Space City Cinco: Houston, Texas

There are five crucial questions a journalist must ask (and, ideally, answer) when researching and developing a story: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. These Five W's, along with a bonus "How" for further clarity, will preclude each blog post to provide proper insight into this weird, wild nomadic journey.

The Five W's + H:
Who: Meet the Pages: Christina (nurse with the travel thirst), Sophie (cat with a knack for licking her own butt crack) and me (writer and general delighter)
What: Top 5 places to drink up 
Where: Houston, Texas
When: March 2022 - July 2022
Why: While Christina spent the majority of her childhood living in H-Town, she never lived outside of her hometown suburbs in Spring, Texas. This trip allowed her to see more of the city she only saw sporadically growing up. As a bonus, my uncle lives close to the city, and her parents still live about an hour north. It was the perfect opportunity to be close to family and enjoy Houston in a way neither of us had experienced. 
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How: We reversed course and retraced our steps through 1200 miles and 19 hours of drive time. Once again, we navigated through Arizona and New Mexico, ended day one in familiar El Paso, trekked through Texas, and ended our second day with a foray in Fredericksburg. After three days on the road we finally made it to Christina's original stomping ground: Houston, Texas. 

Five Places to Drink Up: Houston, TX

Sixty Vines (2540 University Blvd. Houston, Tx 77005)

Quotable: "New age Italian eats with a bevy of wines on tap." 

One of the first places to visit in the vast concrete jungle that is Houston, Texas is the popular Rice Village sector located just southeast of downtown H-Town. In this small Rice University-adjacent nook there are many quality spots to grab a bite, one of which being the trendy and delicious Sixty Vines.

Located in virtually every major city in Texas, and with a couple of spots in Florida, this Italian eatery features a diverse menu and Texas-sized list of wine on tap. Sixty Vines features a plethora of unique wines, and even some local beer selections for your drinking pleasure.

Food-wise, all the Italian staples are here along with some fresh takes on old recipes. Start with the Crispy Zucchini (tapioca dust, shishito peppers, cilantro, sweet chili vinaigrette), which is flash fried and topped with a Thai chili sauce that is full of tart, sweet and heat. 

The Atlantic Salmon (shaved Brussels sprouts, shallot, braised peppers, smoked paprika vinaigrette) is a hearty helping, grilled to perfection and expertly seasoned.

Pizza at Sixty Vines is not to be missed. Play it safe with the tried-and-true Margherita (basil pesto, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, pecorino Romano, micro basil), or try something new with the vegan Broccoli & Potato pie (roasted broccolini, crushed potato, Calabrian chilies, tomato, rosemary, cashew cheese, cauliflower crust). Both options are thin on crust but full on flavor. ​

El Tiempo (3130 Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77098)

Quotable: "Top-of-the-line Tex-Mex with palapa-style patio area" 

One of my favorite things about taking a contract in Texas is being able to enjoy delicious Tex-Mex on demand. El Tiempo, located all across Houston, is a Tex-Mex experience not to be missed. 

Everything here is made from scratch using family recipes passed down over generations. Not surprisingly, everything at this Tex-Mex haven tastes fresh and delicious each and every visit (I went three times over the course of one week, so I can attest).

While this particular type of cuisine is typically meat-centric, El Tiempo prides itself on providing vegetarian options. Sides of beans and rice can be made vegetarian (86-ing the diced chicken in the rice and pork fat in the beans), and they even have a separate dedicated veggie section on the menu.

One such veggie option is the Black Bean Enchilada. This bad boy is filled to the brim with black beans and seasonal veggies, then smothered in house-made ranchera sauce. Since it's a scratch kitchen, your veggie entree could consist of whatever fresh veggies they've got a surplus of that day. For instance, one visit the Black Bean Enchilada was full of fajita veggies along with a decent amount of chopped asparagus, which was certainly different but delicious all the same.

My go-to here is something I haven't seen much, if at all, at other Tex-Mex establishments: grilled Salmon Fajitas. The salmon filet is grilled to perfection and teaming with flavor. Tack on your normal fare of rice and beans to go along with hot house-made tortillas and a side of garlic butter and you'll be enjoying your own personal fajita fiesta. 

Close out your comida with some sweet and crispy Sopapillas (served with a side of vanilla ice cream *drool*) and you've had yourself a Tex-Mex banquete. 

Lupe Tortilla (2414 Southwest Freeway Houston, Texas 77098)

Quotable: "Hometown cantina with a bevy of delicious Tex-Mex tastes" 

Lupe Tortilla may look like your average everyday Tex-Mex spot, but once you finally secure a table (they are very busy during peak hours and do not accept reservations) this place really hits the spot. Lupe has multiple locations across the Lone Star State, with most restaurants clustered in the Houston area. 

Lupe Tortilla makes your standard Mexican food fare, with Texas-sized flare: fajitas by the pound, huge helpings of nachos, a multitude of meat plate specials and all the tacos, burritos, and enchiladas you can think of to devour. These options are all fine and dandy, but there's one plate at Lupe that's the reason it made the cut: The Chicken Lupe Del Mar. 

Two marinated, mouth-watering grilled chicken breasts come topped with fresh pieces of succulent grilled shrimp, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, peppers, Jack cheese, and an addicting roasted red pepper cream sauce. There was only one instance I ordered Lupe Tortilla and did not get the Lupe Chicken Del Mar, and I haven't stopped regretting it since.  

Torchy's Tacos (2400 Times Blvd. Houston, Texas 77005)

Quotable: "The best queso around, hands down." 

Unlike the rest of this list, Torchy's Tacos is much more like fast food than a dine-in affair but don't let the efficiency of their art fool you. The quickness in which you get your grub doesn't take away from the fact Torchy's has the best queso in town, along with a unique and diverse selection of tasty tacos. 

What started as a food truck in Austin, Texas has grown to a premier taco powerhouse with more than 90 locations across 14 states​. Torchy's has this whole taco thing down to a science, with each entree cooked to order with responsible and ethically sourced ingredients. 

It all starts with the Green Chile Queso (pictured above in all its glory), a gooey masterpiece that's full of flavor and topped with guacamole (a solid bonus), cotija cheese, cilantro and the devilishly spicy Diablo Sauce. Legend has it that if you don't order the queso at Torchy's, the weird devil mascot (pictured above hunting its next victim) will find you like Liam Neeson in Taken. What it does after locking on to your location is anyone's guess, but I for one don't intend to find out.  

Torchy's also has just about any taco to fit your flavor profile, and features a unique  Taco of the Month to make sure there's always something new for you to scarf down. My personal favorite is the Fried Avocado taco: a flour tortilla stuffed with perfectly fried and crispy avocados, refried pinto beans (Torchy's refried beans are vegetarian by nature unlike a lot of taco joints), lettuce, pico de gallo, cheddar jack cheese and poblano sauce. Torchy's "trashy" option is highly recommended as it swaps out the lettuce for the amazing queso listed above.

Rodeo Goat (2105 Dallas St, Houston, TX 77003​)

Quotable: "Go-to spot for fully customizable gourmet burgers." 

Got beef with beef? That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice tasty burgers. Rodeo Goat gives non-cow consumers plenty of options to enjoy America's favorite savory sandwich without the guilt. In fact, every specialized house burger can be swapped with a house-made veggie or Impossible patty .

One such special sandwich is The Telluride (pictured above), topped with green chiles, bibb lettuce, tomato, onion, gooey poblano goat cheese, and a green chile chutney. This burger brings the heat and hits the spot with an array of savory flavors. 

While Houston legend Mike Jones' phone may not be blowing up now like it was Back Then in the mid 2000's ($10,000 to anyone who saw this segue coming), my personal favorite, the (281)-330-8004 burger at Rodeo Goat is Still Tippin'. With garlic-roasted cremini mushrooms, pickled onions, gruyere cheese, and soy caramel glaze, it's no coincidence that this exceptional burger be Turning Headz.