Got an answer to any of these reader questions? Or just want to be a sleuth for Swamplot? Here’s your chance! Add your report in a comment, or send a note to our tipline.
- Melrose Place: Waiting in line at the Starbucks drive-thru south of Westheimer, a reader snaps this photo of the former Crome Lounge at 2815 South Shepherd next door, and reports: “It has been vacant as far as I can tell for months if not a year. Now there is renovation going on.” What’s next for the former Fox Diner and Monarch Cleaners building?
Galleria: The HBJ‘s Jennifer Dawson reports that ahem, “distracting food smells” from “a fragrant cafeteria” that recently moved onto the same floor as the Houston CPA Society in the office building at 1700 West Loop South are what drove the professional association to leave its offices of 33 years for new digs on Post Oak Blvd. Sadly, the article doesn’t identify the cafeteria or the exact nature of the wafting “spicy aromas” that sent all those accountants packing. Any guesses?
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- Downtown: Reader Emily J. Hurst tweets Swamplot this photo showing the new colors the Houston House Apartments at 1617 Fannin are sporting — along with a couple of questions about the renovations that have been going on there: “It’s a blackout at Houston House. Final color or just the primer? Looks better than pink right?” You wanted more than just rhetorical questions? Send us your rhetorical answers!
- Downtown: A reader who drives by it every day (apparently without a camera) wants to know what’s going on near the Mission Constructors sign “at the corner of Polk and the 59 feeder (across from the GRB)? They demoed a building there a couple of weeks [ago] and now there is a new construction fence around the property.”
Photos: Swamplot inbox, Younan Properties, Emily J. Hurst
I am not sure about the smells at the CPA place, but the same thing is going on downtown in the Allen Center. There is a Chinese/Vietnamese place in the food court that stinks up the whole Allen Center at lunchtime. YUK – If the they add just a tinge of sewer gas and coal smoke it would smell just like Beijing.
It’s the smell of Filet Meow!
Gawd, I hate the smell of burning meat.
Wonder if the new cafeteria is A)located on the first floor like it should be and B)has proper ventilation installed.
There are strict build-out guidelines for putting a deli/restaurant in commercial office space in Houston.
Re the Polk @ 59 feeder construction:
Could it be this?
http://swamplot.com/mayor-to-mayor-parker-indicates-browns-east-downtown-green-card-hotel-project-would-qualify-for-tax-breaks/2011-02-11/
Or too early?
I deliver food to 1700 WLS almost every day. Next time I’m there, I’ll stop by the 7th floor and see what’s there.
I’ve also been wondering about 2815 S Shepherd… Finally got around to doing a permit search and it listed “Triniti Restaurant”. A quick google search yielded this article from last Nov:
http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/11-23-10-ryan-hildebrand-sets-his-sights-on-shepherd-for-triniti/
Sounds a heck of a lot better than yet another doomed club
I bet the smells included curry.
Maybe cumin…
Thanks Okie Eric. I noticed the MC2 sign on the construction fence over the weekend.
@Bubba,
You are so right about that place in the tunnel at One Allen Center. We don’t even walk by that way anymore b/c our clothes will smell like that for the rest of the day. Quite sickning frankly.
Surely you guys aren’t talking about Cafe Basil in tunnel level at Allen Center? That place has bahn mi to die for and the owner is a sweetheart.
Cafe Basil is excellent.
If you want to smell like your lunch, head over to the Pappas BBQ at street level next door. You can smell like you basted the brisket all night just walking by that place.
You can smell Pappas from the library.. And you can smell bombay pizza for blocks too..