Where To Eat Right Now

Where to eat right now: 10 hot, must-try restaurants for April

April is here! Need a lunch or dinner recommendation? Here’s where you should eat right now in Houston.

Batanga
With live music, sharable Latin American dishes, and a patio that’s already earning praise, Batanga has opened just in time to capitalize on Houston’s best weather months of the year. Stop by to revel in a festive atmosphere and fun food.

The menu features plenty of things that “oink, moo, fly, or swim,” but we especially love the long list of veggie dishes — like the marinated beets, Swiss chard and eggplant fries.

Goro & Gun
While there’s not much Houston lacks in the way of ethnic cuisine, we’ve been noticeably light on ramen. Good thing the new Goro & Gun downtown has arrived to fill that niche.

This small restaurant features two ramens (go with the veggie!), though the menu’s other options are just as worthy — like the roasted Brussels sprouts with pickled raisins and pine nuts and the 72-hour tempura short ribs.

Saint Arnold
It’s onward and upward for our beloved brewery Saint Arnold, which is now serving lunch five days a week (two courses for $17.55). Be sure to check the menu before you go …

Chef Ryan Savoie creates his lineup far in advance, and there are no substitutions, so you’ll want to find the daily offering that appeals most to you. Don’t worry, beer tastings are available as well.

MuSuBi
My adoration of Asian food trucks continues with the Vietnamese MuSuBi. The roast duck and garlic beef banh mi was a dream with its tender meats, generous toppings and killer bread. But my favorite part was the actual musubi, a gourmet’d up Japanese/Hawaiian treat. Mine featured shrimp and crab in a spicy sauce.

Follow @MuSuBiHOUSTON on Twitter for a schedule and location.

Killen’s BBQ
Good news for those who can’t wait for Ronnie Killen’s new BBB (BBQ, burgers and beer) restaurant to open this summer: The new concept is operating as a weekend pop-up until then. Stop by Killen’s Steakhouse in Pearland, on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 11 a.m., to sample the smoked meats and sides that won raves at the recent Houston BBQ Festival.

Mighty Sweet Mini Pies
This new family-run mini-pie shop in the Heights has already developed a loyal following, thanks to homemade crusts and old-fashioned ingredients. The owners make hundreds of mini-pies a day in five fresh flavors that rotate.

We’re always too slow to catch the Key Lime and Peanut Butter Chocolate, but heartily recommend the Tangerine Chess.

Michiru Sushi
The best sushi places are often the most expensive (with reason), but the new Michiru Sushi in Greenway Plaza offers a solid sushi lineup at reasonable prices. While I wasn’t able to try these tuna-on-tuna dumplings, the fish and hot dishes offered a nice take on your favorite Japanese favorites.

It may not blow you away, but the portions are fresh and large, and the atmosphere is upbeat and fun.

The Good Life – Midtown Bar & Kitchen
Midtown’s got a new go-to spot in The Good Life, a neighborhood bar and patio that opened in March. In addition to a nice selection of craft beers and cocktails, the Good Life offers what it calls edible cocktails — gussied up Jello shots basically.

There’s also a nice menu (designed by Roost’s Kevin Naderi) featuring things like brats in a blanket, brisket sliders and nachos.

Oxheart
The unique Oxheart has captured all kinds of accolades in its one-year existence. Most recently chef Justin Yu was a semifinalist for a James Beard award, while pastry chef Karen Man was nominated for Food & Wine’s Best New Pastry Chef.

Reservations for the tiny restaurant are hard to come by, but you can often snag a spot on a Sunday or Monday night.

Underbelly
While Underbelly could probably sit atop this list every month, we try to spread the love. After all, you already know about Underbelly, and you’ve probably eaten there.

But chef Chris Shepherd was just named a Best New Chef by Food & Wine, which is kind of a big deal — for him, for his restaurant and for Houston. So for those of you who haven’t made it over there yet, by all means go now.

Need more recs? Try our where to eat right now lists from previous months:

October – November – December – January – February – March

The inventive Oxheart is worth the trouble it takes to get in.

Oxheart, beets from Emile Street Garden with savory granola, wheatberries and bitter almond

Oxheart Facebook

The inventive Oxheart is worth the trouble it takes to get in.

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This Week's Hot Headlines

Historic Bellaire shopping center's major makeover leads week's top stories.

Bellaire Triangle renovation rendering 2022

Rendering by Boucher Design Group and Levy Dykema

The Bellaire triangle will soon have a new look.

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

1. Bellaire's oldest shopping center set for major modernizing makeover. A centerpiece of the makeover will be the restoration of the open-air arcade between the two main buildings.

2. Houston's biggest benefactors gift massive $50M to pivotal Rice University institute. The grant will assist the institute’s focus on what it dubs “inclusive prosperity.”

3. Bludorn team reveals chef and menu details on highly anticipated new Rice Village seafood restaurant. Aaron Bludorn recruited one of his former Cafe Boulud colleagues to lead his new restaurant.

4. Buffalo Bayou Park booms with colossal $100 million donation from Houston's biggest benefactors. By the numbers, the Kinder Foundation’s $100 million gift is the largest single donation in Houston parks history.

5. Favorite Houston watering hole opens 'longest bar in Texas' in bustling Woodlands locale. Expect it to be a popular spot for pre-concert pre-gaming.

best october concerts

Lizzo, Post Malone, and Chris Stapleton headline Houston's hottest October concerts

Lizzo Facebook

Lizzo returns to her hometown on October 26 at Toyota Center.

October continues the hot streak for major stars hitting the stages in the Bayou City just as the weather is getting tolerable.

This month features a number of performances in the largest spaces the city has to offer with the cool fall air threatening to cut down the sweatiness concert-goers endured the last few months.

While this may be one of the best runs for live music in recent years, it begs a question as to how much this longer it will hold up. The sheer amount of shows after the pandemic, the cost of tickets, and inflation affecting budgets doesn’t seem like a sustainable model for touring acts to maintain. In fact, cancellations aren’t uncommon among lesser-known acts who simply can’t afford to tour.

For paying customers, it’s often a choice of where to spend money and generally the bigger acts will win out. One of the few benefits of the current musical climate is these larger acts are stepping up their game to produce mind-bending performances. In other words, you’re more likely to get more bang for your buck.

Here are the biggest shows – and hopefully, biggest spectacles — in the Houston area this October.

Mary J. Blige with Ella Mai, Queen Naija
Saturday, October 1
Toyota Center, 1510 Polk St.

The groundbreaking Super Bowl LVI half-time show featured a number of hip-hop stars, led by super-producer and headphones entrepreneur, Dr. Dre. But rather than Snoop Dogg and Eminem stealing the show, that honor went to the immaculate Mary J. Blige. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul absolutely crushed it, showcasing her untouchable pipes and bumping catalog of chart-topping hits. Now she’s on the road with the critically acclaimed album, Good Morning Gorgeous.

Tickets start at $69.50 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

Smashing Pumpkins with Jane’s Addiction, and Poppy
Monday, October 3
Toyota Center, 1510 Polk St.

One of the better lineups this year for alt-rock fans, the 30-million-album-selling Smashing Pumpkins bring together another storied group, Jane’s Addiction, joining them for their promo run for 2020’s Cyr. It’s one of Billy Corgan and company’s better efforts in some time. The Pumpkins last played a less-than-full Toyota Center back in 2019, so the added firepower will bring some needed muscle and butts in seats. Expect to hear the hits, “Today,” “Cherub Rock,” “1979,” and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings.”

Tickets start at $33 plus fees. Doors open at 5:30 pm.

Post Malone with Roddy Ricch
Tuesday, October 25
Toyota Center, 1510 Polk St.

The tattoo-faced, mega-selling superstar rapper and actor Post Malone returns to Houston, where he’s played multiple sold-out shows. He comes to town following a disastrous fall during a show in St. Louis, walking into a hole on stage and damaging his ribs that forced a few show cancellations and time in the hospital.

Thankfully, signs point to Post being okay for his Toyota Center headlining show. The “Rockstar,” “Psycho” and “Sunflower” artist is supporting another hit album, Twelve Carat Toothache.

Tickets start at $39.50 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

The Chicks with Patty Griffin
Saturday, October 8
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands

Texas’ finest and maybe most controversial country gals, The Chicks, are now performing under a new name, (rightfully) dropping the Dixie for its historical connotations. The rabble-rousers are back after a long 14-year hiatus, but the time off hasn’t left them any less relaxed.

Always a group to stand up for themselves in a fight (“Goodbye Earl” from 1999’s Fly is a good example), 2020’s Gaslighter draws heavily on some old school country themes, most especially infidelity, with the namesake single spitting straight fire towards the ex of lead singer Natalie Maines for their best hit in years.

Tickets start at $79.50 plus fees. Gates open at 6 pm.

Stevie Nicks with Vanessa Carlton
Sunday, October 9
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Dr, The Woodlands

Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Nicks takes a break from her regular gig in the biggest classic rock act of all time, Fleetwood Mac, for a run of solo shows. Make no mistake, Nicks is just as fierce as a lone performer, putting together a string of radio hits, such as “Edge of Seventeen” and “Stop Dragging My Heart Around.”

If we’re lucky, we’ll get a few songs from her other band, including an unofficial cranberry juice theme song.

Tickets are available on the resale market. Gates open at 6:30 pm.

CultureMap Recommends: Carly Rae Jepsen
Sunday, October 9
713 Music Hall, 401 Franklin St., Suite 1600

Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen won our pop-loving hearts back in 2012 with the timeless single, “Call Me Maybe” that perfectly encapsulated a teenage crush.

After that song blew up thanks to a Justin Bieber lip-synch video, Jepsen went on to produce the fantastic 2015 album, E-MO-TION, seen by critics as a trailblazing progression of pop sounds pulling from the past and updating them for the future. She’ll hit 713 Music Hall behind her soon-to-be-released 2022 album, The Loneliest Time.

Tickets start at $43.50 plus fees. Show starts at 8 pm.

Lil Nas X
Tuesday, October 11
713 Music Hall, 401 Franklin St., Suite 1600

The No. 1-charting provocateur Lil Nas X will light up the stage with what will sure to be eye-popping visuals and unchecked inhibition as part of his Long Live Montero tour. The groundbreaking genre-bender first shot to stardom with the inescapable Billy Ray Cyrus-meets-Nine Inch Nails remix, “Old Town Road,” the longest charting No. 1 in the history if the U.S. Not too shabby.

He struck gold again with “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” raising the eyebrows of squares everywhere with it’s unabashed queerness. This one is going to get wild, y’all.

Tickets start at $29.95 plus fees. Show starts at 8 pm.

The Black Keys with Band of Horses and The Velveteers
Saturday, October 15
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands

Recently making news for marriage troubles between drummer Patrick Carney and singer-songwriter Michelle Branch, The Black Keys will try to find some semblance of normalcy outside the tabloids when they get back to their fiery blues-rock performances. This year’s Dropout Boogie is their latest.

Head’s up: catch the fantastic opening Seattle band, Band of Horses, for a dose of alt-rock-country majesty.

Tickets start at $39.50 plus fees. Gates open at 5:30 pm.

CultureMap Show of the Month: Lizzo with Latto and Saucy Santana
Monday, October 26
Toyota Center, 1510 Polk St.

A Houston-bred success story, Aldine’s Lizzo is finally home, playing her biggest show yet in the city, headlining the Toyota Center. One of the more disappointing storylines arising from the pandemic, the “Juice” star’s slot at RodeoHouston in 2020 was cancelled much to the dismay of her fast-growing fanbase.

Now an Emmy-winner for her series, Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, and lover of really old flutes, she’ll be bringing her new album, Special, to life for her adoring hometown crowd.

Tickets start at $39.50 plus fees. Doors open at 6:30 pm.

Chris Stapleton with Elle King and Morgan Wade
Friday, October 28
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands

Country crooner Chris Stapleton is, well, a staple of the local live music scene, performing seemingly every year at RodeoHouston in addition to regular shows at the Pavilion. If he’s not a Texan (he’s from Kentucky), then he sure feels like one.

Not that anyone minds, as the award-winning “Tennessee Whiskey,” “Broken Halos,” and “You Should Probably Leave” songwriter plays classic country that invites mass singalongs and pulls at heartstrings, steeped in Americana-influenced storytelling.

Tickets are available on the resale market. Gates open at 6 pm.

Lizzo Facebook

Lizzo returns to her hometown on October 26 at Toyota Center.

comfy, colorful, cool

Acclaimed Houston home design maven infuses zen with first brick-and-mortar store in Rice Village

Photo courtesy of Mary Patton Design Houston

Find your zen in Patton's new store.

Houston-born design maven Mary Patton opens her first brick-and-mortar store on Saturday, October 1, a showpiece for her whimsical approach to interiors and accents in Rice Village.

Fans and newcomers can expect her signature take on what a home can be, including items such as collaborations with local artisans, one-of-a-kind redesigned vintage furniture, and areas for one-on-one design meetings with clients by appointment only.

"[The store is] one of my favorite home palettes — featuring white brick, gray-and-white striped awnings on black spears, with a collection of potted boxwoods to greet you as you enter," Patton noted in a press release announcing the opening.

This 2,828-square-foot space at 2439 Bissonnet St. will play host to a trunk show next week, on October from 5 to 8 pm and on October 7 from 11 am to 4 pm with items from Helenita Home.

Guests can shop an array of original pieces featuring colorful, hand-painted ceramics from Central Mexico that aren’t available anywhere else in Houston. Patton and Helenita Home founder, Helen Hemingway McLaughlin will be there on October 7.

A Texas talent, Houston native Patton graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, majoring in painting and alternative process photography. Following graduation, she taught art and social studies in an elementary school, before heading to New York City’s Parsons School of Design to get her master’s degree.

At Parson’s she discovered she hated sewing, so she launched a handbag company, Mary Nichols Handbags, which she owned for eight years.

Following her time at Parsons, she and her husband returned to Houston for his job. She commuted between both cities for a while. She and her husband divorced and a few years later, she remarried and had a daughter. That’s when a friend encouraged her to take on clients on a project basis to do interior design work. One of her first was having custom pillows created for a friend’s sofa.

She worked for Calvin Klein and Theory before launching her design business.

Since then, she’s built a business that explores everything from interior design to home renovation, landscape design, exteriors, and furniture and accessories. She told Authority magazine that decluttering and adding candles and lamps to a space can help transform it and spark more joy.

No stranger to media attention, Patton has been featured in national publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, AD Pro, House Beautiful, HGTV, Martha Stewart, and more. Locally, shoppers can look forward to the Bayou City native bringing some joy to her hometown.

Photo courtesy of Mary Patton Design Houston

Find your zen in Patton's new store.

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Mary Patton Design; 2439 Bissonnet St. For hours and more information, visit the official site.