City Cast Houston

It’s Food Tuesday and we’re putting down those played out sugary mocktails for some sophisticated non-alcoholic drinks from Texas’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop, Sipple. Founders Danny and Helenita Frounfelkner join the show to talk about what led to creating Sipple, why this is more than just a trend, and what you need to try ASAP from the store! Learn more about Sipple by following them on In...

Houston was ranked as the 12th hardest place to live for people with allergies by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. So today we’re chatting with Jessica Rajan, M.D., FACAAI, FAAAAI Board Certified Allergist, Immunologist, and founder of Bellaire Allergy and Asthma about why allergies are so bad in Houston, how you can prepare for pollen season, and an indoor allergy that causes a lot o...

Happy Friday, y'all! Political contributor and Pulitzer Prize Finalist Evan Mintz joins culture contributor Antre’chelle Dorsey to recap some of the biggest stories of the week with host Raheel Ramzanali. From the highly controversial ‘Death Star’ bill to a water shortage that could impact Houston, the group breaks it all down. They even get into a debate about Whataburger and Taylor Swift! Intere...

It’s 420 so you know we had to do a show focusing on cannabis in Houston. While products like Delta-8 and CBD are legal in Houston, THC is still illegal for recreational use. Could that change in the near future? City Cast Houston host Raheel Ramzanali sits down with Emily Joubert from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law’s Cannabis Law Student Association and Adanary Jacques, founder of the Urban...

The Karankawa people once freely roamed the Texas coast as the first settlers, but around 1860 they disappeared due to persecution from Spanish Anglo Texans. Producer Carlignon Jones sits down with Absolem Yetzirah to talk about the tribe’s history and future to be recognized as an official tribe by the state. Learn more about the Karankawa Tribe here. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Let...

For the last four years, Eric Davis has been on a culinary journey as @EricEatsHTX and has built up a following of over 246k fans. However, during that journey there has been one Houston food trend that he's ready to see go away. Raheel also gets some great recommendations from Eric about places you need to try now and how his food blogging helped him during his kidney replacement. More info on Er...

Gun violence is an important issue for many Houstonians and a new report from the Harris County Commissioners Court’s Analyst’s Office studied how gun violence is impacting our youth. Host Raheel Ramzanali sits down with Interim Director Amber Weed and analyst Aresha Davwa to recap the most important information and numbers from the report. Youth Gun Violence Report Interested in advertising with...

We made it to another Friday! Political contributor and Pulitzer Prize finalist Evan Mintz and writer Shiyam Galyon join host Raheel Ramzanali to talk about the recent spike in gun violence, the truth behind the rise in population in the region, and the new candidate that has entered the City Controller’s race. Follow our contributors on twitter @ShiyamG and @evan7257! Want to learn more about the...

We all love HEB and the delicious snacks that line it's shelves! But, picking the right snack can be overwhelming. So, today we’re bringing in Emily Meghill, the creator of @heb_obsessed on Instagram, to join producer Carlignon Jones, newsletter editor Brooke Lewis, and host Raheel Ramzanali to pick the best Texan HEB snack, the best poolside HEB snack, the best HEB snacks for kids, and more! Want...

Since 1976, The Ensemble Theatre has been preserving African American artistic expression as one of the largest professional African American theatre's in the Southwest. Producer AK Al-Moumen caught up with actor Timothy Eric and actress Michelle Elaine to talk about The Ensemble Theatre’s rich history, the new production "Clyde’s", and so much more! Get your tickets to CLYDE'S here Our morning ne...

Shun Japanese Kitchen is changing the game by combining Houston influences with high-level Japanese cooking techniques. Head Chef Naoki Yoshida joins host Raheel Ramzanali to talk about his experience as a second-generation Houston restaurateur, how his wife Renee Yoshida's famous pear tart led to love, why we need to stop putting Hot Cheetos on sushi, and so much more! Looking to try this life-ch...

Sure, we all sort of understand how inflation works, but how does it REALLY impact us? TikTok’s unofficial economist and University of Houston adjunct professor Chris Clarke joins host Raheel Ramzanali to explain the true impacts of inflation on your pockets, how inflation headlines impact buying habits, and the one thing you need to do right now to fight inflation. Keep up with what's going on in...

We made it to another Friday! Political contributor and Pulitzer Prize finalist Evan Mintz and culture contributor Antre’chelle Dorsey join host Raheel Ramzanali to recap the biggest story, most overlooked story, and moments of joy from the week. From how OPEC’s recent decision will impact the Houston economy to felony charges for painting over the "Be Someone" sign, the crew breaks it all down! F...

There’s something special about driving down I-45 for an hour to be greeted by the sounds of seagulls and waves crashing on the shores of Galveston’s beaches. Unfortunately, not everybody feels that way about our beach neighbors to the south, so Raheel is here to convince lead producer Dina Kesbeh, producer Carlignon Jones, and Hey Houston editor Brooke Lewis on why Galveston doesn’t suck! Keep up...

Chet Garner, host of The Daytripper on PBS, joins Raheel to layout why Port Arthur is the perfect destination for a spring road trip. From crabbing to a look back on the deep musical history of the region, Port Arthur has it all! Chet gives a detailed itinerary that gives you the perfect blend of outdoor time, good food, and appreciation of the often forgotten town off I-10! Want more Texas roadtr...

Black Restaurant Week is under way until April 16th in H-Town and with so many delicious spots to try, we brought back Food influencer G from Bless Tha Belly to help us navigate the food scene. From the best lunch spots to the most Houston spot, G gives us a mouthwatering list of black-owned restaurants from across the city. Are you ready to go on a culinary journey with your guide G? Check out th...

Synthetic fentanyl related deaths in Houston are at crisis level, but politicians still haven’t legalized fentanyl testing strips even after public support from Governor Greg Abbott. Why is that? Cate Graziani of the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance joins City Cast Houston host Raheel Ramzanali to break down why bills are stalling out in Austin regarding these easy lifesaving strips and why other har...

Ah, Friday — We made it! It’s that time of the week where we look back at the biggest and most overlooked stories. From restricting transition treatment care for minors to the future of The Texas Observer, and so much more. Listen to host Raheel Ramzanali, political contributor Evan Mintz, and contributor Shiyam Galyon break it all down. Map of Forever Chemicals  Thousands of Forever Chemicals Inj...

Houston finally has perfect spring weather so the City Cast Houston crew gathered to give their best recommendations for four categories to enjoy spring in H-Town. Newsletter editor Brooke Lewis, lead producer Dina Kesbeh, and host Raheel Ramzanali give out some uniquely Houston spots to enjoy before it gets too hot! Dig World Memorial Hermann Park Miller Outdoor Theater Local Foods Empire Cafe Ke...

There have been wild lawsuits and stories making the headlines around town. From the state taking over HISD to the man suing his ex-wife’s friends for helping her get abortion pills. Host Raheel Ramzanali chats with media personality Charles Adams. He’s gone from HPD officer, presiding Municipal Judge, to now a practicing trial lawyer. Tune in for his unfiltered take on what's happening around tow...

You might not recognize the name Abbas Dhanani at first glance, but you’ve probably seen his content in your Instagram and TikTok feeds. He runs the popular account @HoustonEatz and the new smash burger restaurant Burger Bodega. City Cast Houston host Raheel Ramzanali chats with Abbas on his new restaurant and the best things to eat in Houston. Keep up with what's going on in Houston by subscribin...

Shocker, a big corporation is adding more fees to our bills. Electric bills have been skyrocketing for Houstonians since Winter Storm Uri and now CenterPoint plans to add another fee to lease mobile generators. Texas Consumer Association’s Elyse Yates joins host Raheel today to talk about how the TCA is fighting back on behalf of Texans when it comes to those pesky fees on our bills. Keep up with...

It’s finally Friday! Time to roundup some news from the week with political contributor Evan Mintz, producer Carlignon Jones, and host Raheel Ramzanali. The trio talk about bail reform in Texas, a massive new beach resort in Bolivar, the University of Houston’s new task force to address mental health and suicide prevention, and also former HISD teacher Shea Serrano’s new TV show on Amazon! Interes...

We’ve been hinting at it for a few episodes and now the day is finally here! Our big surprise is revealed in today’s episode. Plus, Houston can get crazy at times so we’ve put together 16 tips to survive H-Town. Did we forget any? Share them with us on social media or email us at houston@citycast.fm! Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Houston  Follow us on T...

Although Houston isn’t normally seen as a place for nature, the wildlife here is actually more unique than you think! All kinds of birds sore in our city, including one that is arguably one of the best fishing creatures on the planet! Producer AK AL-Moumen sits down with Cin-Ty Lee, author of Field Guide to North American Flycatchers and Scott Solomon, biology professor at Rice University, to find...