Dining and Entertainment
FREE FOOD at Chipotle
June 12th, 2009 categories: Dining and Entertainment
The new Chipotle restaurant at 10905 Louetta on the North side of HEB Vintage Market is getting ready for its grand opening on June 19th, 2009.
As a business promotion and to introduce itself to the community Chipotle is going to give away FREE FOOD on June 17th. The particulars on the FREE FOOD are an entree, chips, and a drink for everyone that stops by on June 17th from 11 am to 7 pm.
Chipotle’s FREE FOOD promotion sounds like a great way to introduce its products to the people. But wait didn’t another company have a similar promotion recently that back fired?
Yes. That’s right. Just last month to introduce its new grilled chicken KFC ran a FREE FOOD promotion on the Oprah Winfrey show. The only problem was the demand was much greater than KFC had anticipated and they stopped accepting the coupon for the FREE FOOD. The promotion turned into a PR nightmare for KFC.
On two separate occasions, Rick and I went to a local KFC restaurant in Spring Texas to redeem our coupon for FREE FOOD and on both occasions we left hungry. On the first visit we were told the wait was over one hour so we left. On our second visit we were told due to overwhelming demand KFC was no longer accepting the coupon. Again we left without any FREE FOOD and we have not been back since.
Our Spring Texas Real Estate blog is not nearly as popular as the Oprah Winfrey Show so I figure it is safe to spread the word about Chipotle’s FREE FOOD promotion. But if due to overwhelming demand you don’t receive any free food, please still use our real estate services and don’t boycott us.
As for Rick and I, we are going to wait a couple of weeks before visiting Chipotle’s new restaurant and when we do visit we will just pay for our food. So there will be no FREE FOOD for us this time. Wait a minute, come to think of it we didn’t get any FREE FOOD at the last FREE FOOD promotion either.
| Discussion: 2 Comments »
Pizza Fusion OPENS at Vintage Park
January 28th, 2009 categories: Dining and Entertainment
On a recent Tuesday evening, Rick and I visited the newly opened Pizza Fusion at Vintage Park. We specifically chose a Tuesday evening because on Tuesdays and Thursdays Pizza Fusion has a $7 bottle of wine promotion. And these days the price of wine in a restaurant usually runs $7 a glass NOT a bottle.
At 7pm, we arrived hungry for pizza and thirsty for cheap and hopefully good wine. What we were not expecting was a packed house. All of the tables were full and so were the seats at the bar. But since we were determined, we gave them our name with hopes of a seat opening up within 30 minutes. To keep our minds off the delicious looking pizza, we departed to run an errand. Upon our return, the restaurant’s tables were still packed but we found several seats available at the bar and we quickly proceeded to snag ourselves a place.
We asked our waiter / bartender about the $7 bottle of wine special and he said they have Red and White wine available. Since we were going to have pizza, we chose the Red wine which was a Merlot. Then our waiter provided us with a menu and asked if it was our first visit to Pizza Fusion. We said “yes” and he proceeded to tell us the Pizza Fusion story. And boy did we have a lot to learn.
The owner of the Pizza Fusion frachise at Vintage Park is Chris Toman, a local Klein High School graduate. As the story goes Chris wanted to open his own business and Chris’s wife is passionate about recyling and organic foods. Thus the idea came to Chris to try to integrate his wife’s passion into his new business. Chris did his research and decided to open a Pizza Fusion franchise which is the first location in the State of Texas.
Pizza Fusion is a full-service restaurant specializing in organic, vegan and glutten-free pizzas. They use the freshest all-natural organic ingredients from the toppings to the sauce to the dougn for their pizzas. And the pizza dough is also glutten-free.
In addition to preparing healthy food for their customers, Pizza Fusion is also serious about the environment which is reflected in their mission statement of “Saving the Earth, One Pizza at a Time!”. One of the many ways Pizza Fusion is helping to save the earth is through the use of only hybrid vehicles for their delivery vehicles.
After hearing the organic and glutten-free story, we were a little apprenehensive as we wondered if the pizza could and would actually taste good or would it taste like we were eating a cardboard box. Since we were still hungry, we thought we would give it a try.
We decided to order a medium (18″x9″) Founder’s Pie. The pizza was on the menu for $16.00 and described as “Naturally raised chicken, organic tomato sauce, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, Kalamata Olives, and red onions on a multigrain crust”. Even if it was organic the pizza still sounded yummy. We just hoped it would taste yummy too.
After about 15 minutes of watching sports on the 52″ tv screens and sipping a wonderful Merlot (did I mention the wine was organic too), our pizza arrived hot from the oven. It looked delicious with its bubbling cheese and thin crust. And after several bites, we decided that pizza could actually taste delicious and be good for us. And yes we did finish it all. There was nothing left to take home.
We had a wonderful evening filled with good pizza and good wine in an comfortable, casual setting. We want to tell Chris Toman “Thank you for broadening our palates and we will be back to see you again soon”.
Pizza Fusion joins a growing list of new tenants including PotBelly Sandwich Works, Cheeburger Cheeburger, Shogun Grill, Brix Wine Cellars, and Fish City Grill. All who are trying to make a go of it at Vintage Park, an upscale 84 acre mixed use development conveniently located at HWY 249 and Louetta.
It may be too early to consider Pizza Fusion a success, but the cash drawer certainly was ringing up sales the night we visited. So next time you are in the mood for pizza give Pizza Fusion a try. Who knows … you may even be helping to save the Earth.
Pizza Fusion is located at 118 Vintage Park Blvd. Bldg G. Ste A. Houston TX 77070. Their phone number is 281.251.7323.
| Discussion: 2 Comments »
Fish City Grill OPENS at Vintage Park
October 16th, 2008 categories: Dining and Entertainment
The other night my husband and I decided to try the Fish City Grill for dinner. The Fish City Grill is located in the recently opened Vintage Park.
All summer long we have been eagerly awaiting the restaurants (Brix Wine Cellars, Cheeburger Cheeburger, Fish City Grill, Shogun Restaurant, Mia Bella, Peli Peli, and Pizza Fusion) to open their doors for business in the Vintage Park shopping village. Currently Potbelly Sandwich Works, Cheeburger Cheeburger, and now Fish City Grill are all open.
Fish City Grill is the first restaurant to open in Vintage Park’s Piazza. The Piazza was designed to be reminscent of an Italian shopping promenade with dramatic landscaping and fountains to be enjoyed by diners dining al fresco.
About the restaurant ….
My first impression of the interior of the restaurant was “this has a warm cozy feel”. In addition to a small bar with pendant lighting and a couple of TVs, are 10 booths and 10 tables. There was sufficient room between the booths and the tables to carry on a conversation without the diners at the next table hearing every word.
About the wait staff …..
The wait staff were friendly and attentive and seemed to enjoy their jobs.
Their uniforms included black Fish City Grill t-shirts. Printed on the back of the t-shirts was the phrase ”Due to intense wine thoughts all thoughts are temporarily grounded” or “If you are drinking to forget please pay in advance”.
About the food …..
Since it was our first time dining at Fish City Grill we asked our waitress for a suggestion. Our waitress said she didn’t eat seafood so the dish she recommended on the menu was the Louisiana Pot Roast. My husband and I thought this was a bit odd because why would anyone who does not like seafood work in a seafood restaurant?
That left us on our own for selections so we decided on some starters first in order to give us more time to consider the menu options.
The Fish City Grill started us off with a FREE sample of their Oyster Nachos which is a speciality of the house. We each received a tortilla chip with a fried oyster that was topped with chipotle tarter sauce and pico de gallo. The only improvement this dish needs is a replacement of the tortilla chips. They were round, lacking flavor and distracted from the fresh flavors of the other ingredients.
Off the Starters menu we ordered Fried Pickles, crisp dill slices served with ranch dressing for $4.59. I tried my first fried pickles about 5 years ago at B.B. King’s restaurant in Memphis TN and immediately fell in love with fried pickles. The Fish City Grill served us an enormous platter of thin and crispy pickles that we would definitely order again.
For our entrees, I chose a house salad with Blue Cheese dressing. I probably should have chosen something else but after all the fried pickles I really wasn’t very hungry. The salad was fine just “nothing to write home about” as my mother would say. It was crisp, fresh and a decent size for the $2.99 price.
My husband chose the eight piece fried Oyster Dinner that was served with apple cider slaw and new potatoes for $8.99. He said his food was “Great” and he did finish the meal without any assistance from me. He thought the new potatoes could be better and not so plain if they were kicked up a notch with some Cajun or Old Bay seasonings.
Next time we are going to order off of the Daily Chalkboard Specials and maybe try something that’s not fried.
Check out the Fish City Grill for yourself and let us know what you think by coming back and posting your own review in the comments section below.
Fish City Grill is located at 110 Vintage Park Blvd Ste Q Houston TX 77070. Their phone number is 832.717.4742. If you would like to view Fish City Grill’s menu before you go click here.
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
Recently opened Vintage Park announces Summer Events
July 29th, 2008 categories: Dining and Entertainment, Events and Activities
Vintage Park, an upscale town center shopping center, announces its first Summer Events schedule. On the following Saturdays, August 2 and 16, September 13 and 20 from 4 - 6 pm enjoy live music plus additional entertainment for the kids at Vintage Park.
The recently opened Vintage Park is located at the HWY 249 and Louetta intersection in Northwest Houston. Careful attention to detail has been paid in the construction of the Mediterranean architecture structure including hand-laid pavers, stone columns, clay tile roofs, and hand painted murals.
Vintage Park’s first tenant of Potbelly Sandwich Works opened its doors in December of 2007. Since then construction has been completed on additional buildings with more tenants moving in including Imagination Toys and Shoes, Eminence Fine Furniture, Starbucks, Alan Murphy Salons. And its newest tenant Cheeburger Cheeburger.
A good old-fashioned Cheeburger and malt in a replicated 50s and 60s diner is waiting to be enjoyed by you at Cheeburger Cheeburger. This is Cheeburger Cheeburger’s first location in the great State of Texas and we are proud for it to be located in Houston.
The center of activity at Vintage Park is certain to occur in its Piazza. Designed to be reminiscent of an Italian shopping promenade with dramatic landscaping and fountains to be enjoyed al fresco by diners. None of the restaurants overlooking the Piazza are open as of yet. Mia Bella an Italian restaurant has secured space at one corner of the Piazza. Shogun a Japanese restaurant will occupy space in the opposite corner of the Piazza.
I can’t think of too many better things to do on a Friday night than having an enjoyable dinner in a wonderful atmosphere with my husband. So if you are one of the workers working on this project, please hurry up and finish. Because I am hungry and am ready to eat.
If you want a quick drive home after a night of shopping and dining at Vintage Park consider the neighborhoods of Champion Forest, Champion Woods, Memorial Northwest, and Gleannloch Farms. They are all within a short 10 minute drive. Begin your search for Spring Texas homes and discover the great homes available in these and other neighborhoods. If you have questions or are ready to begin viewing homes, give us a call at 281.300.3141 or 281.804.8626.
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
55 Degreez Wine Bar opens in Spring TX
March 10th, 2008 categories: Dining and Entertainment
Without any fanfare and only a large Now OPEN banner, 55 Degreez Wine Bar has quietly opened in Spring TX. I was immediately curious about what was behind the darkened windows of its mysterious store front.
After I walked in and was able to adjust my eyes from the bright sunshine to the darkened bar I was amazed. I thought for sure that I had just been transported from Spring TX to a hip, cool wine bar in downtown Houston and the lack of a TV told me that this was NO sports bar.
The interior is decorated in a Moroccan theme with plush fabric draped on the ceiling, red chairs, and a L shaped granite counter top. The bar’s lighting of pendants, glittery chandeliers, and tea lights sets the mood for an evening of casual conversation while enjoying the nuances of wine.
My husband and I sat down at the bar and perused the extensive selections of wine by the glass. Unable to make a decision on an individual glass, we both opted to have a wine flight. A wine flight is a 2 ounce pour of 3 different wines of the same style for $15.
My husband chose a Merlot and I chose a Pinot Noir flight. I was served a pinot noir from Oregon, Napa Valley, and France. The mixture of tannins and blackberries in the Napa Valley Pinot made it my favorite of the three.
55 Degreez has a nice selection of what they call “Small Plates”. The Small Plates range in price from $7 to $15. Cheese plate with house artisan cheeses with olive oil bread, grits and shrimp, mac & cheese, and crab cake are just a few of the selections.
My husband decided on the Sliders for $9 which were described as sirloin mini burgers with smoked tomato and confit truffle cheese and apple smoked bacon. I on the other hand chose the Pizza for $11 which was described as a sausage, shaved garlic, smoked tomato sauce and red pepper pizza.
Upon the arrival of our food selections, I instantly knew that my husband had made a better choice than me. On a stainless rectangular plate, he was served two small sirloin burgers on fluffy buns with a side of crispy golden fries wrapped in a white cone and placed in a stainless vase. In between bites, I asked him to describe the food and he simply said “Yummy”.
My sausage pizza on the other hand was less than memorable. The crust had the distinct taste of cardboard and I was more than disappointed because this was no gourmet pizza. The $0.99 frozen grocery store pizzas tasted better.
Would I be back again to visit? Absolutely. But next time I will be ordering the Sliders.
55 Degreez Wine Bar is located between Starbucks and Fuji Hana in the HEB Shopping Plaza at 7316 Louetta in Spring TX. Their hours of operation are Tuesday - Thursday 2 - 10 pm, Friday 2 - midnight, and Saturday 1 - midnight.
Stop in on Friday or Saturday for their Happy Hour from 5 - 7 pm and then stick around for the live Jazz that performs from 8 - 11 pm.
The Wine Bar is located within 5 minutes of the heavy wooded and established Spring Texas neighborhoods of Memorial Northwest, Champion Forest, and Wimbledon.
Read also:
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
Area Chef competes on Food Network’s Iron Chef program
January 24th, 2008 categories: Dining and Entertainment
Kent Rathburn, the chef at Jasper’s in the Woodlands, Texas, has just completed one of the most stressful shows of his life. The local chef recently competed in the Iron Chef America program on the Food Network. In the ever popular, Iron Chef program, world class chefs battle the legendary Iron Chefs of America: Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Masaharu Morimoto and Cat Cora. 
Its all hush, hush on which Iron Chef Mr. Rathburn chose to compete against, what the secret ingredient was, and who was the winner of the competition. We will just have to tune in for the airing of the program at 8 pm CST on February 24th to find out “Whose cuisine reigns supreme”.
Jasper’s, which describes its cuisine as Gourmet Backyard, is hosting several events in conjunction with the airing of the program. On February 24th, Jasper’s will be hosting a “watch” party in the restaurant’s bar, located at 9595 Six Pines Drive. Attendees can sample complimentary hors d’oeuvres.
For the ultimate dining experience tie-in for the airing of the Iron Chef America program, consider making reservations for a six-course dinner on February 25th at 6:30 pm. The dinner will be hosted by Chef Kent Rathburn, Randy Woolridge of Quintessa and Steve Raszkin of Silver Oak. Diners will feast on dishes featured on the program. The price is $125 per person plus tax and 20% gratuity.
Reservations can be made be contacting Donna Tanner at 866.953.3111 or donnat@abacus-restaurant.com.
And the winner is…….
I was not able to catch the original airing but I was fortunate enough to catch a later airing of the program. Now for the details and results on the battle between Kent Rathburn and his brother Kevin against the Iron Chef:
Iron Chef: Bobby Flay
Secret Ingredient: Elk
Both competitors prepared 5 dishes. Bobby Flay’s dishes were 1) Elk with mint, carrots, and haberno 2) Elk osco bucco with tomatoes 3) Texas style elk burger with barbecue sauce 4) Spice crusted elk tenderloin with a gratin of cheese and quail egg and 5) Elk rib-eye with fig sauce, tomatoes, and chili.
The Rathburn brothers dishes were 1) Elk carpaccio with peaches 2) Seared medium rare chili rubbed elk tenderloin with sweet potatoes and queso 3) Elk meatballs with cabbage and sage 4) Fajita marinated elk loin and 5) Manchego gougeres stuffed elk liver.
Winner: Kent Rathburn and his brother Kevin beat Bobby Flay with a score of 50 to 46. They tied on presentation and originality and won in the taste category. Congratulations Rathburn brothers!
| Discussion: No Comments »
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion ranks #5 in the world
January 24th, 2008 categories: Dining and Entertainment
The latest Pollstar Magazine affirms that word has officially gotten out about the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. The Pavilion ranked fifth in the top 100 amphitheaters in the world based on number of tickets sold in 2007. The blend of atmosphere and world class performances has made the Pavilion one of the most popular venues of its kinds.
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion accommodates more than 16,000 guests at its performances. It presents approximately 75 events every March through November. The performances run the gamut including rock, classic, jazz, country, and ballet.
2008 looks to be another strong year for the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion as it is anticipating strong ticket sales from its upcoming acts of Moody Blues, Rush, and Avril Lavigne. If you have never experienced a performance at this venue, you are missing out on a great atmosphere.
My husband and I attended a Norah Jones performance at this venue and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We found FREE parking that was only a 10 minute walk to the Pavilion. The acoustics were terrific. And to top it all off, after the concert we were able to quickly get out of the parking lot and we arrived back to our Spring Texas home in 20 minutes.
Read also:
| Discussion: No Comments »
Houston Rodeo announces 2008 entertainment
January 8th, 2008 categories: Dining and Entertainment, Events and Activities
The Houston Rodeo announced its 2008 entertainment schedule today. The entertainment is sure not to disappoint as some of the biggest names in Country Music are slated to perform. The entertainers include Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kevin Fowler, Alan Jackson, John Legend, Martina McBride, Hannah Montana, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, John Fogerty, Toby Keith, Clay Walker, Brad Paisley, Duelo / Los Horoscopos De Durango, Miranda Lambert, Big & Rich, Fergie, Dierks Bentley, Pat Green, and Brooks & Dunn.
Tickets are $16 - $300 and go on sale at 10 am on Saturday, January 12th 2008. The Hannah Montana, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Alan Jackson tickets are certain to go fast. Hannah Montana’s 2007 Houston Rodeo appearance broke the attendance record and fried the sound system. So if you want a good view for the concert, don’t delay in getting your tickets.
| Discussion: No Comments »
First Store opens at Vintage Park
December 7th, 2007 categories: Dining and Entertainment
Vintage Park, an upscale shopping center, under development in Northwest Houston has opened its first store, Potbelly Sandwich Works. Potbelly Sandwich Works serves made to order sandwiches and salads along with homemade desserts and hand dipped ice cream.
They have a winning combination of great tasting food in a unique setting. 
Vintage Park is a planned 84 acre mixed use development that is designed as a towncenter.
It is located at the corner of Highway 249 and Louetta. Vintage Park is reminiscent of an Italian shopping promenade with hand-laid pavers for a cobblestone street effect.
The Piazza will consist of a series of fountains and gardens surrounded by restaurants and covered by an arched portico. Some of the other merchants that will be joining Potbelly Sandwich Works are Cheeburger Cheeburger, Brix Wine Cellars, Mia Bella Restaurant, Shogun Restaurant, Peli Peli, Bath Junkie, and CoCos.
The residents of Spring TX would like to say Welcome Potbelly Sandwich Works. We eagerly await the opening of other merchants that will be joining you in Vintage Park.
Read also:
| Discussion: 3 Comments »
Thoroughbred Racing Returns to Sam Houston Race Park
November 16th, 2007 categories: Dining and Entertainment, Events and Activities
Are the relatives going to be in town for the Thanksgiving Weekend? And are you looking for something to do besides shopping at the overcrowded malls? How about spending the evening at the Sam Houston Race Park in Northwest Houston. 
Enjoy live Thoroughbred Racing as it returns to Sam Houston Park on November 23rd. The excitement continues with concerts scheduled for November 23rd and November 24th. Grammy nominated country singer-songwriter, Miranda Lambert will perform on Friday and Texas country musician, Kevin Fowler will perform on Saturday.Arrive at Sam Houston Race Park hungry, because they have 2 restaurants, 8 bars, and 5 concession stands ready to tempt your taste buds. The Winner’s Circle Restaurant is one of my personal favorites. You will enjoy feasting on their five star buffet while you get caught up in the action. The dining tables provide a fantastic view of the finish line. Sam Houston Race Park is just a short drive from Spring TX on Beltway 8 between 249 and I45.
Read also:
| Discussion: No Comments »