this week's hot headlines

Shake Shack's sudden shutter sits at the top of this week's stories

Several Shake Shack locations remain open across the Houston area. Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Editor's note: It's time to recap the top stories on CultureMap from this past week.

1. 2 underperforming Houston Shake Shack locations are closing soon. Both restaurants have already closed.

2. New Houston restaurant serves up steaks, sushi, and retro vibes. “I always like to say Drake’s is the greatest third date spot in America,” Vandelay founder Hunter Pond tells CultureMap.

3. Astros star Lance McCullers, Jr. and partners dish on their buzzy cafe. McCullers and his business partners discuss the upcoming Sawyer Yards location of Maven Coffee + Cocktails.

4. Houston's sophisticated new Mediterranean restaurant surfaces this week. The new restaurant takes inspiration from Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Italy, and Spain.

5. 12 Houston happy hours serving deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We rounded up some of our favorite new happy hours.

hot-headlines

he's back!

Houston broadcaster Frank Billingsley's new talk show hits the airwaves

Hello Houston hosts Celeste Diaz Schurman, Frank Billingsley, and Ernie Manouse. Courtesy of Houston Public Media

The wait for Houston’s newest locally-produced talk show has come to an end. Houston Public Media launched Hello Houston on Monday, March 31.

First announced in November, Hello Houston pairs veteran broadcasters Frank Billingsley and Ernie Manouse with co-host Celeste Diaz Schurman. Jim Kovacik is the show’s executive producer. Notably, it’s Billingsley’s first job since his departure from KPRC after 30 years as a TV meteorologist.

“Of course, I'll still get to talk about the weather, but Celeste, Ernie, and I will have fun and fascinating discussions about politics, arts, concerts, restaurants, clubs, people: everything that makes this city so great,” Billingsley said when the show was announced. “We have a great team behind us and I'm really looking forward to the challenge!”

Airing Monday through Friday from 11 am - 1 pm, the show aims to be more than a radio show. It will also be broadcast on YouTube, streamed live on the station’s website, and available for download on all major podcast platforms.

"Hello Houston's format promises to be engaging and dynamic," said Laurie Ramirez, Houston Public Media’s executive director of content operations. "We're trying a new way of doing a local talk show, with a different style of conversation, using innovative platforms to reach new audiences."

In its first two days, the show has gotten off to a strong start. The three hosts have interviewed local politicians including City of Houston Controller Chris Hollins, Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia, and Houston Mayor John Whitmire as well as cultural figures such as local comedian Chinedu and newly promoted Houston Ballet principal dancer Harper Watters.

Watch the first episode below