House of Blues Houston sign going up at corner of Caroline and Dallas

House of Blues is finally a reality in Houston.  I got shivers watching the sign go up on the corner of Caroline and Dallas.  The first show happens this Saturday with Cowboy Mouth and then hosts so many great artists from Willie Nelson to B.B. King to Ghostland Observatory to Sara Bareilles to a really spectacular charity show with Jay-Z.

Today we checked out a dry run for the restaurant (where you can order anything off the menu and not feel bad about it while the staff gets accustomed with table locations, menus, registers, being a waiter, etc.)…and it was absolutely great!  Our waitress was super upbeat and helpful with knowledge of the dishes that were on the menu despite the fact that they only received the physical menus today!

Definitely try to have the cornbread and bread pudding.  I wish I had the pulled pork sandwich but went a safe route with filet mignon, which was also very good!

And since this isn’t a food review and I am by no means a food reviewer, I encourage you to go check it out for yourself…even if it means just a go-see to the gift shop to see what they have in store for Houston.

Find out more at www.hob.com.

Pass the time away with a/c, movie & popcorn

Angelika movie theatre downtown, 510 Texas, gives distraction and is offering free popcorn with every movie ticket sold thru Friday, September 19.

Free popcorn with every ticket sold today thru Friday, September 19.  They are open 11 am to 8 pm Tuesday thru Friday (including some additional matinee showtimes).  They will resume their regular schedule beginning Saturday, September 20.

Call ahead (713-224-1470) and make sure but Showtimes include:

Tues, Sept 15 – Fri, Sept 19 UP THE YANGTZE Tues-Fri: 11:20 AM    1:20 PM    5:50 PM ELEGY Tues-Fri:  3:20 PM THE WOMEN Tues-Fri: 11:00 AM    1:15 PM    3:40 PM    6:00 PM SIXTY SIX Tues-Fri: 12:40 PM    2:40 PM    4:40 PM    6:40 PM OSS-117 Tues-Fri: 11:35 AM    1:35 PM    3:35 PM    5:45 PM VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA  Tues-Fri: 11:10 AM    1:25 PM    3:45 PM    5:55 PM TRANSSIBERIAN: Tues-Fri: 11:50 AM (Last Week) TELL NO ONE Tues-Fri: 2:15 PM    5:40 PM   BURN AFTER READING Tues-Fri: 12:15 PM    2:15 PM    4:15 PM    6:30 PM I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND Tues-Fri: 11:10 AM    1:30 PM    3:50 PM    6:10 PM             **No Crybaby Matinee on Friday**

Ike Forces Changes

Houston Symphony

The Houston Symphony has announced that two concerts, Thursday, September 18 at 8 pm at Jones Hall, and Friday, September 19 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion at the Woodlands, have been cancelled.

The Saturday evening September 20 at 8:00 p.m. concert at Jones Hall with the orchestra, under the baton of music director Hans Graf and featuring violinist Gil Shaham as soloist, will be moved to Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in observance of the city-wide curfew. The Sunday afternoon September 21^st 2:30 p.m. concert at Jones Hall will proceed as scheduled.

Patrons holding tickets to the Thursday evening concert will be contacted by the Symphony Customer Service Center to arrange changing them to either the Saturday or Sunday afternoon performance.

Patrons holding tickets to the Thursday evening concert will be contacted by the Symphony Customer Service Center to arrange changing them to either the Saturday or Sunday afternoon performance. 

In addition, the Symphony announced that it will make available several hundred free tickets for both the Saturday and Sunday afternoon performances.  The tickets will only be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Jones Hall box office an hour before the 2:30 pm performances.

The Symphony Customer Service Center will re-open tomorrow morning September 16 at 10:00 a.m. The Centers telephone number is (713) 224-7575.   www.houstonsymphony.org

George R. Brown Convention Center

Several functions scheduled for last weekend and early this week were postponed and have been rescheduled. Events scheduled for this weekend, September 18-22, including Theta Antiques Charity Show and Houston Antique Dealers, have been rescheduled.

For more information call 800-427-4697 or www.houstonconventionctr.com.

Downtown restaurants open

We’ll get a full report tomorrow; however, The Grove (1611 Lamar, 713-337-7321) will resume regular hours starting with lunch tomorrow.

The Lake House (1611 Lamar, 713-337-7321) will resume with regular hours starting tomorrow.

 

Stay safe and be careful coming into the city!

Ike’s Wrath Closes Downtown Houston

Only authorized personnel are allowed to venture into Downtown Houston to assess the damages caused by Hurricane Ike.  And as much as I love Downtown, that does not include me. : )

Several reports have mentioned that windows were damaged at Houston’s tallest building, the Chase building, and judging from news helicopter fly-bys, it’s not the only one that got whacked. 

The Mayor has issued a citywide curfew from 9 pm to 6 am through next Saturday morning and as of right now, Downtown Houston is closed and looks like it will be on Monday too.

Here are some pictures that I have found and other articles to explain what all is going on.  I wish I could go and see but judging from my own experiences of leaving my home, I am best staying put.

Photos:

Here - photos of Chase building.

Here – a search via Flickr of Downtown Houston preparing for and post-Ike.

Other good resources

City of Houston website. 

Houston Chronicle.

Where Will Ike Strike?

Mayor Bill White asked that all non-essential personnel be given Friday, September 12th off.

Many events are being postponed or cancelled, so please call the producing company of the event (or visit their website…) before venturing out.  We can confirm the following in the Houston Theater District:

Due to Hurricane Ike, many performances have been cancelled and many venues are closed.  Please check

with the producing organization prior to venturing out.  We can confirm the following:

Houston Ballet

Onegin - Friday, September 12 at 7:30 PM
Onegin – Saturday, September 13 at 7:30 PM
Onegin – Sunday, September 14 at 2:00 PM

Houston Ballet will be happy to exchange your tickets for Onegin into another performance of one of our upcoming 2008-2009 productions, free of charge.  Houston Ballet will also be adding a performance of Onegin on Friday, September 19 at 7:30 PM, and you are more than welcome to exchange your tickets into that performance.

Houston Symphony

Postponement of this weekend’s performances of the Houston Symphony with Music Director Hans Graf and piano soloist Jonathan Biss.  The program, including Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, Joan Tower’s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, Schumann’s Piano Concerto and with Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World as the featured work, will be performed on Friday, October 3, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 5, 2008. at 2:30 p.m. at Jones Hall.

For more information visit houstonsymphony.org or call 713-224-7575.

Houston Downtown Alliance’s Heart of the City Gala has been moved to Monday, October 20 at Wortham Theater Center from 6 pm to 9 pm.  For more information visit www.downtownhouston.org or 713.658.8938.

Be safe!!

Hola!

So it has been over a month since I last updated — not a good sign — but at the urging of a friend at a recent young patrons party for the Houston Grand Opera, I will continue. : )

The Tipping Point is hosting one of their famous art openings this weekend on Saturday, June 7, from 7 pm to 11 pm with music by Witnes and art by John Foreman.  If anything aside from fun merchandise inside the store and the art, it is great people watching and you can also come check out to see how far along the Houston Pavilions are coming as The Tipping Point is right across the street.  Street parking is free on Saturdays after 6 pm.

And since it is Thursday and we are all relishing the fun times still from last weekend and anticipating the ones of this next weekend, make your work colleagues happy and go over to http://www.holafruta.com/ and tell them why you deserve to win a “Fiesta Friday” for your office.  They are giving away 350 packages and I’m sure you can come with up 5 reasons…just look around your office.

The Fiesta Friday giveaway includes:  5 quarts of Hola Fruta (sherbert), 50 bowls, 50 spoons, 100 napkins, 2 ice cream scoops, 1 table cover, 6 signs/invitations, 25 discount coupons for Hola Fruta, 8 strands of party beads and 1 pair of maracas.

The boss may confiscate the maracas but you can do a lot with beads!

p.s.  Magnolia Hotel (I promise, they do not give me any money to promote!) is having another special this weekend for Friday, June 6.  Spend Friday night with them for only $99 and enjoy a complimentary American breakfast buffet (so much more than your standard muffins and bagels), beer & wine reception and the cookie buffet.  Up to two people per room.  Only valid June 6.  Visit here to take advantage!