Emma Balter

1 week ago | houstoniamag.com | Emma Balter |Mai Pham

Don’t miss the steamed bean curd dishes at Tim Ho Wan in Katy. Image: Courtesy Tim Ho WanDim sum, the Cantonese culinary tradition of eating all manner of steamed and fried dumplings, is traditionally a weekend brunch thing. In Houston, however, a handful of restaurants have it available seven days a week.

1 month ago | houstoniamag.com | Sofia Gonzalez |Emma Balter

Toro Toro’s tomahawk steak is a must-order. Image: Four Seasons Hotel HoustonYou’d be hard-pressed to find anything that brings a Houstonian more joy than a juicy cut of beef (okay, maybe the rodeo and crawfish season, but still). The point is we love beef and we’re always on the hunt for the perfect filet, rib eye, or Wagyu to pair with a delicious glass of red. There’s no shortage of great places to indulge, thanks in part to big chains like Pappas Bros.

1 month ago | houstoniamag.com | Emma Balter |Meredith Nudo

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston was founded in 1948. Image: Courtesy Houston First CorporationMuseums everywhere are celebrated for their ability to educate and inspire. But they aren’t always the most accessible to all. Houston is abundant with museums of all sizes and focuses, both inside and outside the Museum District. Thankfully, you don’t have to wait for an occasion like National Museum Day to enjoy a cost-free visit to one of these institutions.

1 month ago | houstoniamag.com | Emma Balter |Uvie Bikomo |Sofia Gonzalez |Meredith Nudo

When you ask Houstonians why they love the city, their answers are often vague—“the people,” they say, or “the food.” There are, last we checked, people and food everywhere, so what exactly does make Houston such a special place? It can be hard to pinpoint. Houston is a place that gets under your skin. A place with inexplicably infectious energy. A place that’s comfortable and easygoing while also providing discovery at every turn.

1 month ago | houstoniamag.com | Emma Balter

Houston, we love you—as evidenced by all the gushing reasons we’ve just enumerated showing that we’re still very much head over heels. But sometimes, you really know how to grind our gears. It’s when we become trapped on a gridlocked 610, or stroll on a sidewalk that suddenly disappears, or arrive at a blinking red light at a busy intersection that our fondness dissipates, leaving us to shake our fist at the sky and exclaim, “Why, Houston? Why?!”Yes, we love you.