Editor’s note: Another week has come and gone, and there’s a lot we all probably missed. But we’re looking out for you, kid. Here are the most popular stories from this past week:
1. New York Times picks one Texas city for 2015 travel hit list — and it ain’t Austin. Although the New York Times has been having a love affair with Austin as of late, the paper may have transferred its affection to another Texas city. In a recent travel piece titled “52 Places to Go in 2015,” the Gray Lady picked only one Lone Star locale: San Antonio.
2. Tex-Mex restaurant clocks out of Oak Lawn. After seven years, Cyclone Anaya’s has swung its last punch. The restaurant named after boxer Jesus “Cyclone Anaya” Valencia closed January 9, due to “no business,” according to a staffer. Cyclone, a Houston import, opened in 2008, as part of an ambitious plan to settle in Dallas. Another branch opened in Fairview in 2012, but it was closed by January 2014.
3. New Fort Worth cocktail bar Thompson Book Store has quite a story. Other than Magnolia bar The Usual, Fort Worth has been a little slow to warm up to the cocktail thing. But help is on the way, and it’s going into a location steeped in history. A new bar called Thompson Book Store will open in the 1900s building at 900 Houston St. that was most recently Bar 9.
4. Famed Uchi chef resigns after being found in a ditch and arrested for DWI. Philip Speer, pastry chef and director of culinary operations for the famed Uchi restaurant empire, has resigned. A spokesperson confirmed his departure. In October, the James Beard semifinalist was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after he hit a natural gas pipe and flipped over his car in North Austin. He has a court date next month.
5. Company Cafe starts smoking drive-through Back Home Barbecue in funky Dallas spot. The barbecue train keeps rolling, and the latest opening comes from the team behind Company Cafe. Called Back Home Barbecue, it’ll open in a quirky location on Ross Avenue, where they hope to be by smoking by February. They expect the takeout-window setup will appeal to commuters on their way home after work, so it’ll be open from 4-10 pm to start.
Cyclone Anaya's is no more.
