By Jim Ayres “Get yourself a gimmick…and you too can be a star.” Veteran burlesque performers sang this showstopper in Gypsy for a skeptical Louise as she learned the finer points of striptease. But in the restaurant world? Not if you’re spending the kind of money you’ll spend at Ritual, one of the most expensive

By Jim Ayres A spacecraft has settled on South Shepherd, the third such landing in Houston. Passing drivers gawk at the bright splashes of neon (which could be hazardous as they navigate the infamous curve). A few, like me, become transfixed. It could be a movie set, yet people come and go, and they’re eating

By Jim Ayres Are soon parted. Isn’t that how the adage goes? Happy Pride, everyone! As Houstonians and visitors gather to celebrate the 50thanniversary of Stonewall, I’m sure many of us will drop food on our clothes. I know I will! I do it nearly every day. Take a recent potluck, for example. The offerings

By Jim Ayres I hear fighting words around Shepherd Drive and 19th Street these days. La Lucha (the fight, or the struggle), has a new challenger across the street: Squable. Squable — wordplay on “squabble” — has only been open for six weeks, but it already has some extraordinary dishes and is one of the

By Jim Ayres Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not at Waffle House anymore! Well, if you, Dorothy, Toto or anyone else stumbles upon Taste Bar + Kitchen, a new restaurant in the former Sterling House where Montrose meets Midtown, you certainly won’t be. Here, waffles are elevated to Emerald City stature. At Taste Bar + Kitchen

By Jim Ayres Occasionally, I crave a burger. Imagine that! Most of the time, I head to Houston’s well-known burger joints such as Mia’s, Rodeo Goat, Bellaire Broiler Burger or, well, The Burger Joint. But I’ve found four restaurants that specialize in other types of cuisine — places where you might have to do a

By Jim Ayres I wasn’t particularly stressed when I went to dinner at Relish, located in that kind of Upper Kirby/River Oaks zone. Still, any agita I might have been carrying from the workday was swept away as I sat down. It’s funny, too, because I can’t say Relish has much intrigue inside. Subway tile

By Jim Ayres Stockyards have never been my thing. Fairground food annoys me. Houston’s steer wrestling and bull riding are certainly world-class, but TGRA is more fun and just as world-class, to boot. I really wanted to go to the Zedd concert, but my glow stick days are behind me. No, friends, I didn’t go

By Jim Ayres I love the food at Vibrant, the next-wave, labels-don’t-really-apply eatery on Fairview. I recommend that you try it at your earliest opportunity. When I hear of a new restaurant, I first check out its website. Not just to see the menu and get the hours and address. I also want a sense

By Jim Ayres Tartare presentations are passé these days. I haven’t seen tuna tartare on a menu in years. I thought beef tartare had passed its sell-by date, too, until a burger at Barnaby’s Shepherd location convinced me otherwise. Ordered medium, the meat was peony pink and bled rosé. A pretty palette, perhaps. But not