HOUSTON.....what to see??
 

Heading to Houston for the Super Bowl....any suggestions for museums..'must see' sights?
Restaurant suggestions?

It might be a good opportunity to visit the Space Center, and the grocery store Central Market would be a fun visit to gape at the finest assortment of goodies money can buy.

If your interests include science and nature and you have a science museum membership card, you can use your ASTC reciprocity in Houston and go for free to

1) Houston Museum of Natural Science and see the Living Genome exhibit and the butterly pavillion www.hmns.org

2) John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science and walk through the human body www.museumofhealth.org

3) Children's Museum of Houston is a hoot if you have young kids with you www.cmhouston.org

Houston has great museums. The Museum of Fine Arts is terrific, truly world class. Nearby are the Contemporary Arts museum, the Holocasut museum, and the Menil Collection.
And don't miss trying some of the great restaurants! Mark's on Westheimer is always good. If you are a meat eater, head to Fogo da Chou (sp?) on Westheimer for the best of the South American steak house genre.

Bailey -- you've been given good advice about the museums above. I definately would try to make time for the Museum of Fine Arts and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Both are great museums. In fact, I have relatives from Switzerland visiting and they went to the Fine Arts Museum today and spent hours and hours there.

As to restaurants, Houston has a wide variety of all kinds of restaurants from fancy ones to down home hole-in-the wall kinds of places. Let us know what you're looking for and we can make suggestions. You also might want to browse around on this website: houston.citysearch.com (and then look under restaurants).

I imagine the well known restaurants will be pretty crowded during the Super Bowl.

Susan

Thanks for the great info....
We'll be staying at the Hilton Americas in the downtown area near the arena.
Susan, restaurant suggestions would be great.....we have to 'entertain'....so upscale with good wine lists. We'll make reservations ahead of time!
Many thanks!!

You might want to try to get a reservation at Vic & Anthony's. It's a new upscale steakhouse that's within walking distance of the Hilton. It's pretty popular, so it's hard to get a reservation even when there's no Super Bowl.

I'll think of some others and let you know.

Here are some other ideas:

Brennan's (Creole restaurant at the edge of downtown; classy, with great service and ambience; great turtle soup, bananas foster)

Rouge (a new hot French restaurant in Montrose; www.rougehouston.com)

Chiravari (a Continental European restaurant in a little shopping center in Midtown; family-run; good food and service; not very well known)

Zula's (a new American restaurant downtown; www.zulahouston.com)

Cafe Annie (very upscale Southwestern restaurant in Galleria area; http://www.cafe-express.com/www/html/ca/ca_home.htm)

Masraff's (private building; upscale; notable wine list; www.masraffs.com; Galleria area)

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (outside of downtown; very expensive new steakhouse; part of a national chain; http://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/home.asp)

Quattro (upscale restaurant with good wine selection in Four Seasons Hotel; one block from Hilton Americas)

I tried to include in the selection above some more obscure restaurants, as I'm sure a lot will be booked up. If these don't work for you, let me know. There are plenty others to recommend.

Welcome to Houston.

Susan

By the way, the website for Chiravari is: http://www.charivarirest.com/

Susan

Susan....
Terrific.....I have them all written down..now all we have to do is make reservations!!
Which is your favorite??

Topping for Claudette. ((b))

I haven't tried them all yet. Cafe Annie is wonderful, although pretty expensive. I also like Masraff's, which is near Cafe Annie. They're both a little far from your hotel, but it shouldn't take more than 15 minutes (non-rush hour) or 30 minutes (rush hour).

My office building is actually right across the street from where you are staying. I've yet to try it, but Vic & Anthony's sounds like a good place for entertaining, and it's very convenient to your hotel. Quattro is also convenient, although I think the food is a little better at some of the others. (I frequently eat there for lunch.)

Mark's is also a good suggestion, offered by Seamus.

Be sure to let us know if you can't get reservations at any of these. There really are quite a few more to try. People may make fun of Houston for many things, but we certainly have a lot of really great restaurants.

Susan

Susan
Thanks for the great help....
If you have a chance & want to meet here's my e-mail address:
[email protected]
Once again thanks!!

And thanks Budman for topping!!

Sunday's New York Times Travel section(delivered with today's home delivery)
Has "What's Doing in Houston."

Bailey,

I sent you an e-mail directly, but I was thinking some more about the various choices of restaurants, and when I've taken out of town clients to Brennan's, they've always really enjoyed it. Good food, nice ambience, great service. It's also not too far from your hotel, although it will take about 5 minutes by cab.

It's definately an institution. It's the sister restaurant to the Brennan's in New Orleans. It's not upscale or cutting edge, just classy.

Susan

Mimi...Thanks for the info...I have a copy of the article!!!

Susan....yes!!! Can't wait to get together.
Brennan's sounds great!!

Here's a link to a Houston Restaurant Guide prepared by Texas Monthly that you might find helpful.
http://www.texasmonthly.com/food/din...n/spring2003/2

Susan