River Oaks

This cycling studio is, in a word, remarkable. The highly trained instructors give you the benefit of intense, focused attention for forty minutes of heart-rate-pumping pedaling.

Wendi Koletar opened this boutique in Austin twelve years ago, and she finally let Houston in on her sharply refined taste with a River Oaks outpost in 2016.

We've been fans of the exceptional shopping experience that is Forty Five Ten since we first discovered the original location in Dallas.

Local Foods has been packed with lines out the door since it first opened in Rice Village in 2011. Perhaps the new downtown locations can disperse the crowds, but it's doubtful considering the love for this sandwich shop runs deep.

An ode to contemporary Houston, State of Grace has been appropriately established inside a refurbished shopping mall.

A stone's throw from the Galleria and the traffic-congested streets of Houston, the St. Regis offers the biggest luxury of all: quiet.

The first time you stumble into Sloan/Hall, you might think you're in a museum. The gallery/life space has everything from greeting cards and collector's books to a gold-plated robot beside a twelfth-century Italian chest to a French perfume collection, Etat Libre d'Orange. The vibe here can be ironic, so this is a great place to get a gift for a friend with a sense of humor and edge.