Road Map

All roads lead here: Houstonian Michael Carroll shares his favorite places &spaces

Best place to impress clients: Fleming's, because nothing beats a good steak
Michael Carroll
Photo by Allie N. Fields
Favorite place to take out-of-towners: Armadillo Palace
A place that makes you feel as if you are not in Houston? Hotel ZaZa by the poolin the summertime.

Editors Note: Newcomers to Houston sometimes find it a hard place to navigate. But most people who have lived here a while have a ton of recommendations. In a new series, called Road Map, Allie N. Fields gets Houstonians-in-the-know to reveal their favorite haunts.

In Road Map, we showcase a sample of homegrown locals and let them grab the wheel for a journey across Houston to confess their own personal geography of beloved jaunts, haunts and tried-and-true corners. From where to get lost or where to be found, just blast the a/c and enjoy the ride.

Meet Michael Carroll. Status? Adorable and good, old fashion fun.

With an insatiable sense of humor and up for anything attitude, this entrepreneur is president of Riverway Properties, where he specializes in the management, development and disposition of residential communities.

He seems to be anywhere and everywhere. You know that person you can’t take anywhere without someone knowing him? This is your guy.

1. Alma Mater/ High school? Strake Jesuit College Preparatory

2. Favorite kolaches? Shipley's ham and cheese (there is no substitute)

3. Where do you take out of towners?Armadillo Palace

4. Favorite mid-week dinner spot?Jenni's Noodle House

5. The place where you can guarantee yourself a food coma? Lupe Tortilla

6. Guiltiest pleasure? Buttered movie popcorn at Edwards Greenway with thrown in Peanut M&Ms, it's all about the sweet and the salt .... my momma taught me that one!

7. Favorite place for take out?Red Lion's chicken tikka masala

8. Where to check out art? Anyplace showing Caroline Schiller's newest creations!

9. Best place to find a last minute outfit? Billy Reid

10. Sunday hangover food? Ponzo's Pizza Pepperoni Black Olive Jalapeño and a slice of their chocolate eruption cake, Sunday night special.

11. Where I feel inspired? My shower (kind of weird).

12. Best second date spot?Vinoteca Poscol

13. Where I met my current love? Ha ha! Yeah Right! ;)

14. Favorite street? North Boulevard

15. Best martini?Zimm's

16. Best place to get your groove on? Mi casa blasting the latest hand-crafted playlist

17. Your dry cleaner?Eagle Express — Nassar is the best!

18. Best 2 a.m. food run? No. 2 with cheese and jalapenos, WHATASIZED with a Diet Coke!

19. A place that makes you feel as if you are not in Houston?Hotel ZaZa by the pool in the summertime.

20. Where you work out?LA Fitness on Richmond at Weslayan

21. Carwash? Mister Car Wash on Kirby

22. Best place to impress clients?Fleming's — can't beat a great steak!

23. Your playground? My driveway with two TVs outside on any college football Saturday a.k.a. The Lanai, a college football tradition since the fall of 2000.

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Trucking news

Driverless truck company postpones route between Houston and Dallas

Photo courtesy of Aurora

Driverless semis traveling from Dallas to Houston were expected to launch this year.

Autonomous truck company Aurora Innovation says it won't start hauling freight without humans on board until April of 2025, a delay from previous statements that commercial service would begin by the end of 2024.

The Pittsburgh company said the April launch of driverless semis traveling from Dallas to Houston — originally announced last year — will be “modestly later” than the company had intended. The company also previously announced a partnership with Uber.

The company told investors on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it has made progress toward ensuring its trucks will operate safely.

Remaining obstacles are “primarily in the areas of some elements of surface street driving and some elements of construction that we see on the freeway,” CEO Chris Urmson said. “We want to have extremely high confidence in the system as we as we go forward.”

The company will start with about 10 autonomous tractor-trailers and move to “tens” of trucks by the end of next year, Urmson said.

“This shift to our timeline will have a negligible financial impact and does not affect our scaling efforts on our path to self-funding," Urmson said.

Aurora also intends to haul freight without human drivers from Fort Worth to Phoenix later in 2025, Urmson said.

Aurora in August added nearly $500 million to its balance sheet with a capital raise in August, which the company expects to fund the initial phases of its strategy to scale up driverless trucking.

transportation aurora innovation