“Houston, we have a problem” is among the most memorable movie lines. In the 1995 film “Apollo 13” it was spoken by Tom Hanks as astronaut Jim Lovell to NASA mission control, referring to an explosion aboard the shuttle that threatened the lives of Lovell and his fellow astronauts.
Thankfully, in both the film and real life, tragedy was avoided.
Not to trivialize matters, but that same line might also be used to describe Houston’s public relations image when it comes to travel and tourism. It appears it does have a problem, often being viewed as just a sprawling, soulless metropolis in much the same way that Los Angeles, Atlanta and Phoenix are.
True, Houston is sprawling. But soulless? Nothing could be further from the truth.
It’s the place where the Republic of Texas was born on a sun-baked battlefield 16 miles east of the city. It’s the epicenter of Texas’ massive oil industry, no matter what the television series “Dallas” would have you believe. As previously noted, it’s home to NASA’s mission control at the Johnson Space Center, where the tour is an absolute must for visitors.
Most of all, Houston is a cosmopolitan city with a diverse population and a food and cultural scene that rivals those of New York or Chicago. WalletHub, using five key indicators, recently ranked the Bayou City as the most diverse in the nation.
Ethnic food nirvana
That diversity can be seen in the city’s array of ethnic restaurants. Sure, you can find Lone Star staples like barbecue and Tex-Mex aplenty, but you can also find Cameroonian stew, Mongolian hot pot, Ethiopian kitfo, and Cambodian spinach and artichoke kolache.
The latter is on the menu at Koffeteria, a Cambodian bakery/deli in downtown Houston’s East side. The sweet and savory offerings of Chef Vanarin Kuch and his husband Andreas Hager have found a loyal clientele.
On the opposite end of the culinary spectrum from Koffeteria is Annabelle’s Brasserie in Autry Park on Buffalo Bayou. From the pink vintage car at the entrance to the masses of colorful floral mobiles inside, Annabelle’s embodies the joie de vivre of the French countryside.
Settle in with a glass of champagne at brunch, and select from dishes such as French Ham and Raclette omelette, Wild Mushroom Tartine and Croque Monsieur or Madame.
But perhaps the most memorable meal you will have in Houston (actually in Kemah, between Houston and Galveston) is the feast at th-prsrv (The Preserve). Here, at a communal table under trees festooned with lights, guests indulge in a multi-course indigenous tasting menu where two food cultures collide.
The chefs — Jabthong Benchawan Painter, from Thailand, and David Skinner, a Choctaw tribal member from Oklahoma — have used parallels in their respective cuisines to present dishes from the precolonial period of both nations, allowing for a taste of each culture’s rich history and heritage.
As Skinner likes to say, “We are inviting diners to become archaeological excavators on an indigenous journey.”
Each neighborhood tells a different story
Food isn’t the only place where Houston’s diversity can be seen. It’s found in the city’s neighborhoods — whether it be the sprawling mansions and manicured lawns of swank River Oaks, where a typical home goes for $4 million; the Museum District, home to cultural attractions from the Museum of Fine Arts to the Houston Zoo; or downtown, with its high-energy urban lifestyle.
Cultural attractions can be as high-brow or as low-brow as you want. The Houston Grand Opera is worthy of its name; there are 20 museums in the city’s seven cultural districts (many of which are free), and the Tony Award-winning Alley Theater is the third-oldest resident theater in the United States.
Even if you love a thrilling aria or a cleverly delivered aside, you might also be in the market for something a little more “down and dirty.”
Maybe catch an Astros game at Minute Maid Park, or learn to line dance. You can’t go “Lookin’ for Love” at Gilley’s Club anymore, as the football field-sized honky tonk that served as the setting for the movie “Urban Cowboy” is no more. You can, however, Texas two-step the night away at Rowdy’s Dance Hall or Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon.
And if you happen to find yourself in Houston this year between Feb. 27 and March 17, check out the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest event of its kind in the world.
If the bard of Avon is more your style than beef on the hoof, there’s the Drunk Shakespeare Society at the Emerald Theater. The intimate space — decorated like a library — is the setting for a Shakespearean play (in this case, MacBeth) staged by a troupe of five actors.
You might wonder, what’s so unique about that? Just the fact that throughout the performance, one of the actors — encouraged by the audience — is forced to play his/her part while taking shots of whiskey. On the night I was there, Lady MacBeth was tipsy enough that she didn’t even notice the blood on her hands, let alone be able to wash it off.
The Drunk Shakespeare Society promises a night of hilarious fun not soon forgotten.
A 5-star boutique hotel, a downtown high-rise
Houston accommodations are as diverse as everything else in the city. Lovers of boutique hotels will want to book a room (in the 1920s mansion, high-rise tower or garden bungalows) at La Colombe d’Or in the funky Montrose area, once described in a Texas Monthly article as “the strangest neighborhood in Texas.”
Inspired by the French auberge of the same name, Houston’s version has a massive front porch shaded by 100-year-old magnolias; art from the owner’s private collection; and a European sensibility that meshes well with the Lone Star spirit.
Speaking of Lone Star spirit, you’ll find it in spades at the downtown Marriott Marquis Houston. The hotel’s sixth-floor rooftop has an attraction worthy of the Lone Star State.
The lazy river pool in the shape of Texas allows guests to grab a tube and take a float trip around the state. The entire ride, from Beaumont to El Paso, takes 15 minutes.
Even if you aren’t staying at the hotel, you can purchase a day pass (starting at $80) and enjoy poolside programming, which ranges from Concerts Under the Stars in the summer to Texas Winter Lights during the holidays. And because the lazy river is heated, you can travel Texas in a tube all year long.
Texas’ most diverse city is a veritable smorgasbord of arts, culture, food, drink, sports, attractions and unique neighborhoods — a city that has plenty of soul to share.
