Emma Balter became Houstonia’s editor in chief in May 2023. She was previously the food editor of Chron, a features reporter for the Houston Chronicle, and an associate editor at Wine Spectator. She has also contributed to Condé Nast Traveler, Food & Wine, Eater, PureWow, Chowhound, and VinePair, among others. She graduated from Poynter’s prestigious Leadership Academy for Women in Media in March 2024 and has served on the James Beard Restaurant & Chef committee since 2022.

Emma has been a proud Houstonian since 2020 and loves to drive around to discover new pockets of the city—excursions that are mostly food-motivated. She currently lives in southwest Houston with too many cats and will one day learn how to take care of her raised beds properly.

Prime Cuts

The Most Unique Steakhouses in Houston

There are plenty of restaurants to choose from for a good cut of meat, but only so many of them are worth your money.

05/06/2025 By Sofia Gonzalez and Emma Balter

H-Town Till We Drown

150+ Reasons to Love Houston

Why we’re still totally in love with (and committed to) the Bayou City.

04/11/2025 By Emma Balter, Uvie Bikomo, Sofia Gonzalez, and Meredith Nudo

A Rant

7 Totally Reasonable Wishes to Make Houston Even Better

We’re H-Town’s biggest champions, but here are some ways we’d love to see the city get its act together.

04/11/2025 By Emma Balter

Happy Birthday

What We (and You) Want in the Astrodome

In honor of the 60th anniversary of the landmark’s opening, we compiled our ultimate wishlist for potential redevelopment.

04/09/2025 By Emma Balter, Uvie Bikomo, Sofia Gonzalez, and Meredith Nudo

Reasons to Love Houston

Let's Play Houston Food Bingo

So many international cuisines are available right here in Houston.

04/01/2025 By Emma Balter

Reasons to Love Houston

The 3 Great Things About Houston’s Weather (Not The Onion)

Yes, you heard us. There are a handful of reasons to embrace our sweltering, scorching, sizzling, surprising (derogatory) climate.

03/31/2025 By Emma Balter

The Big Easy

This Year, You Can Find Us in New Orleans

What we need right now is a big party, and our special neighbor to the east always delivers.

03/21/2025 By Emma Balter Photography by Cedric Angeles

Quiet Cowboy

How to Avoid the Crowds at the Houston Rodeo

Here are the best and worst times to visit the biggest event of the year.

03/04/2025 By Emma Balter

Ol’ Dusty Trail

The Rodeo’s Most Necessary, Unsung Hero? The Dirt.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo trucks in the same specialty dirt every year, bringing in around 4,000 cubic yards for the competitions inside NRG Stadium.

03/03/2025 By Meredith Nudo and Emma Balter