Marfreless "I think I've made out with two chicks here," a patron says, adding, "not on the same night, though." When it comes to Marfreless, he's certainly not alone. This West Gray-area nightspot is so secretive, only a stenciled black street number marks the door. You can hardly blame the prurient for assuming it's a swingers bar. And while the prurient are wrong (as they so often are), it's only by a matter of degree. Marfreless is a grown-up version of the seventh-grade broom closet: a makeout bar. Downstairs you'll find attentive service, soft candles, dark wood. Upstairs -- well, let's just say you don't go there for the food. Two rooms and a fleet of sofas offer varying levels of intimacy perfect for necking and nibbling. If you can manage to coax your date up the stairs, you're probably well on your way. The drinks aren't cheap; there are plenty of $7 martinis and $9 glasses of wine. But when you think about what you're really getting, Marfreless might be the best deal in town.

Sherlock's Pub Hey, we don't specify what kind of single guy, so Sherlock's wins due to sheer volume. You'll find the dudes at any one of the seven Sherlock's locations around town, clad in backwards baseball caps, shorts and sandals. They pack into the Irish-themed pubs, hit on the cute waitresses in short khaki shorts and sing along to the unthreatening, familiar tunes of a cover band. The mostly college-aged crowd is drawn here by nightly drink specials and cheap, cheap bottled beer during the week, ensuring a generous crowd even on a Tuesday.

Hotel Derek Where better to party like a rock star than the hotel named after a fictional one? The Hotel Derek, situated in the middle of the world's largest traffic jam at Westheimer and Loop 610, is a far cry from the stuffy sanctuary of most Houston hotels, but that's the point: The Derek is a hotel for people who like luxury but aren't dead yet. Downstairs, the Maverick restaurant is loud and trendy -- the perfect place to get rip-roaring drunk in style. For maximum pleasure Derek-style, we recommend buying multiple rounds for the entire bar, picking up a groupie and sweeping her upstairs to your very own ultramodern oasis, complete with a crackling fire on the TV screen and a fully stocked minibar. Destroying the room à la Crazy Town is strictly optional.

William Martin With the presidential campaign season upon us, there's much talk of reds and blues, hawks and doves, and right and wrong. And while it's been nearly a decade since With God on Our Side: The Rise of the Religious Right in America was first published, the cultural tome is more relevant than ever. For that reason, we salute the author William Martin, recipient of the George R. Brown Life Honor Award in Rice University's Department of Sociology. Nearing retirement after 35 years of distinguished service at the school, professor Martin leaves behind an enduring legacy of insight.

Jade Buddha Temple Buddhism does not begin with the most hopeful of premises -- that all life is suffering -- but if you've ever battled evening rush hour on the Southwest Freeway, you realize Siddhartha Gautama knew what he was talking about. Do yourself a favor and jump off at Bellaire. After you glide out past the Chinese strip malls with the kanji-speckled signs and into the open lots of the far west side, you'll find the Jade Buddha Temple tucked inconspicuously behind an apartment complex. The magnificent two-and-a-half-acre compound offers ample opportunity for reflection and clarity. If you can't find tranquillity at Jade Buddha, you probably won't find it anywhere. Right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration? Right on.

Tucked in the armpit of West U, Bellaire and the railroad tracks, Little Woodrow's seems out of place and time. Few of the mostly working-class regulars who frequent the area's only neighborhood bar live in the monstrosities that have sprouted in the adjoining neighborhoods, displacing the modest middle-class ranch-styles. But those regulars are fiercely loyal, thanks in no small part to Betty Campbell, bar manager since forever. Betty knows her customers so well that she recognizes many of their cars; by the time they enter the place and belly up, their brand of choice is already waiting on the bar. The crowd likes to drink, but disturbances are almost nonexistent, also in no small part because any transgressors would have to deal with Betty (as a few permanently banned customers have discovered). And if you need to vent about life's dirty deals, Betty (who has heard enough whining to board-certify in clinical psychology) fits the bill.

KHOU-TV/Channel 11 In Houston, there's local TV news, and then there's KHOU-TV. Other stations fall into the stygian depths of endless, mindless crime stories (Channel 2) or have good intentions but lack the financial resources (Channel 39). KHOU has varied its formula very little over the years -- solid beat reporting, comprehensive breaking-news coverage and important scoops that other media are forced to follow. They've lost their best investigative reporter, Anna Werner, to a San Francisco station (who'd want to live there instead of here?), but there's no reason to think they won't continue to pump out stories like the ones they broke on the HPD crime lab.

The Fountains in Stafford Malls all over Houston try to distinguish themselves in some way, but not many succeed. The Fountains, just past Beltway 8 on the Southwest Freeway, does better than most. There are the eponymous waterspouts, of course, but there's also a semi-boardwalk along a small lake that links restaurants such as Sam's Boat, Kim Son, Texas Land & Cattle Steak House and Razzoo's. The mall also includes suburban outposts of two longtime Inner Loop favorites: the Avalon Diner and Otto's Barbecue. Beyond the food, there's a Loews movie house, an Old Navy discount outlet and a Borders Books. Let's be honest -- even with the fountains and boardwalk, the aesthetics aren't going to make anyone forget Venice. Or Kemah, for that matter. But there's a lot of stuff within strolling distance of wherever you park, and you don't have to go into the big mean city to experience it.

www.cityofhouston.gov Just enter your zip code, and www.cityofhouston.gov will list your nearest libraries, parks and police stations. But what's really entertaining about this site is the Super Neighborhoods section. Its demographics breakdown is a trivia buff's dream, with census information split into fascinating tidbits. Want to know how many Asians in your neighborhood make more than $200,000 a year? What about the number of your neighbors who spend more than 35 percent of their income on rent? Or the number of women in your neighborhood who work construction? Strangely enough, the answers are waiting for you right there online.

Uptown Sushi The point of a first date is to ascertain whether to have a second one. You're too nervous to relax. Your chances of scoring are slim. And don't even think about bringing your A material -- for all you know, your date has a Catholic-priest uncle and wouldn't appreciate your jokes about altar boys (oops). Forget about having fun: You need to think of this evening as a series of litmus tests. And that's where Uptown Sushi comes in. This sleek Galleria-area eatery may not be Houston's answer to Nobu -- as the trendy-nistas claim -- but it does offer plenty of chances to explore the important questions. Is your date sophisticated enough to dine with beautiful people? Self-controlled enough to not get drunk on sake? Adept at handling chopsticks? It won't help with everything you need to know, but it's a good start.