Marksmu Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Friday night quick dinner out at Collinas on 19th around 5:30 I believe proved the point I have been trying to make about Children...the restaurant was full, only 1 table available when we got there, and over 80% of the restaurant was families with young children eating out. By catering too, or at least tolerating children at that early hour the place was able to do much much more business than if it had just sat back and waited for the adult dinner crowd to show up and eat later....Granted Collina's is not some fancy restaurant - but I think families with children can help places do quite a bit of early business it would not otherwise do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanith27 Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Friday night, 5:30 at Collinas, baby in hand. Yup, we contributed to that 80%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J008 Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Friday night quick dinner out at Collinas on 19th around 5:30 I believe proved the point I have been trying to make about Children...the restaurant was full, only 1 table available when we got there, and over 80% of the restaurant was families with young children eating out. By catering too, or at least tolerating children at that early hour the place was able to do much much more business than if it had just sat back and waited for the adult dinner crowd to show up and eat later....Granted Collina's is not some fancy restaurant - but I think families with children can help places do quite a bit of early business it would not otherwise do.Yes and most restaurants make most their money on the 5:30 crowd. I agree with you in many respects, but restaurants are not moving to the heights for the children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverJK Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 (edited) That reminds me... has anyone else been to the restaurant inside Nundini's (since they made a nice sit down area)? I have been several times and it is fantastic. I have seen a few children in their everytime I've been... Traditional Italian dining is always family friendly... I have not been back to Collina's since the Nundini's restaurant opened. Edited December 5, 2011 by SilverJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3mh Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 That reminds me... has anyone else been to the restaurant inside Nundini's (since they made a nice sit down area)? I have been several times and it is fantastic. I have seen a few children in their everytime I've been... Traditional Italian dining is always family friendly... I have not been back to Collina's since the Nundini's restaurant opened.Best kept secret in Houston. Even before the sit down version, they would serve a prosciutto pannini for $7 that had about $10 of high quality proscuitto on it. I do not think that families are driving the restaurant boom in the Heights, but I do think families are a real factor in how restaurants in the Heights do business. Scott Tycer's uber unfamily friendly Textile crashed and burned and was replaced by a family friendly expanded Kraftsmen. Menchie's is practically the Chuck E Cheese of frozen yogurt. But I doubt the new branch of Sonoma on Studewood will do much of anything for families. It will be interesting to see what the fare at Sale Sucre will be like. Looking at the large bar, it may not be looking to get the families. But, you never know until they open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverJK Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I just want to know more about Sale-Sucre. Anyone hearing anything about it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I just want to know more about Sale-Sucre. Anyone hearing anything about it?Please restate you question with a generalized comment about Walmart, Children, Paving Roads, Wild cats, Ruggles, and Airbinder, and someone will gladly respond :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverJK Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I just want to know how Sale-Sucre plans on running a business when they obviously will be undersold by walmart, overrun by children and wild cats, while Yale is being repaved and Ruggles/not ruggles is indirectly competing against them, all while not having a developer like airbinder to get them a 380 agreement...I also am curious about their food. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I just want to know how Sale-Sucre plans on running a business when they obviously will be undersold by walmart, overrun by children and wild cats, while Yale is being repaved and Ruggles/not ruggles is indirectly competing against them, all while not having a developer like airbinder to get them a 380 agreement... I also am curious about their food. Bravo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggplant Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) With news that the folks at Ruggles Green have announced their takeover of the 11th Street Cafe, I thought it was time we officially retired the "Lack of Restaurant Diversity in the Heights" thread. It has served us well as a deserved dumping ground for disappointment since the first post in 2006, but things have changed over the years. "Abundance" may be a bit of a stretch, but we're well on the way. Let's celebrate. Edited January 25, 2012 by Eggplant 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I just ate at Liberty Kitchen. That was pretty awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannomad Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I thought it was time we officially retired the "Lack of Restaurant Diversity in the Heights" thread.Not until we get an Indian restaurant! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innerloop Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Not until we get an Indian restaurant!I second the motion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 With news that the folks at Ruggles Green have announced their takeover of the 11th Street Cafe, I thought it was time we officially retired the "Lack of Restaurant Diversity in the Heights" thread. It has served us well as a deserved dumping ground for disappointment since the first post in 2006, but things have changed over the years. "Abundance" may be a bit of a stretch, but we're well on the way. Let's celebrate.lol, maybe 'better than average restaurant diversity in the heights'? but with a place that sells mac and cheese, what else could anyone possibly need/want? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heights_yankee Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) Does anyone know about this supposedly awesome Thai place on Cavalcade? Someone I know had take out (brought by someone else who I don't know) from there and said it was incredible but knows nothing about it. I know most people don't consider Cavalcade "The Heights" but close enough to count it's restaurants if they're awesome. ETA: I appreciate the spirit of this post but I did like the continuation of the old one because it served as a "see how far we have come" time line. The fact is, people looove to delicate flower about/debate restaurants (especially Liberty Kitchen, it seems) so it won't be long before you'll see disappointment expressed here as well. Still, I'm happy to participate in either thread. Edited January 25, 2012 by heights_yankee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J008 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) Does anyone know about this supposedly awesome Thai place on Cavalcade? Someone I know had take out (brought by someone else who I don't know) from there and said it was incredible but knows nothing about it. I know most people don't consider Cavalcade "The Heights" but close enough to count it's restaurants if they're awesome.Asia Market & Thaifood 1010-B Cavalcadehttp://maps.google.c...,348.94,,1,0.78It looks like a total dump, never been but the houston press loves it.http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2009/08/asia_market_thai_food_curry_ho.php Edited January 25, 2012 by J008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggold Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Asia Market & Thaifood 1010-B Cavalcadehttp://maps.google.c...,348.94,,1,0.78It looks like a total dump, never been but the houston press loves it.http://blogs.houston...od_curry_ho.phpIt is very good. If you are not used to ethnic grocery stores, you might not love the look of the place, but the kitchen pumps out some great food. They have a website with their menu: http://asiamarkethouston.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggplant Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Despite your protests to the contrary, I'm going to stick with "abundance" at the intersection of wishful thinking and cautious optimism. Realistically I believe we've crossed the line between glass half empty and glass half full.Not until we get an Indian restaurant!I can't argue with you on that one, although I do find comfort in the fact that my favorite Indian and Indian fusion restaurants in Houston are easily accessible downtown. Both Korma Sutra at 706 Main St and Bombay Pizza nearby at 914 Main are excellent (in very different ways) and only about 10-15 minute drive assuming you're not hankering for curry during the morning rush hour. I recommend them highly if you've never been, and hope you'll join me in convincing the owners to franchise in our direction.Thanks for the comments on the Asian Market. I've passed it a thousand times and didn't give it a second thought. The menu options on the website look promising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3mh Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Both Korma Sutra at 706 Main St and Bombay Pizza nearby at 914 Main are excellent (in very different ways) and only about 10-15 minute drive assuming you're not hankering for curry during the morning rush hour. I recommend them highly if you've never been, and hope you'll join me in convincing the owners to franchise in our direction.Don't forget about Pondicheri in the new West Ave development on Kirby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heights_yankee Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 It is very good. If you are not used to ethnic grocery stores, you might not love the look of the place, but the kitchen pumps out some great food. They have a website with their menu: http://asiamarkethouston.com/Growing up in a part of the country where the older and more ethnic it looked, the better the food, i am ready and willing to eat here. thanks for the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Asia Market is quite good and their prices are a bit lower than average I would say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkultra25 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Count me in as another fan of Asia Market. The last time I was there, the young backpacker-type guy at the table next to us had a look of complete amazement as he dug into his meal and claimed that it was the first Thai place he'd found locally where the food was just like what he'd had in Bangkok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggplant Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Don't forget about Pondicheri in the new West Ave development on Kirby.I never forget about Pondicheri; it's in my Houston Top 5! Their "Texas Chaat" is a family favorite. I didn't mention it because of the 15 minute driving constraint I used for the post. Although close in distance, the drive to Upper Kirby can be a nuisance for some people at rush hour whereas the trip downtown is relatively painless. Regardless, we do it all the time. That chaat is amazing.(Note to anyone clicking on the link - the actual dish doesn't look very much like the photograph. They've perfected the presentation over the last year.)Back to the Heights . . . one roadblock I encounter when talking to restaurant owners about expanding here is the assumption that the only viable Heights option is Washington Ave. I see Washington in the same way I see downtown or Kirby or Rice Village; i.e., driving destinations with lots of good options, but outside the definition of a neighborhood restaurant from a geographic and walkability perspective. Whether it's the alcohol prohibition or misconceptions about our demographic, it seems that alternatives on 19th, Studewood, 11th, White Oak etc. were not even considered. I suppose my (cautious) optimism stems from the belief that the growth we've seen in the last year and the anticipated (keeping my fingers crossed here) success of Zelko, Liberty Kitchen and the other newbies, will inspire others to follow suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3mh Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I suppose my (cautious) optimism stems from the belief that the growth we've seen in the last year and the anticipated (keeping my fingers crossed here) success of Zelko, Liberty Kitchen and the other newbies, will inspire others to follow suit.Nothing to anticipate as far as Zelko goes. They are packed all the time. Liberty Kitchen has had a pretty decent start. What I am really curious to see is how Sale Sucre does when it opens. I peeked in the window and saw the plans. It is really set up like a cafe with a small bar and a few tables. I would really like to see that kind of business model thrive in the Heights. Small cafe, something different/original and not a second or third location. The Heights should really be an incubator for new and interesting restaurants whether they are high end like Shade or Stella Sola or fun and easy like Jus Mac or Happy Fatz. It is nice to have a BBs, Christians, Tacos Agogo and soon to be Little Woodrows, but something new would be better.Also, it is worth mentioning that Melange Creperie has a second crepe cart that is usually parked at Stella Sola for breakfast and lunch (7-1ish m-th, 10-2ish weekends). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3mh Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 http://www.29-95.com/restaurants/story/bryan-caswell-closes-stella-solaDang. I hope that they at least let Melange keep making crepes there. The guy working the stand said that they leased from Stella Sola. Hopefully it won't take long to find someone to fill the space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 The chef at Stella Sola must've forseen that fierce competition from the sit-down only golden arches in the new Heights Wal-Mart would spell the end for his endeavor, his reputation, and his career. It was a good call for him to make a graceful exit, but it sure is sad that yet another Heights institution has succumbed to the evil Wal-Mart plague. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3mh Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 The chef at Stella Sola must've forseen that fierce competition from the sit-down only golden arches in the new Heights Wal-Mart would spell the end for his endeavor, his reputation, and his career. It was a good call for him to make a graceful exit, but it sure is sad that yet another Heights institution has succumbed to the evil Wal-Mart plague.It is interesting that I am able to move on and talk about other subjects, but you are not. You are getting your cruddy walmart paid for in part with your tax dollars, but you seem to be unable to contribute anything other than your weak attempts at humor that are just dripping with your class envy and resentment. Walmart is getting build and, absent a judicial miracle, funded with tax dollars for improvements. It sucks, but life goes on. I have better things to do than rehash the same tired arguments that have been made over and over on this board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 It is interesting that I am able to move on and talk about other subjects, but you are not. You are getting your cruddy walmart paid for in part with your tax dollars, but you seem to be unable to contribute anything other than your weak attempts at humor that are just dripping with your class envy and resentment. Walmart is getting build and, absent a judicial miracle, funded with tax dollars for improvements. It sucks, but life goes on. I have better things to do than rehash the same tired arguments that have been made over and over on this board.Not enough time to argue about it but still plenty of time to spread your misinformation, I see.Nah, making ironic grievances against the Heights Wal-Mart has become a sort of internet meme, like Planking, Tebowing, or Foul-Bachelor-Frogging. It'll be over soon enough, but for the moment, it's still funny. I encourage anyone who agrees with me to LIKE THIS POST! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverJK Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 It is interesting that I am able to move on and talk about other subjects, but you are not. You are getting your cruddy walmart paid for in part with your tax dollars, but you seem to be unable to contribute anything other than your weak attempts at humor that are just dripping with your class envy and resentment. Walmart is getting build and, absent a judicial miracle, funded with tax dollars for improvements. It sucks, but life goes on. I have better things to do than rehash the same tired arguments that have been made over and over on this board.lol... you state your able to move on, then bring it all back up again. FACEPALM!Sale-Sucre update anyone??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Niche suffers from a number of maladies. Class envy is not one of them.Back to Stella Sola, tho. Actually...I heard the new tenant will have NO parking spaces and have a wine+walkability pairing menu in which after each course you walk briskly for 5 blocks, then valet 2 cars and before your next course. If you can't meet the time constraint, you have the option of Metro bus stop quik-clean duty, or a 100% upcharge for your next wine flight. I understand it's pretty much the brass ring for chef-driven sustainability. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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