This newly opened coffee shop has dominated social media feeds with its housemade pistachio syrup, but the standout for me was its toast menu. A thick slab of sourdough is smeared with a thin layer of labneh, or strained yogurt, and topped with a thorough sprinkling of za’atar, a spice blend of sumac, thyme, and sesame. Tart and hearty, this toast is nothing like I’ve ever seen in Houston. —Erica Cheng, news and city life editor

9406 Gaylord Dr

James Beard Award–winning chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter, best known as Chef G, is known for her “unapologetically authentic” Thai cuisine at Street to Kitchen, meaning, in part, that she doesn’t waver on her spice levels (not even for Madonna). For Houstonia’s pre-Thanksgiving staff lunch celebration, we chose this East End staple—breaking the theoretical bread over a table of spicy corn fritters, a tom yum soup that left one of our editors in shambles, a creamy pumpkin curry, delightful pad see yew, and a papaya salad with a sauce that another editor literally drank. We also splurged on the steak, which might be one of the best in Houston. Sliced and layered in a sticky rice coating, the New York strip, made with an exceptional slab of beef, was tender enough to tear apart with chopsticks—another fine display of Chef G’s Northern Thai roots. We finished with coconut ice cream, shallot, and caviar; a taro cake; and the classic mango sticky rice. If you decide to follow our lead, wear your comfy clothes and your stretchiest pants. You’re going to need room. —Brittany Britto Garley, editor in chief

3401 Harrisburg Blvd, ste G

Yes, you totally need to dine at Zaranda. Our food and travel editor, Sofia Gonzalez, gave us all the details on why James Beard Award–winning chef Hugo Ortega has created a new hit that explores California and Mexico without borders. The result is fancy tableside Caesar salads, next-level duck tacos, and one of the best roasted octopus Houston has to offer. But if you can only stop in for a drink, this Downtown restaurant offers plenty of options to whet your palate. I'm admittedly not much of a drinker these days, but the signature Zaranda margarita is a blend of fresh ingredients that make it hard to turn down. Blanco tequila is paired with lime, hibiscus-pineapple gastrique, and rose water, with a citrus salt lining that makes for a cocktail that hits all the right notes. —BBG

1550 Lamar St, Ste 101

Easy Credit Dance Theater and punk-blues outfit Easy Credit Band take over the  Super Happy Fun Land gallery and performance space this Friday, November 21, to present their new rock opera USA Vamp, a much-needed send-up of American imperialism, authoritarianism, and nationalism. —Meredith Nudo, senior culture editor

3801 Polk st

Embrace your inner child at this new touring inflatable art installation and museum. From now through April 19, 2026, visitors can wind through the building, starting with a room filled with stackable air-filled structures that you're free to assemble or knock down (my toddlers had a blast with this), before making your way to other spaces filled to the brim with airy objects. Favorites include the sensory-friendly pool-size ball pit complete with its own light show, the vertical Baun(cy) House, endearing swings for adults who are children at heart, and a room where you can immerse yourself in psychedelic floating balloons. —BBG

2501 Commerce St

This is the last weekend to view Edgar Negret, Louise Nevelson, and Eduardo Ramírez-Villamizar’s works in New Classicism in Collage at Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino gallery. It’s the first time the three artists have been shown together in 50 years, though Nevelson mentored Negret and Ramírez-Villamizar. On display are abstracted experiments constructed of cardboard, sheet metal, paint, and other media. —MN 

1506 W Alabama

Look, you’re going to have a pretty art-filled Saturday, because this is also the last day for Wayward Lines at Throughline gallery. Artists and Throughline Collective members Jonas Criscoe and Trent Teinert use overlaps in space and concept to explore binaries like permanence vs. impermanence and structure vs. collapse through improvisation and mixed media. —MN 

3909 Main ST

The Indo-American Association closes out its 2025 season with a celebration of the life of beloved, influential filmmaker Raj Kapoor, who would’ve celebrated his 101st birthday this year. Experience Bollywood’s golden age through an evening of evocative drama and romance through song. —MN

2929 Unity