The Scoop on Houston Summer

A guide to FIFA World Cup 2026, a celebration of hip-hop holidays, and ice cold confections. Plus: summer reads from the city syllabus, Houston authors to watch, family-friendly restaurants, the best sports bars for watching soccer, and Texas road trips.

In this issue:

Arts & Culture

The City Syllabus

The Houston Summer Reading List, 2026

Need a summer read? Our favorite local indie bookstores have done the hard work for you.

06/12/2026 By Holly Beretto Illustrations by Curt Merlo

Hip-Hop History

The Story Behind Houston’s Most Iconic Dance Move

Nearly 30 years after Lil’ Keke released “Southside,” Houstonians still know every move—and the rapper never saw it coming.

05/27/2026 By Erica Cheng

Bookish Bayou

5 Houston Authors You Should Read This Summer

Anna Meriano, Bryan Washington, Helena Greer, Sim Kern, and John Merullo are writing Houston's most compelling stories right now.

05/15/2026 By Claire Sewell

The G.O.A.T.

The Case for Scarface as the Greatest Rapper of All Time

Scarface might have been born here, but the city has never defined his music.

04/20/2026 By Elisabeth Carroll Parks

Literary Houston

Inside the Mind of The New Yorker’s Most Houston Writer

Before he became the voice of Manhattan irony in The New Yorker, he was shaped by a city that few literary critics have given enough credit.

04/09/2026 By Travis Alexander

Ever Wonder Why

Why Claw Machine Arcades Are Taking Over Houston

Claw machine arcades—known as clawcades—are spreading across Houston’s Asiatown and beyond. Here’s why the trend is booming.

03/12/2026 By Erica Cheng

Yes, And…

Houston's Improv Scene Is Building Life Skills Through Play

These adults are rediscovering play through improv and building confidence and community along the way.

03/03/2026 By Emily Hynds

Bayougraphy

Exploring the Literary Life of Houston Poet Laureate Reyes Ramirez

Although he represents the city as its premier poet, Reyes Ramirez’s resume is loaded with short fiction, speculative fiction, art criticism, creative nonfiction, and even art curation.

02/25/2026 By Meredith Nudo

Where Black Stories Live

How One Houston Curator Built a Black Art Library of More than 800 Books

Inside Downtown’s Sanman Studios, Amarie Gipson has built The Reading Room, a culturally specific library dedicated to a stunning collection of Black art, history, and diasporic life.

02/11/2026 By Brittany Britto Garley

The Must List

The Introverted Pleasures of Blue Willow’s Silent Reading Parties

Following their COVID-era boom, silent reading parties have finally made their way to Houston, giving bibliophiles time to read, be social, and receive recommendations over wine.

01/07/2026 By Meredith Nudo

Eat & Drink

Behind the Pints

The Houston Ice Cream Makers Redefining the Frozen Dessert Game

Patra Lee’s Kitchen, Milk & Sugar, and Underground Creamery are changing what ice cream can mean.

05/13/2026 By Brittany Britto Garley

No Filter

Houston's Most Delicious Dishes Aren't Always the Prettiest Ones

Chicken feet, balut, oxtails, menudo, and more of the city's most unsung, unphotogenic dishes.

03/26/2026 By Brittany Britto Garley and Houstonia Staff

Experimental Dining

Texas's Wildest Fine-Dining Restaurant Is Back

Chef David Skinner revives Eculent, with playful interactive dishes, a new Liquid Lab cocktail program, and an AI-powered dining experience.

03/11/2026 By Brittany Britto Garley

Feeding the Algorithm

What It Takes to Be a Houston Food Influencer

As food influencers rise, questions of trust, sponsorship, and strategy follow.

03/04/2026 By Brian McManus

Fuel up

Where to Eat Near Houston’s NRG Stadium

There’s no reason to go to the Rodeo hungry.

02/26/2026 By Erica Cheng, Brittany Britto Garley, and Sofia Gonzalez

Home & Real Estate

Time to Play

Move Over, Man Caves. In Houston, It’s All About the Adult Playroom

From mahjong tables to golf simulators, Houston homeowners are reimagining their play spaces.

09/04/2025 By Diane Cowen

News & City Life

Yes Ma’am, No Ma’am

The Best—and Worst—Things About Houston’s Hot Summers

Our ‘hottest’ takes on what to do when Houston gets overheated.

06/15/2026 By Erica Cheng

FIFA World Cup 2026

FIFA World Cup 2026: Houston by the Numbers

Seven World Cup matches, 500,000 visitors, and a 39-day fan festival. Here’s how big the city’s FIFA moment really is.

06/03/2026 By Brittany Britto Garley

World Cup Fever

Where to Watch World Cup Matches in Houston

Local bars and pubs are going all out for soccer’s biggest event.

06/02/2026 By Erica Cheng and Meredith Nudo

World Cup Summer

Houston’s FIFA World Cup Summer Is Finally Here. This Is How the City Prepared.

Seven matches at NRG, a 39-day fan festival in EaDo, and $30 million in Downtown upgrades—inside Houston's years-long push to earn its World Cup moment.

06/01/2026 By Saba Khonsari

The Drawl

A Very Houston Word Search

Bayou, kolache, feeder road, swangin’. See how many Houston buzzwords you can find in this H-Town word search.

05/28/2026 By Brittany Britto Garley

Growing Pains?

Houston Is a Young City. So, Why Are So Many of Our Politicians Old?

Houston’s median age is 36. So why does the city keep electing politicians twice that age—and what would it take to change that?

04/23/2026 By Erica Cheng

Only in Houston

Trump vs. Turtles, AI vs. Traffic, Meteors vs. Roofs

Star light, star bright, first chunk of space rock to smash a roof tonight.

04/14/2026 By Meredith Nudo

Before FIFA

Houston’s Soccer Superfans Were Here Long Before the World Cup

Inside the Houston Gooners, Chelsea Blues, and FC Bayern Texas—the fan clubs keeping international soccer alive in Space City year-round.

04/10/2026 By Erica Cheng

On the Ice

How I Rediscovered Girlhood in a Houston Ice-Skating Rink

Alysa Liu skated her way into America’s hearts. I skated my way into the Houston Aerodrome.

04/08/2026 By Erica Cheng

The Beautiful Game

A Soccer Newbie’s Guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston

Rules, regulations, and teams to know before FIFA brings the World Cup to Houston.

03/09/2026 By Marco Torres

Get Inline

Beyond the Trend: How Roller Skating Creates Community in Houston

Roller skating experienced a resurgence during COVID-19 shutdowns, but the benefits and community go well beyond TikTok videos and Instagram snaps.

10/22/2025 By Meredith Nudo

Hip-Hop Lore

713 Day Is Houston’s Annual Citywide Holiday. Thank Rapper Lil' Keke.

Houston’s unofficial July 13 holiday is more than just area code pride—it’s a tribute to the city’s hip-hop legacy and one of its most influential voices.

07/11/2025 By Erica Cheng