Morning Roundup: Gastro-what? edition

Good morning, Houston. If, like us, you've been wondering whether there are any casual/upscale restaurants and bars left to take up space in West Ave, the new mixed-use development at Westheimer and Kirby, we have your answer: Yes, there are, Swamplot reports. They'll include Crú, a food and wine bar with locations in Dallas, Plano, Austin and The Woodlands; The Social House, a "gastropub" (eew!) that has a location in Dallas; Pie Bar, a pizza joint that'll be open until 2 a.m.; Swig, a martini bar already open in San Antonio and Memphis; and Wildfish Seafood Grille, a fancy seafood place with locations in San Antonio, Scottsdale and Newport Beach, Calif. We're having trouble getting over the whole "gastropub" thing, but the British seem to like it — we'll see.

>> Busy hurricane season ahead?: Storm forecaster William Gray has released his 2008 hurricane forecast — and if he's right, we could be in for a busy season, the AP reports. Gray's team at Colorado State University predicts 15 Atlantic storms and says there's a better-than-average chance that at least one will hit the U.S. Those 15 predicted storms are well over the yearly average of 5.9 Atlantic hurricanes, but it would be right on par with last year, when 15 actually formed. "The Atlantic is a bit warmer than in the past couple of years," Phil Klotzbach, a member of Gray's team, said. "That is something we would like to keep an eye on." The official hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30; government forecasters will issue their prediction on the season late next month.

>> Available: One mural, slightly used: When M.D. Anderson Cancer Center demolishes its 56-year-old administration building next year, the landmark skyscraper won't be the only thing lost: Unless someone steps in to save it, a mural by noted artist Peter Hurd will also end up pounded to dust. The 16-by-47-foot mural occupies a curved wall in the building's lobby; M.D. Anderson has no plans to keep it, ostensibly because it isn't soothing enough for patient areas — and perhaps also because it depicts African-Americans carrying hay. "[The mural] does not reflect the values of M.D. Anderson," vice president for operations and facilities William Daigneau said, apparently being totally serious. So the hospital is offering the mural for free, with the caveat that whoever takes it needs to move it out of the building. Removing the mural, restoring it and installing it somewhere else would likely cost a half-million dollars, the Chronicle reports. It's not clear if anyone's interested: Ann Hale, director of the Hurd La Rinconada Gallery in New Mexico, said the gallery is working to find a taker, but has no solid leads. "We have until about this August to find a new home for it," she said. The tower will be replaced by two clinic buildings scheduled to open in 2013.

>> Today's weather: Could be rainy. The forecast calls for a 30 percent chance of storms this afternoon as a cool front pushes through the area, so we should have a cloudy, humid day with a high around 80 and a low tonight in the upper 60s. The good news: Things will clear off tomorrow afternoon, leaving us with what looks like a perfect weekend.

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