I have not been to Houston in at least a decade, so time for a quick visit.
8am, Southern breakfast
The best Southern or soul-food breakfast in Houston, if not the whole state, is at the breakfast klub. Also open for late night breakfasts (’till 3am) on weekends.
9am, Science and dinosaurs
The Houston Museum of Natural Science has one of the largest and most extensive dinosaur fossil collections in the US, among entire floors of other special exhibits. It includes an impressive full-scale Quetzalcoatlus, the first time I’ve seen one on display. Arrive at opening to avoid a flood of families on weekends.
Of particular interest is the mesmerizing “Energy City” display in the Wiess Energy Hall (top floor). It is a 2500-sq-ft featureless white diorama representing a modern American coastal city that is dynamically painted with overhead digital projectors through several scenarios and synchronized music related to modern energy production and consumption.
3pm, Oldest brewery in Texas
The oldest operating craft brewery in Texas is Saint Arnold Brewing, now expanded and significantly upgraded to include a full-service restaurant and large outdoor biergarten.
I registered several strikes with attempts to visit nearby craft breweries, such as Local Group Brewing (still under late-stage construction), Black Page Brewing (still under very early development) and Town in City Brewing (recently moved, old location closed). Eventually, I found and enjoyed an open brewery at Eureka Heights Brew Company.
7pm, Authentic Szechuan
Houston is a city of surprising cultural diversity, with great authentic Szechuan cuisine found at Spicy Girl in Midtown.
9pm, Local draft hall
It’s a little fancy compared to many great craft beer places, but Holman Draft Hall offers a comfortable location with a superior selection in an elegant upscale setting. I could be a regular here.
8am, Indian breakfast
I like Indian food but have never found an Indian breakfast restaurant. Pondicheri did not disappoint.
12n, Local barbecue
After passing on Truth BBQ, with a long line even before they opened, I ended up at Pinkerton’s Barbecue and may have had a better lunch for it.
1pm, More local breweries
Platypus Brewing is a unique, personable and very tasty place run by two Aussie ex-pats and a local spouse.
Holler Brewing is a solid brewery in a nondescript industrial park that is notable for always keeping a live cask on a beer engine in their tap room, a rare find for American craft beer.
Buffalo Bayou Brew Company had just moved into their new brewery and headquarters, a three-story modern building overlooking downtown Houston and including a full-service restaurant and rooftop bar. The old location will be kept open to meet growing production needs.
7pm, Authentic tacos
Good to great Mexican food is not difficult at all to find in Houston, but Tacos A Go-Go is a great example of traditional Mexican (not Tex-Mex) fare.
9pm, Craft beer mecca
This was my first visit to the Hay Merchant, a legacy extended-tap bar that was at the forefront of the serious craft beer movement over a decade ago.
Even more cultural diversity (and authentic late-night poutine) was found at The Maple Leaf Pub, a genuine Canadian bar located in Midtown Houston. C48
City Forty-Eight 