CultureMap Houston

3 days ago | houston.culturemap.com | Chris Shepherd

Sometimes, the stars just align. That was the case for my wife Lindsey and me on a recent trip to New York City. We were there for one night — one shot to eat somewhere memorable — and somehow landed a reservation at Semma, the Southern Indian restaurant from the team at Unapologetic Foods. And today? It just got named the No. 1 restaurant in New York by The New York Times. Not a bad coincidence. Here’s how critic Priya Krishna describes it: New York is teeming with Indian restaurants.

3 days ago | houston.culturemap.com | Jef Rouner

The Texas Legislature has named University of Houston professor Kevin Prufer as the 2026 Texas State Poet Laureate, one of the highest artistic honors in the Lone Star State. “I am delighted and surprised to be appointed the Texas poet laureate,” Prufer said in a statement. “Nobody writes poetry for recognition, but it’s always nice when you realize all those nights spent writing upstairs in the dark had an impact on people.

4 days ago | houston.culturemap.com | Eric Sandler

all day and all of the nightEric SandlerJun 3, 2025 | 4:15 pmA hotel in the Heights has refreshed its poolside bar. Soluna is now open from morning until late night at the Heights House Hotel. Opened last week, Soluna replaces Space Cowboy, which opened in 2021. The new name, a combination of the Spanish words for “sun” and “moon,” also indicates new management, with Betelgeuse Betelgeuse owner Chris Cusack stepping in to oversee the concept.

4 days ago | houston.culturemap.com | Jef Rouner

Houstonians looking to bring home a new dog or cat this month have a chance to do so at a steep discount. The Houston Humane Society is hosting a "name your price" adoption event throughout June. "Love has no price tag, and neither should the joy of having a pet," the Houston Humane Society said in a statement. Adoptions usually cost between $50 and $195. For the entire month, all adoptions of dogs and cats one year or older will be purely pay what you can.

5 days ago | houston.culturemap.com | Eric Sandler

A Houston bar is basking in the national spotlight. Bon Appètit has named Lee’s in Rice Village to its list of The 9 Best New Bars of 2025. Published last week, the list spotlights new bars in cities ranging from cocktail staples like New York and New Orleans to an establishment in Madison, Wisconsin that served a menu inspired by the Great British Bake-Off.