Update: Same-Sex Marriage in Texas Has a Better Shot After Federal Ruling
Similar to what Annise Parker said last year, that denying gay couples benefits was unconstitutional, a federal judge made a ruling today that’s making the state of Texas look a little more open to same-sex marriage. Update, 4:30 p.m. Feb. 27 As expected the governor and attorney general have announced…
Guy Who Pulled His Mom’s Gun on Sister’s Boyfriend Caught in Warrant Roundup
Screenshot of Texas AG videoChristopher Blake got aggressive with his sister, say cops.Back in December Houston Police were called to a Clear Ridge Drive home following a reported standoff between a guy with a taser and a man with a handgun. Earlier, Christopher Matthew Blake had gone into the home…
Cover Story: The First Families of Houston Food
Back in late January, I compiled a blog post about the histories of some of Houston’s most important restaurant families. I happen to love history, but I assumed most readers would be more interested in reading about the latest restaurant openings or cheap food in the Heights or which chef…
Reality Bites: 90 Day Fiance
There are a million reality shows on the naked television. We’re going to watch them all, one at a time. I’m hearing a lot about how “traditional marriage” is under assault these days. At the forefront, apparently, are The Gays, who want to — I don’t know — swish in…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013-2014: No. 26, Spicy Miso Ramen at Soma Sushi
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus® issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. She’ll compile a collection of the dishes she thinks are the most awesome, most creative and, of course, most delicious in town. It’s a…
Another Teacher Wins in Sexting Case
Yet again a Texas court has absolved a teacher for being pervy with a student, thanks to a court ruling last year connected to a Houston case. A Fort Worth teacher in this 30s was let off the hook recently and the case dismissed after being arrested for getting all…
Sondheim’s A Little Night Music: So Smart, Comic & Heartbreaking at the Same Time
It’s a weekend in the Swedish countryside in 1900 and hostess and actress Desiree Armfeldt is entertaining an old flame and his young wife as well as her former lover’s son who is a divinity student. A current lover and his wife pop in and, of course, everyone is mismatched…
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings at House of Blues, 2/25/2014
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Valerie June House of Blues February 25, 2014 Soul music is the alchemy that turns pain into gold, but it takes a proper soul revue to polish that gold until it shines. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings radiate soul with the magnitude of their fearless…
Kevin Naderi to Face Off at Iron Fork Against…
We have secured a second chef for the third annual Iron Fork competition at this year’s Menu of Menus Extravaganza. This brave fellow will be competing against Kevin Naderi of Roost in a secret-ingredient cooking challenge moderated by Randy Evans of Haven to determine which of them is the Iron…
Lifetime Remakes “Flowers in the Attic,” All My Dreams Come True
When I was 15, my best friend Kathleen handed me a book with a spooky looking house on the cover, titled, Flowers in the Attic. I took the book home and started it at bedtime that evening. Once opened, the book remained so until I turned the last page, at…
This Week in Food Blogs: Feasting on Killen’s BBQ & the Science of Baking Bread
Hank On Food: Everyone is excited about the opening of Killen’s BBQ, and Hank was able to get into the new brick-and-mortar location from chef Ronnie Killen on Saturday, February 22 (opening day). Killen was behind the counter chopping beef ribs and serving his tender, moist brisket to customers during…
Where the Streets Have New Names: 20 Houston Streets That Change Names
It’s tough enough to get around in Houston with traffic, accidents and the messy spider web of freeways. If you just moved here, you’re probably having a difficult enough time figuring out the difference between the Southwest Freeway and U.S. 59 (hint: there is none, but more on that later)…
Top 5 Weirdest Chewing Gum Flavors
When Roald Dahl featured chewing gum that tasted like a three-course meal in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, marketing executives took note. The spectrum of chewing gum flavors has broadened tenfold since the book’s publication, sometimes not for the better. Here are five flavors readily available at your local grocery…
Uber & Food Trucks: How the Internet Stokes the Flame of Once Little-Known Causes
When Howard Dean was a Democratic candidate for president, he did something no other national candidate had ever done — no, not the scream in Iowa — he raised a significant portion of his campaign funds using the Internet. That might not sound like a big deal today, but at…
Attention, Houston! M&M’s MEGA Have Landed
Of all the complaints about M&M’s I’ve had over the years, size has never been an issue. I’ve been perturbed by the persistent existence of the gross dark chocolate raspberry flavor and irritated there’s never been a re-release of the “strawberried peanut butter” version. But weight and girth? I thought…
100 Creatives 2014: Lisa E. Harris, Performing and Visual Artist
Performing and visual artist Lisa E. Harris explored memory and self-perception in her 2012 project, ”No Matter How Hard I Try I Can’t Look the Same as I Did Yesterday.” The project included an exhibition of selfies and head shots, an installation and performance. At the time the Manhattan School…
What the Hell Is Bitcoin and Why Should You Care?
One of the trending topics on Facebook this week — a pretty good indicator of what people are talking about online — was Mt. Gox. The vast majority of people have probably never heard of the the strange sounding company, but its bankruptcy could have a significant impact on other…
Aaron Hernandez Just Served Someone a Beatdown Behind Bars
Since going away to prison while awaiting trial on murder charges, and other than the occasional appearances for status updates on said trial, Aaron Hernandez has almost completely faded into the background. For the sake of content, this has been a bad thing, but I suppose for the sake of…
Bartender Chat: Alex Gilbert of Grand Prize and The Honeymoon (Coming Soon)
Welcome to Eating…Our Words’ Bartender Chat, in which we sit down with local bartenders and get to know their style. Whether they’re slinging beers or mixing complex cocktails, bartenders are our buddies and confidants, but we’re turning the tables and the camera on them to find out what they’re passionate…
Godzilla, Transformers and How Trailers Play With Our Emotions
I like action movie trailers more than I like action movies. I don’t have anything against mindless violence mind you, but I do have a serious issue with wasting two hours of my time on bad plots, questionable dialogue, and shaky special effects. A trailer gives me a better return…
Don’t Know Who Michael Bloomfield Was? You Totally Should.
“He was the greatest guitar player I ever heard” — Bob Dylan “[He] is music on two legs” — Eric Clapton “You could put [him] with James Brown, and he’d be a motherfucker.” — Miles Davis Wow. What other unknown axe-slinger could garner such praise from such music heavyweights? But…
Vote or Die: The Last VJ’s Top 5 Videos of the Week
Welcome back to The Last VJ, music fans. This week we explore some coinage history while watching a headless organ player, trip balls with Eternal Lips, and watch a touching tribute to a family member that is so sweet that even my jaded heart doesn’t want to mock it. Music…
The Pixies Should Just Retire Already
Tomorrow night, Houston will witness the return of legendary indie-rockers the Pixies. It’s their first show in town since 2010, and obviously a lot has changed about them since then. If you’ll recall, the last time was at Verizon Wireless Theater, playing all of second album Doolittle in lieu of…
Slim Thug Brings That #BossLife to City Hall
The chambers of City Hall were fuller and triller than normal Tuesday as rapper Slim Thug was on hand to receive a proclamation celebrating his outstanding involvement in the community, officially making Februrary 25, 2014 Slim Thug Day in the City of Houston. Slim arrived with his family, friends and…
Texas Man, an Ex-Wall Street Type, Shows Us How to Use Twitter
A 34-year-old guy from Texas has been shaking things up for a few years on social media, causing Goldman Sachs to try to out someone within its own ranks for creating a Twitter account (with more than a half-million followers) full of comments from the point of view of that…
Bill Hicks: His Ride Ended 20 Years Ago
As of February 26, comedian Bill Hicks will have been dead 20 years. Houston’s favorite son (don’t try to deny it) was 32. Whether he went on to meet his version of Jesus (the guy who doesn’t like crosses), descended into the infernal regions (where the Satan-worshipping family down the…
Order the Curried Quinoa at Benjy’s on Washington
I’m not a vegetarian, but I do enjoy ordering dishes that showcase in-season vegetables accented with grains or a meat substitute like tofu. During a recent dinner at Benjy’s on Washington, I forwent ordering meat-centric dishes like the braised short rib with a creamy cashew butter and cranberry jam, and…
Alleged Grandma Killer Returning to Harris County
Prescription pill bottles tossed a few blocks from a burning home helped Harris County sheriff’s investigators charge Ethan Drake with capital murder. Drake, according to authorities, stabbed grandma Caroline Stagner, 72, and then set her Highlands home on fire on December 13. “An autopsy determined Stagner had been stabbed several…
Staged Reading of Odyssey’s End Examines What Happens When the War Is Over
The conflict in Europe against Nazi Germany ended in 1945, and was widely perceived as moral and necessary. Its veterans were honored, unlike the controversial Vietnam War, where soldiers were sometimes blamed for the decisions of generals. William S.E. Coleman served with distinction in Europe in WWII, receiving two Bronze…
Does It Matter to Us They Caught El Chapo?
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, or better yet, an underground air conditioned bunker near the Mexican border, you’ve probably heard about the capture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. The billionaire, former Forbes-richest drug kingpin was nabbed over the weekend in Mexico. If you were watching the local Univision…
Ronan Farrow Is a Millennial Journalist for the Millennials
Ronan Farrow may still need an introduction, but he’s been gunning to change that. This week, he premiered his new MSNBC show, Ronan Farrow Daily, at the noon central slot. I will fully admit that my initial interest in the show (and probably lots of people’s) was due to recent…
Soft-Shell Crab Always in Season at Thai Spice
For better or for worse, I often throw caution to the wind when it comes to food consumption. Potentially-sickening-yet-delicious-looking street food in Bombay? I’ll try. Expired milk? No problem if it passes the sniff test. Cookie I just dropped on the floor? Of course. Which is why when I ordered…
Happy #THUGGADAY: City Hall Salutes Northside Boss
Today at City Hall, a prominent resident of Houston will receive his very own proclamation from the mayor, much like the thousands of citizens who have also received such certificates in the past. This particular citizen is named Stayve Jerome Thomas, a gentleman who has been a successful representative of…
Local Streetwear Entrepreneurs Shirk Convention, Do It Their Way
It was a beautiful Sunday morning and the guys of men’s streetwear boutique Urban Assault, Daniel Gonzales, 32, and David Ruiz, 26, opened their doors for me to see their pride and joy. “I guess you can say that we are a specialty boutique that caters to the young man…
Top 5 Starbucks Desserts
Most people go to Starbucks for their daily coffee fix, but I visit in order to feed my addiction to sweets. Their desserts have improved greatly in the past five years and some even stand up to the small-batch treats found at local bakeries. Try one of my five favorites…
Rally to Kill One Bin for All
The recycling fight comes to the steps of Houston’s city hall today when labor and environmental justice group representatives (along with Miss Houston Rodeo Jacquelyn Young) partake in a rally they hope will convince the city to trash its “One Bin for All” recycling initiative. The protesters are against the…
Apple Users: Time to Update Your Operating System Like Now Thanks to “GoTo Fail”
One of the benefits of being a longtime Apple user is that there were rarely as many viruses and bugs affecting Mac and associated products as there were for Windows. This is no doubt thanks to the more widespread use and ease of exploitation of Windows machines. But one thing…
The Rocks Off 200: DJ Penetrate, All Lit Up in “Neon Lights”
Welcome to The Rocks Off 200, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community — a lot more than just musicians, but of course they’re in there too. See previous entries in the Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? DJ Penetrate…
RIP Harold Ramis: His Four Films That Shaped Adult Comedy Filmmaking
In what must be one of the most succinct one-sentence descriptions of a person’s character in history, Harold Ramis said of Bill Murray, his longtime collaborator with whom he had a falling out during the making of Groundhog Day, “Bill will give you a kidney if you need it, but…
Sammy Patrenella Shares Some Family History
This week’s feature story (online Wednesday) takes an in-depth look at the Houston families who developed our diverse food scene into what it is today. We spent hours researching and interviewing family members to compile their stories, but not everything could make it into print. In celebration of these fascinating…
The Modular Food Truck Is Back, Better than Ever
Though incredibly popular and well received by critics, The Modular food truck (actually a trailer) had a surprisingly short run. It opened in 2011, helmed by Joshua Martinez and Lyle Bento. At the time, Martinez was fresh off a stint as general manager of Kata Robata, and Bento was an…
Weather Week: Good Chance of Rain and Some Cooler Weather
If there is one thing our area needs, it’s rain. We are still suffering the impact of drought that has lingered since 2011, so any water falling from the sky is a good thing. Thankfully, for the first time in what feels like a couple of months, there is a…
Reviews for the Lazy Gamer: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2
Game: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC Publisher/Developer: Konami/MercurySteam Genre: Adventure Describe This Game in Three Words: Dracula May Cry Plot: Gabriel Belmont has become Dracula, and now rises in the modern world in order to face the return of Satan. If he defeats the Prince…
What Are the Seven Layers of the Seven-Layer (Magic) Bar?
It’s a deceptively simple question: “What are the seven layers of the Seven-Layer (or “Magic”) Bar?” The answer, however, continues to elude me. If you look at the “official” recipe on the Eagle Brand website, which I think actually holds a copyright on the phrase “Seven-Layer Magic Bar,” it would…
Twitch Plays Pokemon: Perhaps It Is We Who Are the Pocket Monsters
You’ve seen The Truman Show, right? Oh, no? Okay, go ahead and do that. It’s cool. I’ll wait. Good movie, right? Now imagine if Truman had an earpiece, and into that earpiece is piped the reactions of every single audience member across the land. Now imagine that they are all…
Technology Tries to Embarrass Johnny Manziel in this 40-Yard Dash Video
The 2014 NFL Scouting Combine ends today, but for all intents and purposes (Texans-related, at least), it ended on Monday. Four whirlwind days going back to last Friday, and when all was said and done, ostensibly very little seemed to resolve itself (although behind closed doors, who the hell knows;…
Pixies Gouge Away Through Recent Lineup Turmoil
Several words come to mind when pondering the Pixies, among them “pioneering,” “innovative” and “influential.” Lately, it’s safe to add “resilient” when discussing the veteran rockers. Since their 1986 inception, the Boston-born band — front man Black Francis, guitarist Joey Santiago, drummer David Lovering and beloved bassist Kim Deal –…
Upcoming: Slick Rick, Chaka Khan, Bun B, Morrissey, Twin Forks, Schoolboy Q, etc.
The 25th Anniversary Tour of Slick Rick: Fri., April 11, 8 p.m., $23. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston, 713-225-5483. Albert Hammond Jr.: Tue., March 18, 7 p.m., $16. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston, 713-225-5483. Alsena: Tue., March 11, 7 p.m., $14. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston, 713-225-5483…
Bassist Rozzano Zamorano’s Death Leaves Huge Void in Music Scene
Houston’s music community is still reeling after popular bassist Rozzano Zamorano was found dead in his Montrose apartment late last week. Friends say Zamorano failed to show up for a gig with Vince Converse last Friday night at Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar, leading police officers alerted by his family to…
UT Professor: Legalizing Gay Marriage Will Make Everyone Gay and Slutty
If you like anal sex and open relationships now, just wait until gay marriage is legalized. Once that good day in America finally arrives, are y’all in for a treat, according to University of Texas professor Mark Regnerus. Regnerus – previously known for his impressively one-dimensional and incorrect research on…
The NCAA Is Evil, But You Probably Already Knew That
Oregon State pitcher Ben Wetzler was drafted in the fifth round of last June’s MLB amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. Wetzler was only a junior, but the NCAA permits college juniors to be drafted. Wetzler did not come to an agreement with the Phillies, and as allowed by NCAA…
Netflix, Comcast End Feud: Why It Matters to You
If you tried to watch a movie or a TV series recently on Netflix, particularly if you happen to have Comcast as your Internet provider, you might have had a few issues. Sure, they may have the entire final season of Breaking Bad, but it won’t do you much good…
The Menil Offers the Mysteries of Magritte
The Setup: John and Dominique de Menil were friends with many of the prominent art figures of their day, including the modern painter René Magritte. As a result of their patronage, the Menil Collection holds the most elaborate repository of Magritte’s paintings outside of his native Belgium. In many ways,…
Taste Test: Saint Arnold’s Bishops Barrel 6
The latest in Saint Arnold’s series of barrel-aged beers was released to bars this past week. Bishops Barrel No. 6 takes the Pumpkinator, the brewery’s popular seasonal imperial pumpkin stout, and ages it nine months in rum barrels from Appleton Estate. I went to the Stag’s Head Pub at Shepherd…
Reviews for the Lazy Gamer: Thief
Game: Thief Platform: Xbox One, Xbox, PS4, PS3, PC Publisher/Developer: Square Enix/Eidos Montreal Genre: First Person Stealth Describe This Game in Three Words: Stalk, shoot, run Plot: Garrett, the antihero master criminal of the cult hit series Thief, returns to the strange and dark City after more than a year…
Dish of the Week: Beef Stroganoff
From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we’ll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. See the complete list of recipes at the end of this post. As we bid the Sochi Olympics a hearty “do svidaniya” just yesterday, we’re sharing one final memento from our…
Nebraska Judge’s Ruling Keeps Keystone Decision Dragging On
For about two seconds it looked like President Obama was finally going to have to make a decision on the Keystone XL Pipeline Project. The State Department report had been issued and there just wasn’t any other way to delay a final, clear-cut yes or no from the White House…
The Columnist Portrays the Life and Secrets of Journalist Joseph Alsop
The setup: David Auburn garnered the 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for his play Proof, and with The Columnist he now turns his attention to the widely-read columnist Joseph Alsop, who wrote for the Herald Tribune for decades until the mid-’70s, and whose column several times a week was…
Goodbye, Sochi: Top 10 Memories of the 2014 Winter Olympics
I am not a big Olympics guy, it’s just never been my thing. There, I said it. I’ve actually said it many times. I don’t hate the Olympics, I’m just not all that interested. But my disinterest does start to border on disdain when some of you track and field…
Omotai at Fitzgerald’s, 2/21/14
Omotai, Lions of Tsavo, Baring Teeth, Chipped Teeth Fitzgerald’s February 21, 2014 Whenever the topic of Houston’s heaviest bands comes up, it’s tough not to place Omotai somewhere near the very top of that particular pile of bones. For three years now, the trio has offered up the city’s most…
Craving Peruvian? Head South to Chuyos
About 40 minutes south of Houston there’s a small restaurant in a strip mall whose owners are from Lima, and they are making some very good and authentic Peruvian food. Ana Cecilia and Oscar Dasso opened the place in 2008, and it has since become a favorite of Peruvians and…
What to Expect When Your Child Punches You in the Dick
One morning last week I was feeling pretty good about myself. Despite a late night of writing I’d gotten up early and with enough energy to achieve that magical concept of being on time at my day job. The Kid With One F had been mostly accommodating in the morning…
Comeback Against Suns Helps Rockets Avoid Road Disaster
Two games and three quarters into their longest road trip of the season, the Rockets appeared headed for a 1-2 start to the five-game West Coast swing. They had just been lit up for 77 points in the second and third quarter and were down 11 in Phoenix, with former…
Breakfast Tacos at Tierra Caliente
Familiarity breeds contempt, and proximity to tacos breeds apathy. Or so goes my reasoning for why we don’t frequent Tacos Tierra Caliente more, well, frequently. “It’s right around the corner; we can go there anytime we want,” I would reason. Truth be told, the fact that I rarely carry cash…
Rodeo’s Best Bites Competition Crowns the Winners
“I have a fun fact for those of you in the judging room tonight,” came the voice over the loudspeaker. The three dozen or so people judging the Best Bites portion of the Rodeo Uncorked!® Roundup competition stopped talking in anticipation. “If you eat all 81 food samples and all…
Are You Houston’s Best Music Photographer?
One of the best parts of running Rocks Off is going through all the concert photos we run every week. We’re proud to say we feature the work of Houston’s finest music photographers on this blog, but now we’re upping the ante by putting that to a vote. In other…
Don Imus Endorses Kinky Friedman Ag Commissioner Campaign
Fox Business talk show host Don Imus has come out in support of Richard “Kinky” Friedman’s campaign for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. He’s also having some fun with it. Imus had a phone conversation with Friedman on his show Wednesday morning. Here’s a transcript the show put on its blog: 8:40:17…
Absolut Vodka Releases Limited-Edition ‘Texas’ Flavor
Since 2007, Absolut Vodka has been releasing a limited-edition flavor based on an American city every year. The first one was New Orleans, followed by Los Angeles, Boston, Brooklyn, San Francisco, Miami and Chicago. This year, the company has decided to create its first-ever state-inspired vodka in honor of Texas…
Actors Play Convicts Playing Actors in Our Country’s Good at UH
The setup: This play is set in the 1780’s, and is about a rehearsal for a Restoration comedy, but is not the usual backstage comedy, as the actors are convicts in Australia’s first penal colony. (I hasten to add, in this 2014 production, the actors are University of Houston students,…
Eagles at Toyota Center, 2/21/2014
Eagles Toyota Center February 21, 2014 The Eagles don’t do too many interviews with alternative weeklies, but I’ve always wanted to ask Don Henley if sometimes a song is just a song. Besides one of the sharpest minds in pop music, the northeast Texas native is someone who (to put…
Eyeballs, Page Hits, and the Struggle with Covering Michael Sam
Michael Sam’s day at the combine finally came this weekend, and predictably it was covered ad nauseam. The media horde surrounding the podium when it came time for Michael Sam to speak was reportedly the largest of anybody all weekend, no small feat when you consider that Johnny Manziel is…
Doctor Who: 5 Most Ridiculously Expensive Doctor Who Items on Amazon
Take it from somebody who knows, getting really into Doctor ho can be prohibitively expensive. It seems like such a cheap hobby when you’re first going through the new series on Netflix and there are 80+ episodes ahead of you all for practically free, but once you burn through that…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013-2014: No. 27, Kim Cheese Fries at Coreanos
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus® issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. She’ll compile a collection of the dishes she thinks are the most awesome, most creative and, of course, most delicious in town. It’s a…
The Big Easy Salutes 20 Years of Bayou City Blues
Houston blues lovers showed up in throngs Friday night as Upper Kirby blues dive The Big Easy celebrated its 20th anniversary under the direction of Tom McLendon. One more person and the Fire Marshal couldn’t have squeezed in to shut the place down if he had to. Over two decades…
Five Songs for Tonight’s Bigfoot Visitor
As we’ve previously reported, Rick Dyer is coming to Houston bearing what he claims is the corpse of the legendary Bigfoot. Dyer assures us that he shot the beast outside San Antonio and is avidly awaiting DNA confirmation from a university to verify his outrageous claims. It’s all chupacabra poop,…
The Best Concerts in Houston This Week: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, etc.
Debonair Lounge Cafe 4212, January 27 For the past few months, the only way to get each week off on a good foot has been at this Museum District oasis of cool. Debonair Lounge has already welcomed a who’s who of Houston’s hottest young hip-hop and R&B performers — backed…
Finally! Killen’s Barbecue to Open Tomorrow
It was a beautiful thing to watch: Ronnie Killen, unwrapping a huge slab of hot-from-the-oven brisket, then lightly shaking it to gauge the consistency of the meat. Moist heat curled upwards as the wrapper was peeled back, and the black-crusted meat jiggled as if it were a big block of…
Best Baseball at Minute Maid Park in 2014: Annual College Classic Next Week
I want to take a pause from my usual Houston Astros bashing so that I might applaud an event they stage every year. It’s time once again for the Houston College Classic, six college baseball teams invading Minute Maid Park for nine games in three days. For only the second…
Crasis: A Bold Fusion of Local Music, Art & Technology
Houston’s experimental scene doesn’t always get a lot of media attention, but the city is home to a number of artists who regularly both expand and violate the boundaries of what is usually considered popular music. Many if not most of them employ some form of technology as one of…
Weekend Weather: Rain Moves Out, Cooler Weather Moves In
I’ve been having a problem recently. My wife and I sometimes disagree about the temperature of the house. I prefer it quite a bit cooler than she does. During the winter, it’s not a big deal because neither of us are particular fans of the heater blasting. So, it remains…
Saturday Is National Margarita Day! Celebrate With Two Nontraditional Versions
Look, I don’t know who comes up with these national food and drink holidays. I don’t know why. I don’t know how many years any of them have been celebrated. And I swear, there are at least four National Pie days every year. What I’m saying is I’m kind of…
The Morey Chronicles: The Trade Deadline Deal Streak, 2008-2014
Seven trade deadlines, seven deadline day trades! Yes, the streak is still alive! It was looking dicey for a little while, but with the clock winding down toward 2 p.m. CST on Thursday afternoon, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was able to reach back, work the phones and convince reserve…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013-2014: No. 28, Fried Cauliflower at Roost
This year, leading up to our annual Menu of Menus® issue, Kaitlin Steinberg counts down her 100 favorite dishes as she eats her way through Houston. She’ll compile a collection of the dishes she thinks are the most awesome, most creative and, of course, most delicious in town. It’s a…
Celebrate Mardi Gras: Five Alternatives to the Classic King Cake
This year, Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, March 4. Also known as “Fat Tuesday,” it’s the last night to indulge in rich, fatty foods before Ash Wednesday, when the ritual fasting of the Lent begins. But for us, it’s really just an excuse to party and eat King Cake. The…
Special Olympics and Jolly Jesters: Top Five Things to Do in Houston Sports This Weekend
I’m back! Did you miss me? Don’t run from your feelings! This is the place to come if you want to find out what the flip there is to do/watch when it comes to sports in the fine city of Houston, Texas. And for those of you Yankees who might…
Dr. Dog at Warehouse Live, 2/20/2014
Dr. Dog Warehouse Live February 20, 2013 A revival happened Thursday night, or a reawakening for some. I’m not sure if it was just this specific stop on the tour — whether it was the people involved, both crowd and crew, or where Dr. Dog is as a band right…
Houston Ballet Creates Magic With Aladdin
The Setup: Aladdin may not be one of Western culture’s primary princess fairy tales (i.e., Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves), but it might as well be. It’s the most famous of the stories that make up Scheherazade’s One Thousand and One Nights, and thanks to Disney’s…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: Pompeii
Title: Pompeii Can We Expect a Historically Accurate Representation of Events? But of course. Take special note of how all Romans have English accents. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant to the Film: Two Waponi Chiefs out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Boy becomes slave; slave meets girl; volcano erupts, which…
Old-School Conjunto Scene Thriving in Jacinto City
On a pleasantly sunny Sunday afternoon, just a few feet removed from a set of railroad tracks, the sounds of a hyperactive accordion can be heard dancing within a small, simple building. The room is packed with family and friends rejoicing in their mutual love for conjunto music, that traditional…
Houston Celebrates Multiple James Beard Award Nominations for 2014
The prestigious James Beard Award semifinalists were announced this week, and Houston is represented well by four individuals and one bar in three different categories. Anvil Bar & Refuge was nominated for Outstanding Bar Program for the third consecutive year, while Chris Shepherd, Hugo Ortega and Justin Yu were all…
Eagle Ford Shale Is Causing Air Pollution — Lots
If you live around here and you haven’t heard about the Eagle Ford Shale oil and natural gas play in the past few years, you just haven’t been paying attention. The shale play that stretches from South Texas into Mexico is one of the key developments that has revitalized the…
Evocative Watercolors Showcase Another Side of John Singer Sargent
The amazingly prolific American-born John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) had already secured his reputation and fame as the leading oil painting portraiture artist of his time. But by the turn of the 20th century, he felt the medium had grown…well…as staid and stale as some of his subjects. So as a…
Ted Cruz Diagnoses Washington’s Problem (and It’s Totally Not Him)
Sen. Ted Cruz hit a new low — or high, depending on your perspective — when he tried to block the bill to increase the debt ceiling last week. Never one to miss an opportunity for more publicity, Cruz popped up on CNN on Wednesday night to discuss why (in…
Doctor Who: Breaking Up With the Daleks and the Cybermen
Details are short on what we can expect beyond glorious eyebrows from Peter Capaldi’s Doctor this coming autumn, but one rumor that’s become quite prevalent is that the Doctor will face off against his two greatest enemies: the Daleks and the Cybermen. Frankly, it’s time to retire the two races…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Farmers Market Ride & National Margarita Day
Food Truck Friday @ Houston Press Friday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. 2603 La Branch This Friday, Coreanos will be joining us for lunch. Bring your family, co-workers and friends, and fill up your stomach with Mexican-Korean fusion dishes. How do Korean BBQ Tacos with spicy twice cooked pork belly,…
Last Shot @RODEOHOUSTON’s Social Media Scavenger Hunt
This year the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will not only feature entertainment from Usher, Maroon 5, and Keith Urban amongst other top performers, but it’s also been awarding prizes through a Twitter-based scavenger hunt. It’s like finding the golden ticket from Willy Wonka. With the Twitter account @RODEOHOUSTON (which…
Upcoming Events: Mardi Gras & Fat Tuesday Celebrations Galore
On Monday, February 24, Vic & Anthony’s will host a special five-course wine dinner featuring wines from the Michael David Winery, the overall top winery at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo International Wine Competition for 2014. All of the selections for the evening are Double Gold winners. The meal…
100 Creatives 2014: Stephanie Todd Wong, Executive Director of Dance Source Houston
Wearing a full skirt that doubled as a cape, Stephanie Todd Wong brought the vision of a bullfight to life as she became a matador onstage dueling with an imaginary bull. That Washington, D.C. performance a few years ago in Lament for the Death of a Bullfighter by famed dancer…
The Reality Bites Soundtrack at 20: The Good, the Bad and the Totally ’90s
This week marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Reality Bites, Houston’s cinematic “’90s moment” starring Ethan Hawke’s grunge locks and Winona Ryder’s doily dress. It’s a flawed film, and rather unsatisfying at times, but it’s hardly without its charms — quite like Houston itself, one might say. Today,…
Top 5 Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Heather Gordy and Vincent Fink Art Exhibit, Mardi Gras! Galveston and More
It’s hard to say which artist represents dreams and which represents realities at the exhibition “Of Dreams and Realities: Heather Gordy and Vincent Fink,” our suggestion for Friday. “We’re both into dreams,” Gordy says. “Vincent is into lucid dreaming, and I’m interested in the feelings that dreams produce. He does…
Saint Genevieve’s Party Brunch: Like a Club, With Mimosas
Frida Kahlo once said, “I tried to drown my sorrows but the bastards learned how to swim, and now I am overwhelmed by this decent and good feeling.” If those sorrows are going to learn to swim, they’re going to have to do so in the pitchers of bottomless mimosas…
Openings & Closings: Adios 1252 Tapas in Uptown & Hello Taco in The Woodlands
While it’s not a restaurant, it’s still a notable closing. B4-U-Eat, an online Houston restaurant guide, announced its own closure on Monday, February 17. For the past 23 years, B4-U-Eat has provided Houstonians with a variety of updates for restaurant openings and closings, reviews and events listings. B4-U-Eat will certainly…
Rockets Trade Brooks to Denver, Lose to Warriors in OT
Rockets GM Daryl Morey did it again. In each of his eight years with the Rockets, he has made a trade prior to the league’s trade deadline. Leading up to Thursday, it appeared less and less likely a deal would get done, primarily because the names most frequently mentioned in…
Houston’s Rowdiest Festival Moves to the Warehouse District
When the city’s preeminent music festival announced its lineup last week, some observers questioned whether this year’s lineup had enough bang for the buck. One of Houston’s fastest-growing music fests, For the Community, has no such problem, though. This weekend’s installment, the fest’s seventh, features some significant changes. But the…
Ex-Yes Singer Jon Anderson: Fond Memories of Houston’s “Space Dome”
When Jon Anderson brings his solo show to Houston Monday, the set list will run the gamut of his career honing in on five decades. The most recognizable songs, of course, will come from his lengthy service as the lead vocalist of Yes — material like “Long Distance Runaround,” “Roundabout,”…
Children of Pop Is Throwing You a Pizza Party
Last year was a busy year for Houston’s Children of Pop. So busy, in fact, that the act never had time to host an official release party for its latest album, Fiesta/Drift, which was voted one of Rocks Off’s top local albums of 2013. But that’s all about to change…
Houston’s 10 Coolest Bar Names
As our sister blog Eating…Our Words does, from time to time Rocks Off will be giving your our picks for the top taverns in various Houston-area neighborhoods. Of course, the lines can be porous, but here anything with a TABC license that cannot reasonably be considered either a restaurant, coffeehouse…
The Best Concerts in Houston This Weekend: Eagles, Omotai, Nikki Hill, G-Eazy, etc.
The Eagles Toyota Center, February 21 Arguably the most successful American rock band of all time, the Eagles have lost little of their drawing power for only having released one all-original album since 1980. Of course that one, 2007’s The Long Hard Road Out of Eden, sold some 7 million…
Zapruder Analysis of Tom Brady’s Combine Video in 2000
This Saturday at Rice Stadium, SportsRadio 610 is conducting our first ever NFL style combine. The event runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and the plan right now is for all of the hosts and many of you listeners to participate in most of the various events (sorry, no…
Lot Lizards Have Forced the County to Try to Shut Creepy Truck Stop
Hashim Ramiz Hasan and Desai Pratap are being taken to court because Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan says the Key Truck Stop has gone to the lot lizards for far too long. The truck stop at 17124 Interstate 10 east in Channelview is being labeled a public nuisance because court…
Facebook’s Whatsapp Purchase Reminds Us Tech Is for the Kids
In the span of three months, Facebook, the massive social media giant, offered more than $20 billion (billion with a ‘b’) for a pair of messaging apps. The first was SnapChat, the photo message sharing app your kids love and you probably know nothing about, which turned down $3 billion…
Murder for Two (Original Cast Album) Truly Puts the Laughter in Manslaughter
Murder for Two, a recent Off-Broadway gem, originally opened at Second Stage Theatre Uptown on July 25, 2013, and then transferred to New World Stages, opening there on November 6, 2013. With strong reviews, the quirky two-actor show is still running strong and is currently booking tickets through July 6,…
La Fresca Pizza: Please Become a Chain
La Fresca makes a worthy American-style pizza.
Demi Lovato at Toyota Center, 2/19/2014
Demi Lovato Toyota Center February 19, 2014 Hey, you know what’s important? Eardrums. Too bad I don’t have mine anymore, now that the Demi Lovato concert is over. Wednesday night, Texas’ own pop princess graced the city with her presence for the second time in a year, following the 2013…
Wanna Buy Pork-Coated Bullets in Case You’re Attacked by a Terrorist?
Screenshot from Jihawg.comThe perfect gift for the knuckle-dragging dipshit in your life. Texas is renowned as a gun-lover’s paradise, and firearm enthusiasts in Houston are fortunate to have a vast array of gun shops to choose from — but unfortunately, if you want pork-laced ammunition to fend off a crazed…
Liberty Kitchen and Oysterette Responds to Review With Interesting Gift
When I first opened the box, I was intrigued. Then I saw the card with the monogram “Lee Ellis” at the top, and I became concerned. It’s no secret that, though I thought there were a few outstanding dishes at the new Liberty Kitchen and Oysterette, the upscale restaurant owned…
Maybe the End of Bioshock Is for the Best
Irrational Games, the makers of the critically acclaimed Bioshock series, announced on their website that they would be shutting their doors and laying off all but 15 of their employees. Mastermind Ken Levine stated that he intends to move onto smaller, more narrative heavy games that will be delivered exclusively…
First Look at LA Crawfish’s New Location, Now Open in Greenway
Popular Vietnamese-and-crawfish spot LA Crawfish has expanded its empire inside the Loop with its newest location, on Richmond. Taking over the old Kobecue spot in the Greenway Shopping Center, the franchise location, which opened just last month, is serving the same bags of buttery, garlic-loaded crawfish along with intoxicating bowls…
Fantasy Crime League 2014 Is Under Way as Ray Rice Possibly TKO’s Fiancee
The statistics are undeniable. People love to play fantasy sports, particularly fantasy football. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, over 33 million Americans supplement their joy in American football (or justify it, or both) by participating in a fantasy football league. Much like the day after the Super Bowl,…
New York Fashion Week Fall 2014 Walk Down Memory Lane
New York Fashion Week wrapped up last week and though the rest of the world has moved on to the London, Milan and Paris shows, I’d like to take a walk down memory lane. The fall collections usually pale in comparison to the September shows. September is much warmer, so…
Neutral Milk Hotel at Warehouse Live, 2/19/2014
Neutral Milk Hotel Warehouse Live February 19, 2014 Wednesday night’s sold-out crowd at Warehouse Live was filled to the brim, as eager fans awaited newly reunited art-rockers Neutral Milk Hotel. For many, it was the first (or second) chance to see the band that bewilderingly broke up right after their…
How to Order a Bottle of Wine in a Restaurant (Without Feeling Like an Idiot)
Please click here for previous entries in our “how-to wine” series. How can I put this delicately? I get treated like shit by sommeliers more often than I’d like to admit. I guess I just have a face that screams wine idiot. It’s hard to believe, but sadly, it’s true…
The Rocks Off 200: Catch Fever Is Catching On
Welcome to The Rocks Off 200, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community — a lot more than just musicians, but of course they’re in there too. See previous entries in the Rocks Off 100 at this link. It’s always a…
Houston’s Venezuelans Come Out to Support Jailed Leader
Times are hard in Venezuela. Crime is rampant, there’s no toilet tissue (really), and inflation is through the roof. Days of violent protests have turned the country’s capital inside out. Venezuelans throughout Texas gathered this week to protest after opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez turned himself in to authorities on terrorism…
Frozen, the Homosexual Agenda and the New Satanic Panic
By now it’s all over the Internet about how Kathryn Skaggs, who blogs at A Well-Behaved Mormon Woman, believes that Disney’s Frozen and in particular the song “Let it Go” is a clear attempt by Hollywood liberals to normalize same sex relations and secretly indoctrinate your children. Her logic, if…
Lauren Potter of Glee Coming to Houston to Be Honored for Her Work
In high school, Lauren Potter wanted to be a cheerleader. “I didn’t make it. And I was so sad. Then I got on Glee. And guess what? I was a cheerleader on TV!” she says with an infectious laugh. Potter will be coming to Houston Friday to be honored by…
Caffeine Crawl Hopes to Make a Splash in Houston on Saturday
In Houston, we have experienced our fair share of pub crawls, but there’s one drink we haven’t gotten to crawl for, and that’s coffee. Missouri-based boutique marketing company The LAB created Caffeine Crawl in 2011. The event spread through the country, reaching a variety of cities (Kansas City, Denver, and…
Houston Chronicle Deals With Sperm Jokes When 29-25.com, Girl Dick Come Back to Haunt
It’s a good thing we have Google’s cache feature to keep these guys honest. The Houston Chronicle had to come clean this week and quickly try to erase the last bits of its defunct 29-25.com website after media site jimromenesko.com got a hold of a post on chron.com. The Chronicle…
Kata Robata Beverage Director Steven Salazar Headed to Anvil, With Sake on His Mind
He’s not yet 30, but Steven Salazar is already very accomplished in a realm few Houstonians pay attention to: Sake. Salazar recently returned from Japan, where he took a course and earned his Advanced Sake Professional Certification, making him one of the first 140 people in the world to hold…
Rest of the Best 2014: Houston’s Top 10 Carousels
Carousels are magic. They truly are. An adult can look at a merry-go-round in a play yard and safely think it’s just for kids. You make that same merry-go-round two stories tall and full of expertly carved animals, lights, and calliope music and suddenly grown people will elbow each other…
No Trades, No Problem: Asik, Still a Rocket, Helps Roll Lakers
As Hollywood thrillers go, the game at Staples Center Wednesday night was a box office flop. The entire night was more slapstick farce than docudrama, though Lakers fans might argue it was a horror story. For the Rockets, that meant a 134-108 laugher over an injury and trade-depleted Laker team…
Former Yes Man Jon Anderson Gets Close to the Edge…and the Audience
Classic-rock fans might not see the connection between intricate, musically adventurous progressive rock and all-you-can-eat shrimp and shuffleboard tournaments. But increasingly, fans of this genre — or Southern rock, or blues, or country, and even Rick Springfield or KISS — have gathered on the high seas, on cruise ships packed…
Jamie Kilstein
Comedian and Citizen Radio podcast guru Jamie Kilstein has an image problem. Coming to Houston for a one-night stand at the Station Theater, he’s a progressive, feminist, vegan comic who speaks out against America’s rape culture. “Your average reader is going to say, ‘That doesn’t really sound like something you…
The Manhattan Transfer
Vocal quartet The Manhattan Transfer has the distinction of receiving the most Grammy Award nominations for any one album. The group’s 1985 release Vocalese earned a record-breaking 12 nominations. It wasn’t a surprise for Transfer fans; in 1981, the group had already become the first ever to win Grammy Awards…
Houston Variety Showcase
Check out the Houston Variety Showcase, an unexpected combination of talents. “I am always surprised to see what kind of talent you get out of a crazy bunch you bring together from all over Texas,” says host Eve Calientina. “There are whips, fire, knives, magic, comedy and sometimes female nudity…
TUTS Film: The Wizard of Oz
The scenery, the set, the plot, the extraordinary actors and music…The Wizard of Oz is magical. The fantasy film follows Dorothy (a ridiculously talented 17-year-old Judy Garland) as she’s whisked away from her Kansas farm to a magical land populated by witches, wizards and flying monkeys. In search of a…
My Friend Is a Real Hothead. Help!
Welcome to Ask Willie D, Rocks Off’s advice column where the Geto Boys MC answers reader questions about matters, in his own words, “funny, serious or unpredictable.” Something on your mind? Ask Willie D! WHAT TO DO ABOUT MY HOTHEADED FRIEND Dear Willie D I have a friend who cannot…
Odyssey’s End
A World War II foot soldier comes home to a working-class town in Pennsylvania and doesn’t feel like he belongs anymore. That’s the premise of Odyssey’s End, a special reading being staged by Stark Naked Theatre Company (and sponsored in part by the Houston Press). A group of actors will…
Elizabeth Strout: The Burgess Boys
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout, appearing at the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series, set her latest book, The Burgess Boys, in New York and Maine. The family drama is about two adult brothers who live in New York and their sister, who lives in Maine. The woman’s teenage son…
Darkman: Celebrating Sam Raimi’s Descent Into Utter Madness
No matter what else he does, director Sam Raimi has two unassailable fan favorites under his belt: 1987’s Evil Dead 2, and the 1992 trilogy-capper Army of Darkness. (His first film, 1981’s The Evil Dead, is more “respected” than “loved” by the fans.) Released between those two films, Raimi’s 1990…
Fauré Quartett
The Fauré Quartett, in town courtesy of the Houston Friends of Chamber Music, has rarely performed in Houston, but that’s not for lack of affection for local chamber music fans, violinist Erika Geldsetzer tells us: “I think Houston has incredible people working behind the scenes [with the Friends of Chamber…
Wrong Move, Remake: The Lasting Relevance of Paul Verhoeven’s Original RoboCop
It doesn’t feature iPhones, Twitter, or an internet, and yet Paul Verhoeven’s RoboCop remains perhaps the most prescient sci-fi effort of the past 30 years — a work from 1987 whose continuing relevance is matched by the fact that no one would dare make it today. Or, at least, remake…
Susan Mallery: Blackberry Island
In Evening Stars, the final book in best-selling romance novelist Susan Mallery’s Blackberry Island trilogy, published by Harlequin, one character sees the island off the West Coast as a place of retreat, while another feels trapped by it. Mallery, whose first two books in the series have sold more than…
3 Days to Kill Is Nonsense, but Cos’ Remains the Boss
In 1990, the same year that Kevin Costner released the massive global hit Dances with Wolves, a curious thing happened in France. The name Kevin became the country’s most popular for new babies, a Gaelic moniker edging out national stalwarts like Antoine and Jules. Imagine if everyone in America suddenly…
Dillon Garcia
Comedian Dillon Garcia makes his first stop as a headliner at the Improv Comedy Showcase, and he tells us fans shouldn’t expect any fat jokes during his routine. Plus-size comedian Gabriel Iglesias (a.k.a. Fluffy) befriended the self-proclaimed chubby Garcia early in his career. “He told me not to make fat…
The Bear in Arms
In the admittedly dubious interest of using national stereotypes as a way of understanding human nature, let’s posit that while Americans have always emerged from the womb cheerfully, pleased with their right to pursue happiness, Russians were born to suffer. That may help explain why Fedor Bondarchuk’s 3D spectacle Stalingrad…
The Trials of Mohammad Ali
Despite its title, the film The Trials of Muhammad Ali has nothing to do with the physical judgment and decisions his fists handed down inside the boxing ring. Rather, it centers on the defining controversy of his life, which embroiled race, politics, war, religion and civil rights. The documentary from…
There He Goes Again
Action heroes with nothing to lose are the best kind, perhaps the only kind worth watching. In the opening seconds of Jaume Collet-Serra’s Non-Stop, Liam Neeson’s federal air marshal Bill Marks slumps in his parked vehicle, sloshing a few glugs of whiskey into a paper cup and stirring it up…
“Of Dreams and Realities: Heather Gordy and Vincent Fink”
It’s hard to say which artist represents dreams and which represents realities at the exhibition “Of Dreams and Realities: Heather Gordy and Vincent Fink.” “We’re both into dreams,” Gordy says. “Vincent is into lucid dreaming, and I’m interested in the feelings that dreams produce. He does a lot of surrealistic…
Aladdin
Okay, there’s a Chinese dragon, some of the names are a little different and Aladdin himself is Chinese, but other than that, the ballet Aladdin that the Houston Ballet has planned tracks along the same lines as the story most people came to know growing up, said Connor Walsh, principal…
Fool
In playwright and Pulitzer Prize-nominee Theresa Rebeck’s latest work, Fool, now headed for the Alley Theatre, the setting is a medieval kitchen in which she pits two court jesters against each other with potentially disastrous consequences for one of them (the loser will be beheaded). According to Alley Artistic Director…
Vesuvius Blows, But Pompeii Doesn’t
Here’s the last thing I ever would have expected out of Pompeii, that sword-thrust of 3D gladiator-vs.-volcano madness coming right at your disbelieving eyeholes. An hour or so in, when Vesuvius exhausts its portentous rumblings and blows its top (3D!), I legitimately wasn’t ready. Yes, all that third-act destruction is…
Mardi Gras! Galveston
Want a little Lone Star flavor with your Mardi Gras celebration? We suggest Mardi Gras! Galveston. “This year, we’ve made the parades bigger and routes longer with two new parades downtown. And you can watch parades both downtown and on the beachfront,” says Leah Cast, public relations manager for the…
Sam Demaris
Sam Demaris, known to many Houston comedy fans as one-fourth of the cast on the popular Whiskey Brothers podcast, brings his unique brand of storytelling to the Houston Joke Joint. “I’m a narcissist, so I’m gonna talk about me,” the Houston-born comic begins, before bursting into laughter. In addition to…
If You Build It
Filmmaker Patrick Creadon’s (Wordplay, I.O.U.S.A.) latest documentary, If You Build It, offers audiences a look at one community’s struggle to better the lives of its residents. The film tells the story of Studio H, an outreach project that began in one of the poorest counties in North Carolina. Activist couple…
Houston’s Top 10 Record Stores 2014
It’s true, Rocks Off brought you a very similar list of Houston’s best record stores almost a year ago. But times change, people come and go, and information falls out of date. Mostly, there are probably tens of thousands of new Houstonians now who weren’t here in February 2013, and…
Capsule Stage Reviews: clean/through, The Diary of Anne Frank, Freud’s Last Session, Sexy Laundry
clean/through The new play from Houston playwright/actor Miki Johnson, a world premiere, illuminates the power of addiction, both to drugs and to relationships, as Johnson focuses on the sobering effects on participants, on companions and on family. The depiction of drug addiction here is ruthless and unblinking, without the pretense…
Vegetarians and Gangs
Dear Mexican: Do you agree with gente that think you can’t be vegetarian if you’re Mexican ’cause meat is an essential part of our diet? I’ve heard this argument three times within the last 24 hours from two blogs and The Today Show this morning. I think it’s babosadas. Like,…
The Greater Houston Senior Football Showcase Gives Players a Free Chance to Change Their Lives
Another Signing Day ‘Who wants to go to college?” Milby head football coach Phil Camp posed that question to the roughly 500 high school football players, all seniors, gathered around him Saturday morning inside the Methodist Training Center at Reliant Park, and in unison, they all raised their hands. This…
Bringing Georges Braque Out of the Shadows
In art, as in movies and theater, some blazing stars invariably get their names above the title, while others, though equally accomplished (or almost so), get second billing. French artist Georges Braque (1882-1963) is among the latter. The art chat almost always presents him as joined at the wrist, first…
Lloyd Kaufman Hopes the MPAA Burns in Hell
Lloyd Kaufman is a staunch defender of American independent cinema. He’s also the guy who, with business partner Michael Herz, co-directed trash classics The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke ‘Em High. As the co-founder of the now-40-year-old Troma Entertainment, Kaufman produces, distributes and directs no-brow comedies about, for and…
Sur Latin Peruvian Cuisine
Restaurant News You could say that discovering hole-in-the-wall places is a favorite pastime of mine. I love stumbling onto small, family-owned gems, where the cook is the dad or the brother or the uncle or the mother, the server and hostess is the wife or mother or sister, and the…
A Summer Place
Only in Houston This past week, Free Press Summer Fest announced the dozens of acts who will descend on Eleanor Tinsley Park May 31 and June 1, topped by Jack White, Vampire Weekend, Wu-Tang Clan, Zedd, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Above & Beyond, Childish Gambino,…
Each Meal Is a Production at The Pass
Never had Julia Child so invaded my psyche as she did at this dinner. She was there from the first course, a trio of oysters whose finesse “The French Chef” would have been proud of, each with a different flavor profile — Champagne, salad, cream puff. She was there in…
Parents Never Dreamed Sending Their Kid to Camp La Junta Would Turn into a Sexual Abuse Nightmare
Correction (3-5-2015) In the story below, we incorrectly state the charges to which Matthew Bovee pleaded guilty. Bovee pleaded guilty to injury to a child, a third-degree felony. Mark smashed his ear to the phone. Even in the crowded cafeteria, he didn’t want anyone else to hear what his mom…
Sunday Best
Frida Kahlo once said, “I tried to drown my sorrows but the bastards learned how to swim, and now I am overwhelmed by this decent and good feeling.” If those sorrows are going to learn to swim, they’re going to have to do so in the pitchers of bottomless mimosas…
Capsule Art Reviews: “The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute,” “Funnel Tunnel,” “Garden Object”
“The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute” These days, Impressionist exhibitions are the art museum version of the ballet The Nutcracker: frothy and beautiful, if a little overexposed, and sure to pack ’em in at almost any price. Even though we’ve already…
Doggie Purgatory
Highlights from Hair Balls Texas The owner of a self-proclaimed animal rescue with an alleged history of not paying boarding fees is still refusing to explain why her rescue’s major donor, the CEO of a multimillion-dollar investment company, pulled his funds and will not pay to save 248 dogs abandoned…
