We love to check out some of the local art galleries when traveling. Peel Gallery in Houston felt like a very obvious choice, based on some of the images from their website. When I arrived I was shown some absolutely amazing work in a small but very open space. Then I made it to the gallery shop. And by gallery shop what I mean is JoshSpear.com store! Tons of stuff from our site including some favorites like Nooka watches and I hate Perfume scents, plus a ton of amazing new prodcucts. Chatting it up with curator Steven Hempel was like meeting an old friend of the site. Definitely stop by and check it out if you are in Houston– and mention where you heard about it!

We have eaten at a lot of tasty, beautiful, hidden and wonderful restaurants. When I made my way to Reef in Houston, TX I instantly found all of those things. A very attractive restaurant, visually– I was relieved to not see any blue or stuffed fish carcases hung all over the walls. Instead the restaurant felt like a 60s soft art-deco in a very open room with large windows for a really nice downtown feel. The settings and amazing food are worth the trip alone, but the really interesting thing about Reef comes from chef Bryan Caswell (checkout his personal fish blog). Raised in Houston, but training and cooking in coastal areas all over the world, Caswell has returned to Houston and opened up his own restaurant highlighting some of the overlooked fish from the Gulf of Mexico. A large majority of the fish on the menu at Reef come from the local waters (we approve). Besides the obvious cut back on shipping, it’s supporting the local fishermen. For a city that is infamous for being the fattest city in America (and thus the world), Reef is a gem of a contrast for it’s flavors and sustainability. But seriously, don’t forget to try the deserts, wow.