Houston: I’ll See You Memorial Day Weekend At Comicpalooza
Posted on February 19, 2014 Posted by John Scalzi 6 Comments
They’ve announced it, so I will too: I’m a literary guest at Comicpalooza, in Houston, TX, this Memorial Day Weekend. If you’re going, make sure you come and say hello. If you’re not yet going, well, see, obviously you should. More details to come the closer we get to the date.
Also, at the moment I’m posting this, Comicpalooza is running this contest for a free pass to the convention on Facebook. Like or comment to enter. Good luck!
Frist!
I travel to Houston relatively often, so a quick restaurant recommendation.
[No affiliation other than a satisfied customer.]
Great Tex-Mex, a short walk from the convention center:
Guadalajara del Centro, 1201 San Jacinto
http://www.guadalajarahacienda.com/
I look forward to reading about your adventures there, while I stay home.
That will be great!
I will see you there! I am looking forward to it.
Yay! You will get overwhelmed with food recommendations.
As a 20-year Houstonian, I’ll play.
You can do WAY better than the aforelinked tex-mex joint, if you want that sort of thing (and when in Rome…).
NE of downtown, on Navigation, are two “temples of fajita” that I’d rec interchangeably: the original Ninfa’s, and a branch of the local joint El Tiempo, about which HOLY CRAP. I advise you take an entourage, as they will absolutely overserve you with DELICIOUS MEAT brought to your table ON A LITTLE GRILL that still has FIRE in it. It’s not inexpensive, but it’s goddamn amazing. (2814 Navigation; you’d need a car. It’s close, but not THAT close. Ninfa’s is next door, which is not an accident.)
If you enjoy burgers, and wish to venture out from the convention center (oh God please do), one of the best purveyors of such things I’ve ever had is Hubcap Grill, at 1111 Prairie @ Preston. Texas Monthly declared him one of the best in Texas a while ago, and that’s saying something. It’s a bit NW of the convention center — walkable in good weather, close no matter what.
There is great Vietnamese food all over Houston; the largest concentration is on the southwestern side of downtown and is therefore less convenient to you at the con, but the also-excellent Hyunh is just behind the convention center (912 St Emanuel; probably get driven here considering the neighborhood).
Finally, in light of your in no way unseemly churro obsession, I’ll suggest the somewhat upmarket interior-Mexican restaurant Hugo’s (1600 Westheimer in Montrose, which is outside of but not far from downtown). This is reasonably fancy fare, but Houston is an informal city. Wear pants and you’re fine.
I implore you to avoid the churros occasionally on offer by the food service people in George R. Brown.