HTOWNCHOWDOWN.com

Travel + Leisure Magazine did their annual survey of America's Favorite Cities, and H-Town was on the list.  Visitors and Houston residents agreed... Houston has the best burgers in the country.

Double Cheeseburger at Hubcap Grill - One of Houston's Best Burgers

Houston was also in the Top Five for Affordable Hotels, Business Hotels, BBQ, and Luxury Stores.

Also worth a look - a handy tool to compare cities.  We had to check to see how Houston compared to Dallas.  (Spoiler: Very well, even with Fort Worth thrown into Dallas's corner.)  Houston also compared favorably overall with such other Sun Belt cities as Los Angeles, Miami and Atlanta.

Why?  Houston has some incredible home-grown burger joints, like Hubcap Grill, Beaver's Ice House, Zelko Bistro, Christian's Totem, and Beck's Prime.  The proprietors of these places raise the bar for burgers in Houston, and other restaurants follow suit by upping their game.  Hungry folks all over Houston are the winners.

Beaver Burger at Beaver's Ice House - One of Houston's Best Burgers

It wasn't all glory, though.  Houston was rated among the worst in terms of Summer, Public Transportation and Pedestrian Friendliness, and Weather.

We recommend dealing with these less pleasant facts the way that every life-long Houstonian does:  Get in your air-conditioned car, and go grab a burger.

We got word today that Chef Michael Dei Maggi is no longer with Caffe Bello.

No word yet on his next gig, or who will be replacing him in the kitchen at Caffe Bello.

In a followup, the company responds:

"We are expanding the menu and we have made changes.  We are very proud of the food we are putting out at Caffe Bello."

More news when we get it.

C'mon.  Call him a ballerina.  I dare you.

We missed the show (Thanks, AT&T!) but just got the bad news.

Houston's own Chef Bryan Caswell, the mastermind behind Reef, Stella Sola, and Little Bigs, was cut from the Food Network's Next Iron Chef show.

We think that Chef Caswell was a strong contender, but we are starting to believe the rumors that the entire show was just a long coronation for Ming Tsai, who was preselected to be the next Iron Chef.  We'll have to watch and find out.  At this point, we'll be cheering for Marco Canora, who seems to be the most talented of the chefs still cooking.

AT&T said Sunday that it has reached a new carriage agreement with Scripps Networks. Find out more from The Hollywood Reporter .

Sanity prevails.  The question - did my DVR still record The Next Iron Chef?  The answer - No.  %#$#@$!

After they disappeared from U-Verse, I contacted the Food Network to try to find out what happened.  Here is the response I received:

Hello.  Thank you for your email to Food Network, and please accept our sincere apology for the interruption of your programming. Unfortunately, we only have video clips available on our website. However, you might consider checking online and on YouTube.
We are shocked and disappointed that AT&T U-verse has taken our Networks off the air.  AT&T U-verse?s decision to drop our channels is particularly surprising considering we reached an agreement in principle with AT&T U-verse on the distribution fees we would receive for our networks well in advance of last month?s contract deadline. Over the last week or so, we were simply trying to complete some final details to the contract.
We, like you, want our channels back on AT&T U-verse immediately. It was AT&T?s decision to drop our channels, even though we offered a third extension to keep them on the air while we worked out final details of a new contract.
The loss of our networks to AT&T U-verse was something we worked hard to avoid, even offering an extension through year end to work out final details of the agreement while allowing AT&T the rights to continue delivering our channels to you. Instead, AT&T stopped negotiating, took our family-friendly networks off the air and left you without our must-see shows.
This was not an issue about money, and Scripps Networks had worked out financial details in principle before the contract with AT&T U-verse expired at the end of October. The remaining issues involved AT&T?s demands to use video content we created specifically for our networks in ways that go beyond our normal business practices.
Accepting their demands would have constrained and limited our ability to provide our network's content to our viewers in new and innovative ways. What?s even more frustrating is that we offered AT&T an extension to work out final details while keeping our channels on the air, but AT&T refused and instead pulled our channels off the air.
Should AT&T U-verse decide to resume discussions, we remain committed to continue our good faith negotiations and bring back our networks to ATT U-verse customers.
You can tell AT&T U-verse you want your favorite network back by calling 1-800-288-2020, or go to our website at http://www.keepmynetworks.com/FoodNetwork_Landing.asp to e-mail AT&T and see what your options are for other distributors in your area.
Best regards,
Food Network Customer Service

Consumerist and other sources are reporting that AT&T has chosen to drop Food Network, HGTV, DIY Network, Cooking Channel, and GAC from its U-Verse service.  According to Scripps (the owner of these networks) the issue isn't money; it's non-broadcast rights.

I've been a supporter of U-Verse ever since they came out in Houston; I felt that they were a great alternative to Comcast.  But now AT&T shows us that keeping customers happy falls way behind the need to strongarm their content providers.
(I can't fault AT&T for wanting to cut a great deal for themselves.  But using your customers as pawns is wrong... apparently AT&T has forgotten who pays their bills.)
Greed wins.  Customers lose.
I called AT&T, and there is no ETA for restoring Food Network and the other channels.  At this point, I suggest that everyone votes with their wallets.
Apparently that's all AT&T understands.
More Info

If you're watching Bryan Caswell on Next Iron Chef, you may wonder how to keep watching.  I've e-mailed Food Network to see if they have a solution.


Until then, please don't even consider using this link to a BitTorrent network download site if it is illegal where you are.

It's that time again.  Zagat, the iconic restaurant guide, has released its national guide.  Entitled "America's Top Restaurants 2011" it includes restaurants in the Houston area.

(For some unknown reason, the fourth largest city in the USA isn't worthy of its own guide.)


Four restaurants tied for top honors (28/30) in food:
Mark's
Pappas Bros Steak House
Le Mistral
Kanomwan

Eight more were one point down (27/30)
Tony's

Catalan
Damian's

Chez Nous

Masraff's
Da Marco
Eddie V's

Glass Wall

As always, we find the rankings a bit perplexing.  But that's Zagat.

We love cheese.  But we often are overwhelmed by the different choices out there.Fortunately, there's a solution.HEB's Central Market, one of our favorite places to shop for groceries, has released an accessible but comprehensive Cheese Guide, with history, accopaniments, beer and wine pairings, storage tips, and more.(PDF download, perfect for your iPad or iPhone)

Burgers are hot in Houston, and another California-based chain is trying to grab their share of the market. The Counter® Custom Built Burgers, a premium burger concept known for offering more than 300,000 possible combinations, will open first Texas location in Houston on September 27, 2010.

Their announcement:

The Counter brings mouthwatering, premium burgers and “The Counter Culture” community to hungry diners in Houston. Nearly 80 percent of The Counter’s customers choose the “Build Your Own Burger” option and get creative with hundreds of thousands of possible variations. Upon arrival, guests receive a clipboard to create a custom burger or choose from Signature Burgers, Signature Burgers in a Bowl, Sandwiches and Starters.

Guests can select from three sizes of proteins – one-third, two-third and one-pound – made from all natural, humanely raised and handled fresh Angus beef that is ground daily, grilled chicken, turkey or house-made veggie and an array of 12 cheeses, 33 toppings, 21 unique sauces and four types of buns. Alternatively, guests can choose a bun-free Burger in a Bowl. Sample toppings and sauces include: dill pickle chips, roasted green chiles, corn and black bean salsa, fried egg, honey cured bacon, basil pesto and chipotle aioli. Additionally, The Counter in Houston will offer ice cream shakes, malts and floats, as well as a diverse selection of handcrafted beer and wine.

The Counter in Houston features 4,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor space that seats up to 160 burger-hungry guests indoors and on the spacious, sunlit patio. A mix of classic rock, hip-hop, jazz and top hits provides the soundtrack within the sleek and industrial-designed restaurant. The artwork on the walls captures the uniqueness of Houston life and culture by showcasing photography by Gary Copeland. All artwork displayed at the restaurant will be available for sale.

The Counter Custom Built Burgers in Houston is located in 4601 Washington Avenue, Houston, Texas 77007. Hours are Sunday – Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday – Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight. The restaurant can be reached directly at (713) 966-6123.

---

Fox Charlotte interviewed Matt, of the Counter:

We've heard good things about The Counter from our west coast friends, and we look forward to sampling the menu at this new spot.

According to the social media gurus at EyesAndFeet.com, Houston restaurants lead the way in terms of adopting Facebook as a marketing tool.

Fully 25% of the restaurants listed on Houston Yelp have fan pages on Facebook, well ahead of restaurants in other major US cities.
Copyright 2023 Nurick + Associates