A Look At What Just Sprouted on Yale

Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market opened it's new location on Yale this week. The store, just south of the I-10 feeder, announced their grand opening with a flyer celebrating their "Heights Location." Well, sort of. Regardless of their actual geography, the neighborhood has been buzzing about having an option closer and/or more affordable than Whole Foods, that isn't Kroger.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in is how small it is. When you compare it to any of the other supermarkets in the area, it's practically minuscule. Having never been to a Sprouts before, I am unsure if this was a choice specific to this location, or if all of their markets are roughly this size? It kind of reminded me of the conversation I had at holiday party once with a regional manager from Target. I mentioned I live in the Heights and he told me the Taylor location is the 2nd highest earning Target in greater Houston, with the first being a huge super store in Katy. Everyone at Target corporate was shocked when this came to be. It was largely because they built it based on the demographics from 2000, which didn't reflect any of the growth that had happened in the Heights or Washington corridor between the census and the development. This was why they didn't build it as a Super Target and subsequently reconfigured the space to cram food in there, as well as to bring in more merchandise across all departments. Knowing this story, I am left to wonder if Sprouts under-estimates how much business they will actually do, or if a smaller store is their m.o.?

Either way, the store size has its pros and cons. I like a smaller, easy to navigate store. I like to get in and out quickly and know where everything is. That said, inventory has to suffer based on space limitations. After my walk through and small shopping trip, I think this store will do very well and satisfy the needs of many in the communities around it. Here is a look inside the store at 195 Yale:

When you enter through the southern door, you will find a large vitamin/supplement section, plus some health and beauty. The north door takes you in to their bread and bakery section. It was small, yet solid; not overwhelming but you'll find most of what you want. Muffins and other breakfast pastries, breads ranging from Mrs Baird's White to Ezekiel Sprouted in your normal price ranges. Some pies and cookies, but not as much as you see at either WF or Kroger. There is also a large case of chilled, natural sodas for individual purchase here, in close proximity to the prepared foods.

The prepared foods case is small with mostly salads, but also some pasta casseroles and other items to bake that look suited for 1 very hungry or 2 not as hungry people. Not huge and probably best suited to "it's late and I need to grab anything for dinner" for my family.

When the Sprouts was first announced, everyone who had been in one before raved about their bulk selection and how it blows our usual supermarkets away. I rarely ever buy from bulk bins so I can't comment from experience, but they did have a nice selection and I bought yogurt covered raisins, happy to buy just as much as I think my five year old should have access to.

With two small kids at home, crackers are a staple. We love the Annie's bunnies and the Back to Nature version of wheat thins. The prices were comparable to Whole Foods and less than Kroger's natural foods section. However, if you want something like basic Triscuits or cheap saltines, you'll be out of luck at Sprouts.

Cereal was the same way. Lots of organic variety but no Cheerios.

Small "ethnic"selection of Asian and Latino pantry items.

There were definitely ample Gluten-Free options sprinkled through out the store, including several quinoa pastas. The overall pasta selection was small, but the sauce variety was surprisingly wide, with their house brand organic sauce on special for $2.00/jar. This is a great deal (as long as it tastes good, which I can't verify at this point). Even the regular price of $3.49 is good for a decent organic sauce.

Good dairy selection- plenty of yogurt and the basic sour cream/butter/cottage cheese. Mostly organic but they did also have some non-organic milk. Prices were normal, but specials were really good! Note that if you come in the south door (on your left when facing the store), and go straight back to dairy, you won't find cheese. The cheese selection, including slices, shredded, and blocks, is over by the bread department.

The produce was a sight to behold-- so pretty! Now, common sense might suggest to you that the store just opened, so of course the produce looked great. Those of us who went to the Broger on Studewood when it first opened know this isn't always the case though. You might remember, I found multiple bags of rotten lettuce on their first day open. Anyway, the produce at Sprouts looked gorgeous. Their veggies are everyday basics, not a lot of exotic or unusual items. I think for most people this is ok, but if you are, say, looking at a recipe that calls for something not-so-basic, you may want to save yourself two trips and head straight to Whole Foods or Central Market.

I neglected to scope out the percentage of organic versus conventional, so when my friend Kat went, she posted some pics on THL's Facebook page of the wide variety of organic veg, including this celery at an amazingly low price:

Thanks, Kat!

Wine and beer selection is very small, but there are at least a couple things any wine or beer snob can throw in their cart for dinner at home or to carry to a BYOB restaurant.

Meat case looked great. My husband is all about a variety of sausages, so this will please him.

Bacon, hotdogs, and other meats of that variety are pretty much all organic and uncured versions.

Meat loaf and stuffed peppers looked really good! Glad I saw these outside of the other prepared foods selection.

Fish looked nice. Cheaper than Whole Foods; not dried out and old-looking like Kroger's.

Sushi.

Cashiers were nice and helpful, although they did not know (or just didn't bother to) pack my cold items together and pack other like-items together. I worked at a grocery store in college and we were trained very specifically on how to bag. Because that  made me somewhat neurotic about bagging, I always put things on the belt in the order I prefer them bagged. Whole Foods always gets it right.  Kroger will put a bottle of bleach in with your produce and a half pint of ice cream with your dry goods. Like most other aspects of comparing the three, Sprouts still has some work to do, leaving them firmly in the middle. 

Generally, though, it was a very pleasant experience. Prices are average and the specials are really good. Sadly, I will still not be able to buy all the things my family eats on a weekly basis in one store. That said, I am glad this is here and can replace Kroger for a lot of the "I just need an onion, some milk, and tortillas" trips I find I take. And certainly there are a lot of people in and around the Heights who will welcome this as their new, primary food shopping destination. It's not an HEB, but it's something...

P.S. You can access their sale flyer and store coupons on their website.

226 Recordings: A 2nd Look at Studio Life on 19th Street

Back in 2010, I was invited to an open house at a new recording studio in the Heights. I couldn't make the event, so I was invited by the studio owner for a private tour instead. What resulted was not only a blog story (This Neighborhood Is Being Recorded)  but a wonderful friendship. 

It is a funny "small world" kind of story. As Mairi Cox, whose husband Paul is the audio engineer who runs the studio, gave me a tour and talked about the studio, their then 18 month old daughter Clara toured with us. I also had a toddler around the same age and conversation flowed between studio business, living in the Heights, and parenting. Eventually my younger son went to school with her daughter. In a real small world twist, Mairi's mother ended up teaching both of my sons at the Montessori school they attend; one that Mairi, herself, also attended as a child. Us meeting- it was all kind of meant to be.

After the tour, Mairi invited me to see their home behind the studio. I met her dog, Telly, whose fluffy, Samoyed hair was appropriately caked with some mac'n'cheese (appropriate when you have a toddler, that is). We talked a lot about the Heights and living on/ raising kids in a business dominated area, which I was totally fascinated by. I love living in my little Historic District- tidy bungalows all in a row. It was hard to imagine living in the heart of the 19th Street shopping district! 

I asked Mairi what it was like living on 19th Street in the middle of a commercial district. I kind of expected an "it is what it is" answer, but that is not what I got. She referred to the store owners as her "neighbors" and said they all drown Clara with attention. She said "When you live in a [residential area], you can't just walk outside and in to your neighbors house," but she can. The merchants on her block were totally supportive, even when construction of the building took up Gen's parking lot. She likes the fact that it's kind of the "opposite of a neighborhood" by being full of activity during the day and then totally quiet at night. Of course, it suits the work they do as well. "Bands can hang out in the [front courtyard] and not disturb anyone." She also loves how she can walk so many places. That, she says, is a "Heights thing."

Now it's almost five years later. Mairi and Paul have added to their family- another Samoyed, Sampson, and also had another child, Georgia, who is affectionately known to everyone on 19th Street as "Peach." The Cox family has grown and the demands of their recording studio have grown, as well. They are currently working to meet the growing desire for their studio by reconfiguring current space to add a second studio. They have also added an education component with a program for people who are interested in becoming Audio Engineers.

An Audio Engineering class in progress at 226 Recordings on 19th Street

The years since they put up their metal building have brought a lot of changes to the Heights and 19th Street, as well. Having the shopping district as their front yard gives the Coxes a unique perspective on the neighborhood. I asked Mairi if she still has the same feelings about living in our own, little downtown.

"We absolutely love being in the Heights. And we love living on 19th Street. We actually bought the lot in early 2008 and definitely noticed the neighborhood changing. Sometimes we walk our dogs down the street and try to remember the histories of all the storefronts.  It’s actually hard to keep track of all the changes, even though we’ve been here for just a small fraction of the street’s history.  Of course, we were sad to see some great neighbors go, like Tansu, Young at Art, and Balinska’s."

Paul Cox, left, was as an audio engineer in LA, working with the likes of Macy Gray,  Stanley Clarke,  Ernie Watts, and more. Home in Houston, Cox records local musicians at his 19th Street studio and offers classes in Audio Engineering. 

Cox has a positive outlook for the recent wave of businesses, though. There are some tough losses (Harold's comes to mind), but she sees "there are also new businesses with a lot of momentum."   And as far as the future, Cox says "more than anything, the sense of community among the merchants seems to be solidifying more and more, which is great.  There are some really motivated new businesses and everyone’s attitude is really positive."

As the Heights has grown in popularity, it's hard to imagine it could do anything but help 226 Recordings to be in the heart of one of Houston's most popular communities. This has been especially true for the Audio Engineering program they added. The new program is a unique opportunity to learn the craft of audio engineering school right inside their Heights recording studio. While they get students from nearby areas like Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, Near Northside, and, of course, from right here in the Heights, they also draw a lot of future engineers as far away as Katy, The Woodlands, and Pearland. 

It's worth the commute for a lot of people. 226 has created "an intense" and hands-on 16-week program, which consists of instruction during three 3-hour classes and one 4-hour lab per week, which prepares students to be audio engineers, not just assistants. They also go beyond instruction, to help with client development for their students.

And often, the supportive environment plus great, local vibe of our neighborhood wins them over. "More than a few students that lived in the suburbs have moved to The Heights after getting to know the area by attending our class," Cox says.

A commissioned art piece for the studio by local artist Chad Landry

"Our students and clients definitely take advantage of our location.  We love giving clients and students recommendations on places to shop, eat, or drink.  We are very proud to be where we are and really enjoy sharing all the area has to offer with our guests. Down House, Carter & Cooley, and Alli’s Pizzaria are places we always recommend to anyone looking to grab a bite. I can’t tell you how many times a client or student has called and said they’re just grabbing some Boomtown and will be right over.  Or after a session or class, they head over to Vinal Edge to shop for records."

The Coxes are rabid supporters of local businesses, too. I can go with Mairi to pretty much any store in the Heights, not just on 19th Street, and they know her. This is because their shopping philosophy is "to pretty much to look for whatever we need from one of our neighbors first."

This great 48x36 painting hangs in the living room of Paul and Mairi Cox's home on 19th Street. It is from their 19th Street neighbor, Gallery M Squared.

This shows in their home and their studio. "Many pieces of our furniture are from Gen’s Antiques, and probably all of our picture frames and lamps we own are from Bliss on 19^th.  And of course our kids are taking advantage of Big Blue Whale being right across the street.  Thread and Man Ready are also pretty well represented in our house.  All of our art is from Gallery M Squared or directly from a local artist." The art part is key for Mairi. 

Another painting in the Cox home, purchased from one of my favorite Heights stores, Hello-Lucky.

"I think having local art in the studio is especially important.  Even though we don’t create visual art, we definitely feel proud to help recording artists fulfill their visions.  We know how hard it is to make artistic dreams a reality, so it’s important to us to support local artists regardless of their medium. " This local-centric behavior has made a difference in surprising ways. This year one of their engineering students actually decided to forgo the Galleria at Christmas and do all his shopping on 19^th. He lives in Katy, so Mairi thinks it says a lot about what the neighborhood has to offer.  And I'm sure her leading by example had an impact as well. She was impressed with his dedication to this community and, like many of us, ended her thoughts with "I wish some of our residential neighbors cared as much about our unique local businesses as he does." Me, too.

This piece from Gallery M Squared hangs in the studio at 226 19th Street.

If you or someone you know is interested in sound engineering, 226 Recordings' 16 Week program begins each year in January and September. They also offer a more intense summer program that begins in June and ends in August. Students can also earn credit for an internship related to a traditional degree. Learn all about the studio, the curriculum, pricing, and registration here: 226Recordings.com

In The Zone: Zone 9 Tropicals

Growing up in Louisiana, Wayne DuPont lived with a mom and two sisters who loved plants. He was surrounded by the houseplants they would grow and grew to love plants as well. After his sisters left home, he took on their roles of resident plant grower, learning the many lessons it takes to successfully propagate and grow plants. His first lesson in household horticulture came along with his first "greenhouse," his sisters' unused doll house. Without enough light, his plants died. Lesson learned.

Around the 8th grade, DuPont's interest in engineering (he's now a pipeline engineer) started to surface, and he once again decided he needed to engineer a greenhouse. A real one. Again, at the age of 13, he learned a valuable lesson: 7' is not enough height to manage temperature in a green house. Plants- fried. Lesson- learned.

For the next few years, DuPont would continue to tinker with house plants and dabble in propagation, the process of creating new plants from seeds, cuttings, bulbs, and other plant parts. When he went off to college, he got ... busy... and kept a couple houseplants but generally left the cultivation hobby behind.

A variety of tropicals in different stages of growth in the "propagation room."

In 1990, Wayne DuPont bought an original bungalow at 1015 Arlington in the Houston Heights neighborhood. The house had your usual St Augustine front yard. The back yard was "largely empty, low lying, and flood prone." There were a few trash trees and a long driveway along the south side of the house. With space to use, the itch to work with plants resurfaced. He used the back of the long driveway to build a greenhouse; this time, one that was functional for real cultivation. DuPont started working with tropical plants, suited to the heat and humidity of Houston. He collected different plants and propagated them, soon filling up his greenhouse. And then outgrowing it. He was good at what he was doing, and his hobby had become very successful, a bit more than he needed for himself. DuPont figured he should move some of the plants out so he could continue growing more. He started Zone 9 Tropicals as a way to do this, and maybe make some money to support the habit, plus share wonderful, unique plants with others who enjoy them. DuPont started offering his plants online at Zone9Tropicals.com and quietly hosting "open garden days" 2 weekends a month at his Arlington Street home. 

The back of the main greenhouse

When you walk under the sun-faded Zone 9 banner, it's hard to imagine what you're going to see. A narrow driveway has been transformed in a greenhouse bursting with amazing plants, many taller than an average man. Rows and rows and rows of smaller pots cover shelves. Pots sit on pedestals and the ground. It is hot and damp and vivid green and amazing flowers. As you reach the back side of the greenhouse, you might think that's it. After all, it's amazing enough. A doorway appears and leads to another green house, full of smaller plant rooms, some for shopping, other for propagation, and a dry room for certain varieties of plants that need a slightly different climate. Zone 9's administrator Randy Judd has noticed locals love exploring these nooks. The small rooms have a "certain Heights character," says Judd. While Zone 9 continues to have strong internet sales, local sales have started to surpass online receipts. 

Plant lovers benefit from stopping by the greenhouse. Because it's labor intensive to keep plants at an appropriate size for shipping and, because there are additional steps that must be taken to mail a plant, the cost of the process is added to the price of the plant, plus the cost to ship. Locally, shoppers get lower prices and more variety. DuPont is proud of the unique selection of plants he can offer thanks to his independent propagation and growing. Larger, local nurseries and local suppliers make their money selling bedding plants, so it's not in their best interest to sell tropicals. Roughly 75% of what DuPont sells is unique to Zone 9, not for profit but for the sheer pleasure of growing and owning these varieties of plants. DuPont knows that "people care that it's local." They appreciate that the plants are well cared for and "get excited to have the one [plant] they want that they can't find elsewhere."

If you are interested in tropicals or plants different from what you've seen at the bigger nurseries, you can pre-shop on the website, keeping in mind that your local price will be lower. There are also a number of plants that aren't offered on line, i.e. items that can't be kept in small pots or generally wouldn't ship well. A visit during open garden weekends will allow you to browse a greater variety, including tropical fruit trees and spice plants.

As Zone 9 Tropicals has gained a strong, local following, Wayne DuPont has figured out that he wants to do more. His love of plants is bigger than his residential yard on Arlington. DuPont and Judd, the admin, are excited to have purchased six acres in the nearby Independence Heights neighborhood. They are planning multiple greenhouses and much more room. As a full nursery, they'll also be able to be open regular hours. 

Until then, you can still visit Zone 9 Tropicals on Arlington Street and see what they have to suit your plant fancy. They are open the 1st and 3rd weekend of month during the growing season; Saturdays 9am -5pm, Sundays 1pm-5pm (although Sundays are packing/shipping days so you might catch them there on off weekends, too).

Zone 9 Tropicals

1015 Arlington (parking on street)

Zone9Tropicals.com

Zone 9 on Facebook

Sneak Peek: The Big Blue Whale

The Pink Polka Dot/Olive Anne has vacated the spot on 237 W. 19th Street. Opening in it's place comes The Big Blue Whale, a more comprehensive toy shop with items for more ages (and more genders) than it's predecessor. 

Owner Vanessa Woodhouse is a Native Houstonian and Heights resident who hopes the shop will become a destination for "curious kids and the people who love them." The Big Blue Whale will carry brands familiar to many with kids in their lives, like Crocodile Creek, Playmobil, Skip Hop, Hape (sustainable bamboo and wood toys from Germany), and Schleich (realistic animal and nature figures). There will also be lots of books, arts and crafts, games, and vintage style toys.

The shop will open for business next Tuesday, July 15th. Until then, a quick peek:

The Big Blue Whale

237 W 19th

281.685.3044

Facebook/bigbluewhaletoys

A Short and Sweet Valentine's Story

More than a decade ago, a woman named Tanita lived on Harvard Street in the Houston Heights. A mere three blocks away, a nice young man named Keith was living the bachelor life on Columbia. The nearby-neighbors met, fell in love, got married, had a daughter, and that is how the rest of us got the Heights Candy Bar.

OK, maybe that is too short, although no less sweet.

Gorgeous gifts from Hammond's

Tanita Gumney met her husband while they were both single and living in the Heights. Soon after they got married and settled in to his house on Columbia, Keith's mother opened a small shop in the neighborhood. You may be familiar with it: Oa La La on Studewood. When I moved to the Heights Judy Pfardresher's beautiful gift shop was still young, yet was one of the very first Heights landmarks that I knew well, even before the shops on 19th Street or Onion Creek.

Since Oo La La opened in 2003, the space has seen some changes. Pfardresher has subdivided the building in to three shops. On the north side is Tulips and Tutus, helmed by another Judy, Judy Meyer (allowing me to refer to my visits to the shops as "Going to see The Judys."). In a rare location switch, Meyer actually left the 19th Street retail district to join OoLaLa. While that meant a reduction in foot traffic, it almost doubled the space for precious baby gifts, thoughtful toys, and adorable clothes. On the south side, we've had the first incarnation of Kaboom Books. When Kaboom relocated to Houston Ave, Frosted Betty cupcakes moved in.

A few months ago, Frosted Betty closed up shop. As Gumney and Phardresher sat around one evening talking about what new thing they would love to see in the vacant space, the concept of a candy shop was stuck in Phardresher's head. One thing lead to another and her daughter-in-law agreed to helm the shop. Heights Candy Bar was born.

"I really wanted all natural candy," said Gumney, but when she got to picking stock, couldn't get away from traditional candy because, well "[it] is so much fun!" In the end, she decided to go with all of the above. "Life is a balance, and there is room for both."

Gumney is optimistic about the community supporting another locally owned business, especially one that is unique in the neighborhood right now. "Everyone needs a little sweet something-something every now and then, right? I've tried to get a good mix of traditional candy, natural candy and gift-y items." She thinks the space feels good when you walk in, and hopes it will be a destination, "somewhere worth the stroll or drive over."

Giant heart shaped lollipops

Although she has barely been open a week, she/s already having fun with the concept. Opening right before Valentine's Day has helped make the first few days a lot of fun, despite the stress of opening a new business. 

The thing I like best, so far, is people coming in to buy Valentine's for a sweetheart - and I know both people (giver and receiver). Glad to be sharing sweet love! I really like recommending the all natural chocolates, then someone tries them for the first time, enjoys them as much as I do, and gives them to their sweetheart. I got a text from one customer that simply read, "Oh my" and my response was, "I know!"

Stop in to see the shop for yourself and make your sweetie happy many days a year, not just this one prescribed to us. Whether you're a hard core chocoholic, fan of retro dime store candy, or need a gift in a pinch, I think Gumney's hope will be realized: Heights Candy Bar will be a great, local destination.

Marich is a California based, family owned company that has been making premium candies for over 30 years

Hammond's, made in Denver, was skyrocketed into the national consciousness when Williams Sonoma started putting the candies in their ubiquitous catalogs

Heights Candy Bar - 833 Studewood 77007

Hours are 10-6 Tuesday-Saturday (closed Sunday & Monday)

Follow them on Facebook Heights Candy Bar

ilovecandy@heightscandybar.com

P.S. Oo La La has started a Facebook page as well. Follow Judy here: OoLaLa