BREAKING NEWS
Mayor Bill White has requested all of Houston’s performing arts organizations, sporting venues, museums and cultural entities follow a Houston Police Department “recommendation for suspension of activities until Monday.”
City council has appropriated $25 million for debris removal and emergency needs from the city’s general fund and a roadway capital fund. Solid Waste officials estimated that there will be between 4 and 6.5 million cubic yards of debris from Hurricane Ike.
The 75 story Chase Tower in downtown Houston said replacement of the 479 windows began Tuesday. The building is open where windows are not broken. No word on how long this will take…
The Houston Bar Association‘s daily LegalLine program of volunteer attorneys will answer legal questions from the public from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. daily, Monday to Friday, through Oct. 1. Call 713-759-1133 or toll free 1-866-959-1133.
Compass Bank is waiving all non-customer access fees to its ATMs in Houston, East Texas, Central Texas and San Antonio. Check cashing fees are also waived for all non-customers through-out its Houston area locations.
TRANSPORTATION
IAH is empty. The freeways are empty. Getting in and out of the area is a cinch and airlines are having Houston fire sales!
Continental is offering fares as low as $69 each way for domestic travel under 500 miles from Houston and Beaumont-Port Arthur.
Delta is offering special round-trip fares for travel originating in Houston as low as $238 R/T. Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 19 with travel complete by Oct. 1.
MOVIES
Angelika Film Center opens Tuesday; they’re offering free popcorn with every ticket sold today thru Friday, September 19. Open 11am to 8pm Tuesday thru Friday (including some additional matinee show times). Regular schedule resumes Saturday, September 20.
For more info visit >>
Aurora Picture Show is in business for this weekend’s screenings of The International Experimental Cinema Exposition on Saturday, Sept 20 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Sept 21 at 3 p.m. The video library and office (across from the Menil) is currently closed due to downed power lines. For more info >>
ART
Deborah Colton Gallery will carry on with plans to open its newest exhibition, A Time for Change, curated by Catherine D. Anspon, at its new location at 2445 North Blvd (former Molly Gochman space).
New Gallery/Thom Andriola reopens tomorrow (Wednesday) and will have the reception for Angelbert Metoyer: LU-X (Dreams) from 6-8 p.m. Saturday.
Rice Gallery has power and will proceed with the opening reception of Aurora Robson’s 15,000-plastic-bottle installation The Great Indoors at 5-7 p.m. Thursday. Robson will speak at 6 p.m. and give a gallery talk Friday at noon.
MFAH is free through Sunday! Day time events at the museum resumed on Thursday.
The Contemporary Arts Museum opened Thursday but will not have any special events outside of its normal hours.
The Menil will open Saturday and will have a lecture by Robert Farris Thompson on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.
Houston Ballet has had to cancel all added performances of Onegin; Friday, September 19th and Sunday the 21st. This is most probably in response to the Mayor’s request to suspend operations of public events.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science opened to the public yesterday, Thursday September 18th, and is open 9-5 Friday, and 9-6 Saturday. (Unlike the other museums, admission NOT FREE)
EVENTS
Shelby Hodge has a good rundown of what charity events are go and no go this week:
For more info >>
The Tasting Room Uptown Park will host the “Party for the Cause” in support of Hurricane Ike relief, from noon until curfew Saturday, September 20. They will be grilling great food, pouring delicious wine and sangria, and some of Houston’s best bands will be playing all afternoon long on the patio. The focus will be on bringing thousands of people together to raise tens of thousands of dollars for relief efforts. Donations of cash, clothing and non-perishable food items will be taken, and a raffle for items generously donated by local businesses will help raise additional funds for the relief effort. The Tasting Room (TTR) will donate $1 from every pizza, glass of wine and bottle of wine sold at all three of its locations, now through Saturday, to the Houston area chapter of the Red Cross
.
Neiman Marcus with 002Houston Magazine are hosting the Hip Event Thursday September 25. Check out fall’s fashions for men and women and enjoy a cocktail or two and some bites.
cancelled or rescheduled events :
SpaceTaker is postponing its Synergy Gala from this coming Saturday the 20th to sometime early 2009.
The Red Bull Street Styles event has be cancelled for October 4th, stay tuned for the new date.
The Men of Style event at Saks Fifth Avenue has been rescheduled for November 5th.
The Manolo Blahnik PA has been cancelled at Neiman Marcus on Saturday September 20.
The Museum District Day , scheduled for this Saturday September 20, has been postponed. No new date has been set. For more info >>
The Color Purple scheduled performances for the week of September 16 – 21 will be CANCELED. Like the Ballet, the performances are a victim of the City’s request for all cultural organizations to hold off opening until Monday. For information regarding rescheduling canceled tickets or obtaining ticket refunds please call the TUTS box office at 713-558- TUTS (8887).
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion suffered heavy damage to its main canopy during the storm, forcing the cancellation of at least three upcoming events. This weekend’s performances are canceled: The Houston Symphony’s Music of Mozart show planned Friday, Santana on Saturday, and Three Doors Down on Sunday.
OTHER THINGS TO DO
The Galleria now has 355 of its 375 retailers open for business. Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Downtown Aquarium is offering a discounted all-day ride and exhibit pass through Friday. Now is probably the best time to go see this “attraction” if you have not been before. The cost is $5 per person (normally $15.99) 410 Bagby at Memorial 713-223-3474
The Houston Zoo will open Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last ticket sold at 4 p.m. Concessions stands will be open, but with a limited selection.
Volunteer for Memorial Park! Join a whole slew of organizations for “Green Work Party” this Saturday, September 20, from 9:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m., at the Picnic Loop Lane. Meet at the Doggie Wash. Wear appropriate work clothes and closed-toe shoes. Bring workgloveswork gloves to help collect and carry brush and debris along Picnic Loop to roadside for easier pickup.
For more info >>
The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center needs volunteers to clean up the trails. Help Monday thru Saturday from 9am to noon, through September 27. Volunteers need to wear closed toe shoes, long pants and a refillable water bottle. Contact Lori Hutson at 713.373.9407
For more info >>
Radio Music Theatre is presenting “Electile Dysfunction” at 8:30 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 8 and 10:30 p.m. Saturdays, through Nov. 15, at RMT, 2623 Colquitt. Ticket info at 713-522-7722 For more info >>
RESTAURANTS
Some of our favorite restaurants are coming online now that they have water, power, and staff (in order of addition to this list):
- Dessert Gallery Stop by and enjoy a little sweet relief: buy 1 slice of dessert and get the 2nd one FREE through Sunday, September 21, 2008. 3200 Kirby, 1616 Post Oak Blvd., 2260 Lone Star Drive (Sugar Land)
- Honey Baked Hams , 1957 W Gray St.
- Mark’s American Cuisine , 1658 Westheimer Road
- Star Pizza , Washington
- Little Pappas Seafood , 3001 S. Shepherd at Alabama
- Little Pappasito’s , Richmond @ Kirby
- Luby’s 1414 Waugh Drive
- Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen is open!
- Brasil Café 2604 Dunlavy St (713) 528-1993
- Alalon Diner (2417 Westheimer) (713) 527-8900
- Ninfa’s on Navigation (713) 228-1175
- Benjy’s in the village is open for business!
- Bistro Con Camillo is open with a limited menu, 11am-2:30pm and 5 –10pm at 6510 Del Monte Drive
- Cafe Express -es with free Wi-Fi
- Sambuca (Downtown at 909 Texas Ave. 713-227-7423)
- Barneys on Sawdust and 45 has pool, darts, a full bar and hot food.
- Reef open tonight for dinner with limited menu; 3rd Bar and patios open as well. Open Friday and Saturday for dinner beginning at 5pm with FULL menu. Tel: 713 526 8282. http://www.reefhouston.com
- Catalan open for lunch and dinner regular business hours. Menu now includes special tasting menu benefiting and honoring Brennan’s – $60 pp. Tel: 713-426-4260. http://www.catalanfoodandwine.com
- Ibiza opening tonight for dinner and resuming regular business hours on Friday. Tel: 713 524 0004. http://www.ibizafoodandwinebar.com
- Goode Company Restaurants (Barbeque, Seafood, Taqueria and Armadillo Palace): now open with regular business hours for all locations. http://www.goodecompany.com
- Pizzitola’s now open with regular business hours. Tel: (713) 227-2283.
- Cafe Annie (1728 Post Oak Blvd., 713-840-1111) — open for dinner
- Gravitas (807 Taft, 713-522-0995)– is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Gigi’s Asian Bistro & Dumpling Bar (5085 Westheimer, Galleria, 713-629-8889)
- Taco Milagro on Kirby and Westheimer (7555 Kirby Drive, 713-522-1999)
- Arturo’s in Uptown Park is open
- Ninfa’s Catering (713-977-4000)
- The Grove (1611 Lamar, 713-337-7321)
- The Lake House (1600 McKinney, Discovery Green, 713-337-7320)
- Antone’s on San Felipe (4520 San Felipe, 713-623-4464)
- Hugo’s on Westheimer (1600 Westheimer)
- Sonoma Wine Bar from 11:30am to 8pm 2720 Richmond Ave (713) 526-9463
- Paulie’s Restaurant 1834 Westheimer
- Willie G’s 1605 Post Oak Boulevard
- Pesce 3029 Kirby Dr
- Tiny Boxwood’s Boxwood’s is serving lunch until 2 p.m. and the espresso bar is open after that. (Located inside Thompson + Hanson nursery on Alabama just past Blanco’s).
- Central Market from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Westheimer and Wesleyan. Operating on generator so no perishables or ice at this time (could change at any moment though).
- Whole Foods opened at 11 a.m. this past Sunday 2955 Kirby Dr.
- Noe and Omni Cafe at the Omni Hotel, 4 Riverway
- The Houstonian restaurants are open. The Hotel and Club have power but are running on a 7a- 7p schedule to maintain compliance with the curfew. The Trellis Spa is closed indefinitely until power is restored. The Hotel’s rooms are committed for the next two weeks as of 5p Tuesday.
NEWS
Here’s a list of news sources we have been using:
Houston Chronicle updates their blog; There’s a lot to weed through, but this is a fairly good listing of what’s going on around the metro area
For more info >>
KTRK’s live video stream; they’ve kept up a 24/7 live video stream while other local stations have been pulling back and showing programming. Most of the info is redundant though with so much time to fill
For more info >>
POWER
Center Point has released a power restoration timeline by zip code. It’s not great, but it’s the official word.
For more info >>
Outage and restoration updates are available
For more info >>
Houston Chronicle’s power restoration database is the most useful tool we have found for door-to-door power restoration information. Its user updated and fairly buggy (reload the page a lot to get all the info to show up), but we’ve been checking it hourly.
For more info >>
GAS
Mr. Car Wash on Kirby across from Carrabas seems to be a loop hole in gas rush – they’ve got it and no one seems to know since it’s not a gas station. That said, I haven’t seen a line anywhere in the loop all day today.
Houston Chronicle’s gas station database; much like the power database
For more info >>
WATER
No longer need to boil water; the advisory has been lifted!.
SHIPPING
UPS has restored package delivery service on a limited basis to the majority of areas touched by Hurricane Ike
Life as a Houston Social Butterfly 