capnmcbarnacle

larry's and Lopez's are completely different styles of food not sure of the facination you've mentioned. larry's doesn't put canned chili on their enchiladas. Clearly roasted meat is their norm. please go to El real and report back. You'll discover what bad tex mex is.

I'm not going to pass full judgment until this place gets a full menu up and running and has a chance to hit its stride. But I will give you my thoughts after my first visit. Take it with a grain of salt given that the restaurant is still a work in progress.

I ordered cheese enchiladas and they tasted like a TV dinner I used to get, right down to the orange tortillas (I'm with Musicman on this one). And the beans were the same as they were in the TV dinner. I wish I could remeber the brand. El Patio maybe? That being said, I liked the beans. I tried puffy tacos and those things were excellent. The rice was bleh. The salsa was good. The queso was nothing like Felix's queso ( I don't see the much hyped connection), but it was good. The margs were nothing special. Take the mixologist crap out of the equation and just make a goddam margarita.

I don't doubt it is authentic Tex-Mex. If Robb Walsh is using recipes from a 1917 cookbook, I believe him. But the funny thing about an authentic holdout like Felix was that it was a throwback to what Tex-Mex used to be and was quaint in that way. I used to say it's what people in the 1920s thought Mexican food should taste like. There is no doubt that the current palate is used to things being more spicy, less lardy, having onions in their cheese enchilada, etc. While these meals are good and interesting in an anthropological way, I wonder if people will think it is really better. Does Tex-Mex taste worse than it did 90 yeasrs ago? I appreciate what the restaruant is about, but suspect a lot of people will be disappointed at how bland some of this stuff is. Again, I don't think it's bland because they don't know what they are doing -- I think they are faithfully reproducing something that faded away for a reason. Felix was authentic as hell -- it was whatever people in 1940 thought Tex-Mex was. But it worked more as a nostalgia trip than a go-to place to eat.

From an architectural standpoint, I'm just glad the building is being used and there is life on the sidewalk now. The interior left me uninspired, but I appreciated the nod to the tchochkes and curios for sale that were an old stalwart of classic tex-mex places. I think I got my first marionette and maracas from the curio cabinent in a tex-mex place.

All the nitpicking aside, I'm sure I'll be back. I'd be shocked if the don't end up with one or two homeruns on the finished menu.

So I'm guessing that this is going to take up the space where Charlie's Diner was....

I am on the "this is going to be awesome" side of things.

http://www.29-95.com/restaurants/story/chris-shepherd-launch-underbelly-next-hay-merchant

maybe i misunderstood

The people have spoken and its.... the pavillion.

http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/11/04/river_oaks_examiner/news/be_heb_pavilion.txt

No real surprise. The non-flat roof crowd split the vote and the flat roof sails to the win!

40 years old and 50 years old. I wonder which penitentiary they'll die in?

"If the market is not raised, McClelland said the company will preserve the property’s trees and work to create a community gathering space closer to the store."

If the thing is on stilts, the trees underneath would get whacked the same as if it sits on the ground. So the idea is that if you park underneath, the "green space" is preserved as a lawn with trees. But assuming it doesn't happen, at least they don't clear cut the trees. I can't really see why they would think it would be a good idea to cut down mature trees instead of leaving them for some shade in the parking lot.

Thank you. I'm glad that you 'get it'. I'm not interested in insisting on my right of way; if I see a car has been waiting for a break in traffic, I'll wave him ahead. And I do try waving, shouting "hello? HELLO?" before banging on someone's hood. That's a last resort for the truly clueless. The car that broke my leg was at a dead stop when I entered the crosswalk, then inexplicably decided to creep forward. While he was on his cell phone. While looking only to the left. And now I must insist on eye contact, because having your leg broken sucks.

Excellent advice. Driving is transportation, not a competitive sport. When it becomes a contact sport people get hurt - or killed.

It's Spur 527. The accident happened on W Alabama, about a mile west of the Spur. Personally, I see no connection.

The connection is that West Alabama was reconfigured as part of the 527 and 59 reconstruction project 5-6 years ago. When 527 was shut down, the plan was to route all downtown traffic from 59 onto Shepherd, and then to Richmond, Alabama, and Westheimer for a couple of years. People freaked, and they at least added the Main St. exit and some other modifications. Alabama went from a 2 lane road with middle turn lane to a 3 lane contraflow street. TxDot and the city assured everyone that the changes were temporary, and all the realignments would be returned to their original condition after 527 reopened. Years later, they have never been changed back.

So I think what Sidegate is saying is that the temporary reconfiguration of Alabama (which is now permanent) has contributed to more traffic and higher speeds along Alabama and that having two westbound lanes of traffic create a greater opportunity for accidents than when there was only one lane in each direction.

I work right here and didn't want this thing changed. I have to admit now that it is a huge improvement. I think they nailed this one. And for all the hand-wringing about the 9/11 Memorial, it's basically a fountain -- and a cool one at that -- with a plaque in the ground saying it is dedicated to victims of 9/11. And there's nothing wrong with putting a fountain in a public space as a memorial, or dedicating it to someone. I don't hear anyone clamoring about removing the Gus Wortham water ball on Allen Parkway or the Mecom Fountain at Hermann Park -- but I'm sure I will.

LOL

With all respect to Lauren's family (I, too, lost a family member on 9/11), this is a public park; not a political statement, not a cemetery.

Who approved this, anyway?

I think the family made a donation to the park's renovation and asked for a small memorial to victims of 9/11 and this is what happened. I agree that parks are no place for rememberances or tributes. Just think of all the stuff littering Sam Houston Park, Tranquility Park, Hermann Park, or Market Square. We ought to tear out the memorial to the sailors killed on the USS Houston, as well as the WWI monument, the Confederate monuments, the Texas revolution monuments, that sappy WWII memorial in the Heights, the cornball Ghandi memorial in Hermann Park, Dick Dowling's statue, Sam Houston on his horse, the stupid Holocaust museum, and those dumb monuments to the crew of the Challenger and Columbia. I too go to the parks around time to get away from it all, and I don't need some downer monuments reminding me of all the tradgey in the world, or monuments or tributes to some sap that laid his life down for me in some politically questionable way. Out of sight, out of mind is what I say. The greatest thing we could do as a society is just forget that all of this stuff ever happened and start fresh.

Personal taste also enters the equation. Montrose has a feel to it that that strip of Shepherd with the hulking, roaring, whining highway towering over everything, will never have. The sinking of 59 was one of the best things to happen to Montrose, I used to cringe walking or biking under the freeway there. Montrose wins - by a street, if you will...;-P

I am with you on this. I have walked all around the Shepherd Plaza Area a million times and there are so many curb cuts in the sidewalk that you have to walk with your head on a swivel to avoid people backing out of the strip centers and pulling into the same. There is already an office building at Shepherd and 59 and when I visualize walking from there to JCI or God Forbid Freebirds, I just think hot, sunny, loud, exhaust, trying not to get hit. Don't forget there is also a Subway, Joel's Classical Shop, a camera store, and a number of modeling spas which make it an ideal area for an office worker who wants to take a walk on his lunch hour and get a hummer while he gets is violin and camera fixed. I don't know, maybe Shepherd has it after all.

If at Montrose & 59, a driver would exit Main Street or Fannin Street from 59 and then drive nearly a mile via Richmond...with auto traffic interacting awkwardly with light rail the whole way. Alternately, they could traverse neighborhood streets with stop signs and cut down the mileage...and maybe a few seconds. That's a hassle.

I'd argue that the stretch of Shepherd between 59 and Richmond is far more walkable (if not as pretty) than the same section of Montrose. There's much more to do, light rail access will be just the same (and will provide access to Montrose, if someone wants to go walk around there), and more importantly than anything... there's better freeway access and visibility. I know many of us on HAIF don't care, but the out-of-state institutional investors that will likely rubber-stamp the financing of this project will absolutely care.

I think this location has an advanatage over Shepherd because of everything that is also to the south, and every bit as walkable (thanks in no small part to being accessed by a bridge and not walking under the freeway) as what lies to the North. For an office worker, I guess it's about lunch and maybe something after work. But in 3 blocks north, you get Nippon, Kam's, Nelore, Zimms, Thai Sticks, Brasserie Max & Julie, and a CV, bank, optical store, etc.. A a block or two more and you are in Black Lab country. Walk south over the freeway and within a few blocks you have Chelsea Market, Danton's, Ernie's on Banks and that park right there. Walk another few and you hit the Art Museums and Hermann Park.

At the end of the day, I'm not really sure how relevant either location is to the average office worker -- it's not like most of them are going to walk to Soundwaves or Cactus on their lunch break. But if you think about what a 10 minute walk in any direction gets you from 59 and Montrose, it's kind of staggering. Given my choice of working in a building at this spot, or the one that currently resides ant the NE corner of 59 and Shepherd, I think this one offers more appealing reasons to step outside.

Look at the parcel they had to work with. There's no direct street access along Lamar Street, so they had two other options: La Branch or Dallas. Each of those streets faces away from the park, and neither is aesthetically welcoming. The convention center and the Hilton Americas conference spaces require about a half-blockface less walking to get to if the entrance is on Dallas.

As for why the tower is oriented with windows facing east and west, that had entirely to do with the shape of the lot. Highway6 discussed standard hotel layouts earlier, and yeah, they really only just had the option of running the corridors down the long way of the building.

Sounds like you got it right. It's just a shame that when you stand in the park you get the ass end -- a very unwelcoming and ugly end -- of that building. At least from a park visitior's perspective, no view was better than that view.

I have been watching this sucker go up everyday, and yesterday I had the opportunity to drive past through the park from the North. It looks like this building is facing the South -- away from the park -- and overlooking an ugly stretch of downtown. The back of the building -- with one window in the middle of each floor -- faces the park. It is the most unwelcoming, ugly blob. I don't want to sound too shrill, but suffice to say it doesn't make the park experience more inviting. I'm sure there is a reason they faced the building away from the park, maybe because of access issues involved with not owning the entire lot. But crap. It reminds me of the back of ther Mercer. Anyone know why they would face the building away from the park and toward the electrical substation?

I suppose I have become a littel skeptical of the "destruction of our beloved Mom & Pops" angle the more I think about it. I'm not so sure that Wal-Mart takes away from small independent businesses as much as it takes away from other large retailers (at least in this setting, I think the Wal-Mart effect on small towns is a different story). A friend of mine and I discussed the kinds of things one regularly purchases at Wal-Mart, and what Mom and Pop we would buy them from in lieu of purchase at Wal-Mart. We asked each other where we would shop today for the following items. We found that a bunch of the stuff WalMart sells is stuff we'd buy at Kroger, Home Depot, Target, Academy, Sears etc. If anyone cares to help us out, let me know what Mom and Pops you go to now to purchase the following items which will be available at WalMart.

1. Television.

2. Six pack of tube socks.

3. Video game.

4. DVD.

5. Pair of filp-flops.

6. Shotgun shells.

7. Sleeping bag.

8 Inflatable kiddie pool.

9. Four new tires.

10. Lawnmower.

11. Swingset.

12. Laundry detergent.

13. Outdoor Christmas lights.

14. Cell phone.

15. Igloo cooler.

What Mom and Pop businesses are really around anymore -- Antigues, second hand clothing, pottery and art galleries, quality clothing and jewelery? Is what's left of the Mom and Pop stores something that has a need to fear WalMart at all? With the exception of hardware (a dying breed) isn't most of what is purchased at WalMart already purchased by the consumer at other, albeit specialized, big box stores like Circuit City or Home Depot or Academy?

Don't know. Just curious how some of you might answer.

I'm just happy that I'll have a place inside the loop to by shotgun shells at a low, low everyday price because as much as I love the mom and pop gun stores, they get away with charging an extra $3 per box.

I heard rumblings a few days ago that Phoenicia was coming to downtown and was hoping it was there. Awesome.

That is great! I drive out there from Montrose to eat and shop sometimes. I'll go downtown now. What a great call. I realize this will be smaller store, but assuming the selection is still solid they will draw inner loopers to shop. I couldn't imagine a scenario where I would drive downtown to buy groceries but this just created one. Great pickup.

i know it is posted somewhere, but i am at my desk being lazy.

How much higher does it have to go, say in relation to One Shell Plaza? Not so much concerned about floor count, but height left to go 'til completion.

Thanks,

m

I am watching this sucker go up and it looks like they are just finishing the 45th floor. There is one more on top of this and then the roof. About 40 or so feet to go by my guess -- equivilent of four floors.

It looks like they're working on the 9th of 22 floors. So, it still has some to go plus a crown. It'll probably be 330-350 ft. Not bad for infill and certainly better than a parking lot...

When you drive down Allen Parkway and enter downtown where it becomes Dallas, it is becoming noticeable. From an infill standpoint it is nice to see some height down at the end of the street. Dallas terminates into the convntion center and the street has now really filled in with this building, as well as the 3 blocks of Pavillions. Put it this way, it wasn't more than a few years ago that the last five blocks of Dallas before the convention center felt barren. The height of the hotel at the end of the street has the effect of "lengthening" the street. As a veteran of that part of DT, it's amazing to think of that area before the park, Hilton, Embassy, Park Place, Hess, Houston Center 5, Pavillions, etc.

A park would be nice but the current economic climate isn't conducive.

I live 5 minutes walk from here. Assuming this jumps all the City hurdles. If HEB wants me to shop there they need to build an interesting, urban structure, keep the perimeter trees and some of the interior ones and make it acccessible to foot traffic. I'm a person of habit and I'm perfectly happy with the Kroger on West Gray. If HEB does all these things and shows me they're serious about fitting into the community, I'll switch allegiance. If not, and it's just another beige stucco River Oaks Shopping Center Barnes and Noble, forget it.

I hear you. If HEB took the time to build the Buffalo Speedway store the way they did, I suspect they'll do something interesting here. The store in the area that appears to be dying on the vine is Randall's, and it is a basic suburban prototype. I think HEB will understand that to come into a saturated market and thrive, they will need to do something different. One thing that has always intrigued me about HEB is their willingness to tailor the size, shape, and style of stores to their market.

I think HEB has had their eye on this location for a long time. I remember hearing rumblings about HEB wanting to get in there back in 2003.

Something tells me that they will want to make this the quintessential Montrose location to win people over. I hope I'm right. Put it this way, I'm more confident that HEB will do something unexpected than I would be if it were Randall's or Kroger.

The drinks at Anvil are far from being weak. At least none that I have had.

I have to second this emotion. My experience has been that Anvil drinks can knock one on their ass. I guess it depends what you order. I can't say whether they short pour on a vodka tonic because I've never ordered one there. I can say that they make a nice Mint Julep, a solid gin fizz, a proper Manhattan, and Gin and Moscow Mules that will make you see triple. And I also need to disclose that I haven't been much since it became difficult to get a seat. All this to say, when the bar first opened they served mighty drinks the first 15 times I went. I'm sure they will ride out the pitfalls of being discovered by douchebags (it was a matter of time) and eventually return to serving aging hipsters who don't feel like Poison Girl for the night.

May I ask why you are trying to revive it? It was fun enough back in the day when Lower Westheimer was the strip, but that area has obviously changed and grown a lot of strip centers.

Might you consider not using the name "WestFest"? "Westheimer Street Festival" at least has some meaning to people, while "WestFest" just sounds like some generic "hip" name concocted by marketing consultants, like EaDo.

I have to chime in here to echo the problem with the strip centers. Those former tracts of vacant land were the heart and soul of the old festival. Booths, stages, all that stuff would be set up in those vacant lots and it gave people ease of movement along the street. It's hard to imagine where everything would go now, but I wish you the best. I had lots and lots of fun at that thing as a younger person -- the free food from the Hare Krishnas was always nice.

Just an observation...

I can see this building out of my window and expected them to start on the indented floors a couple of floors ago. I think that the floor numbers on the exterior service elevators do not correspond with the floor numbers in the renderings from Hines. There has been some comment that this building looked shorter than we thought but maybe this is part of the issue.

No idea, just an observation. I thought it might be related to the planned development on Allen Parkway, but it's a separate lot (right?). They weren't more than ten years old, I'm fairly sure...

I think the Regent Square folks puchased those awhile back and they had been vacant for awhile before the scraped them. The plan for Regent shows a major ingress/egress point right there.

I would like to see a new rendering, as the footprint of the building looks awfully small to me. But, I like that what appears to be the tower footprint is set back in the corner and there is a lot of space facing the park. I'm guessing they may put pool deck or something on a second floor that covers the area facing the park. Anyone know?

I thought it was "Neartown". I've always called it that... hrm...

I call it "over where those silos used to be where we'd go to light fireworks on the Fourth of July."

I know, that looks cool. I imagine the views from the tower itself down to the bayou will be stunning as well. I'm ignorant here, but can you canoe/kayak on the bayou? there are gators in though, right?

Don't care for the color though, looks like something in Miami.

Yes you can canoe, and yes there are gators.