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The Heights Restaurant And Bar Scene - More Coming


Freelander

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Chicken Ranch opens Sunday in the spot on N. Main that used to be Bellissimo. 

A 2nd Cup coffee will be going brick and mortar in the storefront next to Andy's at 1111 E. 11th.  I think they are finalizing lease terms. 

Los Cucos Signature is opening as soon as final city permits come in.  They are built out and staffed up.

Sale Sucre told the Leader that they have closed the White Oak location and are looking to reopen in the Heights in a new location with a different name. 

Foreign Correspondents/Hunky Dory is moving a lot of dirt and in full swing for construction finally.

Not in the Heights, but if you are a coffee nerd, you should head over to Paper Co. Coffee in the 1st Ward.  They are roasting in house and make great coffee (easily on par with Catalina, Boomtown, etc.).  They are in a repurposed warehouse on Elder across the street from the old Jefferson Hospital/Elder St. Artist Lofts.  You take Dart from Houston Ave and follow it around to Elder.  The entrance to the coffee shop is in the back.  The building also houses an art gallery and church.  I think they are intending to have a café with food eventually, but are currently just doing pop up dinners.  It is a really nice space to relax and have your favorite caffeine fix.  So far, it has not been infested with hipsters setting up office with their laptops everywhere. 

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Met a friend at Skinny Rita's last night.  I had already had dinner but wanted to catch up on things.  She's already there and has her food.  Chips came with 3 different salsas.  These were really good.  She had two appetizers.  Chicken flautas and a crab cake.  I sampled the flautas and they were excellent.  Guacamole on top and greens.  Almost like a flautas salad.  This joint does a healthier style Mexican food.  They advertise fresh, no GMO, etc.  The menu is pretty extensive. 

 

The build out is really nice.  I remember this when is was Rico's Triangle for the 3AM hangover breakfast.  I never did go when it was Frida's.  The bartender gave us a tour and the patio out back is nice.  Took the stairs up to see the rooftop patio area too.  With the nice weather we've been having my friend wished we had eaten up on the roof area.  Next time. 

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I was on 610 the other day and saw there was Chipotle between shepard and Ella now? 

 

BTW, I agree that Paper Co Coffee is a good place.  I'm trying to find ways to go there more, but saturday/sunday mornings are my go to coffee shop times and that is when the church is in session...

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"Stella Sola" building leased out.  The last group from Yucatan Taco Stand leased for over a year and never did anything with it.  A new group has now leased this building.

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With these openings, and Southern Goods on the next block East, it's good to see development reaching this end of 19th street. Unfortunately the blocks between Lawrence and Ashland are not very pedestrian friendly, so the two ends of 19th St feel isolated from each other.

 

I'd like to see Chase do something with that low-density bank drive-thru at Nicholson and 19th. Street-facing retail there could really help tie 19th together.

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I'd like to see Chase do something with that low-density bank drive-thru at Nicholson and 19th. Street-facing retail there could really help tie 19th together.

 

Interesting, I was just driving down 19th yesterday and had the exact same thought.

 

Bank branches are getting smaller due to the proliferation of online banking and industry consolidation.  Several of the banks I work with have been trying to consolidate their real estate portfolios to reduce expenses 

 

I wonder if anyone has contacted Chase with a proposal to lease the land, in return for Chase getting an endcap space or pad site in a new development? 

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I was talking to a guy who was a VP at a local credit union about how ridiculous it is that the city required a zillion spaces for banks when no one goes to the bank in person anymore.  He said that his branches in the burbs need every parking space and have lots of customers in the teller line all day long.  Maybe small credit unions get more face time with their customers than the monster banks like Chase.

 

I certainly agree that the Chase property is underutilized.  It is a sea of empty parking spaces and drive-up teller spots that are never used.  Between the Chase property and the old City waterworks, you could build just about anything. 

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Q: A recent post on the Houston blog Swamplot said you'd been sighted at the Shiloh Club in the Heights, leading to heavy speculation that you're planning to open a restaurant there. Was that really you at the bar?

A: I was not there.

Q: Are you considering opening a restaurant in the area?

A: No. The way that I'm set up, I have to do a lot of business, and they're more smaller restaurants. Brenner's on the Bayou could be there. But that's probably around here the only (Landry's) restaurant that could be in the Heights. But the Heights is a great treasure. I'm glad they kept the building restrictions there.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Houston-billionaire-plans-expansion-even-as-5917677.php

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There is a TABC application notice up at 4706 N. Main.  Have not heard anything else and cannot tell anything from the business entity on the notice. 

 

Also, the rumor mill has officially thrown Treadshack (Down House, Hunky Dory, etc.) into the mix as a possible successor to the Boom Boom Room space.

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Primo location.  The building will get a light remodel.  An improvement nevertheless.

 

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Gatlin BBQ moving to 3510 Ella 

 

 

Gatlin’s BBQ is growing up. The family-owned business that has been a local barbecue success story since it opened in June 2010 has long since outgrown its tiny storefront at 1221 W. 19th St. Now it is eying a larger location for its honest, homey barbecue that comes with a huge side order of hospitality.

This week the Gatlin family intends to sign a lease to open a much larger barbecue restaurant at 3510 Ella Boulevard at 34th Street, said Greg Gatlin who owns the business with his parents, Mary and Henry Gatlin. The new store, at 4,200 square feet, is huge compared to the 700-square-foot store (not including the 1,000-square-foot pit room) that the family currently operates. The new restaurant is expected to open in May

http://blog.chron.com/foodchronicles/2014/12/gatlins-bbq-to-open-larger-restaurant/#29014101=0

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Restaurant Death Watch Reprieve:  The El reopened on Wednesday.  Not enough time to do a total revamp, but maybe to think about addressing issues listed on Yelp, Reddit, Google, and the Houston Press.  They did seek outside expertise but no deal was executed AFAIK but maybe they will implement the free advice given.  Or maybe not. :rolleyes:

 

 

After months of negotiations and shopping around different partners, the deal was done two weeks ago.  It's official.

Liberty Kitchen will run things now.

 

 

 

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LK is taking over The El? 

 

http://blog.chron.com/foodchronicles/2014/12/liberty-kitchen-owners-to-manage-and-operate-the-el-cantina-superior-in-the-heights/#29063101=0

 

That is correct.  Very interesting that the rival restaurant groups are willing to work together on a restaurant.  I have family in the restaurant biz.  The standard operating procedure is to let your rival fail hard and thin the herd.  

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