Hillcroft: The Mahatma Gandhi District

A stretch of Hillcroft Avenue on Houston's southwest side is officially the Mahatma Gandhi District — the city's Little India, where sari shops, jewelry stores, and grocery markets share the strip with some of the best South Asian food in America. South Asian immigrants began settling here in the 1970s and '80s, and the district the city named for Gandhi in 2010 has grown into a dense, delicious cross-section of the subcontinent: North Indian curries, Pakistani kebabs, all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffets, and glass cases piled with jewel-colored sweets. This drive samples the essential stops, from a hole-in-the-wall run by a celebrated chef to a candy shop that's been perfuming the corner for decades. Distances are short, so you can hit several in one outing — but pace yourself, because the portions are generous and the sweets are hard to resist. Most spots are halal or vegetarian-friendly; when in doubt, ask, and let the counter staff steer you to the day's best dish.