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    Letter from Lois

    The Bronx Zoo cobra has nothing on original tropical Twitter goddess CorpseFlower Lois

    Corpse Flower Lois
    Mar 31, 2011 | 5:35 pm
    • The Egyptian cobra has nothing on this corpse flower.
    • My habitual hangout, the Hotel Gansevoort
    • Indeed, I'm on a first name basis with all of the plants in the MoMA sculpturegarden.
    • Masa restaurant has a "no cobra" policy.
    • Um, gross.

    So. Everyone is up in arms over the 20-inch female Egyptian cobra that escaped from the Bronx Zoo, as well as her own snarky Twitter feed. You probably already know how I feel about outer boroughs, so it goes without saying that this rank reptile is pure trash.

    Here's a short list of reason's I'm more fab than this bitch from the Bronx:

    • Purple is prettier than brown
    • I don't share a name with a medical benefits package
    • I may smell, but I don't bite

    Let's look at one of her tawdry tweets:

    "On top of the Empire State Building! All the people look like little mice down there. Delicious little mice."

    Who goes to the Empire State Building? More importantly, who admits to going to the Empire State Building? Looks like *somebody* has spent too many nights watching Sleepless in Seattle.

    In truth, this snake is a sucker for all variety of tourist traps, from the Met and the Seinfeld diner, to the Museum of Natural Science and Ray's Pizza. Not to unleash my fangs, but whenever I head to "the city," you won't find me anywhere listed in Frommer's. I frequent the boutique hotels you haven't even heard of (perhaps you've seen my petals at the Thompson or Hotel Gansevoort with other socialite Internet creatures like Heidi the opossum and the late Knut).

    And I'm sorry, but the Met's simply not for me — I prefer private patron previews at the Frick and Neue Galerie.

    Of course, how could she know any better? The snake is from the Bronx's only public draw. I'll have to hold back judgment on the zoo — the only time I've gone north of a two-digit numbered block was while summering on Martha's Vineyard. I don't blame the poor thing for escaping from its off-exhibit enclosure, far off from the public. A diva needs room to breathe. I'd take my throne at the Houston Museum of Natural Science greenhouse over a closet at the Bronx Zoo any day.

    The cobra may be having a fine time terrorizing Manhattan, but I hear that there's a honey badger out on the loose from the Central Park Zoo . . . so she better keep those beady eyes peeled.

    Corpse Flower Lois is the superstar corpse flower who caused an international sensation at the Houston Museum of Natural Science last summer. She continues to like her espresso with no Splenda and doesn't give a f*** what you think.

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    This Week's Hot Headlines

    2 favorite Houston Mexican restaurants return and more popular stories

    CultureMap Staff
    Sep 19, 2026 | 11:00 am
    El Tiempo Cantina Post Houston
    Courtesy of El Tiempo Cantina
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    Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, featuring the return of two staple Mexican restaurants and the richest Houstonians of them all. Read on for our most popular stories, then head here to plan your weekend.

    1. 2 treasured Houston Mexican restaurants reopen after brief closures. Two staple Houston-area Mexican restaurants are making comebacks after brief closures. Picos has already returned to service, while El Tiempo Cantina’s Webster location isn’t far behind.

    2. 12 things to know in Houston food: Openings, closings, and meal deals. A successful hand roll restaurant continues to grow, a Chinese American restaurant quietly signs off, and a popular Houston chef shows off his Peruvian heritage. Plus, Houstonians can eat cold noodles for a good cause.

    3. Houston oil tycoon is city's richest billionaire for 2026, Forbes finds. The richest billionaires in America have a collective worth of $8 trillion in 2026, a staggering $1.4 trillion increase since last year, says Forbes. And one local billionaire has regained the title as Houston's wealthiest resident.

    President Trump Meets With Oil And Gas Executives At The White House Jeffery Hildebrand Hildebrand is the richest Houstonian. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

    4. Beard Award-winning Latin chef dishes on big Houston move and menu overhaul. On this episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” chef Douglas Rodriguez and Bari Hospitality Group co-owner Pedro Teyuca join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss Exilio Latin Flair, the company’s pan-Latin restaurant in Montrose.

    5. Food & Wine's Best New Chef list includes Gulf Coast-obsessed Houstonian. A Houston chef is basking in the national spotlight. Food & Wine magazine has named Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition executive chef Lucas McKinney to its 2026 class of Best New Chefs.

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