This Week's Hot Headlines

10 hot Houston Restaurant Weeks newcomers lead our most popular stories

Kitchen Rumors restaurant lobster dumplings

Kitchen Rumors is debuting at HRW.

Photo by Chris Furia

Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, beginning with the highly anticipated 2025 Houston Restaurant Weeks lineup. Plus, Texas tops a distressing new report. Get the details on our most popular stories below, then visit this event guide for more weekend fun.

1. 10 eateries participating in Houston Restaurant Weeks for the first time. One of the most eagerly anticipated days of the year for people who love Houston restaurants has arrived. Houston Restaurant Weeks has released the first wave of menus for its 2025 event, and we've compiled 10 newcomers worth a visit.

2. TikTok star Keith Lee crafts matcha latte for Hill Country flood relief. The devastating floods that swept across Central Texas on July 4 are bringing out all kinds of charitable endeavors — and that includes a limited-edition beverage from Texas-based TikTok food influencer Keith Lee.

Keith Lee and matcha drink Keith Lee hoists his special matcha drink. Instagram

3. Award-winning Houston chef dishes on season 4 of hit show The Bear. On this episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Yu discusses season four of The Bear with Eric Sandler. It’s become an annual tradition for the two men.

4. Two-week dining event celebrates Houston's Latin-owned restaurants. This spicy celebration of Latin food and culture continues through July 25.

5. Texas ranks as No. 1 most 'financially distressed' state in America. Experiencing financial strife is a nightmare of many Americans, but it appears to be a looming reality for Texans, according to a just-released study that ranks Texas the No. 1 most "financially distressed" state.

hot-headlines houston restaurant weeks keith lee flood relief the bear podcasts rankings reports wallethub popular stories

This Week's Hot Headlines

French pastry chef picks Houston for U.S. debut and more top stories

Cafe Feuillette Jean-François Feuillette

Photo by Sébastien Dray

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Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, beginning with a French cafe's upcoming U.S. debut. Plus, inside the hottest new bar in the Heights. Catch up on our most popular stories below, then visit this guide for festive weekend fun.

1. French pastry chef perks up Houston with first U.S. coffee shop and café. A French coffee shop and cafe is coming to Houston. Pastry chef Jean-François Feuillette will open the first U.S. location of Café Feuillette in River Oaks District next year.

2. New Houston cocktail bar serves up a house party fueled by music and martinis. It hasn’t taken long for Houston cocktail fans to discover Donna’s. Since it opened Thanksgiving weekend, the new cocktail bar in the Heights has been packed with people eager to check out the project from Anvil owner Bobby Heugel and veteran Houston bartender Jacki Schromm.

3. New York Times critic awards Houston restaurant 2 stars in glowing review. Let’s just call 2025 the year of ChòpnBlọk. In a review published December 16, the New York Times awarded the Houston restaurant two stars (“very good”).

4. Family-friendly Houston restaurant picks Missouri City for 6th location. A family-friendly Houston restaurant will soon open its sixth location. Local Table is expected to open in Missouri City in January.

Coming soon to Missouri City. houston.culturemap.com

5. Food experts draft the best dishes at Vietnamese restaurants in Houston. On this episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” CultureMap editor Eric Sandler recruited five of his friends and colleagues to select their favorite dishes at Vietnamese restaurants in Houston via a fantasy football-style draft.