As a recent graduate, I landed in Houston in July with the promise of a job, knowing little about the city beyond its unforgiving climate. But, as the months passed and the weather grew more pleasant, it revealed itself to be beguilingly alive.
Hotel Saint Augustine, bordering the Menil Collection art campus and the Rothko Chapel, is set among Houston’s prized live oaks, with a courtyard full of the eponymous Saint Augustine grass, native to the area. The renowned local chef Aaron Bludorn’s Perseid, an inventive rendition of a classic bistro, sits at the center of it all. I like the B.L.T.
From there, it is a nice walk through the Montrose neighborhood, known for its art and food scene. Un Caffeserves empanadas, tacos, croissants, and various drinks, including an Einspanner coffee, a Viennese drink consisting of espresso and whipped cream. A 15-minute drive north gets you to The Heights, a quiet section of the city filled with Victorian homes along a tree-lined boulevard, as well as antique and record shops — and, busy CasaEma, where the French toast is a favorite.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston houses almost 80,000 works across nine facilities, some connected via underground tunnels, making it the second-largest art museum in the Americas. The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building showcases art produced post 1900, including a street-level display of works by Jean Tinguely and Pablo Picasso, among others. If you only have time to see part of the museum, this is it.
For dinner, Tiny Champions and its nearby sister restaurant, Nancy’s Hustle, serve a great salami picante pizza and grilled ribeye, respectively. Back in The Heights, Baso is a Basque-inspired restaurant offering various wood-fired dishes.