• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    Almeda Yards Arrives

    New Midtown block promises to have it all: Coffee, beer, pizza — and hammocks

    Eric Sandler
    Aug 14, 2015 | 10:23 am

    Midtown has plenty of places to party, but the growing neighborhood still lacks places to relax. That's all set to change this fall thanks to the Axelrad Beer Garden. A project by local investors Monte Large, Adam Brackman and Jeff Kaplan, Axelrad will serve as a beer garden, bar and neighborhood gathering point.

    When the concept was first announced two years ago, it was known as the Victory Beer Garden, but the partners chose instead to name the venture after the almost 100-year old building at the intersection of West Alabama and Almeda that anchors the property. Brackman tells CultureMap that a member of the Axelrad family contacted him when she read about the project. She expressed concern that the building might be torn down, but Brackman always had an eye on preserving it.

    "There’s so much character and charm to old buildings. So much story that you just can’t replicate."

    "The fact is you can’t build a building like that anymore. Back when it was built, Alabama was only a two-lane street. One of the lanes that’s there now was their front yard," Brackman says. "There’s so much character and charm to old buildings. So much story that you just can’t replicate."

    When the woman made a visit to Houston, she toured the site with Brackman and Large. "She pointed to this corner and said ‘That’s where my crib was. I can remember watching the activity outside that window.’ Then we went to look on the door, and the mezuzah was still there from her grandparents . . . She became one of our investors. She’s a treasure trove of information about the history of what it was," he says.

    The first floor of the Axelrad building will house the bar and provide some seating that's protected from heat and rain. Interior design and branding are being handled by Gin Braverman and Evan O'Neil with gindesignsgroup (Oxheart, Camerata, The Boulevardier). "She’s really running with a lot of this," Brackman says about Braverman. "She helped pick out all the finishes and the layout."

    No plans have been decided on for the second story, but the space certainly has potential. Formerly home to apartments, Brackman thinks it could house a speakeasy style cocktail bar thanks to its various rooms that would provide for intimate seating areas.

    Signature element

    While the interior is important, the garden will be Axelrad's signature element. At 12,000 square feet, it will feature plenty of seating, a place for outdoor games and even an area of hammocks for lounging. Large says he took that idea from a similar setup at the El Cosmico campground in Marfa. "The whole vibe that we’re going for is relaxing, kind of a respite from the busyness, a place to hang out and have a good time. Hammocks we thought were a good addition to that," Large explains.

    Designed by landscape architect Jenny Janis, the garden area will feature a mix of indigenous plants as well as a water feature. A series of canopies will provide shade, and video artists will be able to display their work on the building via a projector.

    "While we invite the beer connoisseurs, it’s about the setting as much as the beer."

    Turning to the food and beverage side, Axelrad will offer 25 taps that mix local favorites with national craft options, as well as a selection of bottles and cans, but Large sees Axelrad as different from beer bars with larger selections and an enthusiast focus.

    "We don’t necessarily want to compete with other beer bars," Large says. "We are very serious about the beer. The environment though and the setting and this being a neighborhood spot is very important to us, too. While we invite the beer connoisseurs, it’s about the setting as much as the beer."

    Axelrad will feature food from neighboring restaurant Luigi's Pizzeria or trucks parked onsite. Patrons will be able to order a pizza from Luigi's to eat in the beer garden or take a beer from the bar to Luigi's. It's a highly symbiotic relationship that Brackman is particularly excited about.

    "I do think that our concept and synergy could increase their sales by 20 percent. They’re willing to stay open later, until two or three. They couldn’t be more excited," he says. "They already serve pizza and wings. We’ve loosely talked about custom pizza flavors. They’re flexible. We’ll do whatever we can to help their business."

    Almeda Yards

    That relationship also extends to Retrospect Coffee, which should also open this fall on the same block at the corner of La Branch and Alabama. Brackman says they've dubbed the block "Almeda Yards" and are planning day-long festivals, similar to the way the businesses Mid Main work together on joint events.

    Taken together, all of the components represent an ambitious plan for a part of Midtown that's still ripe for development. The project has a lot of moving pieces that all need to come together, but, given the partners success with companies like New Living and endeavors like the Houston Needs a Swimming Hole campaign, it's difficult to bet against them.

    The historic Axelrad building will house the beer bar downstairs and potentially a speakeasy upstairs.

    Axelrad Beer Garden Almeda Yards
      
    Photo by Eric Sandler
    The historic Axelrad building will house the beer bar downstairs and potentially a speakeasy upstairs.
    unspecified
    news/restaurants-bars

    Pizza News

    'Famous' Bronx-based pizza chain fires up 3 Houston locations

    Teresa Gubbins
    Jun 6, 2025 | 11:30 am
    Singas Pizza
    Singas
    Singas Pizza

    A New York-based pizza chain has big plans for Houston. Called Singas Famous Pizza, the restaurant will soon open three locations in Cypress, Katy, and Stafford.

    The first Singas Famous Pizza opened in Elmhurst, above the Bronx, in 1967, from founder Bill Singas, who apparently was not fully clued in to the definition of the word "famous."

    A decade later, current president and CEO Greg Tsanis and his brother Chris bought the business, and went on to open more locations in the tristate area. They made it a little more "famous." Greg and Chris are natives of Greece who emigrated to the U.S. When it comes to food, the Greeks know what's up.

    Pizza is the centerpiece of the menu, although there are also pastas, sub sandwiches, chicken tenders, wings, jalapeno poppers, garlic bread, and French fries.

    They bake their pizzas in metal pans, the approach taken with deep-dish pizza, but Singas' crust is a regular New York-style thin crust. (They also offer a cauliflower crust for the GF crowd.)

    The chain has been a favorite for South Asians in the New York area, and that influence can be seen on menu items such as the Chef's Special pizza with tikka sauce, green pepper, onion, and choice of South-Asian cottage cheese (paneer) or chicken.

    And in a nod to the heritage of the owners, there's a Greek pizza with tomato sauce, spinach, feta cheese, and olive. There's also a garlic chicken and broccoli, plus classics like pepperoni, meat lovers, and a loaded "supreme."

    In 2004, the company launched a franchising program, which has expanded in recent years. There are currently close to 40 locations across the U.S., mostly in the New York-New Jersey-Delaware area but with a dozen new openings penciled in for Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and Florida.

    That includes seven new locations set to open across Texas, with four in the DFW area, as follows:

    • Coppell: 817 S. Macarthur Blvd. #105
    • Plano: 8245 Preston Rd.
    • Frisco: 13089 Main St. #400
    • Prosper: address still TBA

    There is also a franchisee opening three locations in Houston:

    • 10758 Cypress Creek Pkwy, Houston
    • 11388 Fountain Lake Dr, Stafford
    • 25830 Westheimer Pkwy, Katy
    pizzaopeningsnews-you-can-eat
    news/restaurants-bars
    Loading...