All Starred Out at the Galleria

Whoa!

Did you hear?  The Galleria is full.  Full as in "can't fit one more person" full.  Full as in closed until tomorrow full.  In fact, it hit capacity at 8:15 tonight and no one else can come in.  Come back tomorrow!

Kobe Bryant al la Galleria

So many people descended upon the Galleria for NBA All Star sightings, product sales, Jordan XX8 shoes, and the Jordan lounge. . . they closed down the Galleria.

Houston Spots near the NBA All Star Game

In town for the NBA All Star Game and want to wander?

No worries, Houston has tons to do near the Toyota Center, but not all will show up on your Google Maps!

Here's a quick and dirty list to meet your needs:

Alcohol for your room/suite? 

Spec's at 2410 Smith St  Houston, TX 77006.  Don't pay fourteen times the actual cost by ordering a bottle from room service.  Not when you have an adult Disney just a stone's throw away in Midtown.    Spec's is the state's largest liquor store at 80,000 feet, with everything alcohol under the sun.  Plus, it's got a deli, cheese, and delicacies section to swoon for.  Where else can you B-ball highrollers pick up a 1938 bottle of Macallen (at a mere $12,400 before the cash discount) and Buluga caviar all at the same time?  Feeling a little more thrifty?  They've got a Texas-size array of all the regular beer and wine, too.  Give the Bombshell Blonde a try--it's a local craft beer.  Ambling through Spec's is worth it.  With all the taste tests, sights, and sounds, it's a favorite of locals and visitors alike.

Texas Monthly's My Montrose

All you gritty-in-your-souls Inner Loopers (and a good number of you Outer Loopers, too), don't you have a Montrose story to tell?  You know you do.

Need a little inspiration?  Why don't you first take a look at My Montrose in this month's issue of Texas Monthly.  It brings back all sorts of Texquiem moments for me.  A trip down Montrose Lane, as it were.  Kind of like here.  And here:

Ash Rowell - the hardest hue to hold

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
--Robert Frost

Whether you've lived in Houston for a week, a year, or longer, you know Ash Rowell.  The name doesn't sound familiar?  How about Flying Saucer, Hay Merchant, Rudyard's, Gingerman's, Petrol Station, Stag's Head,  Liberty Station, Anvil, O'Bannon's, Glass Wall?  Or Spec's or HEB?  All these bars and stores and more have Ash Rowell in common. Still not sure he's familiar?  How about Southern Star's Bombshell Blonde, or Bear Republic's Racer 5, or Houston's own Leprechaun Cider?  Brew Dog, Wasatch Beers, Clown Shoes, NoLabel, Cedar Creek Brewery, Silly, Indian Wells?  If you've ever tasted one of these beers or ciders, then raise your glass to Ash Rowell.  He was instrumental in bringing craft brews to Houston through his distributing company. He worked long and hard, and I saw him more than one time with loaded dolly and truck, at various of Texquiem's favorite nooks and crannies.  He built his company through a lot of sweat, enthusiasm, appreciation of craft brew, and, even more, an outsized heart. Seems like Ash never met a man he didn't like.  And seems like we liked Ash right back.  Ash Rowell is one of those few you meet who is truly *golden.*

The mainstream news and other blogs have picked up the terrible news already.  On Friday, Ash was killed at his own front door.  Shot, not randomly.  Seems likely the killer knew him, which makes it all the more incomprehensible.  I can't bear to re-post it all. . . here is the Chronicle, here is the local television news, here is reaction from some of the craft brew community.

Ash is--was--a spectacularly good-hearted man.  A friend, a true friend, to many.  The contribution he made as a businessman has far-reaching roots, yes.  But his legacy in our craft brew community is surpassed by Ash the father, husband and son.