In an effort designed to curb declining revenue caused by the recession, Seattle-based Starbucks has announced that it's closing 195 stores across the nation.
California is hardest hit, with 76 closures.
The Houston area did not escape the closures. The Starbucks at 5508 FM 1960 West is on the chopping block.
One of our trusted sources just informed us that Thelma's has reopened. Houston BBQ aficionados can breathe a sigh of relief; some of our city's best BBQ is available once again.
Local culinary star Bryan Caswell has another feather to put in his quickly-filling cap: He was selected as one of the country's ten Best New Chefs for 2009 by Food & Wine magazine.
Caswell is the executive chef and owner at Reef, a hot spot on the local dining scene. he also recently opened Little Big's, a fast casual hamburger spot in Montrose specializing in beef, chicken, and mushroom sliders.
Caswell is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. While at CIA he secured a coveted six-month externship under Chef Jose Muneisa at Michelin-rated Via Veneto in Barcelona. After graduation, he apprenticed under Aurole Chef Charlie Palmer, Gotham Bar and Grill Chef Alferd Portale, March Chef Wayne Nish, and Union Pacific Chef Rocco Dispiritio.
He then progressed to a two-year stint at Jean-George Vongerichten's flagship Restaurant Jean-George, followed by a world tour of other Vongerichten restaurants in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Paradise Island.
In Houston, Caswell opened Bank with Vongerichten at the Hotel Icon before moving on to open Reef.
Food & Wine: 2009 Best New Chefs
Our friends at Men's Health offer suggestions of healthier fast food choices for those who have to eat on the go.
Topping their list was a favorite of ours, Chick-fil-A. Surprisingly, almost all items on the Chick-fil-A menu are less than 500 calories. (Avoid the large cole slaw; it's the bad guy on the menu, with 600 calories.)
The next choice is an obvious one: Subway, offering a half-dozen sandwiches under 300 calories.
Other recommended spots include Jamba Juice, Au Bon Pain, Boston Market, Cici's Pizza, and surprisingly McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Wendy's.
America's 10 Best Fast-Food Restaurants on MSN Health and Fitness
Legendary Tex-Mex restaurateur Matt Martinez, Jr. passed away recently. He and his family owned Matt's El Rancho in Austin, Matt's Rancho Martinez and Matt's No Place in Dallas.
While Martinez didn't have a restaurant in Houston, he is a very significant figure in the Texas restaurant scene, and is considered by many to be one of the first to popularize Tex-Mex cuisine.
Godspeed, Matt. You'll be missed.
Another year at Houston's annual rodeo has drawn to a close, and we survived another visit. As always, the rodeo was home to some truly bizarre and not remotely healthy choices, including a wide variety of truly mediocre bar-b-que, a selection of unremarkable hamburgers, a plethora of items impaled on stick, and an assortment of things we never thought could be fried.
In other words, business as usual in Rodeo food.
We're Texans. We enjoy haute cuisine, but we love a great burger or a slab of BBQ just as much. And when the burger isn't up to snuff, or the BBQ is mass produced instead of lovingly smoked, we console ourselves with the necessary accompaniment to fast food in Texas: Dr Pepper.
But we were surprised by one small fact that has been overlooked in the numerous reviews we've read:
We couldn't find Dr Pepper at the Rodeo.
Apparently Coca-Cola has an exclusive with the Rodeo, and that extends to the supposedly independent concession stands. We searched the midway, and all we found were Coca-Cola products.
Why is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo giving an Atlanta company an exclusive, locking out the Texas-based Dr Pepper?
Tilman Fertitta, the majority shareholder of Houston-based Landry's Restaurants, has announced that he has acquired a 9 percent stake in seafood restaurant chain McCormick & Schmick's. The 1,326,033 shares have a market value of approximately $3.5 million. The purchase makes Fertitta the largest shareholder in the company.
After a painful one-year hiatus which left Texas burger lovers directionless and confused, The Texas Burger Guy is back, with a new review of Koppe Bridge in College Station. Welcome back!
We're excited to hear that Brennan's will be reopening, but there's even more news coming from the Brennan's brain trust.
Alex Brennan-Martin, co-owner of Brennan's has quietly began developing two new restaurant concepts in association with Hotel Sorella, a hospitality project from Houston's Valencia Group.
The first is Cafe Rose, a casual yet sophisticated 35-seat spot, reminiscent of a neighborhood gathering place that Brennan-Martin frequented while attending school in France. Fare will include coffees and light breakfasts, and well-priced, creative salads and sandwiches plus premium cheeses and salumi as well as great wines in the afternoons and evenings.
The more upscale concept is Bistro Alex, the 160 seat restaurant that features a sleek, design-forward setting, a significant departure from the Creole traditionalism that is a hallmark of current Brennan's establishments. Bistro Alex will be open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, and the menu will feature a mix of classic Brennan's dishes and cutting-edge cuisine. Pricing will be similar to that at Brennan's Houston.
At the time of this report, no chef has been selected for the venture.
More details are available from Hotels Magazine.
Great news for foodies who miss Brennan's superb Creole cuisine and genteel setting; MSNBC reports that Brennan's will be reopening in the fall.