Houston

As of February 2017, still Zone D'Erotica, per Streetview. It was there dating back to the mid-90s (at least), if memory serves.

Going to Houston for a quick weekend at beginning of June for baseball. Also Looking for Vietnamese, African, Creole/Cajun, and barbecue food ideas.

rent a car so you can drive to all the good restaurants, which mostly live in strip malls in the vast suburbs ringing the city.

yeah a vehicle is a must-have in Houston

preferably an F150 pickup

So we had a great time in Houston and ate Indian, Ghanaian, African-American Barbecue, Mexican and went to an Astros game, a tour of their stadium, a zydeco & more accordions concert, museums, art car museum and stuff. At a free outdoor funky folk art park we started talking to someone else who was there checking it out. He was a writer for GQ and his article proclaiming Houston the capital of southern cool is now out:

https://www.gq.com/story/houston-restaurants-capital-of-southern-cool

What were some of the restaurants you liked? I need to get to know Houston better.

As others spelled out above, Houston is sprawling and restaurants are spread out in strip malls and neighborhoods all over. We liked the below (Anthony Bourdain featured Himalaya and Burns Original BBQ on his Houston episode)

Afrikiko restaurant- Ghanaian place

Gorditas Aquascalientes -Mexican

La Guadalupana Cafe and Bakery- Mexican

Himalaya Restaurant- Indian and Pakistani

Burns Original Barbeque - African-American

I was a fan of Himalaya when I lived in SW Houston. At the time, the general recommendation was to let the 60-something proprietor pick out what he wanted you to eat. The pilaf dishes were huge.

At the time, I would have also called out Caracal (Mexican seafood), Mai's (midtown Vietnamese), Blue Nile (best Ethiopian I've had in 4 cities, not incl. DC), Star Pizza (Chicago style pizza).

Should I ever mend bridges with my mother, I'll drag her to Afrikiko, that sounds fun.

When I was in Houston a little while back, I ran into writer Joe Nick Patoski at a zydeco and Cajun show at a park. He told me he was going to southern soul bar the Silver Slipper. He didn't mention they had live music, just the jukebox. I didn't go. I should have.

http://www.texashighways.com/culture-lifestyle/item/9051-experience-one-of-the-best-live-music-scenes-in-texas-at-houston-s-silver-slipper

Pour One Out....

https://abc13.com/society/zone-derotica-in-galleria-area-to-be-replaced-with-velvet-taco/5329982/

https://i.imgur.com/sYAi983.jpg

Ha! Was just coming here to post that a taco place is opening up where the Galleria Zone D'Erotica was, only to see that the news was broke here by me upthread almost two years ago.

WE GOT 50 CENT

I Love NY, but i live in Houston now i’ll explain later.🚦Green Light Gang 💣BOOM💥 pic.twitter.com/z6FAkAYwB4

— 50cent (@50cent) May 4, 2021

did he buy the Astrodome and move into it?

Possibly! Would make as much sense as any other plans for it.