Thieves Skip the Door, Smash Through Wall of Houston Camera Store
The owners of Camera Co-op on Durham Drive are looking for anyone who might know someone who just “happened” to come into seven brand new Canon cameras. The store was burglarized early Saturday in a move that gives a whole new meaning to the term “smash and grab,” when a…
Ted Cruz in a Psychedelic Video Reading Dr. Seuss
If you liked — or at least couldn’t stop watching — Sen. Ted Cruz read Dr. Seuss in the U.S. Senate, have we got a video treat for you. Before he was influencing the Texas primary without even being on the ballot, he was already irritating his fellow Republicans with…
Wendy Davis and Texas Primary Results: What We Know Now
Photo by Philip SteffanTime to start writing that concession speech.Wendy Davis v. Greg Abbott. Let me take the suspense out of this race: Abbott will win in convincing fashion. As I’ve noted before, there are simply not enough women and minority voters in Texas who will support Davis such that…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013-2014: No. 21, Foie Gras Crème Caramel at Just Dinner
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…
Reality Bites: Game of Arms
There are a million reality shows on the naked television. We’re going to watch them all, one at a time. I hate to tell you, but Over the Top lied to us. In that movie, “Lincoln Hawk” (a particularly bulgy Sylvester Stallone) supplements his long haul trucker income with arm…
BK Rodeo Burger Chicken Sandwich: A One-Dollar Disappointment (But Still Not Half-Bad)
I don’t expect much from a dollar-menu sandwich. I just need it to taste good, and hopefully, be the actual sandwich that I ordered. For the eleventy billionth time, my fast-food order has been dead wrong. (This happens regularly, regardless of company, whether I order inside or use the drive-thru.)…
Does Jason Collins “Circus” Foreshadow Anything for Michael Sam?
We are smack dab in the middle of the draft season, where NFL head coaches, general managers and scouts traverse the nation to various Pro Days at colleges all over the map to a) see if what they witnessed at the Scouting Combine was real and/or b) fill in whatever…
This Week in Food Blogs: Top-Notch Airline Food & an Upgraded Banh Mi Sandwich
LA Times: You might not have to bring a Subway sandwich or Starbucks frappuccino on your flights anymore. The LA Times writes in this post that several airlines are adding tastier and more improved food options to lure passengers to choose them over others. Virgin America offers its first-class passengers…
Mildred’s Umbrella Gives Rome Its World Premiere
Director and a 2011 Houston Press 100 CreativesJennifer Decker calls John Harvey’s new play, Rome, “a black experimental comedy.” Decker tells us that while the play was written by Harvey, who along with Decker is a co-founder of Mildred’s Umbrella Theater Company, the show we’ll see onstage during this production…
Keller Williams at Fitzgerald’s, 3/4/2014
Keller Williams Fitzgerald’s March 4, 2014 Sometimes you just have to grow up. Even if you’re used to doing the same old thing — comfortable with what you’re good at — you have to sometime put on your big-boy pants and step up your game. In all aspects of life,…
“Developer” Still Shilling Ridiculous EarthQuest Park
We did a spit take Tuesday when we saw pretty new renderings for a long-dormant mega-amusement-park called EarthQuest prominently displayed in the Chron. We first wrote about the eco-friendly “ClusterQuest” in 2012, after two writers for a Montgomery County paper called The Tribune exposed the dubious background of former EarthQuest…
Brad Paisley at Reliant Stadium, 3/4/2014
Brad Paisley Reliant Stadium March 4, 2014 When it comes to starting a massive undertaking, you want to start strong and get things off on the right foot. With that in mind, it makes sense that the Rodeo would start its 20 nights of concerts with one of the strongest,…
Evening Picnic Fare at Funky Chicken
Wednesday: freezing; Thursday: warm and sunny; Friday: raining. The weather’s certainly been funky these past weeks, and as a result, one day I’m craving hot soups and pot pies, and the next, salads and watermelon. No matter what the temperature, however, fried chicken always sounds appealing. Why is that? Eh,…
Four Futuristic Pop Culture Devices That Would Ruin Your Life if They Existed
There is a lot of technology that many of us want that just won’t exist in our lifetime, most of it based in pop culture. Sure we got lucky with the iPad, which is basically a “Don’t Panic” away from being The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but who other…
Saying Goodbye to a Favorite Restaurant: A Last Supper Story
Three weeks ago, on a trip to my hometown in Upstate New York, I ate my very last meal at my very favorite restaurant in the world — Antonina’s. Antonina’s was my family’s go-to restaurant for “no one feels like cooking” night. When it was my turn to choose a…
100 Creatives 2014: Rabēa Ballin, Artist
Looking at Rabēa Ballin’s paintings and drawings, it’s easy to guess she’s obsessed with hair. Not just as a textural object that’s visually interesting but as an expression of status, self-worth and beauty. “I was raised in a beauty shop,” Ballin tells us. “My mom was a trained beautician and…
Suspected Burglar Can’t Get Away From Flying Deputies
HCSD helicopter on patrol.Not only did an alleged burglar fail to escape with the goods on Monday, but his buddies left him, he was wrestled to the ground by his victims, and Harris County sheriff’s deputies came swooping out of the sky. Talk about bad timing. The sheriff’s department has…
Ladybird Food Truck’s Globally Inspired Fare Shines
It took me way too long to stop by the burnt-orange school bus that is Ladybird Food Truck (they’ve been hitting the streets since 2011). Now that I’ve gotten a taste of what they have to offer, I know it won’t take me so long to go back. Last Saturday,…
10 Questions We Need to Start Asking About Swords in 2014
We all have that friend who, despite whatever he or she tells you, keeps a sword hanging on his wall on the off chance he has to fend off a home invasion with his blade of choice. He may tell you that it’s hanging on his wall because he appreciates…
Ted Cruz, Most Powerful Texas Republican in the Primaries, Even Though He Wasn’t Running
When Texas kicked off primary season on Tuesday, the most powerful guy involved wasn’t on the ballot. Yep, we’re talking about Sen. Ted Cruz. Since taking office two years ago, the freshman Tea Party senator has made a name for himself with Dr. Seuss-ian pseudo-filibusters and a habit of bucking…
Restaurants Are Lining Up Quickly for Menu of Menus® 2014
The 12th annual Menu of Menus® food and wine extravaganza is just a little more than a month away, and restaurants are RSVPing to the event faster than you can say free booze. On April 8, you’ll finally get a chance to taste some of the great selections from local…
10 Cold Songs for Houston’s Endless Winter
Will this winter ever end? All signs point to no. While Houston endures the harshest winter on record in a very long time, many of us will be stuck inside our homes, mindlessly playing music to entertain ourselves through the intense boredom. You may want to forget all the ice,…
Lenten Promises Music Lovers Can Actually Keep
One of the best friends I’ve ever had in this life was Ann Ball. At the Catholic high school I graduated from, she was my English teacher during my senior year. Ann was a little older than I, but a large margin wiser. She smoked like a Texas City refinery…
Stephen Malkmus Has No Problem With Houston, He Swears
For the guy widely known for putting “slacker-rock” on the musical map, former Pavement front man Stephen Malkmus sure stays busy. His current band, The Jicks — which formed in 2000, immediately after the demise of ’90s indie-rock gods Pavement — has now released more albums together than the band…
Don’t Call Eli Young Band “Bro-Country,” Please
If you’re looking for the most successful act to come out of Texas this decade, you might point your eyes toward Denton. With minimal drama or much attention outside their own rabid fan base, the Eli Young Band has modestly racked up enough record sales and music-biz karma that they’re…
Ukrainians in Houston Speak Out About Crimea
The situation in Ukraine is a fluid one and local Houstonians with ties to the country have followed right along with several days of protests over the weekend. Through a local Ukrainian organization, Iryna Petrovska Marchiano has helped set that response in motion uniting with dozens this weekend to protest…
Places You Didn’t Think You’d Miss Until They Were Gone: RadioShack Shuttering 1,100 Stores
There are 35 RadioShack stores in the Houston. Would you miss them if they were gone? RadioShack, despite a massive re-branding effort over the last year, announced on Tuesday it would be closing 1,100 of its 4,000 retail outlets due to poor earnings. The electronics store has been operating at…
Celebrate Mardi Gras With These New Orleans (Inspired) Drinks
El Big Bad bartender Sheridan Fay knows a lot about Mardi Gras. She grew up in New Orleans and remembers serving as royalty in one of the many parades in town, then racing across town to see a different parade. There was lots of food (“My family always brought fried…
Stereotype Story of the Year: Meth-Smokin’ Half-Siblings Make Out in Walmart Loss Prevention Office
The heart wants what it wants. And in the case of Charlene Marie Ellet and her half-brother Beck, their hearts allegedly want meth and sweet taboo bangin’ in motel bathrooms. The saga unfolded last week when Montgomery County constables were dispatched to a Porter Walmart in response to a suspected…
Which Candidate Promising to “Fight Obama” Could Actually Beat Him (in a Fistfight)?
It’s Primary Day! Will Senator John Cornyn avoid a runoff? Who will square off in the Republican race for attorney general? Will voter turnout surpass a whopping 12 percent? The arrival of the primary also signals the end of campaign advertising. That’s a real shame, because — at least as…
Roost Bistro Debuts a New Menu That May Be the Best Yet
Maybe it’s because it’s nearly spring, and more and more wonderful fruits and vegetables are coming into season. Maybe it’s because chef/owner Kevin Naderi celebrated the restaurant’s two-year anniversary back in December, so now he’s really pulling out all the stops. Perhaps it’s because he’s practicing for the Menu of…
Facebook’s Paper App Is Stylish and Interesting, but Has Critical Flaws
For years, Facebook’s mobile development has been oddly haphazard. From the painfully inconsistent upgrades to its flagship app to the random release of various apps for an array of different needs (Pages, Photos, etc), it has felt more like the mobile team at FB was divided up into about 20…
The Rocks Off 200: Matt Cash, Clear Lake’s Cassette Tape Wailer
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? If you’re…
Truffles, Wine and Italian Hospitality: The Angelini Family Brings a Bit of Italy to Houston
It happens more often than not: I taste a dish and it transports me to somewhere far away, to another country and another culture, to the place where I’d tasted that dish before. I recently attended a wine dinner that had that same effect, but it wasn’t because of the…
Terrible Weather Makes for Good Instagram Pictures
Glad this wasn’t a Monday. The winter is giving us a sign that it’s not ready to go yet, causing highway grief as well as power outages, close to 30,000 people were without power early this morning according to various reports. Freezing rain pelted roofs throughout Houston and we even…
Peter Pan Is a Spirited Adventure for Children and Adults
The Setup: The magical story by James M. Barrie about Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and Wendy remains fresh and timeless at the Berry Center, courtesy of the Houston Family Arts Center. This is the Tony Award-winning musical version that starred Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard on Broadway in 1954, and…
Like That Chain Restaurant? Try This Local One Instead (Part II)
Maybe your friend is obsessed with Cheesecake Factory. Maybe your kids scream for nuggets every time you pass Chik-fil-A (we don’t blame them), but you don’t exactly agree with their politics. Maybe you’re just in one giant, chain-restaurant-filled eating rut. We’ve urged you to step away from the big chains…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013-2014: No. 22, Roasted Pear Salad at Backstreet Cafe
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…
Texas Suburb Spent (Lost) $6M on Ordinance that Made People Show Papers to Rent
Is it worth more than $6 million to defend a city ordinance? In the wake of a supreme lack of interest by the U.S. Supreme Court, maybe the people of Farmer’s Branch aren’t so sure. It all started about eight years ago when Farmer’s Branch, a little suburb being steadily…
Pop Rocks: Ann Coulter Tweets to Black America During Oscars Over Racism of 12 Years a Slave Win
I am routinely amazed by the way pretty much any topic can be spun into a belief that suits the speaker. Take puppies, for example. Everyone loves them (or do they?). They are entirely benign (or are they?). Yet, discuss them with someone who has a political slant to support…
A Coffin in Egypt: Horton Foote Put to Music AKA A Song Before Dying
Ricky Ian Gordon knew when he was 8 years old that he wanted to write music for voice. He’d accompanied a friend to his piano lesson and pulled down a book on opera and was sold on the whole deal. Now, years later, Gordon has become recognized in the opera…
Top 5 Foods & Drink to Binge on While (Also) Bingeing on ‘House of Cards’
For a significant number of Americans, February 14, 2014, was more than just Valentine’s Day. The day’s primary significance was not the annual celebration of our national Hallmark-sanctioned loveliest, but the release of the full second season of House of Cards. What’s House of Cards? Okay, just stop reading now…
Rockets Try to Prove They Belong Among NBA Elite
Over the last two months, the Rockets feasted on weaker opponents, which led to an eight-game winning streak and position among the top teams in the Western Conference. Then, with a five-game road swing on the West Coast and a pair of losses to the best teams in that stretch…
Linsanity Rewind: This 2012 Linsanity ABC Promo for a Knicks Game Is Crazy
Someday, perhaps the good folks at ESPN will look back at the “Linsanity” portion of Jeremy Lin’s NBA career, those magical few weeks in Feb. 2012, and put together a 30 for 30, or at the very least a 30 for 30 short. And might I suggest that if this…
Reviews for the Lazy Gamer: South Park: The Stick of Truth
Game: South Park: Stick of Truth Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC Publisher/Developer: Ubisoft/Obsidian Genre: RPG Describe This Game in Three Words: A Filthy Earthbound! Plot: A new kid rolls into South Park and finds himself caught up in an epic LARP headed by Cartman, the Grand Wizard of the Kingdom…
Michael Cordúa’s Early Years as a Restaurateur Were Anything But Magical
Last week’s feature story 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 family histories,…
A Few Other Recent Oscar-Worthy Music Films
On film’s biggest night this past Sunday, music nudged onto Oscar’s center stage and stole the show. Jared Leto’s incredibly moving Best Supporting Actor acceptance speech was a beautiful way to start the night. Music-video directing legend Spike Jonze won the Best Original Screenplay award. Karen O and Ezra Koenig…
Only Google Knows Musicians’ Darkest Secrets
Have you ever Googled something only to find that their autofill feature suggests some really strange stuff? This has been the source of Tumblr blogs and memes alike. It has also been the reason many a person has lost faith in humanity, seeing ridiculous questions on obvious subjects. Just type…
Upcoming: Against Me!, B.B. King, Eels, Goblin, Jamey Johnson, Karmin, Stephen Marley, etc.
23rd Annual Mariachi Invitational: Sat., March 15, 7 p.m., $25 to $30. Arena Theatre, 7326 Southwest Fwy., Houston, 713-988-1020. Against Me!: Sun., March 16, 5:30 p.m., Free. Cactus Music & Video, 2110 Portsmouth, Houston, 713-526-9272. B.B. King: Tue., June 10, 7:30 p.m., $65. House of Blues, 1204 Caroline, Houston, 888-402-5837…
The 10 Best Original Songs in Doctor Who
Of course the main theme of Doctor Who has reached the same status as Star Wars and Star Trek when it comes to fame and recognizability. That’s all well and good and as it should be, but from almost the very beginning the show has also snuck original song pop-song…
Houston Threatens Uber With Some Legalese Over Email Campaign
There’s been a lot of discussion about Uber, the car service that recently launched service in Houston despite the fact that ordinances prevent it from operating legally. The Mayor and City Council have been in discussions on what to do about services like Uber and Lyft that provide an alternative…
Academy Awards 2014: Lupita and Jared Win Awards, Fashion, Life in General
The Super Bowl of pretty dresses happened last night, and as usual the big event went into overtime. It’s annoying when you’re in your pajamas on your couch, so one can only imagine how bad it is for the ladies in Spanx we are watching on television. For the third…
2014 NFL Draft: Unveiling The Texans Tracker
Isn’t it fun living in the city with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft? Seriously, I think sometimes the fervor surrounding the speculation on who the Texans will take is part of the punishment of going 2-14, like a residual aftershock. We are only a few weeks into…
The Art of NBA Tanking: The Philadelphia 76ers Have No Shame
Down the crapper on purpose?Sports analytics is no longer the wave of the future. It is most assuredly here, however, as evidenced by the explosion in the growth and coverage of the annual Sloan Sports Analytics Conference at M.I.T. in Boston. During the basketball analytics portion of the event, this…
The Minimalists Are in Houston to Help You Strip Down to What You Really Need
Want to simplify your life? You can get advice from The Minimalists, two friends who blog and write about simplicity, when they appear at Brazos Bookstore on Tuesday to promote their new memoir, Everything That Remains. The Minimalists are Joshua Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, childhood buddies who, in 2010, founded…
Houston Rodeo’s Dutch Oven Desserts Competition Cooked ‘Em Low and Slow
Some judge barbecue and some judge food and wine at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. But me? I judge Dutch oven desserts. On Friday, February 28, the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest hosted the fifth annual Dutch Oven Desserts Competition, and nearly 145 teams entered their sweet treats made entirely…
The Best Comics in February: Russian Space Mystery and Lara Croft
Each month the staff at 8th Dimension Comics picks out the best book to review. The Fuse #1 Easily the best book in February is Antony Johnson’s epic new sci fi mystery series. The story follows a new detective on a Russian space station who immediately finds himself embroiled in…
Weather Week: Snowpocalypse IV – The Iceman Cometh Again?
I am a native Houstonian and, as such, have lived here almost my entire life. I have weathered hurricanes and droughts and even an entire week where the temperature didn’t get above 20 and Galveston Bay froze over. But, I’ve never quite seen a winter like this one. On average,…
Children of Pop at Cactus Music, 3/1/2014
Children of Pop Cactus Music March 1, 2014 One week removed from their album-release pizza party at House of Creeps, Saturday Houston’s Children of Pop welcomed a sizable crowd to a mid-day Cactus Music in-store amid rows of music merchandise and the infamous keg of Saint Arnold. The band kicked…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013-2014: No. 23, Fluffernutters at Fluff Bake Bar
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…
4000 Miles Has Several Missed Connections
The setup: Amy Herzog’s play 4000 Miles chronicles the relationship between a young man of 21, who has just biked across the country, and his grandmother of 91, living in a rent-controlled apartment in Greenwich Village. It was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and won the Obie Award for Best…
93.7 The Beat’s “Welcome to H-Town” Concert at Arena Theatre, 2/28/2014
Geto Boys, Z-Ro, Paul Wall, Lil’ Keke & Slim Thug Arena Theatre February 28, 2014 So there’s a new radio station in town, KQBT 93.7 The Beat. (“Radar Love” can now be heard exclusively on 106.9 The Eagle.) These upstarts claim to be the home of H-Town’s real hip-hop and…
Dish of the Week: Hushpuppies
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. This week, we’re sharing a Southern classic perfect for your Mardi Gras celebrations: the hushpuppy. The term hush-puppy was…
Sam Houston State Played Some Terminator Baseball on its Opponents
The Sam Houston State Bearkats this weekend were like the Terminator. A ruthless, relentless killing machine that could not be stopped. A baseball team that attacked the base paths, slugged the ball continuously, and excelled with the glove. The Bearkats demolished highly-ranked TCU 9-3 on Friday afternoon, destroyed Texas Tech…
Lesbian Softball Player Outed by Her Teachers Has Settled the Case
A lesbian teenager was allegedly outed by her high school softball coaches, but now, after grudgingly reaching a settlement, the Kilgore Independent School District has reiterated that the coaches did nothing wrong. It all started in March 2009 in the locker room of Kilgore High School. Skye Wyatt was a…
Show Houston Off: We Share Our Favorite Places to Bring Out-of-Towners for Food & Drinks
Early spring may just be one of the nicest times to visit our city. It’s usually when the influx of family and friends trying to escape their drawn-out winters get a quick hello in before the sun scorches the Houston earth for the unforeseeable future. And for me, one of…
Statistically, Same-Sex Marriage Must Be a Christian Value
Many of the laws that seek to limit the rights of same-sex couples have their basis and support in the idea that such relationships are against Christian values. The truth is, there is no way that is statistically possible. Here in Texas our ban on same-sex marriages was recently ruled…
Macbeth in Zip Drive at Main Street Theater
The set-up: Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy gets cut down to bite-size in this latest collaboration between Guy Roberts’s Prague Shakespeare Company and Main Street Theater. Although Macbeth doesn’t approach their panoplied Henry V or their gleefully malevolent rendition of Richard III, the result of such drastic pruning is, in its telling,…
J.J. Watt Flips 1,000-Pound Tires as His Cool-Down
No, I’m serious. This isn’t one of those Chuck Norris deals. I’m not going to make a bunch of wisecracks about how Superman wears J.J. Watt pajamas or how the Boogeyman looks under his bed for J.J. Watt or how the dark is afraid of J.J. Watt. All true statements,…
Petite Snacks at Bite Macarons
When I walked into Bite Macarons, I felt immediately transported to Tokyo…wait, that’s not right. The macaron, English shorthand for the macaron parisien or le macaron Gerbet, is of French origins. And the talented owner and executive chef behind Bite Macarons, Sandia Horng, is Taiwanese. So what was with my…
E. Coli Levels High in San Jacinto River, Says Study
Just a few days before an east Texas man died from flesh eating bacteria following a fishing trip on Lake Conroe, a water study showed high levels of bacteria in watersheds connected to Lake Houston. The bacteria study conducted by the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Commission on Environmental…
10 Contributions to Fashion Courtesy of the Wild West & in Honor of the Houston Rodeo
Most people don’t think of Texas when they think of fashion, but I bet they think of the Lone Star state when they think the wild west. We are known for buckles, boots, and bandanas, but what about bolo ties, reptile skin leather and gingham? Texas has played a huge…
Kevin Fowler at the Rodeo Cookoff, 3/1/2014
Kevin Fowler World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, Reliant Park March 1, 2014 Because it’s swirled together with so many other events, the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest feels somehow underestimated in Houston’s annual onset of rodeo fever. The trail riders get plenty of coverage before arriving at Memorial Park, the downtown parade…
We’ve Narrowed Down the Most Underrated Restaurants…Vote Now!
Remember last week when we asked you to tell us what you thought were the most underrated restaurants in Houston? Yeah, well, you gave us a lot of responses. Like, almost too many. And they were all different. No single restaurant received more than five votes. You people are all…
The Tontons at Warehouse Live, 3/1/2014
The Tontons Warehouse Live March 1, 2014 Saturday night, at half past 11 p.m., Asli Omar sauntered out onto the stage at Warehouse Live. A solitary light beamed down on her, illuminating her white dress as she crooned to the crowd. Guitarist Adam Martinez, bassist Tom Nguyen and stand-in drummer…
Lei Low Tiki Bar: A New Taste of Tropical Paradise
Houston’s finally has a dedicated tiki bar after decades without one. Lei Low, at 6412 N. Main, opened Friday with flaming tiki drinks, aloha shirts and healthy does of Houston’s tiki history. The bar is the brainchild of Russell and Elizabeth Theode, formerly of Downhouse, and Brad Moore and Ryan…
The Best Concerts in Houston This Week: DJ Sun, Eli Young Band, Lorde, Reba, etc.
DJ Sun The Flat, March 3 On last year’s One Hundred — amazingly, his first-ever full-length release — DJ Sun pours his 20-plus-year career as one of Houston’s most in-demand DJs into a seamless work that never lulls, never lags and maintains an unshakably mellow groove throughout. Its intricately laid-back…
Crosby Student Uses Twitter to Get Texans Cheerleader for Prom Date; Some Advice
Twitter: @BIG_MIKE_71These two are set to steal the spotlight at Crosby High’s prom.I wouldn’t want to be a girl going to Crosby High School’s prom this year. I mean, no matter how hard you try to look good, you’ll have to rest your hate because all eyes will likely be…
Maybe You Thought Tour de Houston Was Free Because of Twitter, Facebook Gaffe
On Monday, February 17, I started to see several posts on Facebook and Twitter sharing a coupon code for registration for the Tour de Houston. “Register for free,” the posts said. “Code expires at midnight.” Between 600 and 700 people used that free code to register for the ride. The…
Texas Isn’t All Rednecks and Bible Thumpers as Gay Marriage Ban May Suggest
In the 2000 Bush/Gore presidential election, George W. Bush carried the state of Texas, which came of little surprise to anyone. Texas is, after all, as red as red states can be on most socio-political issues and the former governor was a poster boy for socially conservative politics. But, here…
Ruined at Obsidian: A Powerful Example of Negotiation for Survival
The setup: Lynn Nottage’s play Ruined won the Pulitzer Prize in 2009 and a host of New York theater awards, and its Texas premiere at Obsidian Art Space makes clear why – it is a powerful drama of human frailty, populated with strongly individual characters, and filled with humor. It…
Zapruder Analysis: WAC College Basketball Post-Game Fight
From movieclip.com on YoutubeWAC gets in their jabs like Cruise.There’s a scene in the Tom Cruise movie Far and Away (Yes, I know, I know…on the list of Cruise movies, this one is a tad obscure. It’s like talking about the 2009 NBA Draft and bringing up Eric Maynor instead…
100 Favorite Dishes 2013-2014: No. 24, Som Tam at Vieng Thai
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…
Examining the Remaining NBA Schedule: Can the Rockets Get to 56 Wins?
I’ve often said that betting on NBA games each night is financial suicide the equivalent of day trading, with its volatility and roller coaster-style emotion, while season bets are more like gradual financial suicide investing, where the ebb and flow is a season-long thing. So with anywhere from 20 to…
Matt Toomey Wants You to Appreciate Your Daily Caffeine
There’s something special about enjoying a cup of coffee made from house-roasted beans sourced from small farms or plantations around the world. Matt Toomey, owner and roaster at Boomtown Coffee, cares deeply about all the work and labor it takes to produce a single serving of coffee. He values the…
Snow Tha Product at Warehouse Live, 2/27/2014
Snow Tha Product Warehouse Live 2/27/2014 Thursday night at Warehouse Live, I met Claudia Feliciano, a short, soft-spoken, wide-eyed Latina with a timid laugh. “Houston is one of the cities where I get the most nervous at, the others being Atlanta and New York City,” she said while searching for…
Cougars Stun Memphis, Quiet Doubters for a Bit
The Houston Cougars had no business being on the same court with the Memphis Tigers. The Cougars had no business leading at the half. The Cougars shouldn’t have been leading at the midway point of the second half. But most of all, the Cougars really should not have been the…
That Armadillo Has a Long and Strange Tale to Tell
This week’s feature story 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 family histories,…
Too Many C-Sections Going On, Say New Guidelines
When I first found out that I was pregnant with twins, a friend emailed me, “Don’t let your doctor force you into a C-section.” This statement meant nothing at the time as the bulk of my brainpower was either being sucked dry by growing babies and/or I was in a…
Reviews for the Easily Distracted: Non-Stop
Title: Non-Stop Why Does Liam Neeson Keep Making These Movies? Why did Willie Sutton rob banks? Rating Using Random Objects Relevant to the Film: One Rex Kramer out of five. Brief Plot Synopsis: Federal air marshal Bill Marks has had it with these motherfucking text messages on this motherfucking plane…
Houston Man Just Can’t Keep It in His Pants
Keep it in your pants.You would figure David Joseph Malborough would’ve learned the first time he was convicted for whipping his junk out, right? This week he was arrested again on an indecent exposure charge, just a few days shy of his 31st birthday. Houston police say he exposed his…
Spring Fashion: A Garden Party
The three “Fs” of fashion this spring are, in order: Femme, flirty, florals. Not limited to the runway, pastel hues and the florals that inspire them have infused everything from nail polish to cosmetics to perfume this season. Look no further than the Burberry Autumn/Winter 2014 runway–if you can afford…
The Pixies at Bayou Music Center, 2/27/2014
The Pixies, Best Coast Bayou Music Center February 27, 2014 Thursday night at Bayou Music Center, The Pixies came out swinging. After a quick wave to the audience, it was head-first into “Bone Machine” and “Wave of Mutilation” and other fast, noisy songs that get the blood moving. It was…
BB Donuts’ Croissant Burger Might Be the Best Burger Value in Houston
In a strip mall on Westheimer near Taft, nestled between a dry cleaner and a Chartway Credit Union branch, you can find BB (or B&B) Donuts. Not to be confused with BB’s, this eclectic breakfast and lunch spot offers a wide range of options, from kolaches and donuts, to the…
HISD School Closings: Would You Feel Better If They Called Them Repurposings?
Today’s 9th, 10th and 11th grade students at Jones High School could be allowed to finish out their high school careers at the school targeted for closure, if trustees adopt one of several options tossed around in a lengthy Houston ISD board workshop Thursday. Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier proposed…
The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Honor Texas With BBQ, Steak & Beer
Food Truck Friday @ Houston Press Friday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. 2603 La Branch When lunch time rolls around, we’re hungry, and we expect you are, too. Cure those hunger pains with something comforting and something that simply hits the spot. The Golden Grill will be pulling up to…
5 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About the Salem Witch Hunts
Now that I’ve finally got the utter failure that was the season finale of American Horror Story: Coven out of my head, I think it’s time to address something that bothered me a great deal throughout my coverage of the show. Namely, that people seem to be misled a great…
100 Creatives 2014: David Wald, Actor
Stage and voice actor David Wald will be playing to a small audience when he takes the stage in the title role in Main Street Theater’s production of Macbeth. (Wald shares the role with director/actor Guy Roberts.) The only person Wald wants to satisfy with his performance as Macbeth is…
Upcoming Events: Surf & Turf Special at Fleming’s & a Beer Class for Ladies Only
From now until April 13, each Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar location will offer its signature three-course filet and lobster-pairing dish for $39.95. Begin the meal with a pan-seared scallop served atop goat cheese polenta and either the New Wedge salad complete with grape tomatoes, red onions, crumbled blue…
Update: Richie Incognito Smashes Up His Own Ferrari With a Baseball Bat
Screen grab from paid4sureIncognito told police he smashed his own car.Less than 24 hours after I spent about a thousand words telling you how stupid all of you are for thinking that NFL players won’t get a second, third, or tenth chance, so long as they can still play, we…
Other States Sure Have Hilarious Taste In Music
See that map above? It knows things. It knows if most of your entire state is sporting permed ponytails and jamming out to horrible ’90s rock, like in North Dakota. But it also knows when your state is a bunch of bearded hipsters with collective “outsider” tastes, like Pennsylvania. It…
Openings & Closings: El Gran Malo Announces Move & Killen’s BBQ Finally Opens
The popular tequila bar and gastrocantina El Gran Malo held its final day of food service on Sunday, February 23, after its National Margarita Day celebration on Saturday. However, according to Houstonia’s food blog, Gastronaut, El Gran Malo is not gone for good. It’s just moving. Kevin Naderi of Roost…
Weekend Weather: Sunny Start Turns Gloomy Quickly
Anyone heading to Mardis Gras this weekend is in luck when it comes to the Friday night parade down the Strand. Weather should be just about ideal Friday evening. Unfortunately, that is not the case for the rest of the weekend for Galveston and Houston. If you were hoping for…
Top 5 Things to Do in Houston This Weekend: Macbeth, Nicolay Dance Works: Timeline, Ruined and More
Even though Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s shortest plays, Main Street Theater will be putting on an 80-minute version with no intermission courtesy of visiting director and actor Guy Roberts in a co–production with the Prague Shakespeare Company. It’s our pick for Friday. “It really streamlines the play and…
The Tontons Hit Their Stride on New Make-Out King…
Five years after their eponymous debut album put them on the musical map, the Tontons are back on tour in support of a brand-new record, one that showcases a group having truly hit its stride. It’s atmospheric, comfortable, infectious and soulful. The Houston-born quartet will perform at Warehouse Live this…
All Dogs Go to Heaven. The Boneyard Is a Close Second.
“Man, just let him…his humping isn’t hurting anybody.” Some pretty epic humping is going on while we sip an Abita Grapefruit IPA. What started off as a twosome now involves four or five participants rolling around the dirt in a dog pile. Literally. Those risque entanglements are not unusual here,…
Houston’s Top 10 Mardi Gras Bars
10. THE CREOLE BAR AND GRILL All the college kids from both TSU and U of H Main hang out at the Creole for some killer Louisiana food and equally killer Louisiana imbibing. With a huge patio and sweet jazz playing most days, it may not offer the crushing madness…
The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Geto Boys, Amos Lee, Tontons, etc.
“Welcome to Houston” Concert Arena Theatre, February 28 Is there any better way to salute Houston’s brand-spanking-new hip-hop radio station, 93.7 The Beat, than to throw a Texas-size party featuring some of Houston’s biggest rappers? Of course not, fool. Especially when the rappers doing the partying are guys like Slim…
Meet Skinaflix, the Netflix for Aficionados of Old-School Porn
“Sex films sell, and other stuff doesn’t . . . or at least not nearly as well,” says film preservationist Joe Rubin. Rubin, 24 years old, is one of the creators working Skinaflix, a VOD-style streaming video service he calls “the Netflix of porn.” At Vinegar Syndrome, a separate DVD/Blu-Ray–centric…
The Joy of Not Making It
Every once in a while a terrific small-budget indie comes along and nobody even blinks. Adult World, directed by Scott Coffey (known mostly as an actor, particularly for his roles in David Lynch movies like Mulholland Dr. and Lost Highway) and written by Andy Cochran, could easily get lost in…
Son of God Is a Chintzy Melodrama About the Horrors of Capital Punishment
When we first meet the hero of Son of God, a kind of chintzy melodrama about the horrors of capital punishment, he’s approaching a fisherman with a classic boiler-room pitch: “Just give me an hour, and I will give you a whole new life,” Jesus (Diogo Morgado) promises Peter (Darwin…
Ali Siddiq
After 15 years of honing his craft on the road, Ali Siddiq is returning to his old stomping grounds with a one-night stand at the Houston Improv on February 27. Before Siddiq shared the stage with some of the country’s funniest touring comedians (Kevin Hart, D.L. Hughley, Katt Williams, Dave…
The Bronzed Age
Man, woman, gay, straight, bi: There’s something for everyone in 300: Rise of an Empire, the XXL sequel to the also-larger-than-life Greeks-in-shinguards extravaganza 300. In that picture, directed by Zack Snyder and based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel about the three-day Battle of Thermopylae, which took place in 480 B.C.,…
Paul Oddo
Comedian Paul Oddo perfected his delivery at comedy festivals like Austin’s SXSW and the Boston Comedy Festival. When Oddo comes home to Houston to play the Joke Joint Comedy Showcase, expect to hear a refreshing combo of styles, especially when he gets topical. “I’m not opposed to guns,” he said…
Manuel Valera and the New Cuban Express
Grammy-nominated pianist, composer and bandleader Manuel Valera makes his Da Camera debut with the Manuel Valera New Cuban Express sextet. Rooted in the Afro-Cuban music of his homeland, Valera mixes Latin rhythms and jazz techniques to create a fresh and exciting sound that the term “Latin jazz” doesn’t quite capture…
Nicolay Dance Works: Timeline
Houston’s newest dance company, Nicolay Dance Works, is led by a very familiar face, Dana Nicolay. He first came to Houston in 1978, when he joined the Houston Ballet as an apprentice under Ben Stevenson. After touring with his own company, Raven Dance Project, during the 1990s, Nicolay joined the…
“Last Tip of My Hat”
Every rodeo season the National Museum of Funeral History does its part in the spirit of the Wild West with its “Last Tip of My Hat” exhibit, which celebrates death in the time of the cowboy. The usually modest event has been ramped up considerably this year. As always, there…
The Wizard of Oz
Danielle Wade won the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz for a Toronto stage production after voters across Canada picked her as the best Dorothy in a CBC reality television show called Over the Rainbow. Now she’s coming to Houston (not a new experience; she has family in…
4000 Miles
Acclaimed actress Waltrudis Buck joins Houston’s Black Lab Theatre for Amy Herzog’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated play 4000 Miles. Black Lab founder Jordan Jaffee, who co-stars with Buck in the family drama, has heady praise for the actress. “Anytime you can work with someone who’s worked with both Woody Allen and Oliver…
Ruined
Director Tom Stell admits that Ruined, the latest show by Obsidian Art Space, isn’t a cheerful story. Four women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, raped during the unrest of the civil war there, are shunned by fellow villagers. The four eventually find refuge in a brothel under the…
A Year with Frog and Toad
Friendships can help us overcome everything. That’s the message of A Year With Frog and Toad, the musical based on the stories of Arnold Lobel. Director Andrew Ruthven takes audiences on a vaudevillian escape of song and dance as he tells the story of a frog and a toad who…
Mo Amer
Arab-American comic Mo Amer and his family escaped from Kuwait during the first Gulf War (or as he calls it onstage, “The Prequel”). At a young age he moved to Houston, where he soon took an interest in the vast world of performing comedy. Having worked the stand-up microphone since…
“Spectra: Work by Adrian Esparza”
Mexican-American artist and El Paso native Adrian Esparza creates installations for “Spectra: Work by Adrian Esparza,” now on exhibit at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, by deconstructing everyday, mass-produced items (posters, T-shirts, serapes). He unravels a brightly colored serape, for example, and stretches the individual threads across a wall…
Cool Brains! Inprint Readings for Young People: Susan Cooper: Ghost Hawk
Children’s author Susan Cooper has been compared to Tolkien and C.S. Lewis for her ability to weave compelling, powerful fantasies about epic struggles between good and evil. Winner of the prestigious lifetime Margaret A. Edwards Award, the Newbery Medal and two Carnegie Honor Awards, Cooper’s in Houston to read from…
Macbeth
Even though Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s shortest plays, Main Street Theater will be putting on an 80-minute version with no intermission courtesy of visiting director and actor Guy Roberts in a co-production with the Prague Shakespeare Company. “It really streamlines the play and focuses on the story of…
Aladdin Is a Storybook Come to Life on the Wortham Stage
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 1992 film,…
If Only Non-Stop Were Worthy of Liam Neeson
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…
Gouge Away
Inquiring Minds 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…
A Master’s Farewell
In 1998 Douglas Adams published a sweet, funny essay called “Riding the Rays,” about an excursion to Hayman Island to try a kind of underwater jet ski device called a Sub Bug because it afforded an opportunity to swim with manta rays. And manta rays are cool. He wrote of…
Capsule Art Reviews: “The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute,” “Georges Braque: A Retrospective,” “Garden Object,” Magritte: The Mystery of the Ordinary, 1926-1938
“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…
The Big Show Is Back: In the Saddle
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is back in town, and this year there’s a new pair of hands on the reins. Joel Cowley, who joined the Livestock Show in 2005 as the executive director of agricultural competitions and exhibits, was named president and CEO of the entire operation in…
Capsule Stage Reviews: clean/through, The Columnist, Freud’s Last Session, Our Country’s Good
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…
The Big Show Is Back: Great Things, Small Packages
Visitors to this year’s AgVenture, a section of the Livestock Show designed to educate kids about the purposes of different livestock and crops in Texas agriculture, will have the chance to explore a new exhibit called We’re Small Y’all Barn, which showcases miniature livestock. These full-grown but tiny animals, among…
The Big Show Is Back: Struttin’ Their Stuff
It’s the only fashion show we know of that features models walking the runway — in western wear, of course — along with displays of large-scale farm and ranch equipment and goods. The third annual Rocking the Rodeo Runway Fashion Show and Exhibitor Showcase at the Houston Livestock Show and…
Top 5 Cappuccinos in Houston
Caffeine When I go to a coffee shop, nine times out of ten I order a cappuccino. To me, it reflects the true talent of a barista — getting the foam-to-espresso ratio just right; making sure the java is strong enough to ensure a caffeine boost; and guaranteeing every sip…
Giving Satan a Bad Name
Highlights from Hair Balls Crime God is good, and for some Satan is, too. Satanists don’t deserve the bad rap they’re getting after the recent news linking accused killers to the Prince of Darkness. The words “satanic ritual murder” or “occult killing” set off alarms in God-fearing people, and that’s…
Who Killed the Romantic Comedy?
The corpse lay crumpled on the conference table, close enough that the studio executive could tug on the red heel of her Louboutins. She’d been lying there unnoticed, or perhaps just ignored, for quite some time. Her wedding veil was tattered and someone had spilled coffee on her white satin…
Meet the First Families of Houston Food
During dinnertime on a Tuesday, the tables are set and the bar is stocked, but it’s still dark inside the unopened Grace’s restaurant on Kirby. Back in the kitchen, Johnny Carrabba and his staff are putting the finishing touches on the back of the house, finalizing every detail and making…
Jealous Relatives and Film Images
Dear Mexican, Why is there in every Mexican family a jealous cousin driven by insecurity? Must Excuse Vulgar-Ass Lingual Expression Dear ME VALE, Take your pick. It’s because a) Your dad unwittingly insulted their dad back in the rancho when they were boys, and your cousin was taught to hate…
The Inventive Frankfurters at Good Dog Houston Think Outside the Bun
Go behind the scenes of this week’s review in our slideshow, “A Closer Look at Good Dog Houston.” There’s something about hot dogs that has always seemed unappetizing to me. It has to do, I think, with my childhood, when my mother told me that you never know what ends…
The Big Show Is Back: Your Guide to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 2014
It’s time once again to don your hats, boots, and bolo ties and dive into a delicious combination of music, artery-clogging cuisine and unparalleled athleticism, all with a healthy dash of education and philanthropy, because the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is back in town, and it promises to be…
The Boneyard Could Be Houston’s Most Laid-Back Bar (If You Ignore the Humping)
‘Man, just let him…his humping isn’t hurting anybody.” Some pretty epic humping is going on while we sip an Abita Grapefruit IPA. What started off as a twosome now involves four or five participants rolling around the dirt in a dog pile. Literally. Those risqué entanglements are not unusual here,…
