05 January 2007
Food and drink roundup (01-05-07 edition)
The first week of the year seems like a good time to bring the food and drink roundup out of hiatus. Let's get started, shall we?
Alison Cook checked out Bombay Brasserie, a regular Indian haunt of some of bH's contributors. She's right, there are times when the place fails to wow, but there are times (like the last time bH-ers partook there) that the food is simply amazing. And the service is all that. She also ventured out to Katy to try Pulcinella Ristorante.
Robb Walsh tried Thai Gourmet, another favorite of some of us, way back in November. He's right about the heat. That place knows how to dish it out. Mary'z Lebanese Cuisine, another bH favorite, was his focus another week.
Peggy Grodinsky talks up tofu in this week's Chron food section.
Ken Hoffman heads over to IHOP to try their new and redundant sounding Corn Cake Pancakes.
And Lance Scott Walker makes the East End's Harrisburg Country Club sound interesting.
World Class, all of it. Enjoy!!
Posted by Callie Markantonis @ 01/05/07 08:44 AM |
28 December 2006
Will the New Year's Eve star shine upon Houston again? (update: Carol Alvarado says Houston is "event-ed out")
We may have poked a bit of fun last year at the city's New Year's Eve celebration with its ascending, Chronicle-esque star, but what's the deal this year? Last year's KHOU-11 story made it sound like this was going to be an annual event:
City officials hope to someday rival the New York City ball drop, but for this year at least, the symbol stays small, and if all goes well, rises to the occasion without a hitch.
Mike McGuff also wonders what happened to New Year's Eve Houston, and is working on a list of alternative events.
Has anyone heard about a city-planned party for this year?
UPDATE: And just like that, the Chron has a story today on what happened to the (almost) annual star-raising celebration:
The Downtown Entertainment District Alliance, a volunteer group of business owners around lower Main Street, organized the star-raising event last New Year's Eve.
With a crowd estimated at 10,000 looking on, the star began to rise at 10 p.m., growing brighter as it ascended. It reached the top of the 12-story Binz Building at Main and Texas at midnight.
The volunteer group hoped to move the event this year to 3 Allen Center, a 50-story skyscraper on downtown's west side, but a change in the building's ownership complicated planning, said John Zotos, a downtown restaurateur who co-chairs the alliance.
Zotos said last year's event was a success, but organizers wanted to move it away from the Main Street rail line, which limited space for crowds to gather.
Move it away from the Danger Train? Say it ain't so!
Alvarado, whose district includes downtown, said several factors contributed to the one-year delay in repeating the event.
Planning should have begun sooner, she said, and city government and the Convention and Visitors Bureau must assume bigger roles in organizing and marketing the celebration.
"We didn't want to just throw something together just to have an event," Alvarado said. "And after the big events in the last couple of years, I think people were just a little event-ed out."
Folks were too "event-ed out" to plan a New Year's Eve party? That's not very world-class!
Imagine where New York City would be (the city we are trying to emulate) if they didn't plan a New Year's Eve party because the planning folks were "event-ed out"?
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC, Lose an Eye, It's a Sport.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/28/06 06:50 PM |
Houston celebrates a successful 2006
Here's a Los Angeles Times story on Houston's current economic good fortune:
FINE wine flows freely at Tony's, the dining room of the rich and powerful in this dynamic Sun Belt city. But it always flows a little faster when the price of crude oil is high — and these days, owner Tony Vallone said, the bottles are emptying at a brisk pace.
On a recent Friday evening, socialites in fur coats stepped past the cascading sheets of water at the glass entrance, into an airy room adorned with vibrant Robert Rauschenberg paintings. Waiters wheeled out enormous souffles and whole red snappers encrusted in salt. The richest man in town, oil pipeline magnate Dan Duncan, was dining there for the third time in four days.
At the center table, Ileana Trevino, the head of a hospital foundation, was celebrating her 51st birthday with about a dozen close friends and her husband, Michael, a Marathon Oil executive. She was asked what she wanted to drink.
"Whatever's expensive," Trevino replied, and laughed. The sommelier recommended bottles of a $50 red from Spain's Montsant region, a modest option at a restaurant that offers magnums of 1945 Chateau Petrus Bordeaux for $30,000.
"It's almost palpable, isn't it?" said attorney Michael Solar, one of Trevino's friends, as he waved his glass to indicate the wealth in the packed room. "When the rest of the country is doing well, it seems like Houston is often struggling. But when the rest of the country is struggling, it seems like Houston is often doing well."
High oil, natural gas and electricity prices may bring pain to families and business owners elsewhere, but in America's energy capital, they bring prosperity.
Two out of every five Houstonians owe their jobs to energy — many big oil and gas companies have their world or American headquarters in Houston — and the industry's spectacular profits in recent years have helped the nation's fourth-largest city outdistance the country as a whole in economic growth.
The story continues on, noting that housing is affordable, high-end spas and social clubs have waiting lists, gas-guzzling SUVs are popular (think Hummers!), and Houstonians love to eat out. It reads almost like a primer for Angelenos, describing a foreign land and people.
The only thing missing from the story was a quote from Bob Stein.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/28/06 01:56 PM |
06 December 2006
No trans fat ban for Houston -- yet
According to a Chronicle story that credits three reporters and two additional news organizations, the City of Houston is not yet considering a ban on trans fats to match New York's:
In New York, the ban was advocated by health-conscious Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In Houston, City Hall is quiet on the issue.
Frank Michel, spokesman for Mayor Bill White, and Councilwoman Carol Alvarado, chairwoman of the City Council's Environmental and Public Health Committee, both said there's been no talk of a similar move.
That talk may be coming soon, however:
New York has become the first city in the nation to ban unhealthy trans fats in restaurants. Chicago is considering a similar restriction for large eateries.
Mayor White likes to copy policies and programs of Mayor Daley in Chicago (except for the important items, like adequate police forces and effective mass transit). If Chicago moves forward on the issue, expect Mayor White to follow.
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/06/06 11:39 PM |
01 December 2006
The Mayor's "Holiday" Celebration
It's that time of year: the city's gearing up for its annual "Holiday Celebration," including the traditional lighting of the "holiday" tree:
Mayor Bill White and KHOU Channel 11 invite all Houstonians to the annual Mayor's Holiday Celebration hosted by Deborah Duncan and Ron Treviño, featuring live music, fireworks sponsored by Cricket Communications, Inc., and the lighting of the City's official holiday tree sponsored by Reliant Energy. This year's holiday celebration will take place on Hermann Square next to City Hall, 901 Bagby, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8, 2006.
“This is a great chance for Houstonians of all backgrounds and faiths to come together as a community and celebrate the spirit behind the season and have some family fun,” said Mayor White.
It's unclear what holiday or season the city might be celebrating. Could be Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo, or St. Patrick's Day. Maybe Houston is celebrating the spirit behind baseball season.
Hard to say.
Also unclear is what happened to 2004's Pancho Claus and 2005's Christmas Tree.
What's really grating about the mayor's comment is that the true "spirit behind the season" is Christmas, and there's nothing wrong with saying "Christmas tree" or "Christmas season." It is not exclusive to do so.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/01/06 04:40 PM |
25 November 2006
Get outside (and work off that dressing!)
The Chronicle's Lisa Viator checks in with a couple of Houston outdoor attractions.
The first is the new Greenway Pedestrian Trail at Hermann Park, which connects parts of the park that haven't been connected for nearly a hundred years:
Funded by a $1 million appropriation from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Greenway trail connects the 80-acre Bayou Parkland area to the heavily attended Heart of the Park, the Japanese Garden and Carruth Playground.
"The main purpose of the trail is to connect the 85-acre natural area on the eastern side to the center of the park," conservancy executive director Doreen Stoller said. "The Greenway is an integral component of the conservancy's ongoing Lake Plaza project, which will create a new 8-acre public space adjacent to McGovern Lake, the Houston Zoo, and the home of the much-loved Hermann Park miniature train."
Stoller said the total estimated cost of the project, including a redesigned miniature train station and pedal boathouse, public restrooms, a café and public art components, is about $8 million, including $1 million for the Greenway trail.
Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, said the 415-acre park is a unique urban anomaly — vast green space in the heart of a major metropolitan city.
It really is a lovely park.
For a different perspective on the city, Viator calls attention to monthly pontoon boat tours of Buffalo Bayou:
When the Sabine-to-Bagby Promenade debuted in June, about 10,000 Houstonians gathered to celebrate the opening of the 23-acre waterfront park along the downtown banks of Buffalo Bayou.
"And we want people to continue coming," said Trudi Smith, spokesperson for the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, a nonprofit organization that coordinates the integration of major amenities into the bayou greenbelt. It also seeks ways to increase community involvement in bayou-related activities.
Smith said one idea to get people to the bayou was offering them a way to get on the bayou. With the help of the Bayou Breeze, the partnership's pontoon boat, the Buffalo Bayou boat cruises have set sail the second Saturday of each month. Smith said the 30-minute tours are held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with limited capacity of 10 people per trip, and begin and end at the Sabine Street Bridge on the north bank of the bayou.
The next tour is December 9. While we would not characterize the park as better than the River Walk, it is a lovely green space in its own right, and the pontoon boat twist sounds fun.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/25/06 07:58 AM |
18 November 2006
Borders to open megastore in Galleria
Borders has announced plans to open a two-story store in the Galleria mall:
Borders will open a two-level, 27,000-square-foot store in Houston, Texas, in the middle of December. The new store will be in the Galleria Mall, located at 5061 Westheimer Road.
The store will feature 200,000 titles, a Seattle's Best Coffee cafe, and internet access via T-Mobile HotSpots.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/18/06 11:48 AM |
12 November 2006
Food and drink roundup (11-12-2006 edition)
Let's start the week off with a food and drink roundup, shall we?
Alison Cook visits Catalan Food and Wine, and her inner foodie loves it. She also visits the Memorial Dr. edition of La Vista, which gives her inner foodie even more to celebrate. Read her blog. It's some of the best stuff over at Chron.com.
Robb Walsh also takes a turn at Catalan and explores how authentically Spanish its offerings are. He also partakes of the Polish cuisine at Polonia.
Ken Hoffman goes overboard at breakfast with IHOP's Jumbo Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity. My goodness. 1400 calories. For breakfast. So...if one were just to eat one Jumbo Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity a day and nothing else, would one lose weight? Call it the IHOP diet.
And Lance Scott Walker visits the Outpost Tavern, reportedly the place where the astronauts drink.
World Class, all of it. Enjoy!!
Posted by Callie Markantonis @ 11/12/06 10:39 PM |
27 October 2006
Food and drink roundup (10-27-2006 edition)
It seemed as if it would never come, but it's Friday. What a perfect day for a food and drink roundup.
Alison Cook gives us two reviews this week. Sushi is first on the menu (sorry) at Aka Japanese Cuisine out in far west Houston. The venerable Cafe Annie gets a look this week, too. It's a big city, and it's bound to happen, so Alison asks in her Chron blog what you would have done.
Robb Walsh has some interesting offerings. I neglected to mention this in the last roundup. He continued in his search for tacos de trompo by heading over to Taqueria Monterrey Chiquito. My diet has gone to heck already, so I'm going to have to make room for this before I come to my senses:
They call the sausage salchicha rioja. It isn't exactly a hot dog -- it looks like a fat red knockwurst. The pleasantly spicy red sausage is slit down the middle and the incision is stuffed with cheese, and then the whole thing is wrapped in bacon and grilled. The cheesy bacon dog is folded into a flour tortilla and garnished with avocado slices. For Latin American junk-food aficionados, this is a major find.
Yummy. He also tries Indika in Montrose. Finally, he does part Chinese buffet/part dim sum on the outskirts of Sharpstown's Chinatown at a new location of Kim Son. At least, I think it's the outskirts. That Chinatown area is growing.
Nicki Britton goes searching for the healthiest beef.
Dai Huynh marvels over the plethora of pomegranate products. Surely I'm not the only one who thinks pomegranate ale sounds good.
Ken Hoffman doesn't help my fall off the diet wagon with his review of Dunkin' Donuts' French Toast Twist.
In other news, Diedrich's Coffeehouse on Westheimer is shuttering November 6 to make room for an expanding hair salon next door. The booming local economy is helping local high-end restaurants see some profits. And Denis' Seafood not only has experienced a management change of late, it's going to get a new name as well. (Ah Houstonians. Take an infant to a seafood restaurant, know that infants aren't supposed to be exposed to seafood, and then complain there isn't anything but seafood on the menu. *sigh*)
And Kobain gets the attention of the Chron's Clubs and Bars section.
World Class all of it!! Enjoy!!
Posted by Callie Markantonis @ 10/27/06 11:04 AM |
24 October 2006
More food and drink roundup opportunities
Houston Pavilions has landed six new dining establishments, including one that will be new to Houston (via Houston Business Journal):
New restaurant tenants at the Pavilions include:
* Lawry's, The Prime Rib: The restaurant will feature prime rib specialties in what will be its first location in the Houston area and only its fifth location in the U.S.
* Tuscany: The old world gourmet coffee shop's third Houston location is headed for the Pavilions.
* Yao's Restaurant and Bar: The second Houston location for the sports-themed restaurant, owned by the family of Houston Rockets superstar Yao Ming.
* Antica Osteria: One of the most popular Italian restaurants in the city, will serve northern and southern Italian delicacies that its loyal patrons have enjoyed in the restaurant's existing location on Bissonnet for years.
* Red Cat Jazz Cafe: Already one of the top live music venues in Houston, Red Cat Jazz Cafe will feature soulful blues and cool jazz with its Creole and southern cuisine at its second downtown location.
* McCormick & Schmick's: The Pavilions will be the second Houston location for this nationwide seafood restaurant.
More opportunities for local food reviewers to do what they do best, which will help keep bH's food and drink roundup in business. =)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/24/06 06:12 AM |
17 October 2006
Downtown park named Discovery Green
Houston's new downtown hobo destination now has a name: Discovery Green.
Mike Snyder has the details for the Chronicle.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/17/06 02:49 PM |
06 October 2006
Food and drink roundup (10-06-2006 edition)
Oh my, how time flies. It's been ages since a roundup went up. Let's get started, shall we?
Alison Cook loved the burgers at Christian's Tailgate Bar & Grill in Midtown. I don't know if I can talk myself into going to a chic Midtown ice house, but her description of the burgers might just convince me to give it a try. She also reviewed Nelore Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse located in Montrose. Several bH-ers had dinner there last night, some of us for the second time. Alison was right. Some days the place is good; some days it's so so. Last night it was good.
Robb Walsh reviewed Gulfgate's Doneraki Authentic Mexican Restaurant. One reason I love to read Robb Walsh, it's not just about the restaurant. One gets a food history too. Only in a Robb Walsh review could little gyros figure into a review of a local Tex-Mex restaurant. He also tried Afghan Tandoori King on Bissonnet and doesn't recommend the lunch buffet.
Ken Hoffman found Subway's Steak & Cheese Sub lacking in the meat department.
Last week, Zeke Minaya wrote a nice article on Rice's Valhalla.
And Lance Scott Walker checks out Club Tejano Country in the city's East End.
Last but not least, it's Greek Festival time.
World Class, all of it. Enjoy!!
Posted by Callie Markantonis @ 10/06/06 12:12 PM |
04 October 2006
Opa!
The 40th annual Greek Festival put on by Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church opens Thursday and continues through Sunday.
Indeed, it's consistently one of the better ethnic festivals put on in the city.
Parking can be difficult near the festival. If you're not familiar with Montrose, a good option is to park at Lamar High School and take the free Metro shuttle (details here).
Best food bets are the souvlaki, tiropita, spanokopita, and baklava. The (bad) Greek wine should be avoided. The beautiful bozouki music is nice. The crowds are not (off times are recommended).
Opa!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/04/06 09:49 PM |
28 September 2006
They almost paced themselves out of contention
We have a little saying in our house when procrastination seems to be the order of the day -- we're just pacing ourselves.
Perhaps the Astros were just pacing themselves most of the season, not trying to peak too early, or some such explanation. I have no idea (smart baseball folks will figure it all out), but it sure is exciting, isn't it?
Go 'Stros!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/28/06 09:39 PM |
26 September 2006
The Gallant Knight is closing
Via Houstonist comes bad news from the Chronicle's Lance Scott Walker: The Gallant Knight will be closing its doors after tonight.
The Gallant Knight is a Med Center-area fixture. The dark, funky, blues/jazz live music dive was always a good time, although it's been a while since I've been in the joint. It was always a pretty cool escape from.... whatever.
Alas, progress dictates that funky inner loop dives be replaced with strip malls and poorly constructed townhouses. So go pay your last respects to the Gallant Knight later, if you're so inclined.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/26/06 03:37 PM |
25 August 2006
Food and drink roundup (08-25-2006 edition)
It's time for a quick and sweet food and drink roundup. The weekend's a-wastin'.
Robb Walsh samples the "organ meats" or sweetbreads offered up in tacos at Taqueria Tacambaro.
Peggy Grodinsky heads out on the Gulf for a closer look at a day in the life of a shrimper.
Andrew Guy Jr. samples some pricey tequilas.
Ken Hoffman goes to Domino's for brownies. Yes, brownies. Free ones, at that.
And Lance Scott Walker checks out Woodrow's on Chimney Rock.
World Class, all of it. Enjoy!!
Posted by Callie Markantonis @ 08/25/06 06:45 PM |
23 August 2006
Is Houston allowed to celebrate its birthday?
Isn't that, you know, insensitive? But KTRK-13 is out there with a story saying there's a big to-do planned this evening:
ZZ Top will be inducted into Houston's Hall of Fame Wednesday. It's part of the city's 170th birthday bash. The band formed in Houston back in 1969 and has always kept a base here in the Bayou City.
Houston's 170th birthday party will happen at the Wortham Theater on Texas and Bagby downtown. It gets started at 6pm. Mayor Bill White will be there to give out the honors.
Hopefully Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia and UH Professor Raul Ramos don't know about the shindig.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/23/06 07:04 PM |
17 August 2006
Food and drink roundup (08-17-2006 edition)
The weekend is upon us. Maybe today's food and drink roundup has something you'd like to try.
Alison Cook heads over to lower Westheimer to try Chez George and loves what she finds. Humble's Rockin' Baja Lobster doesn't fare so well, but she does find some things to recommend at this new eatery. As an aside, if you aren't regularly reading Alison Cook's Chron blog, you're missing out.
Robb Walsh tries Bombay Brasserie, one of the bH crew's favorite places to eat Indian. Oh my, he's condescending about chicken tikka masala, but it's SO good there, as is the lamb saagwala. And they're never afraid to turn up the heat. The original Kelley's Country Cooking gets a few visits too. Since it's just a few exits further down the freeway from the Dot Coffee Shop, I wonder if some of the bH crew will ever get around to trying it (Dot's is hard to beat).
Mary Vuong gets adventurous on us and hits the cafeterias at local hospitals.
And Lance Scott Walker reviews "one of the biggest clubs in downtown."
World Class, all of it. Enjoy!!
Posted by Callie Markantonis @ 08/17/06 09:42 AM |
03 August 2006
Reader participation time: Your favorite thing about Houston?
I'm going to use the start of a Ken Hoffman column today to ask for reader input:
Last week, the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau asked me to appear in a short film about our city.
Before it was my turn to answer "so what's your favorite thing about Houston..."
What say you, good readers? What is YOUR single favorite thing about Houston?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/03/06 01:22 PM |
31 July 2006
Heights residents save two old oak trees
Look what some Heights residents did:
A group of homeowners in the Houston Heights district is claiming victory after it managed to save several 150-year-old oak trees.
The seed, you might say, was planted last April when a grass roots movement to save the pair of trees and its resident night herons confronted a developer over a double lot on Ashland Street destined for town homes.
The Houston Heights Association ended up buying the property. Over the past year, it carved out a contract to save the lot, but with a custom-designed set of deed restrictions.
"That would protect trees," said Joellen Snow with the Heights Association. "Those restrictions have been recorded and now we've found this wonderful young family to purchase the property and build their dream home."
Outstanding! Just think what a River Oaks association could accomplish!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/31/06 08:28 PM |
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