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Eater
3 days ago
- Eater
How to Plan the Ultimate Staycation in Montrose
From the famed Space Center Houston to the expansive Museum District, Houston has its share of top-notch tourist attractions, but thanks to sheer size and the need for a car, it can be hard to navigate Houston on vacation without a local to show you the way. That's why, whether you're a native or out-of-towner looking for a low-key getaway, Montrose is one of the best neighborhoods in Houston to book a hotel room and treat yourself to a foodie staycation. In just under 8 square miles, Montrose is a haven for Houston's Michelin- and James Beard-award winning restaurants, world-class art, and historic gay nightlife. It's impossible to visit every restaurant, bar, and attraction in Montrose in just 24 hours, but this guide will walk you through some of the best the neighborhood — and Houston in general — has to offer. By the way — for Houston's standards, Montrose is almost (almost!) walkable. While you can drive to all the locations listed in this guide, you can also wiggle into one of the many free street parking spots nearby and take the opportunity to explore Montrose by foot. The Mecom Fountain in the intersection of Main and Montrose. Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Start your day with tamales and thrift shopping Montrose is an ever-changing, living organism, with new restaurants and shops and bars cycling in and out constantly. But Brasil may outlive us all. The mainstay restaurant on Dunlavy Street and Westheimer Road offers a robust menu of breakfast classics, plus some more unique offerings like a morning grain bowl, as well as bean and braised greens tamales. If the weather is cooperating, eat outside on Brasil's vibrant green patio, and don't forget to order a coffee or tea to start your day off right. After breakfast, head east on Westheimer to window shop at one of the many chic thrift shops along the street. Leopard Lounge, City Vintage and Pavement are all popular, but Out of the Closet at Mulberry Street and Westheimer is also a great choice for its LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS advocacy. Other ideas: If you're not the type to get super hungry in the morning, grab a cold brew/pastry combo from Siphon and enjoy your morning from its cozy dining room. Or, if you don't feel like straying far from Westheimer, consider an espresso and one of the breakfast focaccias from La Sicilia. (Treat yourself to a monkey bread croissant.) 12 p.m.: Lunch at ChopnBlok Hearty West African bowls for lunch. ChopnBlok There's a lot of local places you can choose from along Westheimer for lunch, but ChopnBlok is more than worth your time. Head further east on Westheimer and grab a seat inside in the bright, colorfully decorated living room that celebrates West African art and aesthetics. The Motherland — with steamed rice, curry, yaji-spiced vegetables and sweet plantains — is a warmly spiced, ultra-filling standout here. So's the Trad, with jollof-style jambalaya, halal chicken and more yaji-spiced veggies, and stewed plantains. (You can order the plantains as an appetizer on the side, and they're almost impossible to pass up.) Cap off your meal with one of the classic cocktails, or if it's still a little too early to dive into alcohol, check out the refreshers, like the Cape Town Cooler, with guava, lemon, grapefruit and sparkling water. Other ideas: If you like to sleep in and are feeling something more brunch-y, consider the cheeky (and Guy Fieri-approved) tiki bar The Toasted Coconut, directly south on Richmond and Mandell. The all-day menu offers both breakfast and dinner options, like the honey butter biscuit, with fried chicken, a black pepper biscuit, chili crisp, and cheese. Or, load up on the house dumplings with housemade chili oil, sweet soy sauce, and crispy garlic. For slightly lighter fare, Handies Douzo, a little farther east and a stone's throw from the University of St. Thomas, has a unique and ultra-fresh sushi menu. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Spend an afternoon surrounded by art at The Menil Collection The Menil Collection isn't exactly a hidden secret — it's perhaps the most well-known attraction in Montrose — but it's still criminal that it isn't more famous outside of Houston. Head south on Yoakum, taking a detour around the University of St. Thomas' gorgeous tree-lined campus if you like, then go west on Branard Street to hit up The Menil. It's free, so stroll right in, and take in the little museum's tens of thousands of pieces of art, from modern abstract sculptures to prehistoric relics. If the weather's nice, you can order your lunch to go and eat on the Menil's shady campus, but also make sure to take a quiet moment for yourself at the Rothko Chapel, a nondenominational art piece/chapel that has to be seen to be believed. Other ideas: The Houston Center for Photography is another museum right across the street from The Menil. Its collection is smaller, but it's also free and offers a diverse, rotating selection of exhibitions. Get lost in the galleries at The Menil Collection. The Menil Collection 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: Shop the rest of your day away at the Montrose Collective After a long day of staycationing, you deserve to treat yourself. Head north back to Westheimer and you'll find the Montrose Collective, a new-ish, mixed-use development that offers more than you could visit in a single afternoon. But why not try anyway? Schedule a facial with Hi, Skin or Skin Laundry, or window shop at one of the many boutique clothing and jewelry stores on site. Paddywax Candle Bar, where you can make custom candles with your own fragrance blend, is a highlight, as is the secondhand luxury goods from The Real Real's Houston storefront. If you get hungry and simply can't wait for dinner, there are plenty of options here, like toast and a matcha latte from La La Land and happy hour wine-by-the-glass and sandwiches from Fiora's Bottle Shop. Other ideas: Not much of a shopper? Go upstairs at the Montrose Collective and spend some time at the Freed-Montrose Library, a unique two-story library with lots of light and plenty of space for kiddos. Grab a book and pull up a chair on the greenery-filled outdoor terrace, but if the weather's too hot, there are plenty of seats inside with gorgeous views of the neighborhood. Just be sure to check the hours on the day you go, because they can be sporadic. La La Land Kind Cafe 7 p.m. to late: Grab dinner and a drink (or two) You have a few options for dinner, depending on who's with you and your mood for the night. If you're with family or plan to join friends for dinner, head one block west on Westheimer and grab a table at Mala Sichuan Bistro. This Sichuan restaurant has a hefty menu of family-style meals, both traditional and more Americanized. The savory eggplant in spicy garlic sauce is a standout here, as is the generously sized red oil dumplings. Of course, it's not a Sichuan restaurant without mapo tofu, and Mala Sichuan serves up one of the best versions in the city. After Mala Sichuan, you're not far from Anvil, one of Montrose's most notable cocktail bars. Grab a seat at the bar or in one of the booths and ask the bartender about the seasonal cocktails — you can order almost anything here, including non-alcoholic cocktails, beer, and wine. A soupy chicken dish. Mala Sichuan Bistro Barbecue Tex-Mex tacos. Candente Not feeling Sichuan? You can head south towards Richmond Avenue instead, and hit up Candente, a Tex-Mex favorite with barbecue bona fides. (Owner Sambrooks Management also operates The Pit Room next door.) The brisket nachos are a must-order, as are the brisket enchiladas and beef fajitas — that may seem like a lot of meat, but hey, it's Texas. After, you'd be remiss not to check out gay piano bar Michael's Outpost, just a short walk west from Candente. Catch a drag show if you come on the right day, but even if you miss it, you'll get to order cocktails and unwind to the sounds of live piano. Other ideas: If it fits in your budget (and you're able to get a reservation), consider March, the fine dining destination that won a Michelin Star last year. The menu here, from chef Felipe Riccio, is available as a six- or nine-course tasting menu, which changes seasonally. Its newest season, which starts August 14, will be inspired by the Levant, a region that includes present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, and part of Turkey. If you drink, be sure to try the wine pairing menu from award-winning sommelier June Rodil. Late night: Keep the party going with retro hangs and pizza, pizza, pizza If you're not full yet (and not dead on your feet), there are still a few places you can hit up before collapsing in your hotel room. 93' Til, a late-night restaurant/record bar, plays '90s hip-hop on vinyl and serves a thoughtfully crafted list of cocktails and wine by the bottle. Try the Japanese highball, with Hibiki Harmony whiskey, or the '93 Old Fashion, with Bonded Kentucky bourbon, Japanese brown sugar, and bitters. If that sounds a little low-energy for you, consider Beetlegeuse Beetlegeuse's Montrose location, instead. You'll find creative pizzas and cocktails, like the Pickletini, with vodka and pickle juice, and the Black Lemon Drop Cocktail, with vodka, lemon vodka, limoncello, lemon, activated charcoal, edible glitter, and black sugar. Inside Beetlegeuse Beetlegeuse is a hidden surprise, Endless Bummer Tiki Bar, a small but outrageously decorated tiki bar with flaming Mai Tais and light-up cocktails. (You'll need to book a reservation on Resy for the code, though.) Betelgeuse Betelgeuse's neon sign and a glimpse of its back room. Becca Wright Where to stay Montrose has very few hotels, so your options are limited to boutique picks if you want to stay in the neighborhood. La Maison in Midtown, a stately bed and breakfast, is, like the name suggests, technically in Midtown, but it's so close to Montrose proper that you should easily be able to walk or drive to your destinations. For a luxury experience (at luxury prices) closer to the action, you can book a room at La Colombe d'Or. The hotel offers three room types: smaller suites in a 1920s-style at The Mansion, modern aesthetics with a seating area at The Tower, and spacious apartment-sized suites at The Garden Bungalows. Eater Houston All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Astros rally in 7th inning to defeat Athletics 5-3
Athletics' Luis Urias, left, slides into home safely against Houston Astros catcher Victor Caratini (17), Urias scored the run on Jacob Wilson's RBI double during the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) makes the throw to first base as Athletics' Brent Rooker grounds out during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Athletics' Jacob Wilson reacts while running the bases after his home run against Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Houston Astros' Zach Dezenzo (9) celebrates his home run with Yainer Diaz (21), which tied up the game against the Athletics, during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Houston Astros' Victor Caratini (17) hits a two-run single against Athletics relief pitcher Justin Sterner during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Houston Astros' Victor Caratini (17) hits a two-run single against Athletics relief pitcher Justin Sterner during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Athletics' Luis Urias, left, slides into home safely against Houston Astros catcher Victor Caratini (17), Urias scored the run on Jacob Wilson's RBI double during the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) makes the throw to first base as Athletics' Brent Rooker grounds out during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Athletics' Jacob Wilson reacts while running the bases after his home run against Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Houston Astros' Zach Dezenzo (9) celebrates his home run with Yainer Diaz (21), which tied up the game against the Athletics, during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Houston Astros' Victor Caratini (17) hits a two-run single against Athletics relief pitcher Justin Sterner during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) HOUSTON (AP) — Zach Dezenzo homered and Victor Caratini drove in two runs in the seventh to help the Houston Astros rally for a 5-3 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday. The Athletics led by 1 when rookie Justin Sterner (1-1) took over for Luis Severino to start the seventh. Dezenzo sent his fourth pitch 416 feet to center field for his second homer this season to tie it at 3-all. Advertisement There were runners on second and third with two outs in the inning when Caratini lined a single to center field to score 2 and put the Astros on top 5-3. Houston's Lance McCullers Jr. allowed five hits and three runs in a season-long six innings in his fifth start after missing more than two seasons with injuries. Shawn Dubin (2-0) struck out two in a scoreless seventh for the win and Josh Hader converted his 14th save in 14 opportunities with a scoreless ninth. Jacob Wilson homered with two RBIs for the Athletics, who fell to 3-17 in their last 20 games. Severino yielded three hits and two runs — one earned — in six innings. He struck out four to give him 1,003 strikeouts in his career, making him the 48th active player to reach 1,000 strikeouts. Advertisement Christian Walker was hit on the hand with a pitch to start Houston's fourth. He left in the bottom of the sixth inning because of the hit and the team said more information on his condition would be provided postgame. Key moment The Astros jumping on Sterner in the seventh to take the lead after Severino's strong start kept them in check through six. Key stat McCullers struck out 12 to tie a career high he last reached in 2018. Up next LHP Jacob Lopez (0-2, 2.57 ERA) will start for Oakland on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series at Toronto. The Astros open a four-game series against Tampa Bay on Thursday night with RHP Ryan Gusto (3-2, 4.58) on the mound against RHP Shane Baz (4-3, 4.94). ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texans get new left tackle in Ersery, add depth to receiving group with 2 Iowa State players
Houston Texans mascot Toro, center, stands on a chair to see the crowd of fans during the Texans' NFL football draft party, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Hannah and Cal McNair, owners of the Houston Texans, speak to fans during the Texans' NFL football draft party, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Hannah and Cal McNair, owners of the Houston Texans, speak to fans during the Texans' NFL football draft party, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Houston Texans mascot Toro, center, stands on a chair to see the crowd of fans during the Texans' NFL football draft party, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) Hannah and Cal McNair, owners of the Houston Texans, speak to fans during the Texans' NFL football draft party, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans addressed their most glaring needs by selecting offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery and a pair of Iowa State receivers in the NFL draft. 'The idea was to try to add good players, good people that are young, tough, hungry, that want to win, that put the team first,' general manager Nick Caserio said. 'These picks exemplify that.' Advertisement The Texans got players that could help them quickly despite not picking in the first round for a second straight season. They didn't have a first-round pick last year because of trades, including the one to move up and get defensive end Will Anderson with the third overall pick in the 2023 draft. This season they shipped the 25th overall pick to the Giants on Thursday in exchange for several picks. Their first selection in this draft was receiver Jayden Higgins, who was taken with the second pick of the second round. They added Ersery later in the second round with the 48th overall selection and picked up Higgins' teammate Jaylin Noel in the third round. Ersery could be Houston's left tackle of the future after the offseason trade of five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Ersery started 38 games at left tackle over three seasons at Minnesota where he was a third-team All-American last season. Advertisement He comes to Houston to help shore up a line that allowed C.J. Stroud to be sacked 52 times last season, which was the second most in the NFL. The Texans added veteran tackle Cam Robinson this offseason and Ersery will compete with him to protect Stroud's blind side as the Texans attempt to reach the playoffs for a third straight season under coach DeMeco Ryans. The 6-foot-6, 331-pound Ersery, who was the Big Ten's Offensive Lineman of the Year last season, can't wait to play with Stroud. 'C.J. Stroud is a baller,' Ersery said. 'I'm so honored to be a guy to help out and come in and help protect him. I'm just super stoked and I know I'm going to a great organization.' Advertisement Cyclones teammates Higgins and Noel join the Texans to add more depth at receiver to complement star Nico Collins with Tank Dell recovering from a serious knee injury and Stefon Diggs gone to the Patriots. Higgins, who has been compared to Collins, had 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns last season for the Cyclones and Noel added 80 catches for 1,194 yards and eight scores. After Higgins was drafted, Noel never imagined he'd be heading to Houston, too. He shared on social media a fortune he received from a Chinese restaurant that read: 'Look forward to an unplanned reunion with an out-of-touch friend.' Advertisement Noel later shared his feelings about joining Higgins on the roster. 'I was surprised,' Noel said. 'But they've seen that 1-2 punch all year. They're going to be very happy with those selections for sure.' Caserio said a talk with Iowa State coach Matt Campbell on Friday helped him make his final decisions on the receivers. 'He was effusive in his… belief and praise of both Higgins and Noel,' Caserio said. The Texans now have three receivers from Iowa State on their roster after drafting Xavier Hutchinson in the sixth round in 2023. Overcoming obstacles Ersery and his four siblings were raised by a single mother and experienced homelessness when he was a child despite her working multiple jobs. He is thrilled to have put those struggles behind him as he embarks on his next chapter. Advertisement 'I've got that hardworking mentality from her,' he said. 'So, growing up times were tough but now I've got my foot in the door and I look forward to trying to change some things around.' Caserio loves guys with work ethic like Ersery's and said that's one reason why they believe he'll fit in with the Texans. 'If you come in and put your head down and work and just get better, take advantage of your opportunities, you're going to have a shot to have success and do a lot of good things for the organization,' he said. What's in a name? Along with Noel, the Texans added another Jaylin in this draft with they picked USC cornerback Jaylin Smith in the third round. Advertisement 'We got Jaylins, and we got all these guys around. It's going to be hard to keep them straight,' Caserio joked on Friday after they picked Smith. Then on Saturday, the Texans added another player with the same name, albeit with a different spelling, when they took Penn State safety Jaylen Reed in the sixth round. That gives them four players with the same name and three different spellings as the three rookies join starting safety Jalen Pitre on the team. Doubling up Along with drafting two players from Iowa State, the Texans also added a pair of players from Southern California when they picked running back Woody Marks in the fourth round after drafting Smith in the third. Marks ran for a career-high 1,133 yards with nine touchdowns for the Trojans last season after transferring from Mississippi State. ___ AP NFL:
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Slow Fashion Could Be a Winner of Trump's Trade War
Goods for sale at a ThredUp pop-up shop in Houston, Texas, on Nov. 21, 2018. Credit - Karen Warren—Not many businesses seem happy about President Donald Trump's global trade war, which has roiled markets and threatens to lead the U.S. into recession. But there is one potential winner of his so-called 'Liberation Day' last week: slow fashion. Slow fashion is a movement pushing for an environmentally sustainable, ethically-produced approach to retail, emphasizing, for example, secondhand shopping. It's 'a different approach in which designers, buyers, retailers and consumers are more aware of the impacts of products on workers, communities and ecosystems,' wrote Kate Fletcher for the Ecologist in 2007. But slow fashion has traditionally been dwarfed by fast fashion, which emphasizes quantity over quality—the Ellen MacArthur Foundation projected that clothing production would reach 160 million tonnes in 2050, triple that of 2017, while more than 40% of Gen Z consumers shop at companies like Shein and Temu, and more than a third shop monthly from TikTok Shop, which prioritize low production costs and quick shipping to dominate the market with cheap items that don't always last long. The fast fashion industry, however, was hit hard on April 2, not just by Trump's 'reciprocal' tariffs—which added an additional 34% import levy on Chinese goods, on top of the preexisting 20% levy—but more crucially by an executive order he signed the same day. In eliminating the 'de minimis exemption' on goods from China and Hong Kong, effective May 2, the U.S. is closing a customs 'loophole' that has allowed companies like Shein and Temu to send millions of packages a day to the U.S., duty free. The 'de minimis exemption' exempted from customs declarations and duties small packages—valued at $800 or less—that were shipped directly to consumers. It's been used at a massive scale in recent years: The number of small, duty-free shipments from China increased by 1,145% from 2018 to 2023, according to the Congressional Research Service. Read More: The Tax Loophole That Helps Temu and Shein Keep Prices So Low The de minimis exemption fuels what slow-fashion resale companies say is their biggest obstacle to wider adoption by consumers: the ease and affordability of fast fashion. 'The biggest thing we [resale companies] have in common is we see fast fashion—generally low-price, low-quality items with a negative impact on the environment—as our competition,' CEO of online secondhand store GoodwillFinds Matt Kaness told Glossy, a beauty, fashion and wellness industry publication. But now they may have a leg up on their competition. Resale companies are relatively 'insulated' from the wider Trump tariffs, advisor at Venturen and former Goldman Sachs analyst Luca Cipiccia wrote on LinkedIn. That's because they don't rely on global supply chains for product sourcing. Alon Rotem, chief strategy officer and general counsel at California-based resale company ThredUp, which sells secondhand clothing and accessories told sustainability media group Trellis: 'If you think about ThredUp's supply chain, all of the clothes we sell come from the closets of Americans.' While shares of most retail companies plummeted after Trump announced that key production hubs China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh would be hit with hefty tariffs—the SPDR S&P Retail ETF fell 8% last Thursday; Nike, Adidas, Lululemon, H&M, Amazon, and Target all saw their shares slide; and PDD Holdings, which owns Temu, also saw its stock fall—California-based online resale marketplace The RealReal has mostly weathered the storm, and ThredUp has seen its shares climb slightly since April 2, a rare upturn amid years of decline or stagnation for the companies. ThredUp CEO James Reinhart called the closure of the de minimis exemption for China a 'leveling of the playing field [that] is long overdue.''For years, the de minimis loophole has provided an unfair advantage to fast fashion retailers, enabling them to flood the market with low-cost, short-lived items while circumventing import duties,' the company, which has lobbied for the exemption's end for years, said in a statement. 'ThredUp sees this policy as a significant win for both the environment and the future of sustainable fashion.' Contact us at letters@ Sign in to access your portfolio
