Category Archives: Food, glorious food

Microbreweries win their distribution rights lawsuit

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent news. A Texas law that prohibits brewers from selling territorial rights to distribute their beer is unconstitutional, a judge ruled Thursday, serving up a major victory to beer companies seeking to expand their presence in stores, bars and restaurants … Continue reading →

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Microbrewery lawsuit heard in court

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t wait to see how this turns out. Just how much is it worth for that Velvet Hammer or other local craft brew to make it to your favorite bar or convenience store? That’s one of several key questions … Continue reading →

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UberEats expands

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good news for those of you who like having food delivered. A larger section of metro Houston now can use Uber’s meal delivery service seven days a week and with more dining options through a new app. A new UberEats … Continue reading →

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Our long national breakfast taco nightmare is finally over

Posted on March 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

At long last, peace in our time. With an escalating culinary battle threatening to destabilize the region, the mayors of Austin and San Antonio met Thursday morning to announce a taco truce. “As St. Paul admonishes us, let us not be … Continue reading →

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I just don’t care about Blue Bell

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry. Paul Kruse’s father had warned him about the perils of family-run businesses, but he couldn’t escape his place as the obvious heir of a dawning ice cream empire. After ascending to the corner office in 2004, Kruse delivered Blue … Continue reading →

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UberEats

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some new food delivery options, at least for some people. Uber will expand its presence in Houston this week with the local launch of its meal-delivery service, UberEats. Beginning Thursday, Houston becomes the second city in Texas and the 10th … Continue reading →

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The latest example of how nuts our beer laws are

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Ridiculous. The latest flashpoint between Texas beer lovers and state beer law is a 32-ounce aluminum can that bars and restaurants fill with beer and sell to be consumed off-site. The can, called a crowler, is praised for its convenience … Continue reading →

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A brewpub comes back to Houston

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

In my ‘hood, no less. A new brewpub will open in the Heights with an accomplished veteran of the Texas craft-beer scene at the helm. Delicious Concepts Restaurant Group, which owns Lola, Shepherd Park Draught House, Witchcraft Tavern and seven … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Veterans Association benefit event

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: To celebrate the upcoming football season, and to benefit the Lone Star Veterans Association (LSVA), the Houston Texans Grille at CITY CENTRE will host a “Pay What You Want” Day on Monday, July 20th. All of the … Continue reading →

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Keg dispute

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Your beer choices at certain fancy restaurants in Houston have been curtailed. A dispute over deposit fees for kegged beers could slow the flow of several craft brands, including a few that are made locally, at some of Houston’s best-known … Continue reading →

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Karbach’s new brewery

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, Houston has a lot of craft breweries, with the venerable Saint Arnold being the biggest, oldest, and best known. With the forthcoming opening of their new facility, I’d say Karbach is making a strong case to be … Continue reading →

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Who’s up for a macrobrewery tour?

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This used to be a thing in Houston, and now it is once again. The local Anheuser-Busch plant was under construction at the same time as the Astrodome, and its ambitions were just as grand. With an annual capacity of … Continue reading →

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Beer legislation 2.0

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Just because craft brewers succeeded in passing a bill allowing them to sell beer for consumption on their premises last session doesn’t mean there isn’t more that can be done to advance the cause of beer freedom. Twinned bills introduced … Continue reading →

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The Fair BEER Act

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m in. The act would reform the federal beer tax imposed on brewers and beer importers and give a special boost to small brewers. The idea is to create a laddered rate that is based on how much a brewer … Continue reading →

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My craft beer options runneth over

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

2015 could be a very fine year. Several local brewery construction projects headed for completion in 2015 are designed to draw in visitors as well as ship beer out the door. The neighborhood-centric Town In City Brewing Co. in the … Continue reading →

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Microbreweries file lawsuit over distribution rights

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Three Texas breweries filed a lawsuit against the state on Wednesday seeking to to overturn a 2013 law they say violates the Texas Constitution by forcing them to give away their territorial distribution rights for free. In their complaint, … Continue reading →

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Food trucks arrive downtown

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome. Houston’s foodie community rejoiced Friday as Mayor Annise Parker welcomed propane-fueled food trucks downtown after a years-long ban, but more plans to loosen the city’s mobile unit rules are not likely to meet the same fanfare at City Council … Continue reading →

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And we (finally) circle back to food trucks

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve done HERO, we’ve done vehicles for hire, what other high profile issues are there out there? Oh yeah, food trucks. I’d almost forgotten they were still an agenda item, but they’re back and they should be getting a vote … Continue reading →

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One less food desert

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: With high hopes of more to come, Mayor Annise Parker, Council Members Stephen Costello and Dwight Boykins, the Houston Redevelopment Authority (HRA) and others broke ground on the first project to target a Houston food desert. With … Continue reading →

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Sriracha post-mortem

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Motley Fool wonders if State Rep. Jason Villalba should get the credit for the resolution of the Great Sriracha Dispute of 2014. In early January, Texas state representative Jason Villalba made a public invitation to David Tran to pack … Continue reading →

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Sriracha dispute settled

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The City of Irwindale’s long national nightmare is finally over. Sriracha’s spicy relationship with the City Council cooled off a bit Wednesday after officials unanimously dismissed a lawsuit and public nuisance declaration against manufacturer Huy Fong Foods. The standoff between … Continue reading →

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Eat ’em all up

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It sure would be nice to think that we could solve our invasive species problems by eating them all, but we probably can’t. It seems like a simple proposition: American lakes, rivers and offshore waters are filling up with destructive … Continue reading →

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The other reason why Huy Fong won’t move to Texas

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

In a word, water. Huy Fong Foods, which is staying put for now, is different from Toyota and other companies that have recently been wooed or moved to Texas. It is an agribusiness, relying on thousands of tons of local … Continue reading →

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The Sriracha delegation arrives in California

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Can you feel the excitement? The self-styled “sriracha delegation” of Texas lawmakers heads to Irwindale, Calif., on Monday to woo the maker of a popular hot sauce to the Lone Star State. And the makeup of the delegation makes clear … Continue reading →

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Sriracha for San Antonio?

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Jason Villalba will finally make his pilgrimage to California to visit Huy Fong Foods and try to convince them to pick up stakes and move to Texas. State and city officials are hoping to woo the CEO of … Continue reading →

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Even if the Sriracha factory moves, that doesn’t mean it will move to Texas

Posted on April 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of competition for them. After months of heated negotiations with the city of Irwindale over the smell of Sriracha hot sauce, Huy Fong Foods Chief Executive David Tran is appealing to a higher power: a member of … Continue reading →

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Sorry, the Sriracha factory will not be coming to Texas

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The ongoing battle between the makers of Sriracha sauce and their hometown flared up again last week. The Irwindale City Council has voted unanimously to declare the spicy smell of Sriracha hot sauce production a public nuisance. Once the council … Continue reading →

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Still seeking Sriracha for Texas

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Jason Villalba has a dream. Rep. Jason Villalba wants to move production of his favorite spicy condiment to the North Texas area. A plant in Dallas, Richardson, Plano, or another Texas community could help bring jobs to the … Continue reading →

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Big Brew

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I like the sound of this. For three days in October, the [George R. Brown] convention center will host Big Brew, a major new festival that aims to tap into the region’s burgeoning craft-beer scene by putting 1,000 beers out … Continue reading →

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Craft beer: Still good for your economy

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another study says so. Texas ranks second only to California in the economic impact derived from craft brewing, a report from the Brewers Association says. This burgeoning class of smaller, independently owned craft breweries, along with their distributors, retailers … Continue reading →

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Karbach set to expand

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Fast-growing Karbach Brewing Co. intends next year to build a new brewery that will give it the capacity to make three times as much beer as it has made in 2013 and, eventually, several times that. The … Continue reading →

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Working to solve the food desert problem

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is a success story on two levels. A number of area grocery stores like Jim’s Super might not be around if it were not for a little-known local Vietnamese immigrant family. John Vuong took over his first store in … Continue reading →

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Sriracha update

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

For the rooster sauce lovers in my audience, which I figure is most of you. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Tuesday ordered a Sriracha hot sauce plant in Irwindale be partially shut down in response to odor complaints … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Leftovers

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

In the spirit of the weekend, ten songs about food. 1. Hotdogs and Hamburgers – John Mellencamp 2. Watermelon Time – Marcia Ball 3. Col. Josh’s Homestyle Barbecue – Asylum Street Spankers 4. Ode To The Lima Bean – Flying … Continue reading →

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