The Miller Girls are Maintaining Bob Miller’s Burger Legacy
When we shared with you “Where to Find the 5 Best Burgers in Downtown Houston”, we mentioned Miller’s Cafe was family owned and operated, and that there would be more on that later. Well, it’s later and here’s the more. Bob Miller was selling Cadillacs in San Diego when he…
Nine Steak Nights Not to Miss in Houston
The weather is always right for a steak night in Houston. We are a city full of meat-lovers who worship the grill and all of its glorious offerings. On any given night, bars and restaurants around town reel diners in with promises of fat, juicy steaks and sides. Most places…
Choo Choo. Houston Is on Track for Trains This Holiday Season
Trains are trending right now, especially in Houston. We’ve got miniature trains that would make any model collector swoon with envy, and we also have a few hop on board trains designed to take us through the holiday season. We made a list, and we’re checking it twice. So pull…
Master Drummer Kenny Aronoff’s Memoir Hits as Hard as He Does
These pages fairly burst with the legendary drummer’s energy and love of rock and roll.
10 Big Hits That Abjectly Fail the Subtlety Test
Sometimes the meaning of a song is tough to decipher. Often times, the opposite is true.
21 Best Things to Do in Houston This Week: Avant-garde Art and Naughty Reindeer
Tuesday, December 13 Nobody puts Lynn Lane in a corner. The multi-talented New York import has taken Houston by storm since moving here in 2010. You’ve seen his photographer’s credit on images for the Alley Theatre and Houston Grand Opera, and the Houston Press keeps thinking up new ways to…
First Look at Artists Scheduled for Houston Press Artopia 2017
We’re excited to announce the first wave of artists selected to participate in the 9th Annual Houston Press Artopia®, a celebration of culture, fashion, music, food and especially art. (Additional artist names will be announced in the coming weeks.) The deadline for artist submissions is 5 p.m. Thursday, December 22,…
Where to Dine in Houston on Christmas Eve, Hanukkah & Christmas Day 2016
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Family, friends, love and joy. Notice how dirty dishes weren’t included in that list? This year year, get out of the kitchen and let Houston restaurants do the cooking and the cleanup for you. From fancy four-course meals to family-friendly brunches, here is where…
Houston’s Sports Lowlights of 2016
It’s been a rough year for Houston sports. It’s one thing to have low expectations for your teams — hey, every year can’t be our year. It’s a different ballgame entirely to have high expectations that your teams fail to meet, setting the stage for heartbreak and frustration. 2016 was…
What Best Read Houston Press Food Lists Should We Update in 2017?
Time stand still for no man, woman or dining companion. Over the years we’ve amassed quite of list of “best” whatevers in Houston food land. We’re about to employ our resources on updates but wanted to hear from readers first: what do you think we should tackle first? What follows…
Dan Patrick’s Proposed Bathroom Bill Could Cost Texas Some Huge Sporting Events
One of the items at the top of Lieutenant Governor’s Dan Patricks wish list come January is the Texas version of North Carolina’s so-called bathroom bill. The bill is primarily seem as an anti-LGBT measure that would prohibit transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice, instead forcing them…
Symbols of Life and Death Populate New Works by Texas Artist Kermit Oliver
It’s not all sunshine and roses over at Hooks-Epstein Galleries, though you’ll find a little bit of both amid the symbols of birth, life, death (lots of death) and resurrection in new works created by Kermit Oliver over the past two years. Oliver is often described as a complex man with…
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: A Christmas Ale Pub Crawl
From Lights in the Heights parties to a Christmas Pub Crawl, here’s a look at this weekend’s best culinary happenings: 2016 Tomball German Christmas Market & Festival at Old Town Tomball Friday, 6 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 201 South…
NFL Week 14: Texans-Colts — Four Things To Watch For
How bad is the AFC South? Well, three weeks ago, the Texans marched into Mexico City to play the Oakland Raiders with a 6-3 record, sitting atop the division despite, quite literally, having the worst offense and worst special teams in all of the National Football League. Predictably, rather than…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Nocturnal Animals
Title: Nocturnal Animals Describe This Movie In One Simpsons Quote: Nelson: Ha ha! You’re nocturnal! You don’t have to impress me by making fun of others. Brief Plot Synopsis: Woman broods about lost love, fictional atrocities. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: Two-and-a-half slow lorises out of five. Tagline: “When you love…
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Marry Nogsmas, Y’all!
Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings, from an egg nog crawl to Treadsack’s Nogsmas is back again. All seven Treadsack locations have created unique individual eggnogs, some traditional, some wacky, and all delicious (an early favorite is the frozen bourbon and overproof…
Three Festivals Whip Up One Hurricane Holiday
“Also, they’re all dressed like cops! Watch out for flying donuts!”
Openings & Closings: Say Howdy to Pinkerton’s Barbecue [UPDATED]
On December 3, Pinkerton’s Barbecue soft-opened for a 12-hour preview event at 1504 Airline in North Houston. Pinkerton’s has been popular with barbecue fans for years and is known for delicious sides like jalapeno cheese rice and duck jambalaya. Owner Grant Pinkerton told the Houston Chronicle that, “everything starts in…
The Best Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Pub Crawls & Dickens Do-over
We’re knee-deep in the holiday season, and this weekend’s line-up reflects the spirit. This year’s Panto play at Stages is the best yet – a colorful, toe-tapping extravaganza – but it’s not the only bright spot in our weekend. In the ultimate of do-overs, Galveston’s popular Dickens on the Strand is…
Blurred Music by Biliana Voutchkova and Michael Thieke
Blurred Music, a live music piece by Biliana Voutchkova and Michael Thieke that features the European musicians improvising along to an improvisation (not a typo; you’ll see), was constructed out of an unexpected surprise. In 2013, the Berlin-based artists, who had been developing duo material over the previous three years,…
Best Bets for Week 14 NFL Games
Every season, about this time of year, with about four or five weeks to go in the NFL season, the league will begin to send out emails to the media explaining the playoff clinching scenarios that are in play during the upcoming weekend. The first of those emails came out…
Reviews for the Lazy Gamer: The Last Guardian
Last Guardian is finally released onPlaystation 4, and it’s amazing.
HISD May Impose a 5-Minute Limit on Speeches by Board Members [UPDATED]
Was it just one Jolanda Jones harangue too many? For years, the Houston ISD has placed a limit of three minutes on public speakers at its meetings (one minute if there’s a huge crowd.) Now it appears ready to approve a similar measure for its board members. On tonight’s agenda…
Dean Corll Biopic, In a Madman’s World, Finally Gets a Release Date
The long-awaited Dean Corll biopic, In a Madman’s World, will be released on March 10, 2017.
7 Fictional Characters Donald Trump Resembles
We’re about to have a new President, and one who will likely be among the most unconventional politicians to ever lead our country. Depending on one’s point of view (And potential vulnerability), that’s either refreshing, or completely terrifying. Donald Trump is a larger than life character who spent decades in…
Houston-to-Dallas Bullet Train Company Gets New CEO, Delays Rail Line
Texas Central Partners, the company intent on building a high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas in the next few years, has once again gotten itself a new CEO. Just 16 months after taking the helm from Robert Eckels, Tim Keith is out (or at least president, not CEO) and…
Ten Things to Do in Houston for $10 or Less (ALL Free) December 8-14
December is the month you’re obsessed with eggnog while simultaneously jotting down your not-so-concrete resolutions list. There are plenty of affordable ways to stick to them or ditch them if you rather, without feeling that beginning of the year guilt. Regardless the goal is to enjoy the city for what it…
Harris County Flood Control Doesn’t Think Climate Change or Growth Cause Flooding
Past and present leaders of the Harris County Flood Control District do not believe that climate change has contributed to more frequent major rain events in the region or that extensive development has contributed to major flooding. That’s according to a joint feature published yesterday by the Texas Tribune and…
Chef Johann Schuster Schools Us About A5 Wagyu at Charivari
The A5 Wagyu is a wondrous sight to gaze upon. As Chef Johann Schuster comes out of the Charivari kitchen with this marbled piece of beef goodness from the gods, literally the best money can buy here in the United States, I shook my head in disbelief of how magnificently…
The 10 Best Country Albums Of 2016
Here’s hoping that 2017 brings a whole lot more of what 2016 had to offer, country-wise. The rest of it can go to hell.
Give Scott Stapp a Break; He Deserves It
The Creed frontman isn’t quite the musical punching bag many would have you believe.
I’m Dating a Single Dad. Help!
What’s on your mind? What isn’t? Ask Willie D!
Satanic Temple Says Texas Fetal Remains Rule Violates Members’ Religious Freedom [UPDATED]
When the state of Texas announced that a new set of rules will require health care facilities to cremate or bury the fetal remains from abortions and miscarriages, as we’ve previously reported, state officials likely knew they would face some backlash. But they probably didn’t imagine that it would come…
Cypress Students Accused of Kidnapping After Trying to Have Sex With Girl Walking to Class
A group of male students at Cypress Springs High School were caught on camera kidnapping an 18-year-old woman so they could try having sex with her at one of their homes, according to recently filed court records. Two 17-year-old students, Justin Broadway and Ryan Jeng, have been arrested and charged…
A Little Older and Wiser, Carlos Beltran Returns to the Houston Astros
Carlos Beltran is back with the Houston Astros. And while it’s been a long, long time since he first spent time with the team, Beltran is ready and eager to don Houston colors and lead the Astros to the playoffs. “It wasn’t difficult for me to make the decision to…
Civil Rights Groups Sue City of Houston Over Jail System
A pair of civil rights organizations have sued the City of Houston over its incarceration of poor defendants, alleging that hundreds of Houstonians have been held in jail longer than 48 hours before seeing a judge, as the Constitution requires. Filing suit in federal court late Monday, the Texas Fair…
Solving the Mystery of WOLFE de MÇHLS
Whatever light to be found on ‘Naked’ comes in brief moments.
Holiday Entertaining With the Macy’s Culinary Council’s Chef Ming Tsai
In Houston recently to present holiday entertaining tips and recipes as part of the Macy’s Culinary Council, celebrity chef Ming Tsai demonstrated a mock-tail and three small bites designed to impress guests at holiday cocktail parties. In addition, with a $35 purchase of any item in Macy’s home department, demonstration attendees…
State-Issued Pamphlet On Abortion Contains Many Medical Inaccuracies [UPDATED]
“You are pregnant and want to know everything you can about the options you have. You have a right to know the truth.” Those are the opening lines of A Woman’s Right to Know, an informational booklet that Texas abortion providers must pass to women seeking an abortion, which was…
Remembering Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016)
“Anything we do has got latency. We are made out of latency. We even have latency between our ears.” That’s one of the many stick-with-you wisdoms of Pauline Oliveros, who spoke to the Houston Press in a memorable 2011 interview. Though the dialogue came from a context of sound and…
InterBrews Podcast Grabs a Drink With Houston Craft Beer Notables
Josh Stewart believes that having a beer with someone can be “transcendent.” “Treaties have been worked out over beer,” he explained. “The worst parts of life, when you lose a loved one, beer’s there to help you through that sorrow. When babies are born, [it’s] there to be in that…
Judge Orders Seven Abused, Special-Needs Adopted Kids to Foster Care
Seven special needs children who were found malnourished, abused and confined to a small room will remain in foster care, a Fort Bend County judge ordered Tuesday, until a permanent new home can be found for them. The kids, ages 13 through 16, were removed from their adoptive mother’s Richmond…
Before and After Election, Houston Immigrants Face Discrimination
In an effort to stem the national wave of reports of racist discrimination and harassment following Donald Trump’s election last month, Houston’s St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – also known as San Pablo – held a “peace rally” last Friday. Attendees passed around sweets and hot chocolate. Bracelets that read “Pray…
What the Grammy Nominations Got Right — and Wrong — This Year
The 2017 Grammy nominees are out, and they got it right…for the most part.
Houston’s 10 Best Venues to Bring Visiting Relatives
Cabin fever with holiday visitors? Get out of the Houston and show your guests some of Houston’s best bars and live-music venues.
Your December TV Watch List: The Six Shows We’re Counting On
It’s December, which means it’s time to curl up in front of the TV in a fetal position and pray for 2017. Since this year has been Satan’s masturbatory fantasy, we deserve to glue our eyelids open and soak in the sweet, sweet escapism. And on January 1, fortified by…
James Baldwin Speaks to Now in I Am Not Your Negro
Like Ava DuVernay’s 13th, Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro travels a straight, well-researched path from the darkest tragedies of American history to the ones that plague the country today. Both films filter African-American life through the prism of the societal construct called race, but while DuVernay’s dissertation focuses…
Police Seek Suspect in Sexual Assault of Girl at Houston Children’s Museum [UPDATED]
Houston police are searching for a man they say sexually assaulted a girl he was chaperoning at the Houston Children’s Museum in October — and may have attacked other children. Prosecutors have charged Joseph Anderson, 40, with two counts of indecency with a child. Police said Anderson was a friend…
Dolly Parton Turns On the Country Charm at NRG Arena
God has blessed Dolly Parton, and she’ll never let her fans forget it.
A Judge Declared Montrose Business Owners Have Been Illegally Taxed Out of $6.6 Million
A Harris County District Court judge ruled last week that the Montrose Management District has illegally levied taxes for seven years. And it’s not a small amount, either — $6.59 million. Last week, Judge Joseph J. “Tad” Halbach Jr. in Harris County 333rd Civil Court handed down a decision that sides…
Houston Man Who Refused to Plead Guilty Files Wrongful Arrest Lawsuit
A man who spent more than two months in jail after refusing to plead guilty for a crime he did not commit is now filing a wrongful arrest and imprisonment lawsuit against the county and the deputies who arrested him. Gilbert Cruz, 58, was arrested in May for interfering with…
Gilmore Girls Continues Tradition of On-Screen Female Reporters Dating Sources
The Internet’s response to the release of the Gilmore Girls Netflix revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, has been somewhat less than kind. With headlines the Washington Post’s “Rory Gilmore is a Monster,” it’s clear that many are little less than satisfied with the direction that series creator…
Packers 21, Texans 13 — How to Lose a Game in Ten Plays
When you have a 6-6 team that, thanks to its shoddy quarterback play, feels like a 3-9 team, your definition of “progress” differs from that of somebody who follows a team that is perennially making late January, football-related travel plans. The Houston Texans lost again on Sunday, for the third…
Upcoming: Bruno Mars, Devendra Banhart, HPMA Afterparty, Lady Gaga, Rick Astley, Tyvek, Vince Staples, etc.
Note: Events in bold reflect highly recommended shows.
It’s Become a Lot Tougher for Minors to Get a Judge to Okay Their Abortions
As Charlotte looked down at her positive pregnancy test, the then-15-year-old knew two things immediately: that she didn’t want to have a baby, and that she couldn’t tell her parents. “It wasn’t necessarily the responsibility that scared me or that turned me to that. It was that I was in…
Toulouse Is Not Living Up to Quite All of Its Hype
The beef bourguignon with three boneless short ribs, braised to tender perfection and set atop delicate paper-thin sheets of cut pappardelle, was the evening’s star at Toulouse Cafe and Bar. With fresh pasta made in-house at Toulouse’s sister restaurant, Taverna, this flagship dish of French bourgeois cooking had incredible depth…
Humble KFC Manager Sued for Alleged Sexual Abuse of 16-Year-Old Employee
A 35-year-old manager at a Kentucky Fried Chicken joint in Humble had sex with a 16-year-old employee 50 to 100 times in the restaurant’s back room, in hotels, outside by the dumpster, in his car and elsewhere, according to a lawsuit now filed against the manager, his superiors and against…
Beatles ’66: The Biggest Year for the Biggest Band
Turner’s book offers details and anecdotes not seen or explored in any other Beatles tome.
Houston’s 20 Best Concerts of 2016
It’s been a long year, with a ton of great shows.
“Get in There and Create”: Pablo Larraín on Jackie and Neruda
Pablo Larraín is having a good year. The Chilean director, Oscar-nominated a few years ago for his 2012 political drama No, has just released Jackie, featuring a striking Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy in the immediate aftermath of her husband’s assassination. He is also about to release Neruda, a complex,…
An Afghan Goes Mystery-Solving in the Wobbily Eccentric Noir Burn Country
Ian Olds’ loose local-color thriller Burn Country works from the thesis that rural America is as complex and dangerous to justice-minded visitors as the most contested regions of Afghanistan. As Afghan national Osman (Dominic Rains) gets to know his new town, taking over the police blotter at the local newspaper,…
Damien Chazelle’s Glittering Throwback Can’t Measure Up — but That’s Its Charm
The cussedness of La La Land is almost enough to recommend it. Damien Chazelle’s sumptuous tribute to romantics trying to keep lit the fire of a guttering culture is defiantly old-fashioned in form and style. It is, among other things, a throwback to the great MGM musicals of the Gene…
Houston Theaters Go All Christmas — and Not — for This Year’s Holiday Productions
Our Houston theaters celebrate the holiday season as if everyone expects a foot of snow. There are religious-themed plays, secular put-downs, lots of Dickens, snow-encrusted musicals, and then there are shows that have nothing whatever to do with Santa, elves, or fruit cake, just plain old entertainment for the shopping…
Why is the USDA Limiting Transparency in Animal Cruelty Complaints?
Advocates at the nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute say the division of the USDA tasked with enforcing laws against animal cruelty in research is limiting transparency in the complaints it files, making it difficult for watchdog groups to keep tabs on alleged offenders. The Washington, D.C.-based group says the USDA recently…
Dozens of Demonstrators Gather At Houston Mosque to Support Muslims
In a show of solidarity with the Muslim community, dozens of non-Muslims showed up Friday afternoon outside the Islamic Society of Greater Houston mosque, bearing signs that read, “We’re glad you’re here” and “We are all Americans.” The demonstrators greeted Muslims as they entered the mosque for Friday afternoon prayers,…
Dish of the Week: Penne alla Vodka
From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. Find other dishes of the week here. This week, we’re taking a trip to Italy (or at least to Little Italy) with the perfect cold-weather comfort food: penne alla vodka. Penne…
The Cougars Are Going to Vegas, Baby!
The University of Houston Cougars might not have a permanent head coach. And half of the coaching staff is in Austin looking for new homes. But that’s not going to stop the Cougars from going to Las Vegas for a bowl game in two weeks. That’s right, the Coogs are…
Houston Bands, Fashion Designers Set to Take the Stage at Artopia this January
Since bursting on the scene last year, Camera Cult has been quickly climbing the ladders, on their way to becoming Houston’s next big act. The smooth dance vibes of David Gonzalez, Isaac Chavez Garza and Ricky J. Vasquez have just been added to the line-up for the 9th Annual Houston Press Artopia®, joining previously…
NFL Week 13: Packers 21, Texans 13 — 4 Winners, 4 Losers
About a month ago, the Houston Texans were in last place, 32nd overall, in the NFL in the Football Outsiders DVOA measurement (the metric of choice for many these days in judging the efficiency with which a unit plays American football) on offense and special teams. They were managing to…
Survive Houston Traffic With These Texas-Centric Podcast Episodes
When you’re trapped in Houston’s bumper-to-bumper traffic, again, it’s tempting to curse Texans’ love for cars and elephant-sized trucks. And after 30 minutes of inching forward on the highway, it’s easy to start cursing the entire state. Yet thanks to Texas’s outsized personality and vast size, the state has amassed…
Fat Tony & Houston Public Media Launch New Music-Video Platform
Houston Public Media signs onto a music-video service that highlights emerging artists.
Mary J. Blige Brings Heart and Heartache to the Toyota Center
Confronted with an impending divorce, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Blige is not afraid to confront the messiness of her loss onstage.
Shows of the Week: This Is No Dolly Parton Lookalike Contest
The inimitable country superstar headlines a week that also features Cracker, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears and more.
What’s Most Dissatisfying About Gilmore Girls‘ Return Is Also What’s Most True
In October, 200 coffee shops across the United States and Canada (including Houston!) were made into Luke’s Diner for a day to promote the new revival of Gilmore Girls. No special signings or souvenirs — just the regular drink in a commemorative sleeve, served by the usual barista in a…
Ask a Stoner: Can NFL Players Use Medical Marijuana?
If a player gets legal medical marijuana and then fails an NFL drug test, who wins?
Nominations Needed Now for Next Year’s MasterMind Award Winners
As this year ends, we’re getting ready for the 9th annual Houston Press MasterMind Awards to be handed out at the end of January 2017. So, as always, we need your help in selecting three recipients who will be recognized at next year’s Artopia event, a celebration of the arts…
“Hold the Door!” Middlelands On-Sale Looms Next Week
The new EDM festival on the Texas Renaissance Festival grounds is shaping up to be a whopper.
Dolly Parton Is Good People, Pure and Simple
Dolly Parton has been in the news a lot this week.
Strong Thunderstorms, Downpours Are Determined to Ruin Your Weekend
It is as if the Houston weather gods deeply regret the stretch of unseasonably warm, dry weather we’ve been having, and are eager to make up for lost time. Strong thunderstorms and heavy downpours are expected to wallop the region this weekend, and the city’s Office of Emergency Management is…
Sen. Whitmire Files Misconduct Complaint Against Harris County Magistrates
State Senator John Whitmire (D-Houston) has filed a judicial misconduct complaint with the state against three Harris County magistrates, who were caught on video supposedly failing to use discretion when setting bail for defendants charged with low-level misdemeanors. Those magistrates, which include Eric Hagstette, Jill Wallace and Joseph Licata, were also…
Houston Police Seek Information on Alleged Serial Rapist
Houston police believe a 30-year-old man being held on two sexual assault charges may have committed at least six sexual assaults in southeast Houston since May. David E. Beard has been in Harris County Jail since October 5, after two women identified him as their attacker, according to a Houston…
Mayor Turner Pledges to Restore Freedmen’s Town Bricks, Create Cultural District
Aubrey Smith was on his way home from work when he saw the dump truck at the end of Andrews Street, in Freedmen’s Town. He turned down the road and spotted the huge crane. And then the destroyed brick street came into view. Immediately, Smith joined more than a dozen…
Hundreds Donate More Than $26K to Rick “M&M” Johnson Amid Cancer Battle
In less than two days, more than 400 people have donated more than $26,000 to Rick Johnson, the man who brightened their days outside the courthouse every day for ten years and is now battling cancer. Over the past decade, Rick has sold M&Ms and umbrellas to lawyers and judges…
Death Metal, Love and Mango’s: The Story of Insolvent
How love and Mango’s created Insolvent, one of Houston’s most brutal death-metal acts.
Dear Cougars: Just Say No to Art Briles
The University of Houston football head coaching job is supposedly now one of the prime coaching jobs in the country. It’s the best of the Group of Five jobs. It’s so good that head coaches of power conference schools are supposedly willing to junk the prestige and take the Houston…
Houston Press Monthly Mixtape: The Mildly Cold Outside Edition
In an otherwise anemic month, Houston is lucky to have a few gems coming through town during the month of musical tundra.
