jim1126

Stayed at a Dallas-area aloft over Christmas. Starwood definitely has a winner with this concept. The rooms (lofts) themselves have just about all the amenities found at a W - 42" plasma, comfy bed, Bliss products, glass shower with rainfall shower head, etc. Lobby had a full bar, a 7-11-ish snack bar -- and a pool table! Also had a couple of computers you can use to check your e-mail. Of course, no valet parking or room service (or any other kind of "service" - which you'd have to pay extra for anyhwere else). Decor was completely modern in a West Elm sort of way. Furniture and materials quality isn't up to what you'd find at a W, but the overall effect is pleasing. It was a bargain at $71/night (although non-holiday rates are surely higher). I'm anxious for this place to open in Houston!

As I stated in the other W thread, I know someone who works for Starwood and is pretty familiar with their expansion plans. He said the next W that will be built in Texas will be built in Austin, not here. He said Houston will eventually get one, but we're pretty low on the list (as in, not on it at all at present). He also said all of the conjecture about Houston W locations in the other thread is just that - conjecture. All that said, that conversation was several months ago.

Well, the chef from Jalapeno's has now opened Seco's at 2536 Nottingham & Kirby with a lot of the Jalapeno's menu favorites intact. Smaller space, obviously, but I believe Alison Cook in the Chronicle recently raved about it in her Cook's Blog (not a full review).

It's evident just by going in their stores that something is wrong at Randall's. The one at Weslayan and Bissonet stinks to high heaven every time you walk in. And others have mentioned their lack of selection, which is true, but there are two reasons why I will never set foot in a Randall's again. One is their pricing on milk. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but when they put gallons on sale 2 for $5, they neglect to mention that you have to buy two to get the sale price. I am single and cannot buy two whole gallons at once. So I had to pay the regular $3.49 for one gallon. And when I asked (well, complained) the cashier about it, reason #2 came into play - I received perhaps the single rudest response I've ever gotten about something - "THOSE are the RULES!!!" she yelled so the whole store could hear. You can bet I walked out of that store (the Shepherd one) and vowed never to return to Randall's again. And I haven't. Where I live, I can conveniently choose between a giant Kroger, Rice Epicurean, Whole Foods and Central Market. I do not miss the two Randall's locations I could have gone to one bit. (My biggest complaint about the Midtown location is that, unlike other Randall's, it is not Wells Fargo-affiliated.)

Great news! I know lots of locals who default to Barnaby's and/or Baba Yega - both of which are delicious and have healthy menu items - who still wish there was a healthier alternative in the area.

Taco Milagro at Kirby & Westheimer has a salsa bar like you're describing. They offer about six (maybe eight?) plus a selection of cilantro, jalapenos, and pickled carrots & onions which are addictive. The other Taco Milagros around suburban Houston are seated, table service places with a completely different menu so I don't know if they would have the salsa bar, but the original does.

It does indeed say "Reef."

Ordinarily something like this would be of minor interest to me, but when I saw that the Gap had closed its Highland Village store, I was overcome with curiosity as to what will move into that piece of prime retail space. There's a Variance Request sign up, which leads me to believe the space may be converted into a restaurant. Anyone have any scoop?

"Houlihan's in Gunspoint was a cool place, I miss it." Is the new Houlihan's that just opened across from the Galleria the same type of restaurant? I used to eat at the one in Dallas and I imagine it would be, but I haven't tried the new Houston location yet.

Well, a full-scale Barney's is returning to Dallas, imminently opening at NorthPark (where there was one before, which closed under circumstances similar to the Houston one). Maybe they will return to Houston as well, because the Co-Op we have in the Galleria now is the epitome of unimpressive.

Actually, Becca Cason Thrash, who is arguably the city's #1 in that regard, lives - gasp! - outside the loop (in the toniest part of Memorial, to be sure).

Looks like we have Post Oak Grill, a bank, and a Starbucks (no surprise there). http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listi...1lww2t006a00001