Porchman

TY jfre81 (and Sevfiv). I'm glad you caught the sparkly shoes hanging over Shep/Gray. I saw those recently. I was worried about what kind of gang I might I might encounter there!

That is hilarious. I didn't look at the article earlier (obviously!). The Chron had it posted on their page yesterday, so it looked like something new. I guess it was just a slow news day.

Well, lookie here, Alison Cook has her own opinions about this. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/dining/cook/6917049.html

I totally understand soft openings, HY. However Lola seemed to take forever to get it right (have they yet?), and some of the Creeks never seem to...well, get hard. As I said about PitS in a previous post, "Glad for their coming to the 'hood. We'll give it time to settle out." It's unique to the Heights, because we are victims of the joyful lack of chains. When you open an Applebee's, you've done it 2,000 times. We enjoy the uniqueness and freshness of the food. However, service is key.

What I look for is the rub and the smoke. For this, I like Hickory Hollow. I also really like Pizzitola's on Shepherd. I like Beavers, but the BBQ is generally more mid-south (saucy/vinegar oriented), which I like, but it's not what I look for. Their rib rub is good. The sense of smoke-and-rub is not quite there, perhaps because she like to feature some of the special ingredients of the rub more (being known for her use of fresh herb and spice). Their bloody marys and some of their other dishes are really what take me there. One place that I tried recently..Dave's Rib Shack on 1960. You know you're in the right place the second you open the car door and catch that first whiff of smoke. The rub is fantastic. The sides are a bit limited, but, hell, if you can find a place that make ribs right, you can make your own potatoes, beans and collards.

Heights restaurant with huge delay and awkward service when it's just opening. Why does this sound familiar?

I'm not sure. I didn't see those posts, but it appears there may be another parrallel thread. Either way the listing does not include an improvement. It specifically denotes "cleared". The house was moved one lot north. The question might be who wants to buy a cute house next to a strip center?

I think the house is safe. That's why they moved it.

The house has been mover and now the corner lot is for sale. http://search.har.co..._HAR8179857.htm From the Listing:

Oh, you used to live in that apartment complex on W 16, huh? Then you went to Pie in the Sky...

Hanuman, the lesbians are not into you. Get over it! That Zin is not doing you any good! We had the Buffalo Chicken Wraps. Delicious! Heights Yankee is right...Blue is the only way to go. I thought I'd might have to go back to the kitchen and prep them myself. 20 minutes for a wrap seemed a bit much. The fill-out-your-ticket thing is weird. (Quaint is not always a good thing). Oh, and tip when you pay your check at the back. I left cash on the table (diner-style), then, got the evil eye when I didn't add tip to my bill at the cashier station. Glad for their coming to the 'hood. We'll give it time to settle out.

It's being opened by Jamie Zelko, the former Executive Chef of Bistro Lancaster. http://www.zelkobistro.com/

In short, it's not just about transportation dollars. (1) It's about readapting the middle class to mass transit and (2) It's taking that synergy and creating development. So, bus-to-rail is not apples-to-apples. I have some qualms about MetroRail. We paid a chuck-a-change to build a 7-mile rail line in a 600-square-mile city. Shouldn't we be focusing on hub-to-hub, commuter rail (Cypress-Galleria-Downtown or Sugarland-TMC-Downtown...not to mention IAH-Dowtown-Galleria)?Argument: Rail is supposed to support growth in more densely (and efficiently) populated areas like the Inner Loop . It runs down the middle of the street (and hits cars)On previous argument: If you are to serve Downtown, Midtown, Museum, TMC, and Reliant, where are you going to put it? (Also, white men in SUV's need to get off their phones). LRT is cheaper than BRTArgument: ??? I hear "fuel" and "pavement" as issues. I would like to see long-term studies for similar corridors. I support Metro. Their mission to get car-centric, sprawl Houston off its current mojo is admirable. However, they need to better quantify the value of LRT. The bond issue barely passed. The University Line has been mired in AWP meetings. Clearly, there is more than bond and construction work to do. And [back on topic] the financial costs of this should be seriously weighed. If Mayor Parker has concerns about this, we need to be concerned, too. Whomever she appoints to the Metro Board has to assume reponsibility for the current strategies, so she has some serious ownership.

This same case came to my mind. There is a distinct difference. Ogletree does not show where he specifically charged any of the parties with responsibility for his coat and they accepted. So beyond his own culpability for the loss, he fails to support his legal claim.

Good for them! We rejoice, Immanuel! This was a tough decision. Neighborhood church's are not rolling money. They exist because people want to commune in a more intimate environment (not with several thousand of their best friends). Efficiency and spiritual pursuit do not always follow hand-in-hand. Certainly, they had a lot community pressure to preserve this special asset. However, they also voted to make their community more connected with its neighborhood. They voted to keep something that makes their campus something really great. I applaud them. They will need help to make this happen. We should support the cause. I am sure restricted gifts would be welcome. [Everything counts in small amounts].

Shortly after the polls close, they'll start to post early voting results. The rest will come in as the County Clerk's staff gets tally cards from the voting machines.

Update... From the HBJ: Jake's Finer Foods unveils new distribution center

Something amazing about mental illness is the selfishness. He killed two people. He deprived his family of their home. He thought he was righteous.

HTX, I am unclear as to what your primary objective is. Financing? Operations? Both? I agree with sticking to the local base. Two of the large, independent interests are Sterling and Prosperity. Prosperity has a couple branches in the area of town in which you're looking to set up shop. You also might consider reginally based IBC which has a SE Houston branch. Amegy is okay. In my experience, good service...lackluster business partner. Also the Zions connection should not be ignored. They have exposure to weaker markets like Las Vegas, Phoenix, and California. My sense is there is some cost enhancement because of this.

From Channel 13: Historic sanctuary in the Heights to become museum

HBJ: Brennan's of Houston to reopen on Fat Tuesday

It's that time of year again. A colleague just showed up with a praline king cake from Whole Foods. It's really good. I'm probably passing on dinner tonight.

Lots of people like baked beans.

Show respect for the Saints. The odds were against them. (The odds have been against NOLA for a while). Show respect for The Who. People used to die (literally) to see them. Townshend created great music. The fact that they played the Supebowl tonight?...I am reminded of BNL's "My Box Set" and John Wesley Harding's "When the Beatle's Hit America". So... how much are "final concert" tickets worth these days?