by admin
Photo By: barclaynix
Houston is such a large and diverse city, with many cultural and culinary wonders to enjoy. For our city guide we are focusing primarily on the closer-in areas (known as “inside the loop” to locals) as well as some of the far-flung must-sees. If we missed a spot feel free to comment and we can add it in. Every part of Houston has its unique charm and personality. If you find yourself here check out what we recommend below and you will not be disappointed.
Where to Shop:
Thompson and Hanson: A beautiful nursery and home shop with lots of charm and style with a mix of European antiques. They also have Tiny Boxwoods that is a neat cafe for coffee, wine and tasty cheese platters and pizzas. They also make fresh lemonade that is perfect on a hot day.
Indulge: Is a beautiful place to seek out lovely French Kitchen Linens, Dishes, Bedding & Bath, PJ’s and soaps. They have a great space right next to Thompson and Hanson (described above).
Area: European antiques, mixed with contemporary art and very unusual accessories. This place is great for inspiration and ideas that you might be able to pull together on your own. Many designers stroll through for ideas.
Shabby Slips: A chic and elegant store with beautiful coverings and custom slipcovers along with home accessories.
Lot 8: This Boutique is owned by Chloe Dao who was the winner of Project Runway a couple of years ago. Here you will find original designs by Chloe stocked in the store.
Rice Village: This is a great outdoor shopping area with lots of cafes, pubs, and great dinner spots. You’ll find unique shopping from clothes to hobbies and accessories. It is right down from the Rice University Campus.
Galleria: This is Houston’s Premier Mall. You will find every designer boutique as well as bigger department stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks and Nordstrom. There is also an ice skating rink that is very popular in the middle of the mall.
Uptown Park: Is close the Galleria and has many boutiques and cafes. You will also find Uptown Sushi and The Tasting Room that are local favorites in that area.
Highland Village: Located down the street from the Galleria is another outdoor shopping area you can check out. I usually go there to shop at Anthropologie, Joseph’s (a great shoe store), and the typical home and kitchen stores like Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, and Williams-Sonoma. But there are plenty of other shops and fun things to eat including Sprinkles Cupcakes.
Where to Eat:
Tex-Mex
El Tiempo (on Richmond): I can’t believe I am letting this one out of the bag but this is my FAVORITE Tex-Mex Restaurant. The menu is tasty with tons of options from beef to lobster and quail fajitas with all of the sides. I also love their chicken, it happens to be the best I’ve ever had. Also the margaritas and green sauce are both craveable. It is good for friends or with the family you just can’t go wrong here.
Garden Party
Tiny Boxwoods: This is one of my favorite places to visit with friends. It is located inside the Thompson and Hanson nursery and it is just a refreshing place for lunch or dinner. They have a beautiful green space outside and a neat area for inside dinning. The menu is full of tasty ideas. For dessert my favorite if it is on the menu is the salty caramel cake (OMG, I am still trying to figure out how they make this), and everyone also really likes their chocolate chip cookies. Many ladies order boxes of these cookies for parties and lunches that they are hosting.
Organic Farm to Table
T’afia: Chef Monica Pope is a local celebrity that also boats a tiny farmers market on the weekends. Her restaurant T’afia is a dinner only restaurant that serves farm to table inspired by local cuisine.
New American
Ruggles Grill (Westheimer and Montrose):
It’s hard to go wrong here. They serve up very tasty fare from Buffalo Burgers to a Rack of Lamb and catches of the day. Their thinly scalloped potatoes melt in your mouth and the creative and inventive southwest entrees are fresh and delightful. The wine list has decent prices. Also they have a great tres leches and a good cappuccino.
Wine Bar
The Tasting Room: Good food, great truffle fries, unbeatable people watching.
Authentic Italian
Da Marco: One of the top restaurants in Houston that also happens to be an Italian Restaurant. Here you will get authentic Italian fare with a twist that stays current to trends in culinary Italy. We love the artichoke appetizer and all of the pastas.
Sardinian Cuisine (Island right of the coast of Italy)
Arcodoro – Chef Giancarlo is a rare talent in the Houston scene. He is creative and inventive and serves up Sardinian fare that is a feast to discover. They also have a great pizza and a lovely bar to relax in.
An English Pub with great food (yes this does exist)
Red Lion Pub: This is a great pub with excellent atmosphere and great food like Kobe Beef Lasagna, Stews, and Chicken pot pies along with traditional Sunday dinners. You can have all of that and wash it done with a glass of the house champagne while you are throwing darts. It’s fun and a local hangout for all of us.
A Modern Bistro
Benjy’s: This is a great place for lunch with a market menu and constant creation you will always be surprised with a fabulous menu to choose from. Standard favorites include the calamari that is served with their “rosy red comeback sauce” along with creative pizzas. Perfect spot for lunch.
Steak House
Vic & Anthony’s: Great steakhouse located right by Reliant Stadium. The cuts of steak are excellent and served to your satisfaction with a good wine list.
Texas Style BBQ
Good Company BBQ: They really have a great BBQ Sandwich that you can pair with Austin Baked Beans. The ribs are perfectly sticky and the atmosphere is unique. Their chocolate pecan pie is also something you should try.
Things to See:
Miller Outdoor Theater: Located across from the Science Museum situated in Herman Park next to the zoo you will find Miller Outdoor open air Theater. It is perfect for an evening picnic and performance. It is all free. You sit hillside and watch top notch performances that include ethnic music and dance, ballet, Shakespeare, musical theater, and classic films along with Classical music, and jazz.
The Menil Collection: This is a beautiful museum that showcases the large art collection of the Menil family. You will find modern masterpieces, sculptures, and photographs. It is next o a beautiful rose garden and across the street from Miller Outdoor Theater described above.
Contemporary Arts Museum: Houses a great collection for contemporary art that is worth popping into.
The Children’s Museum: The kids will love this museum. There are all kinds of things for them to get into and lots of learning activities for all ages.
The Museum of Natural Science: The butterfly garden is a really cool feature along with the dinosaurs and the gem exhibit. They also have exhibits that rotate through as well as films at the IMAX. It is all worth checking out.
The Houston Zoo: Houston has a wonderful zoo to visit that is very active. They have a kid’s area that is perfect for hotter days with water activities.
On the Outskirts of Houston (30 minute drive)
NASA Johnson Space Center: They have a wonderful, kid-friendly facility and a guided property tour to learn about the shuttle and the history of space travel.
Moody Gardens: They have a very cool beach area that you can go to and let the kids play in the water as well as take in their various tours, exhibits and films. The kids love the marine area. Their newly-renovated Rain forest exhibit – housed within a huge Louvre-like glass pyramid – features animals, fish, butterflies and more than 1,000 species of exotic plants from rain forests around the world. This exhibit is remarkable and worth the visit alone.
