Monday, March 24, 2014

Mediterranean food in West Houston


Droubi's on Eldridge
1635 Eldridge Pkwy Ste 200. Houston, TX 77077

Droubi's - Spa - JN Salon
Petit Cafe Mediterranean Grill


Cafe and Coffeehouse at Enclave and Eldridge

Beans Cafe Coffee House
Cafe Express signage and photo of Energy Corridor restaurant location with patio

Enclave Parkway signage with KBR building behind
Cafe Express - Energy Realty - Lashology

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Enclave Place - New Office Development coming to Enclave Parkway in prime Energy Corridor location




A newly planted project sign by Colvill Office Properties (which will lease the space) announces the forthcoming start of construction of a 300,000 SF Office Building on Enclave Parkway on open land just North of 1430 Enclave Pkwy Building currently occupied by Technip and Nationstar Mortgage.



The land is located to the West of Enclave Parkway South of Olive Hill Drive. Rusty farming equipment sitting on the corner of the field provides an apt reminder of the area's not so distant agricultural past.


THE PAST AND THE PRESENT

Enclave Emblem





Monday, March 10, 2014

From Sharky's American Grill to Silvia's Third - New Tex-Mex Restaurant to open in Energy Corridor location on Eldridge near Enclave Parkway


According to a Houston Chronicle news item last week, Silvia' Casares of Silvia's Enchilada Kitchen fame, will open a new restaurant in the corner space with patio that was previously Sharky's American Grill (and something else not too long before that) on Eldridge Parkway near Enclave. A Merriott, a Staybridge, and a Holiday Inn are nearby. Since Silvia already has brand recognition in the greater Houston area, she should have a much better chance to succeed in a location where others have failed, in part perhaps because there are several other dining options nearby. The new restaurant will bring her total to three. Silvia opened her original enchilada kitchen only a few miles away on Westheimer near Dairy Ashford. Her first expansion, a few years back, took her to Woodway near Voss. Silvia's forthcoming Energy Corridor location will carry her name and will feature enchiladas on the menu, but not in the name.

Sharky's was short-lived - Grand Opening in 2011;
locked out by landlord early in 2014
Silvia's to open in Energy Corridor on Eldridge Parkway near Buffalo Bayou
(click on map to enlarge)

There are quire a few lunch and dining options in the immediate neighborhood, the last arrivals being a Chipotle and a Cafe Express on opposite sides of Eldridge Parkway. In addition to serving those working the in the nearby office buildings, these restaurants cater to the culinary needs of visitors staying at Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, and Residence Inn-Merriott, all of which are located within walking distance.
Cafe Express at Enclave and Eldridge Parkway
Jimmy John's next door to Chipotle's Burrito Shop
Petit Cafe Mediterranean /Middle Eastern Grill in same retail center
as Poblanos (below), which offers Mexican fare
Poblanos, another Mexican eatery down the street
Residence Inn -Marriott on Eldridge
Staybridge Suites on Eldridge
Eldridge Parkway signage at Katy Freeway feeder intersection

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

New Construction on Enclave South of Briar Forest, including new apartments and another Village School building


On foot in the neighborhood: 

ENCLAVE PARKWAY SOUTH OF BRIAR FOREST 

What’s on and going on on Enclave Parkway?


While the winding stretch of Enclave Parkway North of Briar Forest is dominated by modern Class-A office buildings occupied by well-known corporate tenants, the Southern part is lined by apartment complexes, including a new one that  saw completion early in 2014. It is helpfully named by its street address: SEVENTEEN15 Enclave.


The City of Houston has recently improved walkability in this residential area with sidewalk construction on Enclave.

Metro’s Bus Line 53 (Briar Forest) serves this neighborhood, with stops at the school campuses, and provides service all the way to Downtown, though it is a fairly long trip.



Enclave Parkway ends at The Village Primary and Elementary School.

Tarrytowne Estates, a senior living/care facility sits on the corner on the left. It has had an under-renovation sign posted on the fence for at least a year.


Turn to the left at The Village Primary and Elementary School and you can continue on to Dairy Ashford via Westella Drive, which is lined with single-family residences. Or you can turn right and then left to reach Dairy Ashford via Whittington. You will pass through apartment properties that are a bit older than those on Eldridge Parkway and eventually reach the Whittington Post Office that serves this neighborhood. It will be located on the right, shortly before you get to the intersection at Dairy Ashford, which has a gas station on one corner and a flower shop on the other side.


If you turn right at The Village High School onto Gentryside Drive, you will get deeper into the neighborhood and have two neighborhood streets available that connect to Westheimer. You can either continue southward on Gentryside or turn at Avenida la Quinta Street and, eventually, get to Westheimer via Briar West Blvd. On the latter route you will also have a good chance to get lost if you have not consulted the map beforehand or navigation equipment with you because these residential streets wind their way through the subdivision like a meandering bayou.



After completion of the new apartment complex at 1715 Enclave, construction activity continues in this neighborhood. The Village School (High School) has another building under construction on the Western lot (see photo of steel frame above). Nearby, in an area that was until recently undeveloped and partially wooded, another residential project just broke ground: 13115 Whittington Dr.

13115 Whittington Drive Construction project site as of Feb 2014

Metro Bus 53 - Briar Forest Limited (map)

Link to 53 Bus Schedule






Tuesday, March 4, 2014

New and recently opened retail shops and restaurants in the Energy Corridor - Jan-March 2014

Floba Home Goods


European Wax Center
New Chick-fil-A location on Briar Forest at Eldridge Parkway
Droubi's Mediterranean Grill 
1635 Eldridge Parkway Ste 200. Houston, Texas 77077