04 November 2004
Food and drink roundup (11-04-2004 edition)
This week in Houston food reviews has Robb Walsh visiting Saffron, a new Moroccan restaurant on Lexington just off Shepherd. After a review that foodies should appreciate, Walsh concludes:
Belly dancers, exotic cocktails and an assortment of delicacies make Saffron one of the most exciting new restaurants to open in the city this year. With a few logistical adjustments to the silverware and seating, it could also become one of the most popular.
Great stuff from the most compelling writer at the Press.
Alison Cook pays a visit to Katy to the new Original Marini's Empanada House (which is obviously not quite original, since it's located some 30 miles from what was the original in the heart of Montrose). Cook's happy with the old favorite, which is great for folks in Katy one supposes. It would be nice, however, if Houston's only newspaper might devote at least one food review per week to a Houston restaurant.
They do go exploring bars this week, though. Gracie Ochoa devotes five paragraphs to the Indigo Lounge, and leaves the reader wondering if three wouldn't have been enough. And R.J. Middleton visits a few English-themed pubs, but not the Stag's Head Pub (unfortunately), which offers patrons wireless internet access in addition to a great selection of brews on tap.
And after a bit of a hiatus, Trivial Pursuits returns to food blogging, with a review of Kenny & Ziggy's Delicatessen in the Galleria area. blogHOUSTON readers should encourage TP to keep these great reviews coming. And if readers know of any other bloggers posting on Houston restaurants, please let us know, as it's an area where the local print publications are coming up a little short.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/04/04 07:31 PM |
Live music roundup (11-04-2004 edition)
David Cobb returns with his great rock-oriented local music roundup this week.
As usual, we're happy to highlight notable live music in the Americana/folk/Texas country music genre:
Thursday, November 4
Davin James, Blancos
Honky Tonk Heros, Firehouse Saloon
Sidehill Gougers, Mucky Duck
Friday, November 5
Chris Duarte, Continental Club
Peter Dawson, Firehouse Saloon
Phil Pritchett, Fitzgerald's
Jack Saunders, Mucky Duck
Saturday, November 6
Adam Carroll and Nathan Hamilton, Anderson Fair
Patrick Murphy, Firehouse Saloon
Mando Saenz, Mucky Duck
Always check with the venue before heading out to a show, as schedules can change (and we are far from perfect).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/04/04 06:53 PM |
01 November 2004
Galveston, oh Galveston
Thanks to our neighbors in Galveston, Houstonians may well get a sneak preview of products before other parts of the country:
Marketers launching any new product are nagged by an age-old question: "Will it play in Peoria?"
They should be asking: "Will it play in Galveston?"
Galveston, Texas, nestled along the Gulf of Mexico about 50 miles southeast of Houston, is the best test market in the United States, according to a new study by American City Business Journals.
ACBJ analyzed all 3,141 counties and independent cities across the nation, comparing them to the national averages for 20 statistical indicators. The closer a county comes to being a perfect microcosm of America, the higher its score is on ACBJ's 100-point scale.
First place belongs to Galveston County with a score of 89.24 points. Camden County, N.J., is second, followed by Hillsborough County, Fla.; Jackson County, Mo.; and Greenville County, S.C.
The supposed exemplar of middle-American values, Peoria County, Ill., can't match Galveston's prowess as a test market, but still ranks a respectable 19th with 85.27 points.
Congratulations, Galveston, on being so... average!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/01/04 09:23 PM |
Hunsicker steps down
Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker announced he is stepping down today.
Longtime assistant Tim Purpura will assume the job immediately.
Hunsicker says he will remain as an advisor next season. One can't help but wonder how long it will be before he moves on to a club without the budget constraints imposed by Drayton McLane.
(Update) Tom Kirkendall's review of Hunsicker's tenure is better than anything that will appear in the Chronicle tomorrow, AND has the virtue of being more timely.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/01/04 11:01 AM |
31 October 2004
Be yourself, Houston
A few days ago, the Chronicle ran a question and answer session with Joel Kotkin, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation who writes on urban development issues, broadly conceived.
It's a little shocking that the interview made it into print, since most of Kotkin's answers are antithetical to the most deeply held beliefs of so many Chronicle editors. Here's an excerpt:
Q: When discussing quality of life in Houston, words like heat, mosquitoes and traffic seem to permeate the conversation. How do we overcome this negative perception?
A: What is quality of life? Is it to most people what they can do in their neighborhood or back yard? Or is it having some magnificent edifice in the center of the city where they can go, "Oh my God, isn't that spectacular?"
Is the quality of life in Houston really bad? There are some things you can't do anything about. The climate is what it is. It's not like you don't pay attention to quality of life, but is quality of life defined by pouring billions of dollars into downtown so a bunch of yuppies can make believe they're in Manhattan?
Or is quality of life about hundreds of thousands and millions of people getting a house and having a decent quality of life and in many cases, for the immigrants, a quality of life that was unimaginable to their parents. Isn't that what America is about, or not?
Q: Some $300 million was spent on a 7.5-mile light rail system that runs from downtown to the Astrodome complex. Supporters said the train would help bring the city into the 21st century. Do you agree with that theory?
A: I think you are a 21st-century city. The cities that are built on transit are 20th-century cities. It's a good thing to have, but does a business move to Houston because it has a transit system? I hate to tell you your traffic's not that bad compared to a lot of cities.
It is a good thing to have. It's part of your infrastructure, like your airport and your port. But this idea that, "Oh, we'll be a world-class city." This endless — excuse the expression — this endless penis envy that cities have about, "Oh, if we can only be like someone else," instead of saying how do we work with who we are to make ourselves better?
I think it is a good thing, but it can't be more than a fraction of the solution. This is not going to be a city of straphangers. It's never going to happen. You probably can't afford to build a system to carry the number of people that go to work every day. Plus, if you look at the employment projection charts, they're moving further and further out.
Go read the entire article. I'm an admitted contrarian, but I don't have a contention with a single word from Kotkin.
Of course, I'm also a Houston booster, for which I make no apologies (and which partly explains the existence of this website). This quote is music to my ears:
This is a city of upward mobility and aspiration, and that's what Houston should be selling itself as. Not as, "Well, we're kind of getting like Boston, we're kind of hip and cool." To hell with that crap.
Houston has vitality. It's got young demographics. It's a city of opportunity. If I was 25 years old, I probably couldn't move to Los Angeles. Houston would be one of those places you'd look at: Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas.
Are you listening, Jordy Tollett?!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/31/04 03:10 PM |
28 October 2004
Food and drink roundup (10-28-2004 edition)
This was a busy week for Houston's food and drink writers, with plenty of good new stuff posted.
Robb Walsh makes a trip to the Barbecue Inn in the Heights with fried chicken aficionado John T. Edge, and offers up this ringing endorsement:
I go to Barbecue Inn as often as possible these days. You can't miss with the chicken-fried steak, the fried chicken or the fried shrimp. And now, I can say with some authority that the ribs aren't half bad either.
That's good enough for me. Elsewhere, Walsh shares some dirt on the Beard Foundation that may interest local foodies.
Alison Cook visits Pasha in the Village, and finds it a mostly good addition to Houston's lineup of Turkish restaurants:
In the end, though, a sweet earnestness pervades this cozy small house, and it triumphs.
Lean back amid all that pomegranate-colored warmth. Lift a feta-stuffed cigar and a glass of bone-dry Turkish white wine. And toast our collective good fortune in Turkish restaurants.
Diners on the northwest side of town may want to check out Molly Glentzer's thoughts on Red Onion Seafood y Mas.
Mona Shoup runs a letter about my favorite Tex-Mex joint in this week's Whine and Dine section:
Houstonian Mark Russell organized a celebration for 60 people at Spanish Village Restaurant, 4720 Almeda, that was scheduled after a memorial service.
"Imagine my surprise when many unexpected guests showed up. (The owners), who are genuinely good people, took it all in stride, took care of business and didn't get upset when we stayed after closing. This is the reason they have been in business almost 50 years and have more regulars than any place I've been."
Russell says the eatery serves great Tex-Mex and excellent margaritas in a fun atmosphere.
The family who run Spanish Village treat customers as extended family, but newbies who go there have to understand it's not Pappasito's. Things move a little more slowly, and the atmosphere is not as upscale. Those of us who are regulars consider those to be features, not flaws. And the enchiladas and shaved-ice margaritas are the best I've had in this great state. blogHOUSTON highly recommends Spanish Village.
Finally, Viet Doan reviews Proletariat, a funky little bar just off Montrose on Richmond. It's a good writeup, but neglects to mention that the Proletariat was resurrected on the site of the old Blue Iguana bar, one of this city's best dive bars (but a place that honestly did need some upgrades -- such as the holes in the old floor).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/28/04 09:14 PM |
Live Music Roundup (10-28-2004 edition)
I usually link to David Cobb's weekly roundup of live rock music in Houston, but he hasn't posted one for a couple of weeks (although he is running an interesting interview with local musician Jeff Greer).
The local rock scene is not really one that I follow, so I'm just going to stick to the usual roundup of the Americana/alt-country/Texas music that I follow more closely.
Thursday, October 28
Mark David Manders, Blanco's
Micky and the Motorcars, Firehouse Saloon
Friday, October 29
Reckless Kelly, Fitzgerald's
Tommy Alverson, Firehouse Saloon
Guy Forsyth, Mucky Duck
Patrice Pike, Continental Club (Lisa Novak opens)
Honeybrowne, Sidecar Pub
The Watchman, Anderson Fair
Saturday, October 30
Randy Rogers Band, Firehouse Saloon (Wade Bowen opens)
Austin Lounge Lizards, Mucky Duck
Peach Truck Republic, Last Concert Cafe
(Update) I forgot to mention, but always check with the venue before heading out to a show. We're not perfect here, and schedules sometimes change at the last minute.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/28/04 07:52 PM |
27 October 2004
Boo!
Halloween's right around the corner and ghosts seem to be in the news.
An HPD veteran insists his house is haunted in this month's City Savvy.
And a couple of local entrepreneurs get into the spirit by offering ghost tours of Houston area "haunted" buildings.
If none of this floats your boat, take heart. I heard Christmas music while shopping last Sunday.
(10-28-2004 Update) More on the Spaghetti Warehouse haunting here.
Posted by Callie Markantonis @ 10/27/04 11:43 PM |
25 October 2004
Two Texas country music shows of note
We normally post an Americana/alt-country/Texas country music roundup on Thursdays, but lately there have been midweek shows that deserve a mention.
That's surely true this week at the Mucky Duck.
Tuesday night, up-and-comer Randy Rogers will sit down with the legendary Kent Finlay of Cheatham Street Warehouse for a songwriters' night. Finlay has given many a Texas singer/songwriter a chance over the years, including Randy Rogers. Lately he's been suffering from some pretty serious health issues. It'll be my first time to see Finlay, and I'm looking forward to it. The show starts at 8:30 and is non-smoking, which should please a certain dermatologist-councilwoman.
Wednesday night, the legendary Joe Ely sits down for two separate acoustic shows that are also non-smoking. In the past, Ely has been joined in this setting by Joel Guzman, who is a genius with the accordion, but I don't know if that will be the case for these shows. No matter -- Ely can more than fill up the room himself.
I know I used the word "legendary" twice, but I'm not just throwing it around. Texas country music doesn't get any better than these two shows.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/25/04 10:08 PM |
24 October 2004
Phoenix, Dallas, and Decatur have world class health inspection priorities
Eileen Faxas of 11 News Defenders continues to pound the issue of accessible online food inspections, this time managing to get the mayor to sit down and answer some questions:
So after talking with many people on this subject, 11 News' consumer reporter Eileen Faxas got to talk with the one person who has the power to make the ultimate decision.
Bill White's staff gave 11 News 25 minutes, so Eileen Faxas asked Houston's mayor the kinds of questions she thought Houstonians would ask.
The city has already purchased the software and system designed to provide this service for its citizens. Unfortunately, the issue still seems to be one that doesn't concern the mayor:
Mayor White's top priorities, he said, aren't online health inspections, but traffic, drainage, and jobs. Which means taxpayers will have to wait to see what their $217,000 bought in that brand-new computer system sitting in the Health Department.
Faxas: "At what point will you make this a priority?" Mayor White: "It will be sometime soon."
I guess after the mayor tackles more important priorities like Tasers, African-American museums, and a new park boondoggle.
Posted by Callie Markantonis @ 10/24/04 09:31 PM |
Houston's Chinatown shifts
Nancy Sarnoff pens an interesting article on southwest Houston's Chinatown area.
The area she describes is absolutely bustling. When I first moved to Houston (in 1995), much of the area she describes was blighted and crime-ridden. Now, it's almost totally unrecognizable. This is the sort of urban renewal that takes place constantly in Houston, with little fanfare. Sometimes, we even criticize it (as an unwillingness to preserve our past). This story shows the more positive side of such renewal.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/24/04 08:51 PM |
22 October 2004
Haunted house time
The Chronicle's Joey Guerra points to the following online guide to Houston's haunted houses: HoustonHaunts.com
Personally, I'm not really a fan of flash websites, but this one looks good and has plenty of information on Houston's various spook sites. They also have a forum for all your ghoulish discussion needs.
Boo!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/22/04 11:21 PM |
21 October 2004
Live music roundup (10-21-2004 edition)
I usually link to David Cobb's weekly roundup of live rock music in Houston, but he hasn't posted one this week.
The local rock scene is not really one that I follow, so I'm not going to try and duplicate Cobb's effort and screw it all up. Instead, here's the usual roundup of the Americana/alt-country/Texas music that I follow more closely.
Thursday, October 21
Mando Saenz, Mucky Duck
Friday, October 22
Jesse Dayton **, Mucky Duck
Phil Pritchett, Firehouse Saloon (Texas High Life opens)
The Gourds, Fitzgerald's
Ian Moore, Sidecar Pub
Asylum Street Spankers, Continental Club
Saturday, October 23
Ray Wylie Hubbard, Mucky Duck (Shake Russell for the late show)
John Evans **, Firehouse Saloon (cd release party)
Bleu Edmonson, Sidecar Pub (Matt Davis opens)
Peter Case, Anderson Fair
Blanco's probably has something good going on too, but they don't make it very easy to check.
As always, check with the venue before heading out, as schedules can change at the last minute.
** John Nova Lomax penned a nice column on Jesse Dayton and John Evans in last week's Houston Press.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/04 09:18 PM |
20 October 2004
McLane begins to lower Beltran expectations
Sports Business News calls attention to the following line from a Dale Robertson column that I missed last week:
According to team officials, the Astros need to rally past St. Louis and win their first pennant to turn a for-real profit this season.
The Astros enjoyed record attendance of more than 3 million fans this season. It is difficult to imagine that the team is in any real danger of not turning a profit.
But you just knew that at some point owner Drayton McLane would start lowering fan expectations regarding Carlos Beltran, who's going to cost some team plenty after his tremendous postseason performance.
Here's hoping for a big game from Beltran tomorrow, so we can continue to see him in an Astros uniform for at least one more series.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/20/04 11:38 PM |
Music update: Bob Schneider at the Mucky Duck
We normally provide a roundup of live Americana/Texas/alt-country type music on Thursdays, but sometimes venues will sneak in an interesting Wednesday show.
Tonight, Bob Schneider will be playing the Mucky Duck at 8:30 ($15, nonsmoking).
It might be advisable to call ahead to check on seating.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/20/04 08:40 AM |
19 October 2004
Who will pay for Houston's own Central Park?
Mayor White has announced plans to acquire land near the George R. Brown Convention Center, part of his broader plan to create a large, downtown park:
Mayor Bill White announced today that he has completed negotiations with Crescent Real Estate Equities, Ltd. Partnership to acquire 5.29 acres of land for a major new central park in downtown Houston. The new central park would entail over $35 million in private contributions, and amount to more than 13 acres. This acquisition will consolidate the City of Houston’s ownership of the “Superblock” in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center and a block immediately to the west, all of which will be made into an urban park to be opened as soon as late 2007.
“Great cities preserve land for public plazas, parks and gathering places for the future,” said Mayor White. “We now have an opportunity - probably our last opportunity as a city - to create a place like that for us in Houston’s central core. A new major park will be an enduring legacy for our efforts to improve Houston’s quality of life.”
Eighty percent or more of incremental funds required to complete acquisition and development of the park will be raised from private sources. Design and development will be accomplished through a private/public partnership.
Mayor White currently is working with a number of interested individuals and organizations to secure the private funding required for site acquisition, design and construction. The schedule calls for site acquisition to be complete by the end of 2004, pending City Council approval of the project and agreement with those private funders.
It's good to know that Mayor White is already acting to implement his park project even though City Council has apparently not yet approved it. And it must be reassuring for taxpayers to hear that tired promise that someone else will fund "most" of an exciting new project.
Mike Snyder adds this tidbit:
The city's contributions would come from hotel and entertainment tax revenues rather than property taxes, White said.
Hotel and entertainment tax revenues may be an unsteady source of funding for the Mayor's new project, if recent history is any guide.
That's not to say that the mayor's proposal doesn't have its appeal. His presentations are always appealing. But this proposal needs to be reconciled with other priorities in the city, by all the city's relevant elected officials. That means City Council needs to be engaged fully, and the cost to taxpayers needs to be spelled out more clearly.
MORE: Coverage from KTRK-13, KHOU-11, KPRC-2, and the Houston Business Journal.
(10-20-2004 Update) Mike Snyder has additional coverage here.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/19/04 10:10 PM |
17 October 2004
Misplaced priorities on "beautifying" Houston
Ron Nissimov reports the the city of Houston will soon be cracking down on the growing problem of... residents who put trash out early?
Residents who place heavy trash on their curbsides too early can expect some unwanted visits from city officials.
The city plans to deputize 300 civilian employees in the near future to allow them to issue tickets as part of an effort to get tough on violators, officials said Wednesday.
"What's one person's heavy trash is another person's eyesore," Mayor Bill White said.
White said he would institute a "zero tolerance" policy by issuing citations to violators instead of giving warnings, but the official in charge of enforcement said this would not necessarily mean that all violators would be cited.
Houston Police Department Assistant Chief Brian Lumpkin, who heads the mayor's newly created neighborhood protection division, said the new policy will likely result in more citations. He added that inspectors and officers will try to resolve problems over early placement of heavy trash before issuing citations.
"We don't want to throw out common sense with zero tolerance," Lumpkin said.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/17/04 09:41 PM |
UH's Hofheinz Pavilion becomes more cozy
UH sports beatwriter Michael Murphy buried the following in his column last week:
Hofheinz Pavilion will be even cozier this season.
Seating has been reduced from the near-9,000 it usually accommodates down to around 5,800. The difference is the end-line seats will all be covered, leaving only sideline seating.
Some longtime season-ticket holders will be displaced, but UH officials promise they will work with everyone when it comes to seating issues.
In addition to being a little silly (and even unprecedented), having to resort to covering end-line seats with tarps must be a huge disappointment to UH athletics director Dave Maggard and new head coach Tom Penders.
They surely had to expect fan interest to pick up after the Penders hiring. This seems to be a sad admission that fans are adopting a wait-and-see attitude. That's really the case in this sports town -- fans will support teams that give a good effort and win some games, but they won't put up with a perennial loser. Unfortunately, the two major men's sports at UH -- football and basketball -- have suffered from too many losing seasons for too many years, and attendance has been correspondingly abysmal. If Art Briles (head coach of football) and Tom Penders (head coach of basketball) don't get it turned around, one suspects tarps may be covering I-A athletics in general at UH.
As usual, the CoogFans message board is actively discussing the Hofheinz news, including the arena's new floor.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/17/04 05:52 PM |
15 October 2004
Wings over Houston
Nathan Smith of the Galveston Daily News calls attention to this weekend's Wings over Houston event:
The roar of jet turbines will be matched only by the roar of the crowd this weekend as the 20th annual Wings Over Houston Airshow takes flight at Ellington Field.
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flight team will headline the two-day spectacular, and organizers expect record crowds to take in the sights and sounds of some of the world’s most daring aerial stunts.
[snip]
A display of the official fighter and bomber teams of the Air Force, Navy and Marines will rip up the sky Saturday and Sunday alongside thunderous turns from the U.S. Navy Official Fighter Demo F-18 Hornet, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon, AH-64 Apache Helicopter and the C-5A Galaxy. The enormous C-17 Globemaster will also make an appearance, and the ground-attack demonstrations involving the A-10 Thunderbolt will be on display, as well.
It should be an impressive demonstration.
The show runs from 8 am to 6pm on Saturday and 8 am to 5pm on Sunday. Full details can be found at the Wings over Houston website.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/15/04 02:30 PM |
14 October 2004
Food and drink (10-14-2004 edition)
Food journalism in town gets a boost this week, as Robb Walsh and Alison Cook both return after taking last week off.
Robb Walsh writes that Bellaire's new Lemongrass Cafe is hit-and-miss:
[Chef Fah] Vora's dishes are brimming with youthful exuberance. Spicy Thai ceviche is a Little Mermaid's menagerie of scallops, shrimp and calamari in lime and pineapple juices spiked with cilantro, red onion and chiles. The vibrant South American-Thai seafood cocktail comes in a martini glass, and it looks as wild as it tastes.
Unfortunately, some of Vora's experiments fizzle....
Vora is obviously a dedicated and hardworking chef. I'm confident that the process of trial and error will lead her to a menu of solid hits. She should have plenty of time to work on it. Bellaire is so starved for chic restaurants that the Lemongrass Cafe is already a local favorite.
Alison Cook is optimistic about Rancho Chicken:
I still think Rancho has the potential to produce the best takeout chickens in town. Just a few tweaks would do it: pulling the birds off the spit a few minutes earlier; getting the seasoning consistent. The place is mere months old, and there's not enough volume yet to get a chicken right off the fire, with a still-crisp skin.
That could change, and it ought to. The young Mexico City-reared brothers who own the place, Jesse and Jeremy Schwarz, have some good ideas, and they're trying to do things right. Even their side dishes have surprising integrity.
Dai Huynh searches Houston for the perfect Wiener schnitzel.
Joey Guerra visits the Speak Easy Lounge, and reports (unknown to me) that Opie Hendrix is the regular musician on Wednesday nights.
And finally, the following tidbit from the Chronicle whine and dine section begs for comment:
Lonnie Jones of Houston says he found the food very good and the waiter attentive at Cyclone Anaya's Mexican Kitchen, 5761 Woodway, but he wasn't happy with the parking situation.
"Every parking space in front was reserved by the valet parking people. The manager's attitude was that's the way he wanted it. The choice parking spaces should be left open for the customers and the valet parking spaces should be someplace else."
The manager of Cyclone Anaya's should actually be complimented! Parking in the shopping center where Cyclone Anaya's is located is very limited. The restaurant's solution is to provide free valet parking during busy periods. It takes an extremely grouchy soul to find fault with that. But there is nearby parking if, for whatever reason, a patron doesn't want to turn over the keys to the valet. Just expect to walk more than 20 feet.
A short walk won't kill you, Houston! Really. The food and service are well worth it! And while one normally doesn't go to a Tex-Mex restaurant for wine, the Toad Hollow Reserve merlot is a nice wine that isn't marked up ridiculously. They also serve a large quantity by the glass, in case you're the oddball wine drinker (like me) among a table of margarita drinkers. For that matter, the margaritas (on the rocks, of course) are deceptively strong, and not overly sweet. It's hard for me to find fault with anything at Cyclone Anaya's.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/14/04 10:34 PM |
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