My Neighborhood: Houston’s Third Ward

Brays Bayou Hike and Bike Trail A visit to the Children’s Museum Houston with his sons 10 years ago set Chris Williams on an unexpected journey to becoming one of Houston’s most celebrated chefs. After packing his kids into the car, the Houston native noticed a for-sale sign on a 1923 Mission-style house in disrepair and, he says, “I could see the entire layout of the restaurant, the full vision of what it could be.” That vision became Lucille’s (5512 La Branch St., 713.568.2505), a highly regarded, refined hotspot for Southern cuisine that opened in 2012 and is named after Williams’s great-grandmother, Lucille B. Smith, a pioneering culinary entrepreneur. Chef Williams’s roots in the Lone Star State go deep: His family has been in Texas for more than 180 years, with a long history in the Sunnyside neighborhood of southern Houston. Today Williams makes his home in the Third Ward, bordering the Museum District (where Lucille’s is located), and he feels right at home. “The Third Ward is the cultural epicenter of the city; it’s the most diverse area. It’s historically Black, vegetarian, just a very woke part of the city that’s been that way for about 70 years,” he notes. —by Amy R. Partridge WALK THIS WAY An avid cyclist who “hates driving in Houston,” Williams practically lives on his bike and frequently “knocks out a 30-mile ride.” His Third Ward duplex is a five-minute ride from the Bayou, and Williams’s pick is the Columbia Tap Rail-Trail, which takes him between Brays Bayou Hike and Bike Trail (at 35 miles, it’s the longest greenway in Houston) and Buffalo Bayou Park, which boasts skyline views and killer public art. When his wheels are not spinning, Williams can be found at Emancipation Park (3018 Emancipation Ave., 832.395.740 0), which has roots as an early location for Juneteenth celebrations and today boasts a new recreation center and swimming pool, a sprayground, tennis and basketball courts, and a walking trail. CULTURE FIX Houston Museum of Natural Science Not surprisingly for someone who spends a lot of time in the Museum District, Williams considers the area’s cultural offerings a point of pride. “The museums here are fantastic,” he says. “The Children’s Museum Houston (1500 Binz St., 713.522.1138) is the largest in the country. I used to take my kids there all the time. I also love The Museum of Fine Arts (1001 Bissonnet St., 713.639.730 0); they just had the incredible Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power exhibit.” Rounding out Williams’s picks is the Houston Museum of Natural Science (5555 Hermann Park Dr., 713.639.4629). One of the country’s most visited museums, it boasts four floors of exhibits, a planetarium, and a butterfly center. Children’s Museum Houston TOP EATS Lucille’s Though Williams is a foodie, he avoids restaurants. “I intentionally don’t eat out in the city because I don’t want to be inspired by another chef. I don’t want their perspective to end up on my menu,” he explains. His exceptions? “Cheap Mexican dives,” which he says are plentiful. He also can’t pass up Reggae Hut (4818 Almeda Rd., 713.520.7171) for the Escovitch Snapper. Williams’s own restaurant, Lucille’s , draws diners from across the country for its renowned dishes. The chef’s take on his grandmother’s famous chili biscuits—which have been served on American Airlines flights and at the White House—are a must. Lucille’s “has changed the metrics of what Black restaurateurs can do in Houston,” says Williams, who is classically trained in Southern, French, Mediterranean, West Indian, and East African cuisine. He’s also changing the metrics when it comes to COVID-19 response: Despite an 86% drop in business, Williams has retained his entire staff and donated more than 85,000 meals to those in need. Find your next home in Texas today.