Upscale Barbecue. Sounds like an oxymoron, right? BBQ, the real sport that precedes major sporting events, the Five Elements (Brisket, Link, Beans, Tater Salad, Sauce), the food group that evolved out of the simple necessity of cattle drives: surely it can't be froofy without ceasing to be bbq. Monica Pope, proprietor and mastermind behind the beloved t'afia, decided to see if she could make the two words fit together in a converted icehouse in the......

Good morning, Houston. There's nothing quite like a building implosion to lift our spirits at the beginning of the week — if, of course, it's a building we won't miss. That happened to be the case with the Crowne Plaza hotel in the Medical Center, which was reduced to rubble Sunday; click the link for video from KHOU. (Be prepared to wait — there's a lot of buildup to the big moment in Channel......

Good morning, Houston. If you've ever been to Rich's, the dance club in midtown, you probably won't be surprised to hear that the crowd there Saturday was sporting "feather boas, glittering hair accessories, sparkling dresses and tutus." But exactly who was in the crowd might take you by surprise: It was a bunch of kids there for Baby Loves Disco, part of a national series of dance events that benefit childhood cancer research. (In......

GHPA Walking Tour: Old Sixth Ward In perfect timing with last week's City Council designation of Old SIxth Ward as Houston's first and only Protected Historic District, the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance will hold it's monthly walking tour this afternoon in the historic neighborhood. On the second Sunday of every month, GHPA presents a docent-guided walking tour of an architecturally and/or historically significant area of Houston. $10 per person ($7 for GHPA members). Reservations are......

This morning, Houston City Council designated Old Sixth Ward as the first and only Protected Historic District in the city. This new status will enable the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission to prohibit the demolition of historic structures within Old Sixth Ward's 33.8 acres. There was only one dissenting vote for this measure, which came from council member/real estate broker Michael Berry. As far as actual limitations on properties within the district, the Greater Houston......

The Chronicle's Mike Snyder reports on the City Hall blog that the City Planning Commission yesterday approved the creation of a protected historic district for the Old Sixth Ward — a move unprecedented in Houston that would exclude historic homes in the near-downtown neighborhood from the city's 90-day demolition waiting period. (That measure means that, if they city denies the owner of a historic building a permit for demolition or inappropriate alteration, the owner may......

Over at the Chronicle's City Hall blog, Mike Snyder notes that veteran television newswoman Linda Ellerbee has taken a stand in the controversy over proposed special protections for the Old Sixth Ward. Ellerbee grew up in Houston and is planning to move back here from New York City; she's scouting out houses in the Sixth Ward and said she's been keeping up with discussions about protecting the neighborhood. Among the proposals from Mayor Bill White......

Good morning, Houston. If you've ever dreamed of designing a neighborhood marker, now's your chance: The Sixth Ward Property Owners group is looking for someone to come up with a sign to mark the historic area. "Right now we have markers in the neighborhood and they're in bad shape," Maria Isabel of the SWPO said. "It would be great to redo those." The design specs seem pretty open — the location and materials are......

City officials have recently proposed a permanent ban on demolition of historic buildings in part of the Old Sixth Ward. In a recently released memo, details of the proposal were given: if support among neighborhood property owners is sufficient, demolition or inappropriate alteration of historical buildings within a "protected historic district" would be prohibited unless an economic hardship could be demonstrated. Now, residents of the community will have a chance to tell officials what they......

We are excited and giddy (ok, maybe just some of us are giddy) about the recent attention and preservation efforts to Houston's Historic Wards. Heck, they even have their own Wikipedia listing! (but then again so does your momma). And a continued step in the right direction, last week's City Council approval a six-month ban on demolition of historic buildings in the Old Sixth Ward area , the city's oldest intact 19th century neighborhood —......

According to the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance, City Council has granted a temporary halt on demolitions in Old Sixth Ward. This measure was brought up a last week, but was delayed until today. The ordinance, number 39 on this week's agenda, reads:Ordinance discontinuing the applicability of Subsection 33-250(a) of the Code of Ordinances, Houston, Texas, relating to the demolition of historic structures in the Old Sixth Ward Historic District; making findings and containing other provisions......

A new incentive is in the works for owners of designated historic landmark buildings - a permanent 100% exemption from city property taxes. The city will also seek county exemptions, which would probably be limited since much of the county's revenue comes from property taxes. Another possible proposal would make it easier for property owners to create a new historic district. Currently, 67% of homeowners who make up 51% of the land area have......

Yesterday, Mayor Bill White announced a new plan for Old Sixth Ward - the Chronicle stated that "[Mayor White] proposed creation of a special district within the neighborhood west of downtown with design guidelines for construction and renovation, along with financial incentives to discourage demolition of historical houses." Historic, indeed: according to the Old Sixth Ward Historic District site, the neighborhood has the largest amount of Victorian homes in this region (except for Galveston,......

Residents of Houston's sixth ward, which was founded around 1877 and is the largest collection of victorian homes in the region (apart from Galveston), are taking their words of pro-preservation to ever-popular YouTube.com. Their messages relate the importance of the neighborhood in Houston and how the architectural significance is diminishing significantly. According to the Chronicle:Posting the videos was an act of "creative desperation" after activists waited almost a year for city officials to help......

City Council voted today to expand the city's "civility ordinance" to more neighborhoods, including Montrose and the Sixth Ward Clara Harris, the woman accused of running over her husband in a hotel parking lot, has filed an appeal and hired a new lawyer Ralph Sampson, a former Houston Rocket, has agreed to plead guilty to mail fraud related to a vehicle purchase; he will spend two months in jail in Atlanta In a campaign stop......

Police have arrested Stevdrick Jackson in connection with the murder of a southeast Houston convenience store clerk Monday Roderick Fountain, a suspect in the disappearance of 3-year-old Kendrick Jackson, tried to get his wife to lie about who owned a gun in a jail phone call he didn't know was being recorded Jordy Tollett is back in charge of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau after a temporary leave of absence A judge granted......

Recently, Houstonist was looking for a place to unwind with a friend and share a good bottle of wine without killing our pocketbooks. Luckily, we found The Corkscrew — it's one of the newest wine bars inside the Loop, and it's quickly becoming one of our favorites. Like many wine bars, The Corkscrew has a variety of wines (more than 250 in rotation here) with knowledgeable staff to help you. Unlike many wine bars......

Houstonist loves Italian food -- especially when it’s authentic and nestled in a 68 year old cottage in the Sixth Ward. Over the holidays, we treated ourselves to some of the best homemade lasagna in town and a bottle of Pinot Noir at Patrenella’s. It rivals Josephine’s as the best reasonably-priced Italian restaurant in town. Since there is no host or hostess, you seat yourself where you like. We decided to try the patio,......