Lorretta Ruggiero

Houstonians have a lot of things to be thankful for, though heat, hurricanes and humidity can make us feel a bit sorry for ourselves at times. However, we always pick ourselves up by our bootstraps, or flip flops, and have a drink, eat some barbecue and help each other to...

It seems like happy hour deals these days are far less happy and far less common. Whereas the norm in the 1990s and early 2000s seemed to be weekday specials from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., current happy hours tend to run earlier and for fewer hours. Unless you take off work two hours early, you won't make it in time. And, of course, there are no longer happy hour buffets.

Lately, we've been in search of great happy hour deals and dining bargains that can stretch the worth of a dollar a little further. While Houston teems with luxury eateries that cater to corporate types wielding platinum company credit cards, we simple folk sometimes need options that offer less costly cocktails and cheaper eats.

Mexican Sugar, 3505 Dallas, is opening this December at Regent Square. Part of the FB Society portfolio, it already has Texas locations in Plano, Las Colinas and Uptown Dallas. The upcoming Houston location will be a two-story restaurant as is FB Society's most recent Houston foray, Haywire. It will span...

Trill Burgers, 6810 Louetta, is expected to open in Spring in 2025 and it's not the only new location of the cult-burger joint to open next year. There is also a location in Missouri City at Fort Bend Town Center on the horizon. The two new restaurants will join the...

Local Foods Market, 6100 Main, opened November 20 at Rice University's Brochstein Pavilion. Open to the public, the new location is the second for Local Food Group's market and restaurant concept. The first opened in Rice Village in 2021. This newest location offers some of the same sandwiches and salads...

Thanksgiving falls a little later this year than usual but that doesn't mean we are prepared for it. Even those of us who make a list and check it twice can forget a necessary ingredient or worse, the turkey. And there are the procrastinators who seem to love the down-to-the-wire crush of last minute shoppers fighting over the lone, dented can of cranberry sauce. No matter what type of Thanksgiving prepper you are, we have this year's grocery store hours to make planning a little easier. We've thrown in a couple of liquor stores and pharmacies as well because this year, we're going to need them.

Relish Restaurant & Bar, 12850 Memorial, debuted its second location December 2 in Town & Country Village. Owners Addie and Dustin Teague opened the first location in 2016 after the couple outgrew their shop, Relish Fine Foods. With executive chef Dustin leading the culinary program, the restaurant earned a reputation...

If you talk to some of the male members of my family, Mel's Country Cafe is the height of great dining. While quality is a factor in their personal fondness for the food, a lot of their praise goes to its portion sizes. The men in my family tend toward...

The holidays are upon us, whether we're ready for them or not. While we're busy decking the halls and jingle-jangling, we may forget a few items that we need for our holiday meals or parties. Just like the protagonist in Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses, we might be singing, "Oh damn!...