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    Grocery Wars

    Whole Foods takes grocery wars to The Woodlands with wine bar, concierge and taco station

    Eric Sandler
    Mar 18, 2015 | 8:27 am

    Grocery shoppers west of the Galleria have been the most recent beneficiaries of Houston's grocery wars thanks to the arrival of a new Whole Foods on Post Oak and a gigantic new H-E-B on San Felipe. Before a second Whole Foods opens three miles from the Post Oak store on Voss (to replace the aging Woodway location), the Austin-based organic grocery opens its first store in The Woodlands on Wednesday.

    Hubbell and Hudson may have closed its grocery store in the Waterway, but a new H-E-B in Creekside and this Whole Foods give area residents two solid grocery options.

    Whole Foods team lead Jerry Brown tells CultureMap in an email that the store came to the area at the request of area residents. "There was even a Facebook page, run by community members, dedicated to bringing a store to The Woodlands," he writes. "The local community has been very patient and since we’ve announced our opening the support has been amazing. We take that very seriously and want to provide the best experience possible."

    Hubbell and Hudson may have closed its grocery store in the Waterway, but a new H-E-B in Creekside and this Whole Foods give area residents two solid grocery options.

    As the first significant opening in the Hughes Landing development that will soon include the northern outposts of inner loop restaurants like Del Frisco's Grille, California Pizza Kitchen and Local Pour, the 44,000 square foot grocery store is the anchor of an emerging food destination. Towards that end, the store will feature many of the amenities debuted at various other outposts around the Houston area including a wine and beer bar with 24 taps, build your own taco station, wood-burning pizza oven and the de rigueur electric vehicle charging station.

    Additionally, concerige services are available for personal shopping and curbside pickup. Perfect for shoppers willing to pay a little extra for convenience.

    "I am most excited about providing a healthier grocery alternative to The Woodlands community," Brown writes. "Our standards don’t allow artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives in the foods or products we sell. We work hard to ensure every product on the shelves meets our strict Quality Standards."

    Shoppers who are following specific diets such as vegan or gluten-free can follow signs throughout the store to determine which items are compatible. "We will also have a healthy eating specialist on staff who can walk guests through the store, free of charge, and help them stock their kitchens based on their dietary needs," Brown adds.

    Beginning on opening day, the store will donate one-percent of a day's sales to a different local charity on each of its first five Wednesdays. That kicks off with Interfaith of The Woodlands, followed by The Woodlands Waterway Arts Council on March 25, The Woodlands Children's Museum on April 1, Operation Pets Alive! on April 8 and concludes with Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch on April 15.

    Eat well. Live well.

    Whole Foods Woodlands
      
    Courtesy photo
    Eat well. Live well.
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    news/restaurants-bars

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    What's Eric Eating Episodes 459 and 460

    Meet the men behind Houston's most under-the-radar Italian restaurant

    CultureMap Staff
    Apr 18, 2025 | 5:00 pm
    Fernando Rios Mike Sammons Mimo
    Courtesy of Mimo
    Chef Fernando Rios and sommelier Mike Sammons are this week's guests.

    On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” sommelier Mike Sammons and chef Fernando Rios join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss Mimo, their Italian restaurant in the East End. The duo, whose history goes back to when they worked together at iconic Houston fine dining restaurant Da Marco, opened Mimo in 2023.



    The conversation begins with Rios explaining the progression of a career that took him from Backstreet Cafe to Da Marco to Weights + Measures, where he worked as the chef de cuisine while Sammons was a partner who oversaw the beverage program. Since they both live in the East End, they saw an opportunity to team up by claiming the former Kanomwan space on Telephone Rd.

    They discuss several aspects of the restaurant’s business, including Rios’ changes to the menu, the evolution of Mimo’s wine list, and how its been received by residents of the East End. A digression about Da Marco prompts Sandler to ask about its chef-owner Marco Wiles, who generally stays out of the media spotlight. Sammons shares that Wiles is the only chef or restaurateur who makes him nervous when he dines at Mimo.

    “He’s really not forgiving about things. This is very consistent with the Italian way of looking at things — there’s a right way to do things and that’s it. If it isn’t done that way, it’s wrong. A lot of my other mentors and friends can be more forgiving, but the standards Marco has kept for years has motivated me,” Sammons says.

    “He’s still the same way,” Rios adds. “That was insane to me. I thought, you get older, you’d be more relaxed, but the way he looks at you makes you nervous. Working in the kitchen, there was times he’d throw all my stuff away and say ‘start over.’”

    Was he right, Sandler asks.

    “Absolutely, yes. He was right all the time. I just think he was one of the best to do it,” Rios affirms.

    Listen to the full interview to hear both men discuss the one thing they’re most proud of about Mimo. They also discuss their plans for the future.



    In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Houston’s finalists in this year’s James Beard Awards, the owners of Jūn adding a daytime concept called Third Place, and Aaron Bludorn promoting chef Allie Pena to be Bludorn’s new executive chef.

    In the restaurant of the week segment, Sandler and Clarkson visit Camaraderie, chef Shawn Gawle’s new restaurant in the Heights. They share their thoughts on the restaurant’s prix fixe menu, as well as its decor and beverage offerings.

    -----

    Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

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