Best of Houston, Houston Press

Houston connoisseurs rejoice! Houston Press's Best of Houston list is out! While I don't agree with all of the winners (Cheap Seats, Coach, Coffee, Empanadas, Greek Restaurant), it's a good starting place for discussion.

Best Cheap Seats
Winner: Astros
Should be: Dynamo or Aeros

Are you kidding me? While there are sometimes deals on Astros tickets, it isn't usually very cheap. For much less, you can see a Dynamo game or an Aeros game. The Dynamo are at the top of their league and feature a number of national team players, and the Aeros... well, hockey means you can watch fights. How's that for testosterone? They each also sometimes have deals.

Best Coach
Winner: Some Katy football coach
Should be: Dom Kinnear, Dynamo

I don't think there's even a comparison between a high school coach and a pro anything coach. Kinnear also has helped develop younger players to stars (Stu Holden, who got robbed for best Dynamo, but the guy who won is also a good player). Another acceptable option might be UH football coach Kevin Sumlin, but I think it's too early to tell.

Best Coffee
Winner: CoffeeGroundz
Should be: Catalina

All right, this isn't as much of a tragedy, but the CoffeeGroundz is just a popular choice, not necessarily a good choice. If you want good coffee, though, there are a number of better choices. Catalina, Taft Street Coffee, Minuti, Salento, and so on.

Best Empanadas
Winner: The Original Marini's
Should be: Tuttopane or Shell (in Katy)

Marini's was another popular choice. It's in a part of Houston that gets a lot of traffic. If you're willing to drive farther out, though, you can find some empanada treasures. And, yes, there is a Shell gas station in Katy where you can get great empanadas. Plus, you can get them either fried or baked.

Best Greek Restaurant
Winner: Yia Yia's Greek Restaurant
Should be: Alexander the Great.

Truth is, there are a bunch of great Greek restaurants in Houston, and Yia Yia's isn't a bad choice. However, it's also in the great-location category. Yia Yia's is good but overpriced, and Niko Niko's is a much better deal and is more homey. Droubi's is good, Phoenicia is good... truth is, if you want great Greek food that is well worth the price, go to Alexander (though, this also happens to be in a great location).

Also, benjy's should have won something.