sheeats

They had a band playing on the plaza on Thursday night... quite a few people came out to hang out on the lawn. Mona Lisa set up a cash bar out there so you could buy beer, mixed drinks or wine. Straits was open and Yard House was still in the works. They're doing a really nice job there.

I drove by on Thursday night because I thought I heard music and lo and behold... Live band! I was pleasantly shocked to see so many people strolling around and sitting on/around the lawn. Can't wait to see the crowds when the development is finished. I really am surprised at how well they're pulling this all off so far...

i'd say any decent NY-style pizza in houston is better than just about any deepdish pizza from chicago. if i want a deepdish pizza, i'll go ahead and order a lasagna.

It's always comforting to know I'm not the only person in the world who hates deep dish pizza. Sometimes I think I've just been missing something all these years, and then I realize that - no - it's just a crappy lasagna in a soggy crust.

I don't think that anyone would have a problem with a midrise on that corner if the city were able to somehow fix the intersection itself. Perhaps the reason that there aren't more "vibrant, throbbing, active, hot" businesses at that intersection is primarily because it's horrifically designed and terrible to navigate? The lanes are almost too narrow to even accommodate a compact car, which leads to constant issues. Example: When a Metro bus comes trundling down Westheimer, the poor beast has to take up both lanes when approaching the stop light and at the light itself. Even regular cars can barely fit in the lanes at the lights. Montrose is a bit better, but that stretch of Westheimer is way too narrow to function well as it is right now. If something could possibly be done about that, then perhaps the intersection would see more businesses than just a Smoothie King.

As long as Disco Kroger and Aladdin are allowed to survive, I'm cool with whatever they do to the intersection. Frankly, I'd love to see that unsightly strip mall disappear, so long as Half Priced Books is moved somewhere that's still convenient. The Spec's is sorta redundant considering the big Spec's is only about a mile away. I've yet to be impressed by 369, and Quizno's and Papa John's could easily and cheaply move to a different location. I just hope that if a midrise complex is built there it's allowed to complement the neighborhood instead of being an out-of-place cookie-cutter yuppie complex.

While I'm not opposed to a midrise in principle, I just don't think that intersection - which is already congested enough - could handle the additional traffic that a bunch of people/cars in a midrise would create.

For ages I've wished that a really cool grocery store like a Trader Joe's (wish, wish wish!) would move into the old Blockbuster strip center. A girl can dream, right?

I looked and looked for another Clark Gable thread, but couldn't find one. So I apologize if this should be elsewhere.

Thought y'all would be interested in seeing/reading about the Clark Gable house in Montrose (in Avondale, more specifically) on Hyde Park. He lived there from 1926 to 1927 and it's an absolutely gorgeous house.

Article: http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/09/houston_101_frankly_my_dear_i.php

Slideshow: http://www.houstonpress.com/slideshow/view/28496258

He had a fascinating life during the short time he spent in Houston, which I'm just now finding out about.

Coming into work this morning, I noticed they've already got all the streets cordoned off near the building, including a part of Milam - hell, they've got our entire building behind cones. It's fine on the weekend, but I can't imagine the congestion throughout all of next week. Yikes.

The Rockets are set to release their new slogan and alternate uniform next week, but the Press scooped the new slogan already: We Are Red Nation

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/09/rockets_red_nation.php

Um...not so sure about that myself. Although mostly because it's boring, not because it sounds like a Commie takeover.

Thanks so much to everyone for their help. The length of the piece (and the timeframe for completing it) were cut, so it ended up as a simple blog post instead. But if you'd like to read it and see the slideshow of images, you can find them here:

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/08/houston_101_the_forgotten_mans.php

One day I'd love to sit down and be as thorough as possible in putting together a feature on this neighborhood...

I'm currently working on an article about Riverside Terrace (you know, the neighborhood of stately homes on MacGregor, just off 288, that faces Braes Bayou...) and I want to do it justice. This has long been my favorite neighborhood in the entire city, not just because of the homes themselves but because of the history. I feel like so many people don't realize how or why Riverside Terrace was founded (wealthy Jewish families that weren't allowed to build/live in River Oaks in the 1930s) and it's very sad that many of the homes have fallen into disrepair. I go there to drive around all the time, just to look at the houses and appreciate the view: the bayou, with downtown's skyline in the background, is fan-freaking-tastic.

Could anyone point me to some resources for doing more research into the architects who built the homes and which homes were occupied by which families (i.e. the Finger family, the Sakowitz family, etc.)? I'm entirely unfamiliar with doing this kind of research and thought I'd ask the experts...

FYI, here are the photos from the larger of the two mansions. The article itself won't go up till 1pm, but I'll post a link to it then.

http://rss.houstonpress.com/slideshow/view/28210464

The 60,000+ square footer is still for sale. They're looking to sell it as a commercial property, however. I was inside today, taking pictures. Can't really say much more than that right now. But will have pictures of the interior to share very soon. Let's just say that if you thought the smaller one was a mess, you ain't seen nothing yet.

I'm confused. There has been absolutely no progress made on that wretched-looking hotel next to the Decepticon *ahem* new medical tower in months. Did they run out of money? Permit issues? Does anyone know why the construction has completely stopped?

Old menus from Don's Seafood in Morgan City (the original Landry's), circa 1972:

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2009/07/old_dons_menu.php

I think it speaks to how classic Gulf coast cuisine is that you could walk into any restaurant today and see a very similar menu (perhaps minus the cowboy riding a giant crawfish on the cover).

I hate to bring this up, as it may scare away potential tourists and other users, but those people are holograms! That place is HAUNTED!

LOL of the morning...

Exactly, this sounds like really old news.

I guess it would be really old news if the PR Director for the Buffalo Bayou Partnership (Trudi Smith) hadn't just said this yesterday. A rehash of stuff they'd said before? Perhaps. But if they're actively pursuing it, then I don't see how that's old news.

More information yesterday about the renovation of the building:

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/07/love_street_lives_sorta_maybe.php

From the article:

The Buffalo Bayou Partnership is planning to refurbish the three-story old warehouse and open it as the International Coffee Building, in honor of its initial tenants.

BBP's office will be on the second floor, a place to rent bikes and kayaks will be on the first. And on the third, the home of the psychedelic club?

Meeting space for rent.

I'm excited about the canoe and kayak rentals! We need something like that if we're going to get people to see/use Buffalo Bayou as more than a runoff ditch.

FYI, the results of Battle Pizza:

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2009/07/food_fight_battle_pizza.php

SPOILERS:

Pink's won. Then Star. Then Romano's.

"No admission fee for the park"? That sounds bad already. I remember when the Houston Zoo was free, and the kind of people that attracted. If something is good, it's worth charging for. Helps keep the crazies out, too (to an extent...).

FYI: The three contenders are going to be Star, Romano's and Pink's. Star got 20 votes, while Romano's and Pink's were tied at 14 each. Runners-up were Dolce Vita with 11 votes, Russo's with 10 and Brother's with 8. And then about a bazillion votes for every other pizza place in town. Yeesh.

For the record, I only said I liked Double Dave's, not that I thought it was the best. Maybe that was in reference to somethingsomeone else.

FWIW, you aren't the only person who's mentioned Double Dave's. I hear it all the time, all over the place. I think when I saw it on here that day, it was the veritable straw that broke the camel's back, that's all.

Or at the very least, the LA Times blogger who I cited

And you're right that "started" was a poor choice of words. I've changed it to the far more correct "engaged in." No hard feelings?

Hurricane Ike has claimed another victim:

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/07/island_bowl_galveston.php

Where's the nearest bowling alley now, I wonder?

FYI, the "poll" is up over at the Press and we're up to 90 entries so far. Looks like it's tentatively between Pink's and Star Pizza at this point:

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2009/07/food_fight_we_need_your_help.php

Does anyone know how the lofts and apartments are doing in pre-renting or sales?

The Domain was having an open house when we drove through the place this weekend. Not sure about the lofts, though. And what I'm really curious about is whether or not those super-expensive "brownstones" are ever going to sell.

On a related note, RA Sushi looks like it's almost ready to open. Had the patio furniture out and everything. I love their corner location, overlooking the main square and the fountains; great little perch up there, even if the food is moo.

evidently, they had a battle kolache

This thread has totally decided the Food Fight for next week. It's Battle Pizza, biznatches. I'll set up a poll and have folks choose the two they want to go head to head. We'll have those two delivered to the HP office and get after it.

Double Dave's? DOUBLE DAVE'S? Why is that abomination even on the list?!?

Good grief. Double Dave's is for people in the far exurbs who think Cheddar's is fancy Saturday night date dining. SORRY. Double Dave's has some of the rankest, nastiest pizza I've ever had the displeasure of tasting.

/rant over

My vote goes to Dolce Vita. (Shocker, I'm sure. )