not ready to head home and loners who just want a good slice of pie.
This Italian concept from Agricole Hospitality — also of Revival Market, Eight Row Flint and three new concepts in EaDo — goes well beyond traditional red sauce.
There is the matcha-frosted doughnut, reason enough to take a hike to this Heights coffee-shop-meets-breakfast-mecca that does fried dough lovers right.
Double-fried and spicy as you please, the Korean fried chicken wings at this popular South Korean eatery in Katy, with more area locations to come, have stepped up Houston’s chicken wing game immensely since debuting in late 2016.
Located in Midtown, Glitter Karaoke isn’t a bar that also has karoake — here, singing takes center stage. Five nights a week, you can belt out your favorite songs from a vast catalog of hits from rock, hip-hip, country and more.
What is it about this humble breakfast and brunch hub that makes people flock to its tiny strip-center location? Perhaps it’s the migas, the portion size certainly not overkill, but perfect for starting a Saturday morning, with a small pool of creamy refried beans on the side.
The great family appeal of Bernie’s Burger Bus is vast. You’ll find it in the menu, which rocks juicy burgers, housemade lemonade and crazy-good sweet potato fries.
The water here is actually blue, oil rigs are but a dot in the distance and there are minimal sea creatures and seaweed in the way of enjoying the ocean — and along the Gulf Coast, all of those perks aren’t necessarily easy to find all at once.
This gaming mecca is a geek’s paradise, and we don’t mix metaphors lightly. Board games, cards, role-playing, tabletop miniature — whatever your gaming jones, Asgard will hook you up.
If you thought one Bloody Mary was thirst-quenching, try sipping on a flight of them at this Southern charmer from Cherry Pie Hospitality.
lo has been working miracles in Houston hair for years, and her customers keep coming back because not only does she provide stylish cuts and excellent color, but she ensures the style and cut is something you’ll be able to manage and maintain.
There are a lot of places you can go to buy comics in Houston, but none will give you the nostalgic warmth of looking for comics in your youth the way that Third Planet does.
Miller Outdoor Theatre is one of the best date-night spots in the city, and all you need is a blanket, a cooler and some refreshments for a memorable evening.
Mere words can’t express our adoration. Y’all are the best, period. We hear there’s even a Houston Texans football team, but we don’t care. Our hearts are with y’all, and we can’t wait for the season to start!
Hermann Park is the kind of place you go when you need to remind yourself that, to a certain extent, it’s still possible to get lost in nature even inside the Loop.
You better line up early at this venerable Heights social hall if you want to make it inside for the wildly entertaining Thursday night bingo extravaganza.
With its enoteca-like charm, bare walls, long bar and lovely courtyard, it’s not hard to see why this Midtown wine bar, housed in the restored Jenning’s Cleaners and Dyeing Shoppe that dates back to the 1920s, is always packed to the gills.
With a lot of heavy-hitting competition all over the city, Roostar Vietnamese Grill takes the prize again for Best Banh Mi for its savory, tangy chopped rib eye banh mi, once known as the beef bulgogi.
This beloved taco hub that fronts as a Cuban fast-food spot is still the best drive-through after all these years.
This cult favorite hot-dog stand is known for consistently solid franks and brats that come deeply griddled and fully loaded with a mishmash of toppings on a toasted bun.
Complimentary bread is as divine a right to the eating experience in Houston as chips and salsa, and while you may find good examples of it all over the Bayou City, there’s a standout in Humble that unfailingly warms our hearts and bellies: the complimentary garlic knots at Italiano’s.
Every great city needs an exceptional throwback burger joint, one that harkens back to another, simpler place and time, where the servers still call you “hon” and “baby” and the customers respond with a yes, ma’am. That place is MytiBurger, still going strong after 50 years in business in Garden Oaks.
These days it seems like there’s an almost-excessive amount of fast-casual burger joints dotting the city, but if you want a classic, restaurant-style burger done right, look no further than the Heights hot spot Southern Goods.
With more than 17 years of bartending experience in her back pocket, Monique Hernandez runs a tight ship at Field & Tides, the go-to Heights eatery for pimento balls, scallops and more Gulf Coast delights, with a cocktail list that’s incredibly food- and user-friendly.
Brazos Bookstore is lovingly stocked with books that are carefully curated to offer unusual copies of the classics nestled among great books you’ve never heard of.
Be ready to get messy, since Cajun Kitchen takes your average mudbug and ups the ante by doing things Viet-Cajun style.
Based in Sugar Land, Haug has more than two decades’ experience treating dogs (and cats, horses and other animals) for issues like aggression, separation anxiety, noise and weather phobias, and compulsive disorders.
Money Mart is a real oasis: a huge, clean, well-lit, well-organized store with an ever-revolving inventory of quality merchandise — electronics, jewelry, designer handbags, you name it.
Whether you want to choose from a wide selection of beloved designers like Benchmark, Goldman, Stuller and others, or want to custom-build your own piece, the Reiner family is there to help.
When you add in a daily, midday sports talk show on the Rockets flagship, Matt Thomas undoubtedly has one of the busiest work schedules of any local broadcaster in any NBA market.
As usual, we’re going to show you around the city, pointing out the best things to do and the people who are doing those best things. Whether you are still knee-deep in clean-up, already back to business as usual, or somewhere in between, read over this handy guide with an eye to exploring all that…
Houston is full of great small rooms, but few can compete with the ambience of Cactus Music. In an increasingly digital world, live music is one of the few things you can’t perfectly replicate in zeros and ones, just like you can’t reproduce the feeling of flipping through stacks of vinyl looking for just the…
This might be the best time in history to listen to no-fi, seems-like-yesteryear amplitude modulation radio. It’s not quite the Golden Age (from the 1920s to 1940s), but Donald Trump’s presidency has hatched amazing volumes of aggro from all sorts of sides. Most of these feelings can be heard via AM broadcasting, where Michael Berry…
There’re two things Houston locals can’t go wrong with when giving visitors a tour of the town: food and art — which means that when it comes to the latter, the Museum of Fine Arts is nearly a Saturday-afternoon requirement.
What do empanadas, ceviche, lobster corndogs, lamb lollichops and churrasco steak have in common? They all make up the menu at the ever-impressive Américas River Oaks.
A food truck that combines Filipino street food and gourmet Akaushi burgers? That’s right, and if you see Flip ‘n Patties on the street, you’re going to want to stop.
Overflowing with meat and cheese, the Texas Picnic Board not only conjures up the nostalgia of old-school family picnics with its unabashed deviled eggs, herb-laced and addictive, and its perfectly nutty and tangy pecan-topped cheese ball, but the real star of the show: Ritual’s incredible house-cured charcuterie.
It’s not often that you find a pizzeria that manages to work ingredients such as blackberries, cream gravy, venison and cherries in port wine reduction and fennel pollen into its lineup of delicious pies, but such eccentricities are what makes Pi Pizza the best in H-Town.
This year’s “best sommelier” award has to go to one of the city’s homegrown sons, Jaime de Leon, who started working as a bagger at Kroger three decades ago and nimbly climbed his way to the top of the supermarket behemoth’s wine program to become one of its flagship buyers.
Conservatory is the kind of place you can hang out at all day, especially since it’s the perfect refuge from Houston’s beloved mix of heat, humidity and torrential downpour.
The three brightly lit sand volleyball courts are surrounded by a patio for spectators, a full-service bar with endless Texas craft beer selections, and a lounge area full of colorful Adirondack beach chairs, for those who perhaps didn’t come for the volleyball or are waiting for a turn on the court.
Even if costumes aren’t your thing, Erotic Cabaret has all the toys, lingerie, fetish gear and accessories you can imagine, and probably more than a few you can’t.
The menu changes quarterly, and service is impeccable, so it’s possible to visit often and still be wowed.
Though smaller than its suburban counterparts, H-E-B’s so-called “Buffalo Market” sacrifices none of the Lone Star supermarket leader’s essential Texan-ness.
Started in 1975, this Houston mainstay has been providing people with a huge inventory of quality pistols, rifles, shotguns — and even knives and swords — at great prices, with excellent customer service from real experts.
James Harden is one of the most efficient offensive players in the history of the game, and his 2016-2017 season could only have been overshadowed by Russell Westbrook breaking a record no one thought would ever fall.
Since opening in 2001, Wildcat has become a destination for Houstonians seeking private-course qualities at a public-course price, including very reasonable (like, a few hundred bucks annually) membership fees.
Shaun Brennan’s Splice Records specializes in so-called “confused genre musicians,” acts that might sound great over a cold one or two at an icehouse, another Houston specialty.
Mining Houston’s creative community and the occasional extreme fighter for insight and laughs, the Dead Dialect Podcast duo of Brandon Clements (once a Houston Press music writer) and his friend Julian Lara prove that, with the right digital-age tools, the ancient art of conversation has lost none of its appeal.
There are plenty of bars in the Heights, but when you want to drink beer at a true neighborhood institution, Alice’s Tall Texan Drive Inn is the obvious destination.
This Heights boozing compound is actually two bars in one, both a craft beer and wine-on-tap mecca and a swanky craft cocktail destination, and that means a happy hour that covers double the ground of your average after-work special, weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m.
Beautifully painted wall murals and a glam 1920s Cantonese teahouse vibe provide a backdrop for the “everyday food” that’s also the motto of Mein Chinese Restaurant, where chef Jack Tran and his brother, restaurateur Mike Tran, deliver consistently delicious, affordable Cantonese cuisine that you can, in fact, eat every day.
What a year 2017 was for El Bolillo, from its ragingly-popular Instagram fads — the unicorn concha, a bright pink, purple and blue-swirled sweet bread, and its equally craze-inducing fidget spinner cookies, designed after that bizarre stress-relieving contraption that people can’t get enough of — to a brand new location in Pasadena.
MF Sushi is for those who love and appreciate traditional Japanese sushi of the highest quality and freshness and for those who understand that sushi rice is just as important as, if not more so than, the fish itself and how it’s cut.
Though it’s now served all over the world, ceviche, or cebiche, originated in Peru, a reason why contemporary Peruvian restaurant Latin Bites in Memorial is so good at executing this dish. It’s traditionally made with a diced raw fish that is “cooked” in a fresh lime marinade called leche de tigre (tiger’s milk), and Latin…
Leave it to one of Houston’s most highly regarded chefs, Ryan Hildebrand, to close the city’s first tasting-menu restaurant and open its hottest new casual eatery down the road.
There’s only one pastry chef in town who takes baking and repping Houston to another level and that’s Rebecca Masson of Fluff Bake Bar.
Erick Torres showed off versatile goal-scoring chops throughout 2017, tallying goals while in play and also on free kicks. The Dynamo took a big leap forward with a new style of play and overall philosophy in 2017, and clearly Torres figures in as a big part of that in the years to come.
Now, corned beef and pastrami fans have two spots (Galleria and West U) at which to get their nosh on via towering triple-decker sandwiches.
World-renowned for the patisserie that was first introduced at its London location, Yauatcha brought to Houston a signature bakery that does not disappoint.
His portfolio speaks for itself, and this very talented inkmaster works with the body’s curves to deliver highly detailed masterpieces that scream to be shown off.
But whether you’re heading home from downtown on U.S. 59/State Highway 288 or hanging out near the Museum District, the Stripes just off the northbound feeder of 288 at Southmore usually has the cheapest fuel in central Houston.
Whether you’re looking for a unique libation only rarely heard of in these parts, or are only after a standard excellent bottle of something red, Spec’s Wines, Spirits and Finer Foods, located just outside of downtown Houston, is the best place to go.
In addition to offering first-rate service and a poolside bar on the second-floor rooftop, The Westin at The Woodlands is also right along The Woodlands Waterway, surrounded by bars and restaurants like Crush Wine Lounge and The Refuge Bar & Bistro, serving up small plates and specialty flatbread and cocktails.
For more than 30 years the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series has been giving locals the chance to hear Pulitzer- and Nobel Prize-winning authors read from their latest works and offer all kinds of insights about how they crafted them.
The ever-relaxed Catbirds is also home to various regulars who know which side of the U-shaped bar to sit on for quick service (tip: saddle up on the right) and like to watch sports on the big screens or play NTN Trivia.
Long live the darker dive that you can just slink into and wile away the hours with some good conversation instead of the ubiquitous craft cocktail and after hours scene. That’s La Carafe, which sits in great contrast from the booming, trendy clubs that surround it, a testament to the olden days, when times were…
For ages, educators have been trying to convince kids that science can be fun, but The Health Museum is the only place we know of that lets them crawl through a 40-foot replica of the lower intestinal tract known as the “Colossal Colon.”
This Heights boozing compound is actually two bars in one, both a craft beer and wine-on-tap mecca and a swanky craft cocktail destination, and that means a happy hour that covers double the ground of your average after-work special, weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m.
Crispy, peppery skin with a crunch and juicy, tender white and dark meat have made Frenchy’s fried chicken a Houston staple for almost 40 years.
Co-founder Brock Wagner and the Saint Arnold Brew Crew continue to do terrific things for the Houston community at 23 years in, no doubt inspiring the younger operations among H-Town’s now bustling craft-brewing industry.
The watering hole and burger hub that started it all for Houston beer nerds is still home to the best selection of brews in town.
Pho Dien appeared on our list of the ten best bowls of pho in Houston back in September of last year, and it also won the Best of Houston honors for having the city’s best pho in 2013 and 2016.
Just “around the corner” from downtown you’ll find this unexpected neighborhood gem, which is set in a restored 1903 bungalow.
The selection is astounding — whether you’re looking for ornate, locally crafted, hand-blown glass or just a basic vaping accessory, chances are you’ve come to the right place. But really, what keeps us coming back is the super-knowledgeable, amazingly courteous staff.
Coltivare rocks one of the best backyards in the city — a garden oasis — and the menu at this Italian-inspired neighborhood gem pulls directly from its own seasonal bounty.
Step into this hidden gem, and you’ll find wholesome, healthy, affordable cuisine (most everything is in the $5 to $8 range), as well as fabulous vegan banh mi.
Whether you’re looking for Victorian-era loungewear, the perfect Led Zeppelin T-shirt from the actual days of yore, or a 1950s prom dress to wear to a symphony performance at Jones Hall, there’s a section that is likely to offer something along the lines of what you’re looking for.
The salon is extremely tidy and comfortable and has a variety of tasty drinks, both with and without alcohol. There’s a two-drink maximum, but we say go for the screwdriver.
If you haven’t been paying attention it’s easy to miss that the perfect canoeing opportunity in Houston is right under your nose on Buffalo Bayou.
Bowl & Barrel, the upscale alley within CityCentre,is the bowling alley for people who don’t actually care what their score is and are not embarrassed about needing to use the bumpers.
There’s only one place that makes the blue fiery glow of a Scorpian Bowl — as it is freshly set on fire with a small blowtorch — look its absolute sultriest and that’s the Lei Low Bar.
The Houston Cinema Arts Society brings Bayou City cinephiles a variety of programming all year long in the form of screenings, concerts and fancy multimedia events like the annual JULYDOSCOPE gala, but all that is still preamble to the Houston Cinema Arts Festival.
Houston has exploded with street art in recent years, not with unsightly tagging but elaborate, bold works of all sizes. Lately that trend has even extended, somewhat controversially, to many electrical utility boxes around town. But first there was “Houston Is…,” the vivid, borderline psychedelic mural sprawling across the southern wall of venerable Market Square…
Every year the fund drives at KPFT get a little closer together, evidence of just how difficult it is for a totally listener-funded FM station to remain afloat in this era of corporate-controlled airwaves.
Tony’s is now in its 52nd year of operation, and its longevity and ability to remain a tour de force are not only remarkable, but a testament to owner and operator Tony Vallone, who has created an experience that continues to set the standard for fine dining in the Bayou City.
For years, Kiran’s has been one of Houston’s most beloved Indian restaurants. Now in a new location, it’s the best it has ever been. From the moment you step through the gilded golden doors of the new spot in Upper Kirby and are greeted by the hostess, you know you’re in for an experience.
Dining al fresco at Tiny Boxwoods feels like dining in a different city altogether. The über charming café offers a lush and stylish escape from the ordinary, with some of Houston’s best fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies to boot.
When you dine at Picos, each table is served a red tomato-based salsa and a green, spicier tomatillo salsa, and while the green is excellent, it’s the red that sets the bar.
One Austin export we can definitely get behind in Houston is Dolce Neve, makers of fine gelato. Sure, it’s a little different from ice cream in that it’s decidedly Italian, and this Heights shop serves up a killer stracciatella (chocolate chip), hazelnut and lemon custard.
The Czech-style pastries — both the kolache and its savory cousin, the klobasnek — come with that perfect, slightly sweet and pillowy dough.
Brazos Bend State Park is a bustling paradise for native fauna, from your run-of-the-mill deer, rabbits, raccoons, possums and wading reptiles to exotic migratory and local birds.
FM’s loaded shakes haven’t been around long, but they’re already becoming legendary. The frosty treat starts simple enough — with an innocent vanilla, chocolate or strawberry base — before things get wild.
They can fix almost anything and they will tell you when they can’t. If nothing else, they are fair and honest, a critical component for customers when your lack of knowledge of cars can literally cost you.
The insanely skilled technicians will treat your timepiece with care and respect, at prices that won’t make you have to pawn your other watches. Plus, there’s a great selection of watches and jewelry, so you can browse while the work is being done.
When you have put off getting your bridesmaid dress hemmed until the last possible moment and are desperately praying for a miracle solution so the bride won’t throttle you, Bridals by Nancy is the place to go.
There are benches where dog owners can sit, and water hoses to keep dogs cool and hydrated. Trees provide ample shade and there’s plenty of room for pooches to laze the afternoon away if they so desire.
The gargantuan metal sculpture along Avenida Houston is lovely by day, offering a playful fountain for the enjoyment of passersby and a gently waving kineticism for those lucky enough to look up from their smart phones.
While anybody can open a wine bar, few can do so in a way that leaves you remembering the way the candlelight flickered and how the music seemed to sway right through you after that third glass the way La Carafe can.
But for live country music at least, some of that honky-tonk spirit lives on in the capable hands of a family long known as premier stewards of Texas cookin’. The Goode Company’s Upper Kirby restaurant, its dining room appointed like an old-school oilman’s den, has been a popular spot to soak in Lone Star culture…
Opened in 2012, Emmit’s Place is a cozy little neighborhood bar located in a small strip center on a mostly residential street near South Post Oak and 610 that hosts live music, mostly blues and zydeco bands with the occasional rock and country acts.
Excellent service in a restaurant is an art form. It involves details — not just noticing when a patron needs something, but anticipating the diner’s actual needs.
When it comes to comfort food, chef Antoine Ware and his team in the Heights have it all down to an art form. With brunch, lunch and dinner that feature everything from the Big Nasty Biscuit — a mighty slab of fried chicken breast on a giant, flaky biscuit that’s slathered in cheddar cheese sausage…
Walk into any Local Foods location and you’ll find a crowd of happy patrons chowing down on seriously good (and good-for-you) eats.
Practically an institution when it comes to tried and true taco trucks, Tacos Tierra Caliente, located at the corner of the West Alabama Ice House, may not be anything fancy, but it sure knows how to serve up tasty, inexpensive and authentic Mexican-style street tacos.
It’s common to get a little overwhelmed when you visit a Brazilian steakhouse. So abundant are the offerings that your eyes always tend to be a little bit bigger than your stomach, and at Chama Gaucha, this is certainly true.
It glows in the night, a beacon of greasy late-night eats that never fails to astound for its throwback HoJo-era digs and cases of heavenly meringue- and whipped cream-topped pies.
What’s better than a boardwalk attraction that has its own roller coaster — 100-foot drop included — a Texas-size fried Oreo and a Ferris wheel that’s picture-perfect come sundown, plus rides for even the smallest thrill seekers?
The Party Melt alone is reason to visit this Heights bar, which opened in May from boozing mogul Bobby Heugel, but there’s also the fact that the menu, available until midnight daily, was created in part by his business partner, Beard Award-winning chef Justin Yu.
Whether you just need to come up with a costume that’s more creative than a sheet-over-the-head ghost, or are looking for the perfect Elvis wig to top off your own zombie-Elvis creation, Arne’s has you covered.
What makes Olivewood so incredible isn’t how it looks, though the lovely six acres are well maintained. It’s the history behind the place that makes it so special.
The best part about Jadeveon Clowney’s 2016 season is that he got better as the season went along — in December games against the Colts, Jaguars and Bengals, as well as the playoff game against the Raiders, Clowney was the best player on the field.
The park actually contains more than 30 miles of trails, but most of the action is on the Seymour Lieberman Exer-Trail, the nearly three-mile crushed granite path ringing Memorial Park Golf Course.
The Tellepsen YMCA offers up all the modern conveniences, every kind of cardio machine you’ve ever heard of, a bevvy of weight machines for those looking to tone up, a slew of classes throughout the day so that you can get your exercise on when it fits your schedule, and pools and saunas, if those…
Restaurants and bars in the Heights dry zone could shed annoying alcohol sale restrictions if all goes well on Election Day, November 7. The Houston Heights Restaurant Coalition (HHRC), which collected more than 1,500 signatures to get the proposition on next month’s ballot, is hoping that residents in the neighborhood will vote…
With few frills and nothing fancy, you’ll get exactly what you want at West Alabama Ice House: cheap, ice cold beer, a giant dog-friendly patio full of large picnic tables, and maybe a football game on TV or a game of pool or bags if you’re feeling competitive.
An extension of the Museum of Fine Arts, the Cullen Sculpture Garden offers a collection of mostly bronze sculptures ranging from the early 20th to early 21st centuries.
It’s a little bit Tex Mex. It’s a little bit rock and roll — there are live bands and even a Mod dance night — but one thing is for certain: Under The Volcano is a totally laid-back bar that draws in all kinds of folks, whether for an evening margarita or a late-night shot…
Houston is flush with galleries showing strong contemporary work, from the well-established houses of the Texas, Moody and Inman galleries to the new jack swingers like Jonathan Hopson, Homeland and Scott Charmin.
From massive beef ribs to an incredible smoked chicken and griddled cheese taco with flour tortillas housemade from the restaurant’s own rendered brisket lard, showstoppers abound at the Pitroom.
Every once in a while an appetizer comes along that defines not only its restaurant but a certain place in time. Enter the Chicken Liver Old Fashioned at Nobie’s, an irreverent starter for lovers of the ever-trendy bourbon-based old-fashioned and of poor man’s foie gras (also known as chicken liver pâté).
Tapas take a spin through the vibrant culinary landscape of Portugal, India and even Italy at this eclectic Midtown haunt.
It’s not the most cutting edge list, nor is it the most extensive cocktail list you’ll find in Houston, but what Beverage Director Monique Hernandez’s list does have is an approachability and likability factor that makes you want to indulge in a cocktail or two or three. With names that reflect the Field & Tides…
The xiao long bao at Chinatown’s One Dragon has quietly been known as one of the city’s great soup dumplings for years, but just recently we were able to confirm that indeed it wins this year’s honor for the absolute best soup dumpling.
Every once in a while we all need a big-ass, reliable slice of New York-style cheese pizza without any fuss. Romano’s is the place to fulfill that necessity.
Hot sauce isn’t for everyone, and those with feeble palates have no business anywhere near iBurn. They don’t know what they’re missing; hot sauce is now an estimated $1.37 billion-per-year industry, and in Houston this cozy shop off Bellaire Boulevard is Ground Zero for those who are happiest with tongues aflame.
The Tex-Mex institution, where Mama Ninfa Laurenzo once made fajitas famous, still rages on as the best lunch spot in Houston.
Nominally a record store, but nearly a Narnia for lovers of music and devotees to the slightly faded utopian notion of a counterculture, Vinal Edge fits into the landscape of things somewhere between a public literacy program and a Borgesian labyrinth of endlessly forking paths.
Hi offers speedy, friendly service at fair prices — you owe it to yourself to try it out if you haven’t yet.
Enter into the realm of a modern department store that features its own coffee shop, restaurant and lounge area, where each restroom feels like a spa and the selection is friendly for almost every shopper’s price point.
Dr. Moss puts in the extra time — the extra time reading about progressive medical practices, the extra time looking at the whole messy spectrum of well-being, and, rarer yet, the extra one-on-one time with her patients.
In a city not especially known for its scenery, Houston can still surprise you. Heading west on Westpark, just past the Fox 26 studios and with the Houston Chronicle compound looming a little further down the way, look to the northwest and you’ll be dazzled by a postcard-perfect view of Uptown, an aesthetically pleasing jumble…
Scott Pruitt, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, has made good on his word. With three days to go before the football game between Oklahoma University and University of Texas, the deadline Pruitt set when he visited the San Jacinto Waste Pits and other Houston-area sites after Hurricane Harvey rolled…
To put it mildly, Mayor Sylvester Turner does not suffer fools gladly. Since taking office in January 2016, Turner has hardly been afraid to roll up his sleeves.
The Midtown Arts and Theater Center has four “matchboxes” available for rent for small performing arts organizations that might not have the resources to run their own venue, and each ranges in size, versatility and charm. It’s hard to choose one over another — it’s just that Matchbox 4 happens to boast some of the…
A haven for gamers, comic book aficionados and Simpsons lovers, Neil’s Bahr is the place to be for those with a competitive streak and a soft spot for the ’80s and ’90s.
Sitting at the bar in The Pastry War feels like sitting at the table in a Mexican kitchen, with tequila in the turquoise-colored cabinets instead of plates and bowls.
It’s been five years since Latin Bites expanded from the small seven-table restaurant in East Downtown’s Warehouse District to its current location in Memorial. Now a much more mature restaurant than when it opened, it’s a joy to see Latin Bites embrace its Peruvian heritage with a mix of classic and contemporary that is as…
We give the Nutella chocolate layer cake at this French bakery on upper Kirby a resounding YES.
You’ll want to come hungry to this choose-your-own-adventure, Mediterranean-inspired cafeteria.
Sal Y Pimienta Kitchen usually sits quietly next to The Tasting Room in City Centre on the west side of town, but come Sunday, the line spills out onto the sidewalk at this delightful South American eatery that opened in May 2014.
This sleek East Village eatery opened in May and is everything you want in a poke stop: It’s quick and efficient, design-forward and drenched in natural light, with style for days and a clean, chic appeal.
Tucked away in River Oaks, Giacomo’s is a casual Italian and wine fixture that delivers big on flavor when you get a major craving for carbs — future marathoners take note.
Houston is adding 150 miles of paths along its bayous as part of the city’s Greenways 2020 initiative. But of all these new trails, perhaps none are more scenic than a portion just north of downtown, near the confluence of White Oak and Buffalo bayous.
Xochi is a restaurant that not only highlights the astounding range of one of the best chefs in America, but helps make Houston a bastion of hospitality and diverse flavors ready to impress the world over.
A new arrival on the Houston drinking scene, Vinology, a wine bar and tasting room in West University, is a must-try for true oenophiles.
The pink mustaches are back. After leaving Houston in 2014 over a beef with the city concerning its driver regulations, the rideshare service has returned thanks to a new law the Texas Legislature passed this year. And so you can ride in style again inside mustachioed cars.
Home to 3 million square feet of the city’s swankiest department stores, specialty boutiques and shopping-mall staples, from Victoria’s Secret and Disney to the Apple Store, the Galleria attracts hordes of out-of-towners every year; if they’re anything like us locals, more than a few must come just to gawk at all the conspicuous consumption.
Kevin Eschenfelder’s versatility is evident, not just in the casual skill with which he handles pregame and postgame studio duties for both sports, but also in his ability to develop chemistry seamlessly, across sports and personality types, with various cohosts, from Calvin Murphy to Mike Stanton.
Memorial Park offers some of Houston’s best mountain bike trails. Seven miles of color-coded dirt trails snake around the southwest quadrant of the park, from the easy green to the challenging blue and brown trails.
Sure, Better Luck Tomorrow emits a casual feel with its vibrant neon lights, ’60s-reminiscent linoleum and seating, and food menu titled “bar food.” But at this new Heights neighborhood joint, the execution is far from casual.
For more than two decades, Rockefeller’s was the Tiffany’s of Houston live-music venues, a nicely appointed former bank that hosted immortals like John Lee Hooker, up-and-comers like Garth Brooks and, regularly, Texas heroes like Joe Ely and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Every drink is a drink special at Valhalla, the tiny graduate student pub in the basement of the chemistry building on the campus of Rice University.
Artist Randi Long managed to pull off a dark horse win with her installation in the Temporary Havens exhibition organized by guest curator Dean Daderko of the Contemporary Arts Museum.
Local Foods is known for its fresh salads, soups and sandwiches, and fortunately there are four locations around town — in Rice Village, Upper Kirby, Tanglewood and downtown — where you can grab our favorite sandwich: The Crunchy Chicken.
With the proliferation of taco imports popping up all over town, this fully local, zero-frills stalwart maintains its taqueria crown thanks to consistently solid, authentic fillings and oh-so-glorious, lard-laden tortillas (made in-house, as is tradition).
Nestled inside the landmark 1924 Sam Houston Hotel, this handsome gem took over the former 17 Restaurant and Sam Bar space earlier this year, and is now poised to be Downtown’s hottest pre-theater destination with a date-night worthy menu and drinks to match.
There is no place more exciting or impressive than revered chef Chris Shepherd’s newest stunner, which makes it the perfect place to dine on the company dime.
It’s hard not to love everything at Himalaya. Lovingly presided over by chef-proprietor Kaiser Lakshari, this is one of those hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pop places that give us reason to love hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pop places.
If you like your mac and cheese super-ooey, super-gooey and super-cheesy, you’re in luck. This EaDo barbecue joint has got the goods you’re craving (plus some more goods, like seriously delicious beef ribs, salt-and-pepper-crusted smoked brisket and bacon-wrapped meat loaf, if you’re looking for those too).
Mariana Lemesoff, owner of AvantGarden, began dedicating the venue in recent years to weddings and has transformed the patio into a luxe, cool backdrop that any bride- and groom-to-be would swoon over.
What makes a dozen raw oysters better than any others in town? It starts with the oyster bar, which at State of Grace is known as the Oyster Room, tucked into a chic and intimate space at the front of the restaurant, and it’s always bustling.
Nestled in the Heights, the cavernous store is filled with vendors who specialize in everything from 1920s Art Deco furniture to 1960s-era collectible ceramic plates.
Not only is Smith a wonderful dentist, the kind who can work wonders on your smile and overall gum and dental health, but he’s also a dentist who does not believe in causing his patients any unnecessary pain.
A physician with Kelsey-Seybold for 15 years who has no plans to slow down, Romero is known among parents for her reassuring smile and her caring treatment tailored to each little patient.
The attention and care Splash attendants give to your vehicle, from the lowliest bucket to the fanciest Italian import, is a marvel. They will vacuum, wash, Armor All, and generally primp and preen your ride to your heart’s delight.
This mega-party-place has your standard go-karts, your “superkarts,” your two-seaters and your wicked F1 model, which tops out at approximately 30 mph.
In Houston’s stacked visual arts landscape, a quiet powerhouse has built an unyielding curatorial résumé featuring works by artists that you may have heard of before — Andy Warhol and Richard Serra, for instance. Her name is Michelle White and she joined the Menil in 2006 before eventually ascending from assistant curator to associate curator…
Somewhere along the line, in a city rich with gentlemen’s clubs, “Treasures” became shorthand for this very particular type of establishment. And it wasn’t by accident. Year by year, since its opening in 1996, Treasures built up a reputation for excellent service, food and, well, ambience.
The Houston concert scene was missing something, even if it didn’t realize it. In fact, it was missing a few things: a midlevel venue with plenty of seating, a theaterlike venue that mainstream comedians could play and an indoor place for classic acts to perform. That the Smart Financial Centre replaced all those needs with…
Solange Knowles’ first No. 1 album, A Seat at the Table, is as much an artistic statement as a public one, speaking to issues of race, gender, injustice, self-care and self-reliance, in language that is both poetic and plainspoken.
Step through the doors of BCN Taste & Tradition in Montrose, and it’s as if you’ve been magically transported to a fine-dining restaurant in the heart of Barcelona.
From juice to acai bowls, this totally cute Uptown coffee shop (which functions more like a superfood cafe) keeps Houston’s health-minded coming back for more.
Though there are Tex-Mex restaurants all over Houston, Lupita’s is one of those mom-and-pop-style family joints that inspire loyalty thanks to fresh ingredients, reasonable prices and tasty, consistent food.
Chef Manabu Horiuchi (or Hori-san, as he is commonly called) continues to capture our eyes, bellies and hearts with dishes that are almost always too delicate and beautiful to eat.
Did you know that someone has to be trained in order to carve a Peking duck? At Fung’s Kitchen, master Chinese chef Hoi Fung makes sure that all kitchen staff are trained in this culinary art.
Not only was it the only Houston spot to earn a semifinalist nod in the 2016 James Beard Awards’ Best New Restaurant category, but Helen Greek Food & Wine was lauded this year as well, with chef William Wright nabbing another semifinalist nod for Rising Chef Star of the Year.
The ducks of Post Oak Boulevard can be found enjoying the shade of the bushes hugging the Loop 610 embankment, defending what little grass they’ve got left or, after a good rain, enjoying a drink in the puddles of the half-finished road.
At Ramen Tatsu-Ya, the noodle-slurping experience goes well beyond the obvious, managing to buck the all-too-often corporate or austere qualities of most ramen joints with its hip digs and a menu that delivers on flavor.
Micro Center seems to have it all — laptops, desktops, accessories, a Dell “store-in-a-store” and excellent prices. The tech staff also holds free clinics — like a virus and malware troubleshooting class or a basic primer on Windows 10.
Beyond having a great selection of games and space to play them, 8th Dimension does something that a chain store would never dream of doing: It creates communities that game enthusiasts can be a part of.
With outfield lawn seats for just $9, and reserved box seats for as low as $15, it’s easy to bring the entire family to a Skeeters game without breaking the bank.
Basketball players aren’t picky when it comes to finding a court. So what about Life Time’s basketball courts makes them the best? They’re open 24/7.
In addition to his Dynamo duties, Jeremy Branham handles radio play-by-play for various University of Houston sports, sideline duties for the Cougar football team and U of H studio shows on ROOT Sports. His sound and work ethic will undoubtedly take him to bigger assignments down the road
With three million total square feet of space and more than 300 stores, an office tower, a hotel and a private health club, the Galleria is the largest mall in Texas and the best place to people watch in the city.
Walking into Lawless feels like walking into an exclusive club. Tucked inside the iconic Rice Hotel in downtown Houston, Lawless is an old lawyers’ hangout with an atmosphere that suggests it.
It’s the ultimate photo bomber. You’ll find the multi-story Gerald D. Hines Waterwall peeking out from behind — and stealing the scene — in untold numbers of photos documenting quinceañeras, graduations, engagements, weddings and performance pieces.
Ron Mueck has a way of telling a story that transcends race, age and gender, and reminds us of our common experiences. The 13 hyperrealistic sculptures on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, this spri
The “tides” portion of chef Travis Lenig’s newest Third Coast wonder zeroes in on locally sourced seafood with an emphasis on the Gulf. Start with sambal honey-glazed tuna poke, low country she-crab soup or flash-fried fish collars, a.k.a. the “chicken wing of the sea.”
From pour-overs to flat whites, the friendly baristas here serve up quality beans from various roasters around the country, including Houston’s own Geva, and latte art that can make anyone smile — try to resist a sleepy sloth in your foam, we dare you.
Hungry’s Rice Village has been a neighborhood hangout for 40 years, but things reached another level (literally) when the restaurant moved to its new building next door and expanded operations to include the chic terrace bar and eatery, Upstairs.
There are a few reasons this gem has been operating successfully for more than 22 years: consistently great food, attentive service, fair prices and the promise of spicy heat that never disappoints.
It has taken more than two years, but the transformation from Table on Post Oak to La Table is now complete. Très chic and très français, La Table has emerged as the French destination restaurant in Houston, designed with three distinct areas to fit your mood and budget.
It starts with the actual quality of rice, in this case an aged carnaroli from the Piedmont, which Tony’s sources from renowned rice producer Acquerello, used the world over by only the finest restaurants.
Those who know nothing about fixing a broken chain can either drop it off for repair, or, more encouraged here, learn how to do it themselves from some of the shop’s volunteers.
James Haywood and Ross Coleman turn out a wealth of exceptional global soul food with table service, craft cocktails, and more space to kick back and relax. Lunch and dinner don’t disappoint, but the secret here is the brunch.
Even though most baby stores sell similar wares, Buy Buy Baby on Tomball Parkway broadens the typical selection of baby products, from the standard variety to the upscale and eco-friendly.
Argyle is from the crop of high-end, male-oriented barbershops — you know the kind — that offer luxurious full shaves, fraternal vibes and free bourbon to patrons.
The Astros second baseman and American League MVP candidate is one of the greatest hitters the franchise has ever seen, but few in MLB history have managed his feat of hitting nearly .500 in the month of July — his .485 average ranks him ninth all time in that month.
We haven’t always exercised regularly or eaten healthy — hence that unfortunate summer we came down with scurvy. But, with just a little effort, we got our act in shape, and a big part of that was the Vitamin Shoppe.
The Astros have a core nucleus of young franchise players in their twenties — Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, George Springer, Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers, to name a few — and a payroll that allows them flexibility going forward in locking up some of those pieces to long-term deals.
Arguably Houston’s unofficial motto, and definitely its most famous two-word slogan sprayed on the side of a rusting railroad bridge, “Be Someone” is, at its core, an invitation.
Rare among modern media organizations, local or national, Houston Public Media not only identifies the ever-blurry line between news and entertainment, but the journalists at News 88.7 do the best job in town of respecting it.
Houston has proudly given the world numerous “WTF”-worthy spectacles, and artist David Adickes is responsible for many of them. A truly one-of-a-kind believer of the “bigger is better” school of art, Adickes has given commuters on I-45 something majestic to appreciate: 18-foot concrete busts of Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.
Havel and Ruck had a huge hit with their Montrose installation Inversion, but Sharp is even better.
With the opening of Killen’s STQ, chef and restaurateur Ronnie Killen proves not only that he is a master when it comes to steak, but also that his food was always meant for a stage larger than Pearland.
Not only does Axelrad boast an incredible selection of beer, cocktails and frozen drinks, including in its own backyard beerstream trailer, but a location directly next door to Luigi’s Pizzeria and a nightly schedule filled with local pop-ups and food trucks make this beer garden the top spot in Midtown to grab a bite and…
The team behind Houston’s beloved Tacos a Go Go opened up this mesquite-kissed carry-out spot in 2016, and it’s since become a favorite of locals looking for a cheap, fast and easy fajita fix.
Often described as chef Hugo Ortega’s most ambitious restaurant to date, anyone who visits Xochi will recognize that it is unlike any other Mexican restaurant in Houston.
Call it what you will — a Mexican style, sliced up steak, a deconstructed burrito — fajitas are like a religion in Houston. People are devoted to them, zealously protective of them and pay homage to them frequently, especially at El Tiempo.
Not only does this très chic cafe overlook the charming Discovery Green, it also is home to a traditional French crêperie, offering flawlessly executed, just-thin-enough crêpes via a walk-up window for park-goers on the go.
The staff at Texas Children’s Hospital are very aware that being sick is hard, but not only do they do their best to make sick kids better; they also make sure they do everything possible to make it easier on families, too.
This neighborhood favorite reigns supreme as the chocolate chip cookie champion with its golden, crisp-edged, gooey-centered specimens laced with a generous amount of chocolate.
When you’re longing for some beautiful greenery in your yard or on your porch but don’t want to introduce any nonnative species to the area, Buchanan’s Native Plants is the place to go.
Even if you aren’t particularly in a shopping mood, it’s straight-up fun to spend a Saturday or Sunday exploring Traders Village on a solo outing or with the family.
Joy Yoga specializes in vinyasa yoga, and when you hit up the studio for classes, you’re being taught by wonderful instructors who are always willing both to help you get deeper into your practice, if that’s what you’re after, and to help you deal with an injury in class so you can still practice without…
Discovery Green may be Houston’s front lawn, but Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park is the cozy neighborhood park that happens to contain one of Houston’s few true architectural marvels and, when it’s lit up, one of its more spectacular nocturnal vistas.
The participation of former teammates and NFL alums in Smith-related events, everything from the day at Levy Park to a July roast of Smith, which also raised money for his foundation, is a sure sign of peer respect for not only an NFL career well played, but Smith’s service to others during and after his…
What’s on your mind? What isn’t? Ask Willie D!
Their daughter had just been posting on Snapchat about her support for the NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem when she came downstairs to tell her dad, R.J. King, that she was afraid for her life. Caught off guard, King asked her what had happened, and she showed him…
Representative Al Green hasn’t been shy about his disdain for President Donald Trump. The longtime Democratic U.S. representative from Houston has been quick to voice his disapproval and join others in criticizing and calling for the president’s impeachment in the months — yeah, it has only been months — since…
Harris County Commissioners Court approved yet another round of buyouts on Tuesday in effort to get rid of homes built in floodplains and that have repeatedly flooded over the years. Forty-one more properties will join the more than 300 flood-prone homes that, over the past month, have been approved for…
Southern Smoke is primed to throw its best event ever on October 22. Not only has Chris Shepherd’s epic barbecue fundraiser changed directions this year to raise money for hospitality industry professionals affected by Harvey devastation, and also doubled its capacity with an additional 200,000 square feet of event space…
Tilman Fertitta met with reporters on Tuesday for the first time as the owner of the Houston Rockets. It was pretty much the standard presser for a new owner — a little biography, a little about the desire to always own a sports team in his hometown. There was talk…
A Houston grand jury declined to indict due to lack of evidence.
“I wanted to give poachers a soapbox to explain their illegal lifestyle.”
While two of the fixers in a multi-state lottery rigging have been convicted, the fallout from their scheme continues, this time with a lawsuit against Colorado Lottery. Filed last week in Denver County District Court by Amir Massihzadeh, the suit claims that Massihzadeh is owed a bigger payout because he…
Texas has long been known for bucking at anything that even smells like an environmental regulation, so it might be easy to think that the latest round of repealing and relaxing rules issued by the federal Environmental Protection Agency would not affect the state. The truth, as is so often…
If you haven’t gotten your IMAX tickets yet, you’re probably out of luck.
Scott McClelland saw it in the faces of evacuees when he was visiting the George R. Brown Convention Center in the days following Hurricane Harvey. He saw it in the faces of people who’d lost everything, in the weeks after in Rockport, where the mosquitos had grown as big as…
“You can drop a car in my shredder and in 30 seconds, you’ve got a pile of shredded up metal with pieces no bigger than your fist,” observes Jerry Bailey from his office overlooking Rose Metal Processing in the Heights, the scrap metal yard he owns and operates. He’s not…
Houstonians at Zilker Park didn’t have to go far to find little reminders of home.
Some art forms, like this one, just don’t get no respect.
It’s lunchtime and the massive lobby of Methodist Hospital inside the Texas Medical Center complex is bustling with men and women in lab coats. Patients and family members crisscross the expanse on their way to appointments or waiting vehicles at the valet stand, and all manner of hospital staff race…
Sure, you can just buy the Halloween swag Target rolls out each year, but why limit yourself?
In a lengthy presentation at City Hall Tuesday, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña delivered a persuasive appeal to council members for more robust funding to address his department’s dire needs, namely its aging fleet of fire engines and its severe lack of high-water vehicles and rescue boats. Speaking before the Public Safety…
Opportunity can come packaged in the strangest, most subtle ways. For Dr. Walter Lowe, one of the world’s most prominent orthopedic surgeons, the opening to become the head team physician for the Houston Rockets and, ultimately, the Houston Texans may as well have shown up at his door in disguise…
Three years after making a splash as Houston’s first casual, farm-to-table eatery, Dish Society is still hoping to change the way you eat, trendy buzzwords and all, and that’s for the better. According to Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a shift toward sustainable farming is becoming absolutely crucial…
A huge reason the Houston Dynamo have one of the best game-day atmospheres in this town is the presence of the Texian Army, a self-described “independent, organized supporters group for the Houston Dynamo.”
