CultureMap Countdown
Mini voting vies with "cheat sheet" to Restaurant Week & Woodlands brouhaha astop stories
The Woodlands is "dear" to some people.
Mini art car design by Kim GrannemanKaty Anderson
Exterior of Max & Julie's, one of 120 restaurants participating in HoustonRestaurant Week, through August
The happy coupleDe Manio Photography
Joel Luks' Vegging Out column has attracted a lot of fans.
Li Cunxin, right, with Charles Foster, center, and Kyle MacLachlanDave Rossman for Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
CultureMappers love art cars and a good contest. After we posted a CulturePoll late last week asking readers to choose their favorite among four Mini Coopers that had been transformed into works of art by Houston artists, you voted in droves— making the contest the most viewed story of the week.
When the voting ended at noon Saturday, artist Robynn Sanders' robots-as-toys design was declared the winner. But a computer glitch in our system kept the voting open, and fans of artist Kim Granneman's swirly black-and-white design kept voting. We think all four cars are winners and love the brilliant idea that could only happen in Houston.
Besides voting in contests, CultureMappers love to eat. Sarah Rufca's Cheat Sheet to Houston Restaurant Week was among the most viewed stories of the week. Check out Sarah's other stories, including choices on lunch options during Restaurant Week (through Aug. 21), and a diary of some of her restaurant experiences.
Everyone loves a wedding, so it's no surprise that my critique of Chelsea Clinton's wedding gown was popular. Some readers thought the Vera Wang design was "nothing special," but I believe it was a perfect mix of glamour with a princess touch and several readers agreed.
Joel Luks column on Chelsea's gluten-free wedding dinner and dessert also drew a strong positive response. Joel's weekly Vegging Out column is attracting a strong and loyal following — a fan even posted a video on YouTube about his work — and we're thrilled to have him as a CultureMap columnist.
CultureMap staffer Steven Thomson always seems to rattle some cages and he did it again with a side-splitting account of his disastrous appearance at the opening of Pure restaurant in The Woodlands. He drew venomous responses from The Woodlands faithful for his digs at their suburban lifestyle — along with a few defenders.
Love him or hate him, I think Steven is one of the freshest voices on the Houston scene in a long time. His columns always provoke discussion and debate, which as long as it is civil — and it usually is — makes for a great forum. Your responses have caused me to rethink some of my long-held beliefs, so keep 'em coming.
The response to Steven's column spurred Sarah Rufca to pen a fascinating essay on why she loves — and hates — The Woodlands. Sarah speaks from experience; her family lives there. I'm proud to have Sarah's distinctive writing style on CultureMap pages, along with great pieces by opinionated staffers Caroline Gallay, Fayza Elmostehi, and Rachel Hanley and veterans Chris Baldwin and Shelby Hodge. I hope you enjoy reading their work as much as I do.
Most viewed stories for the week of Aug. 1-7:
1. Vote now: Pick the best-looking Mini work of art
2. Wow! Did Chelsea Clinton wear the best-looking wedding gown ever?
3. Your cheat sheet to Houston Restaurant Week
4.What does the leaked Continental Airlines memo say about the new merged company?
5. Laughs and tears for Extreme Makeover's down-to-the-last minute finish
Editor's Picks:
1. Why I love (and hate) the Woodlands
3. Li Cunxin gets a grand homecoming at screening of Mao's Last Dancer
5. Vagina poetry is so 1980s: It's a hermorrhoids by flashlight, new underground arts world
