Aerospace technology (compliments of NASA) and telecommunications heavy hitters AT&T and CapRock Communications widen the business base and attract other companies to the area. And the success of Continental Airlines and food corporation Sysco (Fortune 500 companies both) helps erase painful memories of the Enron debacle. Hotels and restaurants have responded in kind to the exciting growth, giving business travelers places to work and play in style.

Where to Sleep
The "Everything Is Bigger in Texas" motto holds true, especially in Houston. The city is spread out, requiring most travelers to rent a car or choose a hotel close to their business meetings. Uptown is the epicenter of the city and contains its high-end neighborhoods, hotels, restaurants, and shopping. Both the sleek Hotel Derek, with its contemporary furniture and dark-paneled lobby, and the sophisticated InterContinental Hotel cater to the upscale guests who flock to the area. Tucked away in a relatively quiet quarter is the St. Regis Hotel, a favorite of dignitaries and politicians. Surrounded by towering green trees, the Houstonian Hotel is a lush respite with a lodgelike feel. The Manor House, which is on property, was the home of President George H. Bush before he and Barbara bought their Tanglewood home; it's now the Houstonian's signature restaurant, open only to hotel guests and to members of the exclusive Houstonian Club.

Downtown, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban prefers the Four Seasons, while many Major League Baseball and National Football League head honchos check in to the Hilton Americas, which features air-conditioned skywalks to the George R. Brown Convention Center, just across the street. The Alden Hotel merges contemporary Southern charm with sophisticated decor and is one of the city's best small hotels.

Black-lacquered furniture, bloodred accents, and a contorted mannequin sitting in a suspended cage greet guests at the Hotel Zaza, which, thanks to its ergonomic desks and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout, is popular with doctors attending conferences at the nearby Texas Medical Center.

Where to Eat
With the Gulf of Mexico in Houston's backyard and the wealth of cattle ranches just a short drive outside the city, there are plenty of places to linger over upscale surf-and-turf. Tillman Fertitta, a local restaurateur and owner of Landry's Restaurants Inc., introduced Vic & Anthony's, a steakhouse right across from Minute Maid Park that bats a thousand. Dark-wood paneling and white tablecloths complement steak and the award-winning wine list. Those who enjoy their steak with a side of naughty slink over to the Strip House, with its cheeky black-and-white pictures of burlesque dancers set against the deep-red walls. Locals are accustomed to seeing Houston Astros Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio around town, but the baseball greats and their buddies often sup at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse, known to oenophiles for its extensive and often exclusive wine list.

For a lovely mix of regional dishes, head to 17, in the Alden Hotel, where chef Ryan Pera perfects grilled quail, Gulf shrimp curry, and stuffed rabbit. The food is still heavenly at Mark's, a church turned restaurant by executive chef Mark Cox. His seasonal menu changes twice daily; book a table in the former choir loft above the main dining room floor. To experience a taste of Texas in a much more low-key setting, stop by Goode Co. Barbecue, in the West University area, for authentic and delicious meaty fare. The dining room is often packed, so patrons take their trays and order in assembly-style fashion, then find seats on the covered patio.

Where to See and Be Seen
Houston's wine bar scene is spilling over with upscale spots in which to imbibe. Head to Washington Avenue for a glass from Cova Wine Bar, The Corkscrew, or Max's Wine Dive, a popular after-work hangout for local chefs and a foodie mecca. The Tasting Room is a locally owned chain of wine bars with locations in Uptown's Galleria shopping center, Midtown, and River Oaks, where you can taste before you buy and linger as long as you like. If a trip to Houston requires a weekend stay, then Saturday brunch at Monarch, the Hotel Zaza's restaurant and bar, is an absolute must. Never-ending mimosas, a rockin' DJ, and a dance floor packed with some of Houston's most beautiful and accomplished young professionals put a twist on the more traditional late-breakfast experience.

Where to Close a Deal
Café Annie reigns as one of the preeminent restaurants in which to negotiate and impress; Kinder Morgan CEO Richard Kinder and Sysco CEO Richard J. Schnieders are among the power players who often orchestrate deals at the famed Uptown restaurant. Robert del Grande's Southwestern cuisine varies depending on the season, but the dishes are always superb. (Reserve table 10; the coveted spot is high in a corner on an elevated floor with a sweeping view of the entire dining room). Slip away to Ruggles Grille 5115, on the second floor of Saks Fifth Avenue, for New American dishes and enough privacy to take care of business. Despite Houston's warm and humid summers, many deals here are done on the back nine. BlackHorse Golf Course and even the municipal Memorial Park Golf Course are destinations for meetings in the great outdoors; hotel staff can arrange tee times at practically all of the city's golf courses.

Airport Intelligence
George Bush Intercontinental Airport is bustling with five terminals that are quickly covered by foot or by the free underground interterminal train that runs between terminals B, C, and D. Wi-Fi was recently added to the list of amenities, but unlike many other domestic airports elsewhere, the Internet access at Bush isn't free. International travelers can take advantage of the duty-free shop in Terminal E for perfume, cosmetics, and jewelry or pop by the Metropolitan Museum of Art store or Borders Books for some last-minute shopping. Taxis are easily hailed outside each terminal, and rental cars are available.

Local Codes
Business leaders in this conservative city keep a low profile and, instead of making a show around town, they demonstrate their wealth through their wives' philanthropic endeavors. Houstonians pride themselves on being friendly, so don't be surprised if within minutes of meeting people they are asking about your family and telling you about theirs. However, when it comes to the freeways, be prepared for some NASCAR-inspired drivers—watch the roads carefully. And many people still answer women with a "yes, ma'am" or "no, ma'am," regardless of her age.

The Three-Hour Tour
Hop on Houston's light-rail and stop to explore the Museum District. The Museum of Fine Arts is an enormous two-structure building joined by James Turrell's The Light Inside tunnel, and is home to the greatest assemblage of African gold objects in the world as well as Impressionist and Postimpressionist pieces by Manet, Pissarro, and Matisse. Across the street, the aluminum-clad Contemporary Arts Museum is a soaring space with ever-changing mixed-media exhibits. Down the street, the Museum of Natural Science educates with the requisite dinosaurs, but it also wows with the Cockrell Butterfly exhibit, a three-story inverted glass cone that mimics a rain forest. In the area, too, is the worthy Menil Collection, a Renzo Piano-designed museum holding the private assemblage of the collectors John and Dominique de Menil.    

-Heather Stabile