The Biggest Houston Restaurant News This Month, May 2025
Diners were particularly interested in news that Houston's formerly kosher steakhouse Genesis Steakhouse and Wine Bar, which closed in April, will be resurrected as Exodus Bar and Grill. In its second act, owner Jason Goldstein says the restaurant will not be entirely kosher, but will still feature kosher-certified steaks and chickens, along with dishes like cheeseburgers, gumbo, sushi, and beef short rib. 4) Turkey Leg Hut Allegedly Sold California-Grown Pot Out of Branded Bags in Houston
The Turkey Leg Hut drama just doesn't stop. In early May, an FBI agent testified against former Turkey Leg Hut owner Lynn Price, alleging in a bond hearing that the agency collected evidence that the restaurant was used to store and sell large quantities of marijuana from out of state. This follows an April indictment in which Price faces federal charges of arson for his alleged role in the June 2020 fire at Bar 5015, an establishment owned by Price's former colleague and business partner. 3) Everything You Need to Know About Dining and Drinking at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
A sign that summer travel is just getting started? This guide directing travelers to the best places to dine did significant numbers in May. Among the best options are Pala for pizza, Hugo's Cocina, the airport's newest outpost of the Annie, and the Breakfast Klub, especially for those early morning flights. 2) Houston Billionaire Tilman Fertitta Officially Trades in the Restaurateur Life for the Trump Administration
In late April, the U.S. Senate confirmed Tillman Fertitta, one of Houston's most successful and richest restaurateurs, as the U.S. Ambassador to Italy and San Marino. This means Fertitta, who owns the Houston Rockets, will forfeit more than 600 U.S. businesses and restaurants, many of which are in the Houston area. What could this mean for his hospitality group Landry's, with dozens of family-friendly restaurants around the region? Stay tuned. 1) We Tried Trump Burger in Texas So You Don't Have To
Trump Burger, which loudly proclaims its support for President Donald Trump, has quickly become one of the most controversial fast-casual restaurants in Texas. What started as one politically charged burger joint in Bellville, Texas, in 2020 has since expanded to a chainlet across the region, bringing its unapologetically MAGA branding to cities like Flatonia, Texas; Kemah, Texas; and, most recently, West Houston on Chimney Rock Road. So, how does Trump Burger really stack up to the compelling burger options already in Space City? Eater Houston tried the burger (and endured the discomfort) so you don't have to. Here's a rundown on the experience. In Case You Missed It:
Need more travel inspiration? Here are some of Eater's recent maps pointing you to the best restaurants in waterside cities like Port Aransas, Galveston, Kemah, and Seabrook. And if a suburban getaway is what you seek, there's a map for that, too.
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CBS News
34 minutes ago
- CBS News
Residents of Novato seniors mobile home park in financial battle with city
A group of senior citizens and the city of Novato are locked in a heated battle over the purchase price of a mobile home park. But some are questioning how the city became the sole owner of the property in the first place. The seniors living in the Marin Valley Mobile Country Club mobile home park were forward-thinking. In 1997, they hatched a plan to purchase the property, to give themselves more housing security, and they've been paying on the loan ever since. But now that it's almost all paid off, rather than becoming the owners, they said the city is telling them that they have to pay for it all over again. The land was originally planned to be a golf course, hence the name. Instead, it became a 319-unit complex, housing 400 elderly residents, with more than 90 percent being low-income. "It's an incredible community," said 13-year resident Serena Fisher. "And housing security, financial security, and a community is key to aging well." So, 28 years ago, the residents entered into an agreement to pay $17 million to buy the property. They didn't have collateral, so the city stepped up to guarantee the 30-year bank loan. "The original intent was that we would own the park when it was paid off," said John Hansen, who serves as president of the residents' nonprofit purchase group. "The city has changed that tune quite a bit over the years." "The city has paid nothing for this piece of property. The residents have paid for everything," said resident Janine Bradley. "Initially, our name was supposed to be on the title. Somewhere in the paperwork, it got lost and the city took title. Never with our permission. Never in writing. Just simply, the record shows that the city took title, period." Currently, with only two years and a little more than a million dollars left to pay on the loan, the city of Novato is the legal owner of the park and considers itself to be the residents' landlord. So, when the homeowners once again offered to buy the property, this time for $20 million, the city refused, demanding $26 million instead. Resident and board member Brad Witherspoon said the city came to that figure by ignoring the status of the park as low-income, seniors-only housing. "They removed that restriction for their evaluation, which brings up the valuation. That's how they got to the $26 million," he said. "They basically told the appraiser, you don't have to take that into consideration when you're doing the evaluation of the park. Because it may not necessarily, it doesn't have to continue with the sale of the park." That kind of talk has a lot of the residents on edge. "We're fighting for our lives here," said Jill Boland. "A lot of people will not be able to afford to move if the status changes. I'm vulnerable. I think most of the people here are vulnerable." And while the city holds out for an extra $6 million for land that residents say the city hasn't paid a dime for, some are wondering why they should have to pay anything more at all. "The city's had a lot of financial issues, fiscal issues," said Fisher. "And I think, for them to try to solve it on the backs of low-income, senior housing is just unconscionable. They need to look elsewhere for funds rather than try to double-dip here and make us pay twice." "In all the years that I was here, and things seemed to be going along fine, I would say, OK," said Julie Manson. "But in the back of my head I'm saying, we're owned by politicians, what could not go wrong?" The city declined CBS News Bay Area's request for a response, saying they couldn't comment because the negotiations are "on-going and confidential." Meanwhile, the residents plan to appear at next week's council meeting. They are in the unusual position of having a landlord that may one day be asking for their vote.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
AT&T plans to replace legacy copper network in California finds resistance from landline holdouts
AT&T is pushing to get rid of its legacy copper landline services and instead replace them with advanced fiber optic networks. But not everyone is on board with getting rid of their landline. If Assembly Bill 470 passes, the company said it will implement a phased, multi-year approach to eliminate the old copper network, which a spokesperson said less than 5% of customers are currently on. AT&T is the designated carrier of last resort in many parts of the state, which means it must provide traditional landline phone service to any customer in the service territory. AB 470 would allow AT&T to request relief from its COLR obligations in certain eligible areas, where there is no population or areas served by multiple fiber optic or wireless providers with comparable service prices. "No customer will be left without access to voice or 911 service. We're committed to working with state leaders and community members on policies that create a thoughtful transition to bring more reliable, modern communications to all Californians," Susan Santana, president of AT&T California, said in an email to CBS News Bay Area. "We're the largest and fastest growing fiber provider in the nation and continue to invest to bring reliable, high-speed connectivity to our customers across the state. This bill also includes a requirement to build fiber to additional residential locations across California." For at least one Berkeley woman, however, there is more at stake in this landline battle. "This landline phone is my lifeline," author Cynthia Larson told CBS News Bay Area. "I absolutely need it. This is the way I would get notification, whether it's time to evacuate or if it's just high winds and we're okay, there's a big difference." Larson, who does not own a cellphone, says she needs her landline to inform her of fire danger in her area. "Rolling power shutoff, because they sometimes do those shutoffs for the utilities to be fire safe in high wind situations," she said. "And so whenever that is happening, I rely upon my landline to find out what's going on outside of my area." Larson said having a beeper at her IT several years ago put her off from ever purchasing a cellphone for herself. "There's no way that I wanted to be on call to anyone, answering anything that rings," Larson said. "Because it just makes me jump out of my skin. They would be calling at all the worst times." And so she would use her landline or the internet to communicate with her loved ones. "I'm not against technology, but I recognize it should be a partner and a friend," Larson said. "Not something we should give our brains and minds away to." But now, her lifeline, the AT&T copper services landline, is in jeopardy. State Assemblymember Tina McKinnor penned the carriers of last resort bill. The Public Utilities Commission rejected a similar proposal last year, but this year the legislation is now headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee for a vote on August 29. "Nobody will be without phone service, 99.9% of Californians will have phone service," McKinnor told CBS News Bay Area. "They have to have three other services. Two wireless and one hardline service, which is a [Voice over Internet Protocol]. If you don't have that in your area, they can't pull out, and you'll just keep your copper lines. But if you have that, we'll be able to go into certain areas, pull out those copper lines and put in fiber optics." She added, "In the next 10 to 15 years, copper will be obsolete. No one will have a home phone anymore. So we'll still need to do those upgrades in those areas that we didn't do in this round." Utility watchdog groups say, however, the bill would impact about 1.5 million Californians who rely on copper services, especially when cell service is down. "It wants to be able to turn out the lights and walk away from serving areas that it thinks that are not as profitable as others," Regina Costa, the telecommunications policy director of The Utility Reform Network, told CBS News Bay Area. "In a major power outage that happens during a disaster like an earthquake or when the power's shut off during the fire, those lines continue to work. They do not need electricity from PG&E in order to keep functioning." "If you only have a wireless phone, you're not going to have service. You will not be able to call 911, you will not be able to get emergency alerts," Costa added. "Because if you're in a place where the power is out and there's a wildfire and people are not getting the information because the networks are down, that house might be the only one getting those alerts." Meanwhile, the Californians for a Connected Future coalition fully supports the legislation. "Assembly Bill 470 includes a careful, phased-in, multi-year approach that protects all Californians during the transition to a next-generation communications network. Importantly, AB 470 includes a number of consumer protections to ensure that no one is left without reliable communications service and is an infrastructure investment bill that includes an aggressive buildout requirement that is unmatched in scale," a spokesperson told CBS News Bay Area. "That's why such a broad and diverse coalition of Tribal leaders, social justice advocates, veterans, ethnic businesses, education, youth, community and non-profit organizations supports AB 470. The bill outlines a responsible, balanced approach to expanding California's broadband network and accelerating investments in communication technologies that will strengthen connectivity and prepare California for the future. Larson, however, said she is concerned about the reliability of these new services in areas that already have spotty connections. "The issue with the cell service is that it's not that reliable inside the house, and not even outside the house," Larson said. "So, for example, sometimes my family or friends, they need to go outside on the porch to use the phone." She said she hopes that AT&T will answer their call to continue offering copper services to longtime customers like her. "They know what they're doing and they're maintaining the copper wires for landline networks and giving us reliable phone services that so many of us depend upon," Larson said. "Do we really have something that's equal or better than copper landlines in these emergency situations?"
Yahoo
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- Yahoo
California American Water Completes Acquisition of Bass Lake Water Company
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