happy fifth of may!

16 Houston hot spots to stir up a memorable Cinco de Mayo

Sip cocktails and cheer on Chef Evelyn at the Original Ninfa's.

On May 5, 1862, the Mexican army won a crucial victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. While May 5 is not Mexican Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo has become a beloved, time-honored celebration in the U.S.

Here in Houston, fans can pack local bars, clubs, and restaurants to nosh on Mexican fare and enjoy choice sips. One venue will host a shopping extravaganza, while Ninfa's will showcase our current Top Chef contestant. And a big party on Washington Avenue will even include ... ponies.

Party safely; here are some best bets for Cinco de Mayo.

a'Bouzy will have its annual "Cinco de Clicquot" event. Enjoy bubbles from Veuve Clicquot, paired with Mexican-inspired dishes (yellow corn quesadillas, Mexican beef kabobs, spicy shrimp tostadas), all day long. 11 am.

East End Backyard will have a day-long fiesta, with drink specials and La Esquina Mexican Food Truck serving up tacos, tortas, gorditas, quesadillas and more. A Cinco de Mayo vendor market will be on site. 11 am.

Live Oak Bar & Grill will offer margaritas for $6 all day, with the choice of classic lime or a seasonal flavor. Chicken and steak tacos with corn or flour tortillas, cilantro, onions and green or red salsa will be available for $2. 11 am.

Monkey's Tail will celebrate with frozen mangonadas, a Modelito Marg (large frozen Tommy’s with chamoy, Tajin and a mini Modelo sunk in), and their new draft ranch water. Food specials will include an outdoor burrito and taco stand. 11 am.

Revelry on Richmond is offering a half-pound fajita special of chicken or beef for $16. The special comes with rice and beans. A $5 house margarita special will be available, starting at 4 pm. 11 am.

SpindleTap Brewery will be celebrating with $4 draft pours of Calavera Lager all day. Texzas will be cooking up some delicious smoked steak tacos, pulled pork tacos, BBQ quesadillas, chips & queso and Calavera Lager borracho beans. 11 am.

Over on Washington Ave., the 6th Annual Cinco de Mile Block Party will be popping off. Fuego's Saloon, Lincoln Bar, Kung Fu Saloon, The Sporting Club and others will be taking part in the festivities, which will include — we kid you not — live ponies! Noon.

Space Cowboy will host a Cinco de Mayo party on Thursday, May 5 with lucha libre, a traditional mariachi band, and a concert celebrating the legacy of Selena. The food menu will have specials on birria tacos, elote, and churros for dessert. Noon.

Candente will have a happy hour with $6 margaritas, palomas, frozens, & classics. Then, a nine-piece mariachi band, The UH Mariachi Pumas, will entertain guests. Enjoy complimentary paletas by La Brisa Ice Cream and capture the fun at their selfie photo booth. 3 pm.

Fabian's Latin Flavors will throw a downtown block party. There will be a plethora of activities: a mariachi show, pinata-bashing, live DJs, Mexican candy all over the place. There will even be -- we kid you not -- a live donkey! 5 pm.

Traveler's Table will have a special, Mexican carne asada with tequila-marinated skirt steak, Mexican rice, nopales salsa, pork-refried beans, and chicharron for $30. There will also be "Vaya Con Margaritas" – a margarita flight for $25. 11 am. 5 pm.

Historic Market Square Houston will be celebrating with the world's largest dog piñata (named Chiquito), free prizes and a mini-market. The Boys in the Barrio, Houston's favorite lowrider crew, to show off their wheels along Preston. 5:30 pm.

The Original Ninfa's will celebrate the day by having a Top Chef watch party. Cheer on hometown contestant Chef Evelyn Garcia, with the help of a fresh and vibrant Piña-mezcalita created by bar director Angel Belman. 6 pm.

Simone on Sunset will have a Cinco de Mayo fiesta and art market, where you can find beautiful, bespoke goods hand-crafted by local, Latinx artists and vendors. Houston-area vocalist and performer John Ryan Del Bosque will provide musica en vivo for the patio. 6 pm.

Eureka Heights Brew Co. will use the day to kick off the release of its new, seasonal Kolsch with salt and lime, called Un Poquito Mas. There will also be back-to-back Loteria games hosted by Eureka's own Joaquin the bingo king. 7 pm.

The Fashion Time Machine will be throwing a fiesta in its shop. Shop for vintage clothing, accessories, etc, while The Ghost Party and Sergio Trevino provides the live music. Of course, free beer & drinks will be served. 8 pm.

nightlife holidays

Movie Review

New movie Friendship pairs Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in a bizarre bromance

Photo courtesy of A24

Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship.

Comedian Tim Robinson has gained a cult following thanks to series like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, in which his brand of cringe comedy is on full display. The former Saturday Night Live writer/performer has had a few small movie roles over the years, but he’s now getting his first starring role in the off-kilter Friendship.

Robinson plays Craig, a mild-mannered suburbanite with a wife, Tami (Kate Mara), and son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig has a boring life that involves little more than going to his middle manager job while wearing the same clothes day after day, anticipating the next Marvel movie, and helping Tami out with her at-home floral business.

He gets a jolt of energy when Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the neighborhood. The two men seem to hit it off, with Austin — a weatherman at a local TV channel — even taking Craig on a couple of impromptu adventures. But when Craig commits a couple of faux pas at a group gathering at Austin’s house, their bond starts to fracture.

Even though the film is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, it’s clear that Robinson had a big influence on the style of comedy it features. There are no big set pieces with a slew of jokes coming one after another. Instead, the film forces the audience to try to vibe with the very particular type of wavelength it’s giving off, one that could almost be called anti-comedy for the way the laughs come out of left field.

The 100-minute film is full of random comedic moments, like Steven kissing Tami on the lips, Craig being obsessed with his plain brown clothes, a group sing-along, and more. More often than not, it’s the way Craig reacts to both normal and abnormal situations that gets the laughs. The character is needy and oblivious, two traits that combine to make many of his actions cringeworthy.

Perhaps most importantly for this type of movie, many things in the story go unexplained or don’t make sense. Seemingly crucial elements are brought up only to fade away just as quickly, while other parts that appeared to be throwaway sections get callbacks later in the film. DeYoung and Robinson are determined to keep the audience on their toes the entire time, never knowing what to expect next.

Robinson has the perfect face for a story like this, one that’s bland enough to blend into the background but memorable enough to sell the jokes. His demeanor is also excellent, never becoming too expressive, even when he gets angry. With long hair, a mustache, and a certain swagger, Rudd is a great complement to Robinson. Only in a film like this would an everyman like Rudd be considered the suave and cool one.

There will be some that will see Friendship and come away wondering what the hell they just watched. But anyone who goes in knowing that they’re about to witness a comedy that challenges their sensibilities will likely have a great time.

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Friendship is now playing in select theaters.

movies film

happy fifth of may!

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Movie Review

New movie Friendship pairs Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in a bizarre bromance