Mr. B

It was Barcelona's

There used to be a very good resturant in Old Katy right off the main strip. I wish I could remember the name but it had a lot of mediterranean/spanish type meals.

No kids allowed very nice place to eat. All of a sudden after many years and excellent reviews they drug up and moved to where I don't remember exactly but was inside the loop supposidly.

Spoke to some people in Katy that knew the owner and according to them he moved locations because he felt his resturant would go over better in that part of town. The strange thing is the place was always full when in Katy on most nights and on weekends we always had to make reservations far in advance.

Last I heard they didn't stay open for business to long after the move, but I can't say for sure on this.

If someone from Katy many years ago remembers this place and has any info to share please do. My curiosity of what actually happend to them is peaked again.

Well with the steakhouse opening up in La Centerra I wonder which will survive or possibly both.

Hmmm that looks interesting.

Wow Neche !!!

"Get a better Job"/"Move", etc man my 3 year old saw that one coming. I gotta be dealing with a nobel laureate think tank member here. Would your name be Stephen Hawking (yes you can go look it up) by any chance ?.

I have a very good job with an excellent company as for moving well I own my home free and clear can you say the same. Taking on a house note is not in the cards.

Carpool not an option, no park and ride available. Where I live is no concern nor do I have or ever had a problem with the community growing as it has. Its clowns like Niche that assume I moved someplace and then complain about it. In fact Niche since you don't live in Katy and are on these boards makes me think you are one of them bitter pills that live inside the loop and just love hatin on anyone who moved into the burbs because they didn't want to pay $400,000 for a 50 year old squatters hut and with that you are dismissed as I am finished with you. Stephen Hawkings, ha, more like Beavis and Butthead.

Jeebus as for your assumption I am an elitest if far off the path. I just don't care to have a bunch of keyboard tough guys such as Niche assuming my motives. I knew full well what would be coming to this area in time. I moved here because the place reminded me of my hometown back then and it was a comfortable feeling for a new person moving to this city. Plus I worked very close to here but things changed.

Also I don't recall anywhere in my original post that I don't like the WestPark. I use it every day as I have no choice and am not going into that or the reasons why. I-10 I can't say as I don't use the road much its out of the way. My beef with Emmet because of what he tried to do with the Tolls and will eventually get done. He wanted to raise the tolls heavily to drive people off the Tollway. Seems some people have a short memory cause there was a large outcry about this and undercover stories on all the news stations till things got so hot he recended the tolls for the time being. It is a parking lot many mornings I am on it and it bogs down right around the Kroger/Westpark section all the way to Sam Houston exit where I get off. Regardless of parking lot I will still use it I just don't like the fact that I would have to pay such a premium because of blunders by the builders I never said Emmett was the cause of the Tollway but he is the one who pulls the trigger on the tolls and I have spoken to him. You all think he cares well he doesn't its about the money and his image. If his power can effect my pocket book by his authority on the tolls then people in the affected area should have a vote on him. If he is Harris county then he should not be calling things for people in Fort Bend County.

As for the tollway being underbuilt and underestimated this information comes directly from TXDOT Manager who was involved in the building of the road the entire time and then went on to work on the I-10 Expansion. It is his first hand knowledge that the roadway was underbuilt and the city, planners, etc understimated how fast the area would expand and how many people would take the roadway. It was built with Eztag only option thinking this would keep the number of people on the road down, which is has but not nearly what they expected. Also according to him the tollway was really to be a sort of expressway from west to east but the many entrances in between has had an effect they didn't forsee. With no place for the cars to move over it has clogged the road with all the unforseen drivers using it. They did not expect so many people to be taking the tollway for short hops but rather expected them to use the feeders. As for the notion about the land on the side you are correct in a way. It is for proposed Light Rail but if needed they could have forced the land use for further widening of the Westpark. They didn't because planners thought it was sufficent for years to come and this is where I am coming from with the road was underbuilt, etc. Is he right on all of this I don't know but it sure seems so from behind my wheel everyday.

Oh also for those that will come on after this and post about a name, well you wouldn't know him but because a name will only make it authnetic to make you happy its Peter Poopendecker.

Those of us who have to use the tollway are the one's that will have to pay for this blunder and I do but I don't like getting shafted by a politician because his only way to ease people complaining to him about the congestion of a pay road is to hike the rates so much as to drive off many people.

Some folks in this want to bait the thread all good by me as I like a good bait and flame. But with this I am done cause I don't want to waste the good people who host this board with anymore useless dribble from The Neches type who can't seem to stay on topic.

HAHA Niche you sound just like Conversation with Emmett (Don't use the road if you don't like the tolls and find another way to work and being honest that is almost exactly what he told me). Unfortunatly I don't feel like sitting on the I-10 Parking lot or should I say the 8 year rebuilt larger and grander I-10 Parking lot.

As for getting an alarm clock I already get up at 5 AM for a 50 mile commute one way smartguy so I don't need to spend any more time on the road than I do.

I have probably been out here in Katy way longer than you and the westpark was not even on anyone's mind back then so you shouldn't go assuming when and why people moved here. In fact back then there were no red lights or anything like that on Fry Road, etc and you could zip to I-10 in no time and I-10 actually moved quite a bit faster than it does now.

The Westpark was poorly planned and severly underestimated as to how many people would use it. As for the Rail Line they want to put in along the side well we will all probably be in our graves by the time that thing gets approval and built. They had the option to take the land for the Westpark but chose not to for the Light Rail line since at the time of building the westpark was felt that it would be many years before the traffic would catch up to the size (Poor Planning) and many people would not want to pay the tolls but rather take I-10 (again another miscalculation). Unlike you all believe many people do not have a reasonable other option for getting to work.

"Cla" many states and cities get the roads built without tolls, also Houston gets federal money to build roads they just have a cash cow and has no intention of letting go of it. Also to note just recently an article came out tha many texas politicians in Austin are becoming increasingly unhappy with Houston toll Road issues and what is happening. Not that they will do much about it though.

Hmm let me see major increase in tolls some period back were his doing and the only reason they got put on the back burner (until he can figure out how to get them back) because of public backlash and Mayor White not wanting to have City Hall burned down.

Tolls dropped for weeks after the storm for no reason and now an increase in tolls is necessary to make up for lost profits. Do you think those tolls will come off after they recoup their profits ?????

As for me using the toll roads I don't have much choice in order to get to work on time so I have to pay and that is fine but the constant increases are not necessary nor increasing tolls to get cars off the Westpark because you so badly screwed up and underbuilt the roadway is not the answer either.

You wanna kiss the mans butt you can but after my discussion on tolls for the westpark during the initial controversy with him and his response leaves me to have no use for the man. He has no sympathy for the drivers and don't go thinking he does. Its all about the dollar and getting his projects planned to him.

Yea I know I am on the Fort Bend portion so I don't get a shot at him, but for someone who has say so in the toll roads both Katy Freeway and Westpark, etc which directly affect my money I want to be able to vote him out of office.

Sorry I was voting tonight and it dawned on me the one man I want to cast my vote against is not on our ballots out here and it ticks me off.

If I would have 10 votes I would cast them all against that %$@# Ed Emmitt. For a guy who has so much say so and authority for things that directly effect me and my pocket book (Toll Roads, etc) I don't get a crack at him.

If I can't vote on him he shouldn't have any say so in things that affect us in Katy.

Ok I am done

Just how do you all know everyone in Katy wants all this mall and retail all over the place. Quite a lot of people moved out here years ago to get away from all of that. I am sure many of them have moved on because they see to much change and to much coming in.

Not much anyone is going to do about that with all the hospitals, etc coming on line in the next few years but I just get a kick out of all these people moving out here over the past few years making demands on this and that when they haven't put in an ounce of money, etc to make Katy what it has become like many of the long time people.

I myself don't really care for it but it will come and I just hope we don't become to saturated with all the retail. When we moved out here West Oaks was a booming very nice mall now look at it. They had all the stores people wanted but its demise was simple race. As the demographics changed and the once mostly white, affluent shoppers slowly became young hispanic and black the money for the stores went with it or by that I mean the stores that anchored it the JC Penny, etc as they aren't really stores you would think young people frequent. The mall has kind of gotten a rep over the years as a gang hangout, etc. I can't say if that is a reality but it is the way the place is percieved and it used to not be that way. They spent a lot of money to update, etc and now I believe are in bankruptcy or something along those lines. Simply because they could not buy away the perception that the mall is no longer a comfort zone to people with big money or elderly or white, etc or however you want to put it.

Katy Mills is the same thing to some extent as when the mall first opened up the crowd was predomintenly different than what you see today. Now the mall never had that big pop like they expected and none of the other phases were ever built (theme park, more stores, etc) and now when you hear people talk about Katy Mills its along the same lines as West Oaks (Hook up and Hoodlum hangout). It doesn't have that great a reputation with shoppers outside of a certain demograpic. How many malls do you know that started a program to bus people in to come shop and we certainly aren't talking about them busing in affluent white folks. I don't do malls very much and maybe this is something common but it struck me as funny when I first saw it years ago.

Town and Country; not the one you know today but the old Mall; was very nice but its location and the crowd it drew did not make it a place people wanted to go.

La Centerra is nice and small wth stores that aren't for everyone and its very family friendly right now. They have nice functions with Jazz, etc. There plan if I understand is to build another phase with more stores, eateries and some high end living which would be the way to keep it from going the way of the other malls. They don't want the element we will say or the reputation for it to be the hook up and hoodlum hangout to get into place or it will fail. Putting in a very upscale senior living nearby only helps to cement that hold its trying to keep.

So if Katy were to build another mall would it fair any better than the others within a 15 mile range that were already here; maybe with the influx of all the people and then again it might become just another high dollar hook up and hoodlum hangout as folks might call them.

I think people misread things in this area to much thinking this is like The Woodlands or its going to be the next Woodlands. Don't count on that as the demographics in Katy are much different.

Well I was due for a cut so today went to the new place Roosters over by La Centerra.

Its not going to be for everyone but I liked it. Place was very nice and everyone was friendly.

Couple of big screens to keep you occupied and the chairs are very nice and comfortable. Was offered a drink of water, soft drink or beer while I was there. Discussed how I wanted the cut which for me isn't very fancy. But it was nice not to get buzzed like a sheep and see if they can set a land speed record for dehairifing me and getting me out of the chair.

Was offered a shave (sure it would have come with fee) but not interested. Got to lay back with my face in some nice hot towels for a bit while they washed off the excess clippings and then neck was done with cream and blade (haven't had that done in long time).

All completed with a nice dusting and some cool neck powder (No Razor Burn).

Price was $24 which I didn't mind for the service provided (heck I pay $15 and they toss me out of the chair so fast). Again it probably is not for everyone.

They have other services they provide but didn't see what they were. They do kids but not sure of the charge for kids.

And yes thank you they told me they didn't do women (lets hope is stays this way). No offense ladies but you all take to damned long and plug up a clipping joint with all your tin foil treatments, etc.

So all in all not a bad deal.

I could go for some Rugby.

Enjoyed watching it at Man U club in Singapore a few years ago when I frequented business trips to singapore.

Well with the 10,000 apartments being built I am sure enough of them will be low cost to give the Wal Marts, etc a worker base.

Go even if its just for the weekend.

Flights are cheap and you tastebuds will thank you.

I could honestly say I bet you could eat an exceptional meal every day from a different resturant and not eat the same place and that is not even driving to the surrounding areas that have just as good or better food.

Ahhh just came back from 4 days in New Orleans for business and it was great to get some good food that I didn't have to cook myself.

Sorry Houston thinks it has such good eats places cause they don't hold up to New Orleans or South Louisiana. Man to get a good Shrimp Poboy on real, hot, fresh baked french bread and not some freaking hoagie roll and have it stuffed with huge shrimp or the wonderful Debris poboy I had from Mothers. Not to count the other meals on the trip which were fantastic.

Funny I was talking to some of the locals in one of the resturants and the lady had me cracking up. She told me that people come in looking for and asking for the nearest Chili's or TGF. Its New Orleans and they are looking for this crap. She was all up about it.

Sounds like people from around here may have visited (hehehe) or moved into the area.

Some of these post show exactly what I meant.

The new influx of people eat nothing but the chains for the most part. That is all they know and all they will eat with no intentions of venturing outside that safety net. As for the excuse about the kids not eating that is a cop out. I have a kid and can tell you she does not determine where we eat. She can either eat or not but in most cases she has a very wide palate because we have taken here to experience many differnent foods. She loves italian, chinese, mexican, and vegetables just as much as old mcdonalds. Most of the smaller places may not have the expansive menus, play grounds or the wants to let you kids run amok like most but that is understandable. Most of the smaller places or mom & pops go out of there way to provide us with what we need for our child. They may not have bendy straws, and pure junk food, etc but if that is as some of you say determines where you eat leaves me to believe things are pretty sad on the food front for most.

I cook and shop and work long hours but still go out to enjoy some finer dining other than the chili's, pie wies, etc because if that is what is becoming my only options out here I will be eating in more often.

Stopped trying other people's junk years ago.

If I want it I cook it myself

As for pouring pepper on crawfish after they are boiled is just some mess I saw fools doing in Florida about 15 or so years ago. I guess it spread from the north down to the Florida and now made its way over to La. Compensation for not knowing how to boil crawfish perhaps. Actually the guys in Florida were from the Upper East coast and informed me that is how they did all there steamed an boiled seafood (To each his own).

The objective is to be able to taste the crawfish and all the flavors blended (Lemons, onions, garlic, etc) not just heat (Hello Lake Charles). If I want to eat cayenne pepper I will just open a jar and pour it on my fingers then lick them. No need to boil the crawfish.

I don't know I have been here over 11 years and in years past people frequented the mom and pop's I think because they were familiar and comfortable plus that was what was out this way before all the chains came in. As people moved out and the Gymboree cult moved in things changed. They only eat at chain resturants that they know or familiar with or just don't eat out at all much.

As I said on any given night at the chain's its asses and elbows for sub par food while smaller no name places with fantastic food and different types of food go half empty to empty.

Shame that what people think is good food comes from a chain resturant. Guess being from South La and pretty much making it a point to go to the dives and mom & pops over the chains gives me a different perspective (in South La that is where the good food is found)Then again majority of the people I knew back home could cook better food out of their garage than most of the fine dining establishments.

I do eat at the chains from time to time.

I wouldn't say the food at Buffalo Wings and Rings was bad as I ate there on quite a few occasions. The wings were actually very good since they were different being in the wet state I was skeptical but after trying them like this I really liked them. The other food was on par for that type of place. Have to admit they didn't advertise but I don't think this would have saved them. Katy and Cinco Ranch are the same as they have been for years. A graveyard for startups/mom and pops, no support for the smaller places except for a few. Aside from that its asses and elbows in the typical chain joints.

I can tell you what the 3 times I went to the hooters on I-10 with my family were the last for a long time as that was just pathetic in service and food quality. Each time I waited a while to hope it got better and it didn't it was actually worse. The last trip was actually the worst wings I have ever eaten in my life and just left them there as the manager didn't seem to care.

Well hopefully the BW3's rumor is true.

If you expect to open a place here you should be prepared to do very little business or take a loss for at least 2 years to see if you will make it. There are a couple of exceptions but then again we'll see how long they last. I am very good freinds with the owners of Chin Won and Rocco's and it took them about 2 years to see if they would make it and get some long term clients and even after many more years they still do not get the business they deserve. I am sure its like this for some other small establishments as well.

My clock is on the new med style joint that just opened up over off of South Mason and Westhiemer Parkway. The 2 year clock is on them.

Anyone know if the Buffalo Wings and Rings is still open.

Went by there this afternoon and the place was dark, no cars, no lights or anything.

Wouldn't think the storm still has them shut up.

I wouldn't be surprised though if they were out of business as that is about par for support of resturants outside of the major chains in this area.

Well I am looking forward to the Roosters over by La Centerra Opening up.

I have seen them in other cities and usually are very nice. Geared strictly for men. Prices seem about the same as a salon but if they can manage not to try to break a personal best on getting me out of the chair and then looking for a tip.

Seriously I had one gal in I believe it was TGF that must have been working on her career to be a professional Sheep trimer. I literaly had to pull my head away and ask her if she was in a rush or thought I was a sheep (no kidding). I don't have all what I used to up there but would like to keep the scalp and some of the hair !!!!.

Well finally got power back this afternoon.

Something must have really gone wrong on Friday as we lost power at 6 PM. Long before the storm hit, nothing more than a mild breeze when everything went and just now coming back on. Never could get an answer out of Centerpoint as to the reason.

Shocked at how unprepared majority of people around here were. All should be very glad the storm tracked more to the east than expected otherwise many of the people around me and the surrounding area would have been in bad shape. No food, water or anything to last more than a day or two. Most took the idea as we would not lose any services.

Some winds of 80 MPH gusting but nothing sustained for long was a blessing. No damage to anyone other than an eye opener for most at the sheer stupidity. Few folks were even still saying it would turn to Beaumont like Rita up till Friday afternoon.

And to the lady in the convience store on Sunday Evening buying junk food or anything she could get her hands on then saying she had nothing to eat or drink because no one told her or said anything about needing to get supplies for a storm. Very close to smacking her in the back of the head with my Rockstar !!!!

Bleeping Yankee's

Haven't found many resturants that serve good crawfish here but honestly I stopped trying years ago after ordering some and they came out with what looked to be a bottle of cayenne pepper poured over them. I sent them back and pretty much stopped trying from that time on. Just do my own.

Kellie over at Texas Borders has some good food as first posted. I think she opened up right around the time we moved here and have been eating there eversince.

Swampy's is pretty good.

Heberts used to have a small place they opened up on Mason road years ago but eventually closed due to lack of support. I was sad to see them close but its understandable.

I do a big crawfish boil every year and after 5 years I still laugh and shake my head in amazement at the people coming to eat. I can't tell you how many times we had sacks of crawfish left over because people found them either to hard to fool with or just down right scared to eat them. I did some alligator and most just had this look, luckily a couple of guys tried it and proceeded to eat every piece they could find, same when I did frog legs. If I put out a mexican dish or some trashy little appetizers they will inhale them but the gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish, fish, etc are all left pretty much. Hell half my clan are from La and they don't touch or even stand to be in the same area as seafood (Guess love is blind). Yes wifeypoo I know you read this board.

Funny back home if I invited a large group I would have to expect it to double from word of mouth that hey someone is having a boil. Here if I invite a large group I can count on half or more not showing up because of lets see (Clouds in the sky, rain even though everything is under cover, traffic, it was chilly and the best was "oh the sight and smell make me nauseated")

Haven't tried Treebeards but I have heard about it. I just don't get downtown much.

There used to be a place called Shrimps on north mason but has closed down now for a few years. They had some decent food.

I can't blame anyone for not opening up something with South La fare over here as the chances are you will go under from lack of support. Hell most of the people I run across from La. seem to shy away or not want people to know they are from La.

I am a coonass and while its not politically correct oh well. I have no problem with it.

B

I was wondering about that Mr. B handle should have known. The Al you're referring to is Al Scramuza of Seafood City. Cue the soul beat and rythym section "Seafood city very pretty Down on Broad and St. Bernard. Stay wit Al Scramuza and you'll never be a loser. 1826 North Broad." We're going to have to start a New Orleans thread or gather at the New Orleans section of this board.

Cla, don't feel bad I graduated in 83 and my wife graduated Blenk in 85

Not from New Orleans area but from Donaldsonville. Spent a lot of time down in the area when I was younger and in later years before moving to Katy. Man I would so love to move back down to South Louisiana but everytime I go back down to my hometown I just shake my head and sigh at what it has turned into. I remember watching Morgus all the time. I think that is where I got my love of scifi.

Someone said Katy and this area is very homogenous compared to South La. they got that one right.

B

Ohhh China Doll !!

I remember that resturant from years ago. My aunt lived in Westwego for years before moving to Plaquemine and I used to spend a lot of time there when I was younger. We used to go eat at the China Doll and help her make groceries at Schwegmanns (Probably spelled wrong).

Still catch myself singing that danged song with the little girl dancing or the seafood guy Al something.

Rosenburg, Rosenburg - 1824 Tulane (Memory ain't so great anymore but something like that).

B