March 11th is the 29th birthday for famous Houston R & B artist LeToya Luckett. This Grammy award winning artist started out as a member of the famous Destiny’s Child with Beyonce. Since leaving the group she has signed with Capitol Records and has pursued a successful solo career.
In 2006 she was nominated for the Celebrities’ Choice Award for Best Music Video, won the Groovevolt Music Award for Best R&B Female Performance and was nominated for the Teen Choice Awards Female Artist Breakout. In 2007 she was nominated for the NAACP Image Awards Outstanding New Artist, won the ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul Award for Top Songwriter or Publisher, was nominated for the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards Best R&B/Soul Single and won the Urban Music Awards Best Music Video.
She has delved into the world of television and movies and owns a Houston based upscale clothing store called Lady L Boutinque located in the Galleria and in Uptown Park. She is certainly a lady who is multi talented and someone Houston is prod to call one of their own.
The lovely Kim Smith, a model and actress who turns 27 this year was born and raised in Houston, Texas. This famous Houstonian’s face has graced some of the most recognized fashion magazines in the world and she has been featured in ad campaigns for numerous big name businesses. She has also appeared in several music videos including ones for ‘N Sync and Aerosmith.
Happy birthday to Lil Flip, born on the 3rd of March, who celebrates his 29th birthday this year. Originally named Wesley Eric Weston, Jr., Lil Flip is more easily recognized by the stage name he took. He is a rapper who got his start in Houston now records with Sony Records. He currently has a seven record discography including The Leprechaun, Undaground Legend, U Gotta Feel Me, I Need Mine, Respect Me, Underground Legend 2 and the recently released Ahead of My Time.
Lil Flip is a great example of a hard working Houston artist making it in the big leagues.
Please go to my article at Associated Content to view Houston’s Haiti relief efforts. All proceeds for clicks are going to Haiti relief efforts.
I don’t watch professional wrestling. Not anymore at least. There was a time though when you would find me planted in front of the TV set anytime it was on. In those days, I still believed, or at least I still wanted to. As I got older, I found less and less time for my once favorite pastime. I lost track of the story lines and the stars. Every once and a while I would tune in, but it wasn’t the same. It never would be again. The world of professional wrestling was changing; becoming more polished, more extravagant. It was in this climate that Mark Calaway, native Houstonian, made his indelible mark on the world of professional wrestling. Though you won’t remember that name, he has never wrestled under it. In November of 1990, World Wrestling Federation fans were exposed to a tall, lithe, imposing figure dressed in black with a wide brimmed hat gray gloves and gray spats and eyes that looked like death themselves. This was the debut of one the most memorable and popular persona’s in the history of professional wrestling, Mark Calaway AKA, The Undertaker.
Callaway was born and raised in Houston along with four brothers. He attended Waltrip High School where he played basketball and graduated in 1983.
Calaway began wrestling in Dallas in 1984, and spent many years on the smaller circuit wrestling under a variety of names for two different promotions before being signed World Championship Wrestling, under the name “Mean” Mark Callous, which gave him his first mainstream exposure. He signed with World Wrestling Federation in October 1990.
Callaway’s career as a WWF (later changed to WWE) superstar is long and storied, he has held tag team titles(6 times), heavyweight titles(2 times), The WWF/E Championship (6 times) and 1 Hardcore Championship. He has even inspired his own comic book from Chaos Comics.
Mark Calaway, as The Undertaker, to this day, remains one of the most recognizable figures in professional wrestling.
SushiZen
510 S. Mason Road
Katy, Texas 77450
281.392.5770
No Website Available
Date: Saturday, October 18, 2008
Guests: 2
Meal: Dinner
Price: $20 all you can eat
Ratings out of 5 stars:
Overall: 4 stars
Food: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Ambiance: 3 Stars
What a hidden little gem this place is! I have never heard of the place and frankly would not have even gone to it if I hadn’t been craving sushi, happened to pass it and was not in the mood to go all the way to my favorite sushi joint. But pass it we did and stop in we did. The place is located next to a bar in a strip center. When walking in, the ambiance was nice but not romantic. It was slightly above take out joint but not exactly “sit down and have an intimate conversation”. That’s about the worst thing I can say about the place so I’ll get it out of the way quickly.
We were seated promptly. Well, we were the only patrons at that time so that was easy enough to do. The waitress was friendly and helpful. She explained their special of $20.00 all you can eat sushi rolls and gave us a list of all the ones available. We opted for this and both my dinner companion and I had sodas for our drinks. We ordered our first rolls. I don’t think I have ever ordered rolls that were made right on the spot that took so little time to make. The sushi chef was good and the service prompt.
All told we got a rainbow roll, California roll, volcano roll and New York roll. All of the rolls were excellent. During the time we were eating a few other customers came in. Unobtrusively observing I could see they were getting the same excellent service we were: wait staff checked on us frequently but not obnoxiously, friendly, helpful, drink refills without asking. To think we almost did not stop here!
This is a hidden treasure in Katy and one that should not be passed up. It is not far from I-10 on Mason Road on the right if coming from I-10. The price, food and service make this my new favorite place for sushi. It is not upscale, fine dining but it is perfect for those who simply like quality sushi in a friendly atmosphere.
When I was a kid Charlie’s Angels was the popular television series. Yes, I’m dating myself. It was also a favorite game with the girls at Catholic school. Everyone wanted to be either Farrah’s character or Jaclyn’s. Since I have long, dark hair and was sporting the appropriate ‘do, I was always Kelly Garrett. So, I have always had a particular fondness for the lady, having played her and all. Since she is also a native of Houston it makes her even better in my book. Jaclyn Smith is celebrating a birthday this month so Happy Birthday!
Born October 26, 1945 in Houston, she attended Lamar High School then went on to Trinity University to study acting. She started her career in commercials but soon moved on to feature roles in television series until in 1976 she landed the role she is likely best known for as Kelly Garret on Charlie’s Angels. Since that show has been off the air she has appeared in numerous movies and television mini series and was honored for her body of work with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Currently she hosts Bravo’s reality series Shear Genius. In addition to her acting, Jaclyn Smith is also a designer of furniture and apparel and she acts as spokeswoman for many of her favorite causes.
This Saturday, October 11th I will be at the Westheimer Block Party. I will have a review up as well as some fun comments and stories. Houstonians should come out and have some fun.
Details about the event can be found at http://freepresshouston.com/
Azzareli’s Italian Restaurant
22764 Westheimer Parkway #600
Katy, Texas 77450
281.395.9010
http://www.azzarellis.com/
Date: Thursday, August 07, 2008
Guests: 2
Meal: Dinner
Price: Average $10-$15 per entree
Ratings:
Overall: 3 stars
Food: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Ambiance: 2 Stars
I have heard good things about Azzareli’s and since it came to Katy, I decided to go check it out myself. My friend and I went there for dinner. It was a Thursday evening, at approximately 8:00 pm. The restaurant was busy though not packed and there was a private party also going on in one of the private rooms. Azzarelli’s is located in a strip center and for where it is located; I think they did a decent job with the ambiance. However, it was rather loud and there was nothing striking about it. It was not conducive to a romantic dinner or even intimate friendly conversation.
All in all, it was adequate and that’s about all I can say about the ambiance. We were seated promptly in a tiny corner table right next to the party room which was cordoned off only by a fabric drape so it was very noisy. Perhaps if we were seated closer to the center or perhaps if I was not given a menu with food all over it I would have had a better impression of the ambiance.
The service was fairly decent with the waiter being attentive but not obtrusive. I had a glass of their house wine which was pretty good and my dinner companion had iced tea. After looking over the wine menu it seems as if they have a good selection at reasonable prices. Our drinks were served promptly with a basket of bread and olive oil for dipping. The bread was very good. We started with a calamari appetizer which was good but not outstanding. I’ve had better and I have definitely had worse. Throughout the night water and iced tea were refilled promptly.
My dinner companion had the lasagna as an entrée. The lasagna itself was good but the sauce seemed like sugar was added to cut the bitterness…and too much at that. The portion size for the lasagna seemed a little on the small side as well. I had the Chicken Triola which is a chicken breast stuffed with Italian sausage, spinach and cheese and topped with a Marsala sauce. I had high hopes for it. When it came out it looked and smelled delicious. It would have been wonderful…except the chicken was way overcooked and dry. The flavors were great and had the chicken been cooked perfectly it would have been a great meal. All in all both our reactions to the food was, “eh”.
So, we figured we had a mediocre meal thus far and we might as well get dessert. We opted to share the dessert trio which consisted of three selections from their dessert tray. We chose cannolis, banana bread pudding and Italian cheesecake. This was definitely the highlight of the meal with each selection tasting very good. My dinner companion liked the Italian cheesecake and my favorite was the banana bread pudding.
We were served the check but then it was mentioned a mistake was made on it and they had to recalculate it. Total price for our meal was approximately $50.00. All in all service was good, ambiance was adequate and food could have improved. But on a positive note I did get the impression that this was not the norm. I was not turned off by it so much as to never go again but I am definitely not in a rush. Perhaps next time, though, they will be on their game and I will have a more positive experience.
Welcome to Houston, the largest city in Texas! We Houstonians are proud of our city and part of that comes from its rich history that continues through modern times. We are now the fourth largest city in the United States with nearly six million people. The Houston downtown skyline is often how people think of us but actually Houston is comprised not just of the city but also of several outlying communities as well. Some include: Katy, The Woodlands, Baytown, Sugar Land and Pasadena though there are several area cities that are part of Houston.
Houston began as a small city with agriculture as its main industry. Throughout the years it transformed into a city thriving on commerce and transportation. When the oil boom hit, Houston was front and center and reaped all the advantages. In modern times, Houston has emerged as a city prominent in its energy, technology, health care, science and finance industries. This multi industrial city is world renowned now for its innovation and achievements. From humble beginnings through its meteoric rise as one of the leading cities in the world, it is no wonder Houstonians are proud to call this great city home.
How it All Began
In 1836 the Allen brothers purchased nearly seven thousand acres of land on Buffalo Bayou. They had a dream of forming a city and this was the place to do it. They named the city Houston after the famous General Sam Houston who fought in and led the Battle of San Jacinto. Sam Houston would later become president of Texas, a few months prior to the official incorporation of Houston as a city on June 5, 1837.
Houston was successful immediately as a commercial entity to be reckoned with. It quickly became the primary hub for railroads across Texas and established itself as a trade center for the region. In the 1900’s Houston expanded its ship channel and oil was discovered, prompting the addition of petroleum manufacturing as a significant industry.
Oil and Energy
In the 1950’s Houston saw progress in the energy industry with the advancement of that much needed commodity, air conditioning. This prompted many the country’s oil and energy corporations to move to Houston. This resulted in the population exploding and setting Houston up as one of the premier authorities in the country for energy and oil. Houston prospered greatly after the oil boom in the 1970’s but took a severe hit when the oil prices dropped in the 1980’s.
Houston, We Have a Problem
In addition to the drop in oil prices, causing a hit to the Houston economy, the aerospace industry took a dive as well around the same time when the space shuttle Challenger exploded after take off. The two largest industries in Houston, aerospace and oil were in trouble. The blow to the economy was severe and Houston was officially in a recession. However, we are Houston and we simply doubled our efforts to diversify our economy with additional industries.
A Leader in Health, Science, Technology
Today, Houston no longer has a singular industry the economy relies on. What is has, however, is a diversified industry comprising some of the most technologically advanced areas within health, science and technology. Oil and natural gas, aeronautics, biomedical research, finance, business and technology: These are among the prime industries now supporting the Houston workforce. Added to that list are the educators, health care workers, professionals, laborers and government workers to name a few.
The diversification of industry has made Houston one of the best cities for growth in the country. We have a low unemployment rate, well below that of the average for the country. Forbes Magazine ranked Houston one of the “Best Places for Business and Careers” and “Best City for College Graduates”. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance also rated Houston the “Best City of 2008”. Our strong economy and diversification of industry is yet another reason Houstonians love their city!
Culture, Arts and Entertainment
Speaking of diversification, you can not think Houston without envisioning the diversity of culture. Over twenty percent of our residents were born outside the United States and we have thriving populations of many ethnicities including Hispanic, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese and Vietnamese. Our city has two Chinatowns and one Little India. We also have a flourishing gay, lesbian and transgendered population with Houston being the twelfth most populous city for the GLBT community.
The rich culture we have lends to some amazing arts and entertainment opportunities. Houston boasts having permanent professional companies in all of the performing arts discipline, something not many other cities can claim. We have ballet, opera, theater and an orchestra for everyone to enjoy year round. In addition to the professional troupes, though, we also have a vast artist community with local artists and folk groups.
Our Museum District has several different types of exhibits from fine arts to modern arts and natural science. With over five permanent museums displaying various exhibits throughout the season, you can always get your fill of culture and education. It is not likely your favorite band pass by Houston for a concert either. You can not go a day in Houston without there being something interesting to do in the form of arts and entertainment.
Sports
Like many other large cities, Houston certainly has its share of sports fans. With the Astros, Rockets and the Texans leading the charge, our city has its fair share of sporting teams and venues. In fact we have almost every professional sport covered in the form of a home town team. We have professional and amateur, men’s and women’s sports teams so if you are in the mood to see a good game, you will likely have the chance somewhere!
Houston started off as a small city with big dreams. We certainly filled that expectation! Now one of the leading cities in the United States, Houston’s history of a driven population has advanced us to where we are today. We have seen our fair share of adversity and struggles but we always pull through and come out stronger in the end. It is no wonder why we Houstonians feel so strongly about there being no better place in the world to live. Come see for yourself.
