Oct 26 – Nov 1, 2017

Oct 26 - Nov 1, 2017 / Vol. 29 / No. 43

Colonoscopy Blues and a Special In-Depth Playlist

After about a 10-minute pre-op discussion with my gastroenterologist, in which I bared my deepest concerns about undergoing surgical procedures, I was wheeled into the operation room. Because I write about music and have always turned to it for solace in stressful moments, we also talked music during our pre-op…

Houston’s Best Thanksgiving Catering Options

We’re only a few days into November, sure, but it’s never too early to start planning your annual Thanksgiving feast. In fact, if you’re hoping to leave the cooking to the professionals this year, it’s best to plan ahead, as in, right now.  Here are the best Houston restaurants offering…

Upcoming Houston Food Events: Meet the Turducken Burger

Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings: Kata Robata, 3600 Kirby, has just received its first shipment of white Alba truffles, joining a supply of black truffles already in house. For at least the next month, chef Manabu Horiuchi will offer several specials…

NFL Football, Week 9: This Weekend’s Best Bets

Full disclosure — I am writing this post on three hours of sleep. I just woke up with breath that smells like I made out with an ashtray (multiple cigars smoked) and an empty class of Larceny Bourbon next to the bed. I am still wearing the same BEAT LA…

Pride Houston’s New and Former Presidents Sue Each Other

A legal battle is brewing over the leadership of Pride Houston, Inc., the organization that puts on Houston’s annual LGBT Pride Celebration, with the newly elected president and former president suing each other over who has true control over the nonprofit’s assets. Pride Houston and its newly elected president, Lorin…

Coming Soon to Texas: Marijuana Grow-Ops

Texas will soon have its first working grow facilities for cannabis. Compassionate Cultivation, one of the companies licensed to grow and produce medicine under Texas’s limited medical marijuana program, said in a news release Wednesday it would start planting cannabis plants this week. The announcement comes one day after the…

California Wine Needs Us More Than Ever Before

Like many Europhile wine professionals who came of age in the 1990s, I believed that California wine was outdated and out of sync with the rising food culture of the time. By 2010, as European wine was flowing irreversibly into coastal and middle America markets, Californian wine expert and retailer…

Houston City Council Skirts Vote on Plans to Create MUD in Floodplain

With a new development of hundreds of homes in the middle of a floodplain underway in northwest Houston,  Houston City Council kicked a plan to create a municipal utility district in that soon-to-be neighborhood up to Mayor Sylvester Turner Wednesday without any discussion. Referring it to the Turner administration instead…

Montrose Eatery Riel Caught on Fire This Morning

Riel, the acclaimed Montrose eatery known for chef Ryan LaChaine’s Houston cuisine with a Ukrainian and French Canadian twist, caught on fire this morning .  The Houston Press’s own food reviewer and contributor Nicholas Hall was driving his kids to school, when they passed the restaurant and saw it from…

Duane Brown Traded to Seattle — 4 Winners, 4 Losers

The Duane Brown Era officially ended in Houston on Monday. The alert popped up on our phones shortly after 6 p.m. that the Texans sent their starting left tackle to the Seattle Seahawks for CB Jeremy Lane, a 2018 fifth round pick, and a 2019 second round pick. The trade…

Nearly a Quarter of Harvey FEMA Applications in Texas Are Being Denied

After Porfirio Deleon’s house in southeast Houston flooded during Hurricane Harvey, he waited only a few days before applying for disaster relief through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. His family of six couldn’t cram into his sister’s house forever, especially as his eight-year-old daughter continues chemotherapy for leukemia, which doctors…

Are These the Top Dining Trends of 2017?

Last week the 12th Annual StarChefs International Chefs Congress, a three-day, industry-only symposium and trade show landed in Brooklyn, hosting more than 170 of the hospitality industry’s top professionals, including Houston native and chef Danielle Soto Innes, Jose Andres and more huge names.  Chefs gave presentations on trends, techniques, and products to…

Spicy Girl Brings the Mouth-Tingling Heat to Midtown

A new spot for Sichuan cuisine has opened in Midtown, tucked in the Winbern strip across from Winbern Messhall in the Breakfast Klub, Continental Club, Double Trouble fun zone. Spicy Girl is another reason to head over to this cool little pocket of Midtown, especially if you’re in the mood for…

Astros Lose 3-1 to Dodgers to Force World Series Game Seven

So Game Seven it is. The Astros and the Dodgers playing for the championship after the Dodgers got to Justin Verlander in the sixth inning and took a 2-1 lead that would never be surrendered, ultimately winning 3-1. It is not that Verlander pitched bad — for the first five…

Richard Linklater’s Last Flag Flying Never Snaps to Attention

Despite the many troubling trends in our media culture, the movies’ response to the Iraq War has been (gasp) surprisingly admirable. Since the mid-2000s, a steady stream of films have artfully addressed war’s aftermath and the homefront — from Stop-Loss and In the Valley of Elah, to Grace is Gone…

Starbucks Zombie Frappuccino: Oh, the Horror

Over the summer, the Unicorn Frappucino took the Instagram set by storm, putting what we thought was a nail in the coffin of unicorn foods forever, but no (nayyyyy, if it behooves you).  For much like the Night King resurrects a slain dragon into a blue-fire spewing undead beast, so…

Dive On In: Star Fish Is a Welcome Addition in The Heights

Warm, dripping with tiny streams of caramel that pooled on the plate, the sticky toffee pudding arrived with a not-so-small scoop of ice cream, placed prominently atop the dark, rich cake. It is a rare occurrence for a dessert to deserve top billing in my book. This sweet creation at…

Pappy’s Cafe Is Getting New Digs in 2018

Houston’s 34-year-old comfort food favorite Pappy’s Cafe will relocate to 12313 Katy Freeway at Dairy Ashford in spring 2018. The restaurant will take over the former space of Texas Land & Cattle Restaurant, a ‘craft dining’ chain that sounds like it packed up its Houston location to go moonlight as a government…

The Best Dishes We Ate in October 2017

October has come and almost gone — happy almost-Halloween, you goblins — and with that comes our monthly roll out of the absolute best dishes we’ve had the pleasure of putting in our mouths this month.  We certainly dined-out a lot in October, and considering we’re past the two month…

Giles Spoils Morton’s Start as Astros Lose 6-2 to Dodgers

Game Four of the World Series featured a no-hitter into the sixth inning. It featured the Astros taking the lead 1-0 lead and breaking up the no-no on a massive George Springer home run. Yet as feared, this game came down to the bullpen, and the Astros relievers were lacking…

Cougars Upset No. 17 USF for 28-24 Win

The Houston Cougars did three surprising things on Saturday afternoon in Tampa. They won a game after losing two straight in disappointing fashion, defeated a ranked team and scored tons of points in the second half. The Cougars (5-3) defeated the No. 17 USF Bulls (7-1) 28-24 on Saturday on…

HGO Scores Big-Time in a Strong Outing with Julius Caesar

You’ll forgive me for using baseball metaphors in this review, but this is one week where they’re most appropriate. I have no doubt our illustrious Houston Astros will encircle our fair city with a World Series ring, so let the games continue. After the wild pitch wrought by Hurricane Harvey,…

Astros Blast Off Against Darvish, Defeat Dodgers 5-3

The Los Angeles Dodgers had to feel comfortable coming into World Series Game Three against the Astros. Dodger starter Yu Darvish had dominated the Astros at Minute Maid Park. So of course the Astros destroyed Darvish, scoring four runs in the second inning and chasing him from the game. The…

Carmelo’s Will Shutter in December After 37 Years in Business

After 37 years, Carmelo’s will close for good on December 25, after serving its final Christmas Day Buffet Brunch.  The Memorial area restaurant, knownfor its Tower of Pisa salad, veal and seafood offerings and tableside Caesar and fettuccine carbonara, sent an email to friends that was then forwarded along to the…

A Guide to H-Town’s Scariest Haunts

It’s time for spooks, frights, fangs and boos! Halloween 2017 is right around the corner. This year, Houston has plenty of tricks and treats up its sleeve, including spine-chilling treks through some of the city’s most terrifying haunted houses. Here’s how to get your Houston spook on this Halloween. Extended Weekends…


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