The Shops At Arrive: Mixed-Use Development At 2800 Kirby Dr.

[musicman]

why is white people's taste in food any less valid than anyone else's?

i didn't say it was, however not sure not sure i'd ask a random white person where i can get good chinese, crunchtastic withstanding. BTW happy bday crunch!

[Jax]

I know Latinos that like Chuys. A Mexican American dude who grew up here recommended it to me when I first moved to Houston.

Edited April 9, 2008 by Jax

[Subdude]

great pic Jax

tenants look good:

* Cru, a wine bar with food, was founded in Dallas but already has a location open in The Woodlands.

With the ambience of a European caf

[crunchtastic]

i didn't say it was, however not sure not sure i'd ask a random white person where i can get good chinese, crunchtastic withstanding. BTW happy bday crunch!

thanks! Speaking of food, hopefully mr crunch has some fabulous dinner plans. Although I'd be happy with some takeout from the 8s.

I never understood Chuy's. It's not tex mex, it's...something. The beans are like mashed ranch style. All wrong. When they first opened we'd go for drinks, the margs used to be outstanding; actual fresh squeezed limes. Now....

I'm wary of any place that has as many t-shirt designs for sale as they have enchildada plates.

Edited April 9, 2008 by crunchtastic

[musicman]

A Mexican American dude who grew up here recommended it to me when I first moved to Houston.

he probably did it cause you're white.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Musicman's cracking me up.

I can't comment on Chuy's as I've never been. But my many out-of-town friends (African-American and white) who visit have had the place recommended to them by others, and they've liked it.

They never seem to be hurting for business, from what I can tell.

Edited April 9, 2008 by The Great Hizzy!

[capnmcbarnacle]

Somehow I thought I'd be more excited. Chain "upscale" restaurants with a "gastropub", "gourmet pizza", surf & turf and a cigar-and-martini bar...I don't know, it does sound a bit tired.

Word.

I keep picturing West End in Dallas. It reminds me of the sarcastic thread somewhere on the board with the "mediterannean-inpired upscale steakhouse concept."

Chain restaurants are bad enough. Chain bars make me want to cry. Really, are these restaurants better than Jalepeno's was? Musicman, care to chime in with your thoughts on Jalepeno's fabled "Fajita Tower?"

[rsb320]

Word.

I keep picturing West End in Dallas. It reminds me of the sarcastic thread somewhere on the board with the "mediterannean-inpired upscale steakhouse concept."

Chain restaurants are bad enough. Chain bars make me want to cry. Really, are these restaurants better than Jalepeno's was? Musicman, care to chime in with your thoughts on Jalepeno's fabled "Fajita Tower?"

Do you think a white guy can comment accurately on a Fajita Tower? Jalapeno's had a really great Sunday brunch. Before it was Jalapeno's, it was a gay piano bar and restaurant called Rascall's, I think.

Also, I think we should wait and check out these new places after they open before passing judgement.

[musicman]

Musicman, care to chime in with your thoughts on Jalepeno's fabled "Fajita Tower?"

i only went there a few times. drinks were better than the food if i remember correctly. when a restaurant (chuy's) serves green sauce that is really ranch dressing with green chilis, not sure texmex comes to mind first.

Edited April 9, 2008 by musicman

[Trae]

I agree. Chuy's rawks!! Disappointed to hear that, but hardly surprised. Chuy's is the one place that my family remembers in Houston when they talk about their visits here.

They can easily relocate into West Ave.

[sidegate]

Let's not look West Ave in the mouth. I don't think anyone can seriously say this type of development is a bad thing for the area when one considers the alternative (peering at a thin strip of shop signs across a sea of cars). Give the tenants a chance. This is a market driven economy, and Houston is not spoiled for choice when it comes to eateries. If you don't like a restaurant, don't go. If enough people (white, black, latino, whatever) don't like it, it will close down and something will take its place. Chuy's has stood the test of time, which in Houston is really saying something. unfortunately it doesn't own the land it sits on, so I guess its days are numbered.

And yes the fajitas are awesome.

[Jax]

At least I won't have to worry about running into Musicman and having him attempt to contradict everything I say when I'm eating at Chuy's...

Edited April 10, 2008 by Jax

[sidegate]

Driving North on Kirby and seeing the curve of the building where the pedestrian area starts reminds me of the Virgin Megastore in my native Belfast. this is the biggest pic I could find...

Edited April 9, 2008 by sidegate

[capnmcbarnacle]

Let's not look West Ave in the mouth. I don't think anyone can seriously say this type of development is a bad thing for the area when one considers the alternative (peering at a thin strip of shop signs across a sea of cars). Give the tenants a chance. This is a market driven economy, and Houston is not spoiled for choice when it comes to eateries. If you don't like a restaurant, don't go. If enough people (white, black, latino, whatever) don't like it, it will close down and something will take its place. Chuy's has stood the test of time, which in Houston is really saying something. unfortunately it doesn't own the land it sits on, so I guess its days are numbered.

And yes the fajitas are awesome.

I had a friend who had an unhealthy obsession with the Fajita Tower at Jalapeno's. He knew that, technically, he shouldn't have enjoyed a stack of crispy tortillas, fajita meat, melted velveeta and shredded lettuce, but he couldn't resist. He dragged me there all the time. As an aside, if you compared the four "Mexican-inspired" restaurants that have been on that intersection of late -- Chuy's, Taco Milagro, Jalapenos, and Armando's -- you'd find four pretty distinct places. Certainly a more diverse four Mexican restaurants than you'd find on an intersection in, say, Cincinatti.

And for the record, I am really, really, psyched about this development. Even though I kind of insulted it by comparing it to West End in Dallas. But if they put a Planet Hollywood and dueling piano bar in there, I'll be back with guns blazing.

[Subdude]

Let's not look West Ave in the mouth. I don't think anyone can seriously say this type of development is a bad thing for the area when one considers the alternative (peering at a thin strip of shop signs across a sea of cars). Give the tenants a chance. This is a market driven economy, and Houston is not spoiled for choice when it comes to eateries. If you don't like a restaurant, don't go. If enough people (white, black, latino, whatever) don't like it, it will close down and something will take its place. Chuy's has stood the test of time, which in Houston is really saying something. unfortunately it doesn't own the land it sits on, so I guess its days are numbered.

And yes the fajitas are awesome.

Nothing against the development at all. It's great as far as I'm concerned. My only point was that those tenants are not exactly my cup of tea. That doesn't mean that I hope they don't do well. I'm sure the developers know enough to choose tenants that will be popular.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Besides, those are only five of what, a couple dozen or so tenants (and maybe even more than that)? You could have the same discussion concering the Pavillions, High Street, River Oaks District and Blvd. Place.

Although, I do like a good piano bar, I will admit that.

[rsb320]

Tyvek is going up toward the southeast corner. The round turret on that corner is covered, so I guess that's the final shape (round).

[hornfan]

sounds like good inspiration for an article on stuffwhitepeoplelike.

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/...-person-around/

It seems that your posts are a more likely inspiration for that site.

I don't think many people would call Chuy's "authentic" but it is really good food. Honestly, when you try to eat Mexican food outside of Texas, this is the kind of place you miss. I can find plenty authentic food made by Mexican immigrants in Chicago, but none of the overly cheesy, overly spicy Tex-Mex you get at Chuy's.

[jgriff]

To me Chuy's has a few tex-mex items mixed with Southwestern style food. You see this stuff all over New Mexico.

[rsb320]

Brick is being applied and windows are going in.

[sidegate]

Brick, wonderful brick!!

[The Great Hizzy!]

The mix of expanse + height provides a really unique view for your average Houstonian driving up/down Kirby or Westheimer. We usually see buildings like this as part of maybe a hospital complex or warehouse but this is high use residential presented in a fairly unique manner.

I can't wait to see how it looks from Kirby on the NB side once the final exterior elements have been put in place.

[HtownWxBoy]

The mix of expanse + height provides a really unique view for your average Houstonian driving up/down Kirby or Westheimer. We usually see buildings like this as part of maybe a hospital complex or warehouse but this is high use residential presented in a fairly unique manner.

I can't wait to see how it looks from Kirby on the NB side once the final exterior elements have been put in place.

Driving up and down Kirby is like a whole different world now w/ West Ave. and 2727 Kirby going up.

[sidegate]

Driving up and down Kirby is like a whole different world now w/ West Ave. and 2727 Kirby going up.

Totally. It really is exhilirating.

[capnmcbarnacle]

Here is a blurb from N. Sarnoff in the Chron. Basically confirms some tenants we've heard earlier.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/busine...ff/5732193.html

Real estate developers slay me. A pizza parlor is a "gourmet pizza eatery" and while there are 3 bars listed, none of them are content to be just bars. We have a martini bar (and there is only one real martini dammit, two if we allow for the vodka martini), a wine bar, and a gastropub. I wish someone would find a way to develop a gourmet watering hole.

[ricco67]

I would imagine a small New York Pizza joint would do quite well there as well. I'm not familiar enough with the names to have a real opinion.

[lockmat]

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories...19/daily21.html

What information is new, that Gables is doing the residential?

Looks like they got a brand spankin new website, too. I'm not sure how long its been like this. http://westaveriveroaks.com/

Edited May 20, 2008 by lockmat

[capnmcbarnacle]

Some recent photos. I'll go out on a limb and say I think this is going to be pretty cool.

[NewMND]

The West Ave website says it will feature a state-of-the-art Microplex Theatre, what is that? Is it like a movie theater, but micro-sized? Or maybe it's just a fancy name for the clubhouse?

[Houston19514]

The West Ave website says it will feature a state-of-the-art Microplex Theatre, what is that? Is it like a movie theater, but micro-sized? Or maybe it's just a fancy name for the clubhouse?

A quick search on the internet turned up this:

What is Microplex?

Edited May 21, 2008 by Houston19514