One thing I’ve discovered in decades of eating out -- if a restaurant has a specialty, that is what you should order at the restaurant. Yes, there are exceptions to that rule -- some barbecue joints sling a mean burger, for example, but in general, you want to stick to what the restaurant itself believes [...]
by Dorothy Puch Lillig On social media from the other side of the planet, TeaTalk Vietnam recently boasted about a “new masterpiece” that had just landed at the tea room located in Biên Hòa. Well, we’re here to “spill the tea” on this “bear-y” cute creation. The jelly teddy bear drink topping in milk tea [...]
By Christina Autry The Alief YMCA in the International District has become home to a new masterfully painted mural by prominent artist and Alief native, Lee Washington. UP Art Studios has teamed up with five Houston artists to create 2020 Census-themed murals in strategically located neighborhoods. Washington has created many iconic murals in the Houston [...]
In normal times, August is the time we dare to start dreaming about some hint of relief from the heat in a few weeks and anticipating the arrival of football games that count in the standings. But these are not normal times, and this is Alief / Houston, Texas, so it’s still hot as blazes [...]
By Christina Autry In their eighth year of serving the International District, Kravin Fruit Bar offers a wide array of all the fruit-based teas and smoothies your sweet tooth can handle. Hot snacks and cold desserts tempt those who come in for takeout, or to sit down and stay a while in Kravin’s open dining [...]
My 15-year-old daughter is taking the pandemic even more seriously than I do, and I’ve had exactly one sit-down on-site restaurant meal since this all began, and that was on a patio, wherein the two of us, my daughter’s friend, and her dad were the only customers. And said patio was in Brenham to boot. [...]
I’ve literally seen Chinatown grow from its very first days -- I attended Strake Jesuit before and during the construction of Diho Square -- and I make it a point to visit at least once a month, usually with my high-school age daughter with me. What continues to amaze me is how incredibly rich and [...]
By Christina Autry You know that you’ve arrived at what is hailed by many as the “best Desi restaurant in Houston” when you see the famous, unmarked orange and red restaurant at the corner of Bissonnet and Kirkwood. Reminiscent of a repurposed Waffle House, Bundu Khan’s popularity stems much more from its word-of-mouth reputation than [...]
Now that the International District’s three largest and oldest high schools have produced a generation or two of alumni, it’s fun to examine which famous athletes, musicians, performers, artists, business leaders and scientists came from each of these schools. Looking back now on the past 47 years since Hastings opened (followed soon by Elsik and [...]
With such a staggering multitude of restaurants to choose from, dining out in the International District is a daunting task even in the best of times, and now that COVID-19 has set the whole planet askew, it can seem at first even more bewildering. Much of what we once took for granted about dining out [...]
