Shamrock

Hot damn!

Anyone know the latest on this? I'm ready for some pork.

This is a very cool thread. Cheers tmariar, et al. I had no idea there was (used to be) a Polish community around here.

we gonna rock down to d-bag avenue!

a. Agree. But for now, Austin has the best small grocery I have come across.

I was surprised to see them last as long as they did, and I am sorry that things did not work out for them. The owners were really nice. However, that location absolutely begged for a hip little grocery (see below), and they did not quite get it there. I'll concede that if that location does not allow beer/wine sales, that is a huge problem. That aside . . . Instructions for opening up a proper "hip little grocery": Go to Austin and drive to South Congress. Go to this place (http://www.fm1718.com/) and copy everything about it - it is the bomb, good vibe, usually cool music in the background, wide selection of produce, cheese, crackers, breads, meat, fish, beer, wine -- all packed into a space about 1/5 the size of McCain's. Open for at least 5 years by now. Someone please do this. I would do it but am trapped in an office all day long.

Realizing that this was tongue-in-cheek (and pretty funny), I think Marksmu has a good point. If residents want to preserve a certain aesthetic in their area, it seems more equitable to do that on the front end -- organize support and petition for a municipal ordinance restricting certain uses of property in that designated area. I'm all for keeping the character of a place intact and having sensible development, but IMO, it is unfair to go after a developer after their purchase of unrestricted property. If you want restrictions, go get'em now. If you want to seek restrictions after the fact, that is fine too, and that is your right. Heck - I may even support your agenda. However, any notion that you are manifestly entitled to these restrictions -- after the fact and at the expense of the developer -- is suspect.

I need to try this Java Java. The El Rey downtown is mediocre - the one on Wash Ave is much better.

This is a really good topic. My preferred spots, in no particular order, for WashAve/Heights are: 1. Shade - a little more pricey, but worth every penny 2. El Rey/Laredo - both are solid with cheap, uncommonly good breakfast tacos 3. Spanish Flower/Berryhill - both solid all around 4. El Tiempo - a bit limited on breakfast options, but good 5. Yale St./11th Street - both solid greasy spoon breakfast 6. Daily Grind - more urban-ey with coffee house feel 7. Beaver's brunch - not open until 11am but very good (if they were open earlier, I'd be there more often) 8. King Biscuit - not as good as the others, but the patio makes up for it I also am known on occassion to hit up Popeye's for biscuits and chicken tenders with honey. Very nutritious. I have never tried Dharma Cafe on Houston for their Sunday brunch, but I hear very good things. Never had Teo-T for breakfast, but they are otherwise really good. Dan's Cafe has all the potential in the world, but their food to me is really bland. I like Onion Creek and Dry Creek overall, but for some reason, their breakfast options do not appeal to me. Dry Creek has good breakfast items conceptually, but the product always turns out sorta kinda good. And in H-town, that does not cut it. I know that I am forgetting some spots - my apologies in advance.

My theory -- matresses are expensive to ship and need to be tried out by customers. I do not know if this is actually the case, but I would guess that mattresses are seldom ordered by mail or on the internet. Still, there are way too many mattress retail stores.