UT vs A&M

I'm guessing there are employees at Midway Companies that were cheering for both sides of the college football battle last week. I say this because CityCentre Plaza was decorated to look like a small football field with painted endzones and intermediate yardage ticks. Disclaimer; I am a University of Houston Cougar, but I do have my own bias. You see, back when I attended college, UH had a forgettable football team. Actually, my first year there coincided with the first winless 0-11 season ever in the history of the school. How about that for a welcome?

My personal bias is towards A&M because I used to drive up 290 to 6 into College Station on most Fridays to attend the football games there. The traditions are definitely interesting, but that's part of what made it fun. I made sure not to walk on the grass in the Quad and remembered to pass the yell up the stands with those crazy hand signals. I attended the 2002 game where TAMU defeated the #1 ranked, undefeated OU Sooners. That had to be the most fun I have ever had at a football game.

I don't have a picture of the decorated CityCentre Plaza at the moment, but I have one incoming. It looked pretty good and I am ecstatic that Midway Companies support local traditions.

New Parking System

I have the scoop for you on the new parking system at CityCentre Houston. The parking kiosks ARE active and the security guards ARE checking all cars! Each of them have a company phone which they use to enter your license plate number, and take a photo of your dashboard to prove that a ticket was not present. Here's something that is really important so listen up.

First Offense: Warning Ticket
Second Offense: Parking Fine
Subsequent Offenses: Maximum Parking Fine

I haven't been able to uncover the actual amount of the fines as of yet, but it is refreshing to see that the first offense is a warning. People weren't really given much warning before this system was rolled out. In fact, there is still absolutely no information on their website pointing to the parking fees. Here is a picture of the kiosk so you know what you're looking for. Remember, you can click any picture on this site for a bigger version.


The parking rates are as follows:

30 Minutes - $1.00
60 Minutes - $2.00
5 Hours - $10.00
It isn't clear to me at this time if the 30 minute charge is only for the first 30 minutes or if something like 1 hour and 30 minutes will be $3.00 instead of $4.00
Be on the lookout for these kiosks and don't get caught!

Twitter and Parking

I gave in and finally started a Twitter account. I took a hint from something that my coworker said about Facebook. He pretty much said that if he wanted to be flooded with updates, he would open a Twitter account instead of just a Facebook account. There is no better way for me to give people the inside scoop than Twitter on my smartphone.

Follow me on Twitter! @cchoumayor
As for the other topic, the parking meters around here are fully operational now. I think parking is somewhere around $1.25 for an hour. I just looked all over their website and I couldn't find any warning about the parking meters. Oh well, I guess that's what I am here for! Bring correct change, I haven't looked close enough at the machines to see if they take cards or give change.

C'mon Man!

Living in a mixed use area has its positives and its negatives. I want to talk about one of the huge negatives right now because it just doesn't make sense to me. I fully understand that noise is a factor that I need to live with here at Citycentre. I've come to terms with the fact that the area has progressively gotten louder as more restaurants open and more customers pour in. I no longer care about the drunk crowd yelling and laughing while I am attempting to sleep. I no longer care about the cars honking and the slamming doors either. I'm at peace with the delivery trucks that slam their ramps and sliding doors. I am even okay with the street sweepers that come through at odd hours.

What I don't understand is the extremely loud grease vacuum truck that comes by every quarter around 3:00 AM on workdays to empty the underground grease trap!

What makes this truck so loud is the fact that it has to rev up its engine to compensate for the vacuum motor when it runs. It's technology called "PTO" or Power Take Off. The vacuum motor itself is awefully loud too. There has not been a single instance where I was able to sleep through the noise. Imagine your household vaccum noise, multiplied by 10, right outside your window at 3 in the morning.

Here are the issues I see from the restaurants' perspectives. The manhole covers for access to the grease traps are in the middle of parking spots so the truck has to arrive before cars start filling up those spots. The truck would have to shut down one side of the Boulevard for about 30 minutes while it did its thing.

Look, just tell the truck to come at 6:00 AM, cone off the area around it and block traffic for 30 minutes, and then go on its merry way. There are multiple entrances to this complex for those that arrive that early and those people all work here and park in the parking garages anyway. Think of it this way. It is easy for someone to drive around to another entrance, but I will never regain the health I lost from abruptly waking up and losing sleep once a quarter.

Random Musings: Citycentre has some exciting events lined up for the Christmas season. I'll keep you updated, stay tuned.

Halloween Weekend

There are a lot of things going on in Citycentre this weekend and the following is a non exhaustive list.

RA Sushi - I'm surprised that this hasn't been advertised more. I mean, it's not on their Facebook page and I haven't seen any flyers or anything around town. They will have black lights all over the restaurant and Halloween drink specials. Of course they will also have the obligatory giveaways (costume contests). I can already see glow sticks all over the place! I almost forgot to mention that there will be a DJ and I know the guy. Seriously, it sounds like a lot of fun. Maybe I'll make a surprise visit, look for the Mayor's Tophat...

Straits - This is another event that isn't all that publicized, but I guess that's why I am here! Straits will have "Back to the 80's" night on Saturday with $5 Sex on the Beach (the drink, hehehe) all night. Halloween night will feature DJ Steve starting at 10:00 PM and $5 Jagerbombs all night long! I'll see if I can make a pass through this event as well, look for the Mayor's Tophat!

Random Musings: Christmas Decorations are up in the area. Pictures coming soon, stay tuned!

Cyclone Anaya's

This is very difficult for me, but I feel like I need to give them a fair chance. I went with 5 coworkers today to Cyclone Anaya's for lunch. They were slow (50 minutes to get us our food), and the food was cold. I am known for completing my whole plate, but the cheese enchiladas and chicken quesadillas were so bad I could not finish them. I ended up tipping the poor waiter less than a dollar even though he tried his best. I will make it up to him if I come back and have him as a waiter again and the food is better.

So in short, instead of the scathing review that I wanted to write. I will just say that I am big enough to hold myself back and give them the benefit of the doubt. True, they probably should have pushed back their opening another week but they are trying.

P.S. I went back for margaritas after work and they were delicious!

I'm Famous!

Not really...but we all have dreams don't we? Citycentre has taken a liking to my blog and has linked it on their website!

So I have been trying to find time on a Thursday to walk around and browse the Farmer's Market here at Citycentre. I ran through really quickly today after work and saw an assortment of goat cheeses, bread products, flowers, and produce. I plan on speaking to some of the vendors there. Help support your local community and visit on a Thursday. It is definitely a laid back atmosphere and there is always relaxing music either from a live group or from a recording.

I see people setting up tents every Thursday around 3:00 PM and I think they stay until 8:00 PM, weather permitting. The actual hours are something like 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM and can probably be confirmed on their website.


RANDOM MUSINGS: A coworker was driving me to lunch today and I noticed something really interesting while exiting Parking Garage 2. There are two pipes hanging from the entrance/exit that are like warning signs. If you hit them with your vehicle, then it isn't a good idea for you to drive into the parking garage...

Both pipes have "6 FEET 8 INCHES" marked on them, but one is about 4" lower than the other and have scrape marks all over the bottom of it. The next time you go to Brio's, take a look at the East entrance/exit to Parking Garage 2. My theory is that one of them is installed with 6'-8" as the BOTTOM of the pipe and the other pipe was CENTERED at 6'-8". The scrape marks reminded me of the UHaul I saw in the same parking garage...

Click the Images for a Larger Version

Review - Flora and Muse

I finally went in today with my sweety and had dinner. The front entrance is a little difficult to find, but look for the little chalkboard out front and go in that door. Sometimes they keep the front doors propped open and the flowers at the front entrance draw your eyes into the restaurant. Right next to the flowers, you'll see the pastries and your eyes will tell your brain to go inside. Once inside, you feel like you've stepped through a portal into a small European restaurant (where everyone talks with an American accent).

If you're there for a meal, then you should walk past the pastries and towards the hostess. When we went, the hostess was probably sitting other guests and I had never been here before, so I wandered into the restaurant area looking like a lost person. Thankfully, my sweety spoke to someone and they sat us. Apparently I can't function properly in public without her.

The restaurant was dimly lit and very "chill". We ordered the most unique dishes that we saw on the menu, which were the Pides (turkish pies). There were two different varieties available and we ordered one of each. The sausage and olive pide was a blast of flavor inside my mouth. The saltiness of the olives and the sweetness of the sausage went well together. I had a taste of the chicken, wild mushroom, and guyere pide and it was lighter on the pallete. It reminded me of a meatier quiche as the egg flavor was slightly more dominant than the rest of the ingredients. The crust of the dish was buttery and fantastic.

I ended up ordering a drink as well called a Bailey's Mint Kiss. Being the mixed drink newbie that I am, I didn't realize the drink was a warm one (it came with a straw). I took a big sip and burned the inside of my mouth; my mistake! I don't remember all the ingredients, but it was a minty coffee-like alcoholic beverage.

We ended the evening with a seasonal fruit crostada. I believe it was a peach (seasonal) crostada with vanilla ice cream on top. The flakey goodness of the crostada was to die for and you can't go wrong with vanilla ice cream!

I liked the food a lot and the ambiance was excellent. The food took awhile to come out, but everything is made fresh to order so I could understand why. You have to stay on the waiter/waitress to check for you once in awhile as the tables around us, including us, miraculously received our food after asking our waitstaff to check the kitchen.

If you're meeting up with friends, I would suggest sitting at a table. If you are coming with a special someone, I would suggest a booth. If it is a first date, sit across from her. If it isn't, sit next to her! I will be back!

NFL Sunday

The NFL season officially started last Thursday, but this is the first Sunday of the 2010 season so I have been watching football all day long. It helps that I am a part of an office fantasy football league. Unfortunately, I am pretty sure I lost the first week to a coworker that doesn't even follow American football. On a happier note, our Houston Texans kicked some Colts booty!

I digress, let's talk about CityCentre...

Starting this Tuesday, the live music lineup continues at Monnalisa Bar with Two Star Symphony on Tuesday, El Orbits on Wednesday, David Caceras Quartet on Thursday, Bruce James Soultet on Friday, and Mingo Fishtrap on Saturday.

Of course, there's still the Eco-Farmer's Market going on Thurday from 4 to 8 PM with music in the plaza.

For those of you who enjoy fashion (or just beautiful women), there is a Fashiontini event on Thursday. Sip on Grey Goose martinis, watch beautiful women model fashionable clothing, then attend the post party at Monnalisa Bar. More information can be found on Facebook, here.

Flowers and Flora & Muse

I have lived in CityCentre for about 9 months now and have worked here for about a year. One thing that has continued to amaze me is management's dedication to keeping the plants and grass in tip top shape. During the Winter, many of the more delicate plants were covered up. Once Spring hit, Robert the groundskeeper, could be seen outside tending to plants all day. See if you can spot him working hard in the following picture. One of the daily struggles that he has is keeping rocks out of the grass and this picture showcases the manual labor involved in keeping the grass healthy. Unfortunately, the plaza is surrounded by dark gray rocks that I am guessing are part of some drainage design. I had commented on the grass in an earlier post and the team here has done a good job reviving the plaza after the 2010 Ride of a Lifetime.


I do not have a green thumb at all. In fact, my thumb is reddish, which just happens to be the color wheel opposite of green! What I am trying to say is that there is no way I can identify the plants in these pictures, but if you can then let me know and I can update this post at a later time. Here is an arrangement you will find all around the grounds. These include flowers that were covered up during the winter time.


This arrangement can be found around Ruggles Green. It looks to me like the pink flowers here are the same as in the top layer of the previous picture. Again, this is all speculation on my part because I really do not know one flower from another unless it is a Texas wildflower. I had to do a project in high school that involved collecting ~50 varieties and had a test over them. I know my Texas wildflowers.


Aside from flowers and trees, there are also ferns all around the place. Or at least I call them ferns. I mean they're huge blades of grass as far as I'm concerned.


I conclude with one note of disappointment. To those who walk around CityCentre smoking whatever you smoke. I understand it is your right, even though there are designated smoking areas for a reason, PLEASE DO NOT THROW YOUR CIGARETTE BUTTS IN THE FLOWER POTS OR ON THE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS. Help keep this area beautiful.

Speaking of flowers, Flora & Muse is now open! Their website is terrible and uninformative right now so let me shed some light on what they are and where they are located.

WHAT IS IT?
(taken from the CityCentre website)

Flora & Muse - a new bistro, patisserie, flower stand, coffee shop and tea room all in one whimsical, neo-Victorian setting encompassing numerous indoor and alfresco seating vignettes. In addition to sweets and fresh fruit from the patisserie, plus a variety of coffee and tea options, the menu showcases European cuisine with American flair, while offering a handful of twists, plus more hearty and exotic options like steak au poivre and traditional Turkish Pide pie.

WHERE IS IT?
Underneath RA Sushi across from Eye Couture in CityCentre.

Stay tuned for more.

RA Sushi Patio

I am still slowly getting back into the flow of blogging. Unfortunately, my workload has not come down any, but I am blessed to have a job so I'm not complaining.

So I stopped into RA Sushi today and chatted up one of the managers there. I have seen construction workers building a frame over the back patio of RA and inquired about what was going on there. Apparently there will be an extra section of outdoor seating and a covered outdoor bar. I heard this concept about 6 months ago and it is nice to see them actually getting it built. I know I'll be frequenting the outdoor seating areas more once it gets cooler.

More to come...

Catching Up on Things

A handful of shops and restaurants have opened their doors since the last time I updated in January. I've been in most of them, but there are still a few that I have not had the chance to experience.

Now Open

BRIO Tuscan Grille
Chipotle
Jamba Juice
LMD Boutique
Ruggles Green

Coming Soon

Cyclone Anaya's
Flora & Muse
Paul Carter Jewels
Red Mango
Republic of Couture
Sur La Table
Tasting Room

Upcoming Events

September 1 (7:00PM) - Monnalisa Bar - Norma Zenteno Band (Live Music)
September 2 (4:00PM to 8:00PM) - CityCentre Plaza - Eco-Farmer's Market
September 2 (7:00PM) - Monnalisa Bar - Commercial Art (Live Music)
September 3 (10:00PM) - Monnalisa Bar - Eric Lindell (Live Music)
September 4 (7:00PM) - Monnalisa Bar - Jesse Dayton (Live Music)

Back by Special Suggestion

Due to a special suggestion by a very important person to CityCentre Houston, whom I consider the real "Mayor of CityCentre" and have a lot of respect for, I will be keeping up with this blog once again. I stopped in January due to time constraints, and sadly, I see I have already fallen out of Google's good graces. I will do my best to get everything back up to my personal high standards soon with updates of events as well as whatever else pops in my mind. I'll also be updating the Facebook page if I can remember the password. :/

The area has grown by leaps and bounds since my last post in January. Stay tuned for more!

No More Snowflakes!

The snowflakes are now off of CityCentre One! I have a clear view of the main road once again at work. I hope they keep the lights on the trees because they make the place look really classy. I actually saw them sitting on the side of one of the buildings unguarded and wondered why they would put it there. Some of the decisions that people make are so silly. I walked past really quickly and didn't care enough to see if they secured, but I sure hope they did.

In other news, a walk around the grounds show good progress at Brio's but no movement at Ruggles Green. Cafe Rose is open and is on the other side of Yard House. They're located on the "unpopular" side of CityCentre, but go give it a try. I haven't eaten there, but it looks like a nice little cafe.

Lastly, Straits Happy Hour, umm, hours...Mon-Fri 4-7pm. The real party starts when DJ Steve shows up though. Drink, dance, be merry. Shoutout to Kai, the GM.

New Lofts Banner

I spy something green and white; flying high, flying high.
Hung between two walls of brick; looking slick, looking slick.
No more flapping in the wind; securely pinned, securely pinned.
Come and give The Lofts a visit; you'll be glad you did it, you'll be glad you did it.

Umm, I should go pro.

Upcoming Events

The Monnalisa Bar will have live music on Wednesday, January 27 from 6:30pm to 10:30pm. I can see a theme here with the bands that they book. This time it will be Luxury Trio. Click the link to see who they are. They're going for a classy sip and sway theme.

More to come in February!

Latin Fusion

I saw lots of people shaking their booty today in the Plaza. It was cute to see kida in the back jumping around to the music. Again, that speaks volumes for the family atmosphere at CityCentre. There is a lot of repetition so everything is easy to learn. I enjoyed my usual workout and then stopped by for a few minutes of dancing around. It was dark enough outside for me to work up the courage to wedge in between a few ladies. I was in and out before anyone noticed, I'm sure. I think the whole idea of outdoor classes is going to be great with Spring coming. I'm not sure how many types of classes they'll be able to get out there. The more equipment necessary, the tougher it will be to hold an outdoor class. I don't even care about the grass anymore, it grows back.

I haven't seen any future workouts planned yet and I think they're going to look at how successful today was and make a decision on whether to continue or not. I'll post information as soon as I get it. Remember, these events are no cost and open to the public.

Getting Warmer in January

I don't keep up with the weather, but I've felt that it has been warmer this past week. I wonder when the powder snow (lights) will melt off the trees in CityCentre and when the snowflakes will melt off the side of CityCentre One.

So I had this great idea to write about the local restaurants to get the news out about what to try and, more importantly, what not to try (unless you're feeling adventurous). What I didn't think about was how expensive that proposition would be. I don't think I will completely throw that idea away, I just won't be doing it as much as I want to. I guess one positive will be that I will be able to spend more time to think over the experience and provide a very in depth post.

On another note, I think the local restaurants now know the power of an organized event. The restaurants were packed after The Ride of a Lifetime and I bet they made their numbers that day! Actually, a lot of people didn't even know CityCentre existed until they came to this event. I personally think one of the downfalls of CityCentre is that people just don't know much about this place. When I tell people I live here and work here, they have no clue what I'm talking about.

As a little bonus, check out these BEHIND THE SCENES pictures of The Ride of a Lifetime from a few weeks ago. There are a few pictures from near the top of the hotel, so cool!

Squeezing on Through

The other day I was walking to my car to warm it up (since I rarely drive it), and I noticed a peculiar scene unfolding in front of me. Click on the photo to open up a bigger picture. Remember, you can actually do that with any picture and a full sized version will pop up. If it doesn't pop up then tell me because it means I screwed up the code structure.


Hello new neighbor, welcome to the land of garages that will confuse you and perhaps eat you alive. I see that the overhanging pipes have taken a liking to the top of your U-Haul! Don't worry, they never check the top of the truck when you take it back, pull on through! Oh, you already knew that I guess since you just pulled through. Yes, thank you for going slowly because the sound that you made was SO delightful.

SSSSSSCCCRAAAAAAAAAAAAPEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Hey it is all good. I don't see any major damage to the pipes. No one will ever know.

Cha Cha Cha Chia!

So the landscapers at CityCentre have been working so hard to keep the plaza looking green and healthy and what do we do to thank them? We hold a 600 person outdoor spin class and trample the grass with heavy bikes and people's feet.


You may have to squint some, but there is definitely a visible "V" shape where the main walking aisles were. You can even see lines where the different rows of bikes were. Personally, I'm cheering for the grass to grow back greener and healthier than before. I can't help but wonder what the landscapers were thinking though because I saw them working on the grass the week before the event. I also saw them working on the grass yesterday and I hope they don't have to re-sod any patches!

2010 Ride of a Lifetime

Aside from being extremely cold when the wind picked up, this ride was a great experience to be a part of. There were lines and lines of box trucks lined up filled with bikes and portable heaters. They even managed to set everything up without being overly noisy and waking me up. I would say that the ride was better organized than I initially expected. Then again, I've seen the magic that Cathy worked on the gym as a whole. The Founder and CEO of Lifetime, Bahram, was a top notch spin class instructor. He didn't do the usual "stand up, sit down" routine, but made us lean in different directions. My legs feel fine right now, but they didn't feel very good right after the ride. The final 15 minute set ended with an ultra-high resistance level and the last few minutes I could not even pedal without standing up. The resistance was so high that I could not overcome it sitting down! Needless to say, the 2 hours were worth it physically. If you went and weren't entirely drained after the ride, then you need to dial up that resistance more next time!


There were 600 bikes and the previous record for the largest cycling class, which was 450 people in Ireland. You should see what the grass looks like now in the plaza, more on that later. Bring on the MS 150!

CityCentre Update

I just received an update of what is now open and what is coming soon. I don't see The Wine Loft on either list so we'll just have to be patient. The best place for wine right now would probably be the Monnalisa Bar.

Now Open

Amegy Bank
Anthropologie
Bistro Alex
Cafe Rose
Eddie V's Prime Seafood
Eye Couture
Hotel Sorella
Houston Motor Club
Life Time Athletic
Monnalisa Bar
Norris Conference Center
RA Sushi
Straits Restaurant
Studio Movie Grill
Yard House
The Mayor's Office (Just Kidding!)

Coming Soon

Brio Tuscan Grille
Chipotle (Hell Yeah!)
Cyclone Anaya's Mexican Kitchen
Jamba Juice
LMD Boutique
Potbelly Sandwich Works (Double Hell Yeah!)
Republic of Couture
Ruggles Green

My Coo Neighbors

I was walking to my car the other day and heard some weird noises in the parking garage. At first I thought there was an owl somewhere and my curious side took over. It was like playing a game of Marco Polo on the first floor of the parking garage. I finally found the source of the noise perched on the roof supports.


I have no idea what kind of bird that is, but it sure looks like some kind of pigeon. If you've been receiving unwelcomed gifts on the hood of your vehicle, then I have a good idea who your 'secret santa' was.

Happy New Year

Another year is upon us and another list of resolutions has been made. First off, Happy New Year everyone. I have no doubt in my mind that this year will be better than the last! I'm extremely excited about what CityCentre has to offer in 2010. I am looking forward to Chipotle, Potbelly, and Cyclone Anayas opening. I'll be frequenting these restaurants for sure.

If you didn't have a chance to make it to CityCentre for their New Years Party, don't worry. I'll be posting pictures of the fireworks once I process them. For now, check out the guys setting up the show.


I was cracking jokes about how they looked like they raided a roadside fireworks stand, but once I saw the show, I felt bad for judging so quickly. The guys put on quite a show and I know next year is going to be bigger and better because that's how we do it in Texas!