04 May 2009
Could it be?
Car crashes into store, hits child (KTRK-13 News)
An out of control car crashed into a store and hit a child in Brazoria County, just outside of Pearland.
[snip]
Authorities say the driver was leaving a Bed, Bath and Beyond in a shopping center on FM 518 Sunday afternoon. She somehow lost control and went all the way through an Eyemasters store.
This was surely a case of sudden acceleration, right?
Heck, if the driver is married to a Houston Press staffer, you might expect the story to appear all over the Village Voice empire (with no mention of the relationship, of course, because that's really ALT).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 05/04/09 23:10 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
18 February 2009
Walking is Hard (for Houstonians) - 02/18/09 edition
Each week, the Chron's Whine & Dine section is a marvelous source of complaining and carping by Houstonians who simply hate to waddle more than a few steps from their car to the feeding trough. I used to mock them in the Chron.com comments section, but I think it will be more fun to share the mockery here.
Whine & Dine: Super Burger (Mary Vuong, Houston Chronicle)
This wouldn’t be a proper Whine & Dine column without a whine about valet parking. Diane McDonough is the latest to weigh in.
“I, too, am tired of going to a restaurant with great parking spots right in front, but they are reserved for the valets. It makes no sense at all to me and discourages me from frequenting this establishment. Forget trying to park if you are going to Fleming’s in The Woodlands (1201 Lake Woodlands). Bring your sneakers because you will have to walk really far if you don’t valet! When are these restaurants going to get the message? We pay enough for our dinner; we don’t want to once again have to put our hands in our pockets just to park our cars.”
If you're going to a mid-to-high-end steakhouse like Fleming's, the few bucks you need to give the valet guy is perhaps 2-3% of what it's going to cost for two people to have a nice meal. If that's a deal killer, then WALK a few extra steps, save the cash, AND get a tiny bit of exercise. I don't particularly LIKE valet parking, and do it all the time!
But let's be honest, Diane (can I call you by your first name? Thanks). This isn't about $2 for the valet guy, is it? This is about the aversion that so many Houstonians seem to have to putting one foot in front of the other, and then repeating, to the tune of an extra 25-50 reps or so. Walking! Because heaven forbid we take an extra 30 seconds to waddle our fat asses to the trough. We should be able to park right by the door to the trough and commence the gluttony ASAP!
Ugh! This attitude is just bizarre. Also infuriating are the local drivers who will constantly circle a parking lot with plenty of spaces waiting to spy someone leaving the store, and who then follow those people with turn signal on. I can understand doing that in a parking lot that doesn't have enough spaces, but seriously, putting on your turn signal and clogging up a parking lot so you can save a few extra steps? Walking won't kill you people!* Geez.
That's enough for today's installment of Walking is Hard. I'm sure we'll have more examples soon. It's Houston, after all.
* Of course, I'm not talking about people with genuine disabilities, who truly deserve those prime handicapped spots in the front.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/18/09 08:39 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (8)
29 October 2008
Fuegovivo seems to have improved (and needed to)
Meat Lovers' Swordfight at Fuegovivo Churrascaria (Robb Walsh, Houston Press)
On my second visit to Fuegovivo, last week, the first thing I noticed were all the cars in the parking lot. When I stepped inside, I felt like I had walked into an entirely different restaurant. Our waiter told us that the restaurant had already replaced its first manager with a churrascaria specialist from Brazil. The new manager had made a lot of changes and business had taken off, the waiter said.
And since the traffic had picked up, so had the quality of the meats. The rib eye seemed juicier than it had on my first visit and there were several more selections including a garlicky flank steak, the Brazilian sirloin tri-tip roast called pincanha, pork sausages and some tiny grilled chickens. The only meat item I didn't like were the lamb chops, which looked excellent but proved to be grossly overcooked.
After I shared an opinion of the restaurant shortly after it opened, an apparent employee came on to argue with me that I was being mean. Later, a more reasonable member of management emailed, thanking me for the critique, apologizing, and asking me to give them another chance. I did not (Nelore is closer, cozy, and I've always had good experiences there), but it does sound like they've made some needed improvements.
If anyone has given the place a try lately, please leave a comment about your experience.
UPDATE (10/30/08): Alison Cook also reviews the restaurant this week, and isn't as fired up as Walsh (or as negative as I was). I still don't see any reason to give the place another try, although I might feel differently if Nelore weren't so close.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/29/08 09:23 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (2)
22 October 2008
Flooding?!
Where the hell did THAT* come from?
Callie and I met up for dinner in Montrose earlier, took off separately, and she nearly got home before getting trapped by water. I was slower (and more protective of my baby, even though it has ground clearance of nearly nine inches), gave up at some point, and hung out here** waiting for the water to go down.
That was just crazy. I can't believe how quickly Houston can flood.
* For those not in Houston, we just had a downpour that flooded the damn city for a couple of hours. It might not have done that if we had seen fit over the years to invest in flood control, but hey, we've invested heavily in sports stadiums, Discovery Green, and other trinkets, so what the hell....
** It was my first trip to this joint, and it was nice. A very drinkable $4 merlot did not hurt. I will definitely go back to this neighborhood establishment.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/22/08 22:00 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (3)
12 October 2008
Another thing that sounds more interesting than bad football
One of a kind entertainment this month (Ken Hoffman, Houston Chronicle)
The 999 EYES is billed as "the world's last authentic freak show, featuring real living human oddities." It's coming to the Meridian night club, 1503 Chartres, on Oct. 30 (perfect timing). Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 night of the show.
The modern, politically correct way of saying freak show ... "genetic diversity."
The 999 EYES has a rotating cast of performers, and you never know who you'll get. But among the acts: Flipper Man, Lobster Girl, Lobster Boy, the 27-inch Small Woman, Erik the Gentle Giant, Katsen the Tiger Lady, Danny the Half-Boy, Eek the Geek and the world's greatest sword swallower, Dan Meyer.
I do not approve of this show. I'm just saying, it's coming to the Meridian.
It's coming, and I'm going.
The 999 EYES is an old-school, vaudeville-style show with hand-painted sideshow curtains. It's actually rated as family entertainment; nothing gross or X-rated happens. Music will be provided by That Damned Band from Austin. They specialize in jug-band music.
Outside the club, Lowrent the Clown will eat fire and set off a 50-foot fireball.
This must be one heck of a show, if setting off a 50-foot fireball doesn't get you on the main stage.
I'm so there.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/12/08 20:13 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (2)
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