Foodie News

Get thirsty: Wine & Food Week takes over The Woodlands

Believe it or not, foodies don't always have to hang out inside the city limits.

If you need proof, head to The Woodlands this week, where 10,000 sybarites will be indulging in food and drink from a who's who of Texas chefs and 250 wineries at the 2010 Wine & Food Week.

Almost 30 events are spread throughout the week, including a winemaker discussion by authors Eric Arnold and George M. Taber and wine dinner at Kirby's on Monday, wine and cigars with Master Sommelier Guy Stout at Crush Wine Bar on Tuesday, a girls' night out at the AVIA with sparkling wine, diamonds, and a Chloe Dao fashion show and a tasting of Israeli wines while touring The Woodlands' waterway via boat.

Of course, those without a week to devote to vinous pursuits might want to focus on the big three: Thursday's Wine Walk at Market Street, Friday's Sips Suds & Sliders at CityCentre and the Wine Rendezvous Grand Tasting & Chef Showcase on Saturday.

The H-E-B Wine Walk at Market Street is a casual stroll through the 34 acres of stores and restaurants that make up The Woodlands' thriving Market Street development, with 60 tasting stations set up throughout the participating stores and food vendors, as well as entertainment by the Mambo Jazz Kings.

Heading south, the festival picks up at CityCentre on Friday for Sips, Suds & Sliders inside Lifetime Athletic Club, with a mini burger contest and tastings of Texas wines and beers.

Of course the marquee event everyone looks forward to is the Wine Rendezvous Grand Tasting & Chef Showcase on Saturday at The Woodlands Marriott Waterway. Chefs from across the country will compete for the Waterford Crystal Chef of Chefs Award and $5,000 grand prize, with presentations live on-stage while dressy revelers can taste their creations and sample from 500 wines. There's also a separate dessert contest and a silent auction.

Whether guests are wine newbies or oenophiles — or just ready for a good time — there's plenty to keep everyone raising their glass.

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Bye-bye, banks

Bank of America closes branches across U.S., including 1 in Houston

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Banks are closing brick-and-mortar locations as online banking takes over.

Houstonians who use Bank of America will soon have one fewer location to handle financial matters in person.

The financial center at 10101 Westheimer Rd. will close on April 25, 2025. Other Houston locations remain open for now; it's easy to check their status at bankofamerica.com. Closing locations are marked with a blue triangle.

Text accompanying the alert gives instructions to safe deposit box holders: "To make an appointment to access your safe deposit box during regular business hours, email us your full name, address and phone number at: safebox@bofa.com."

These alerts pop up a few months in advance; one at Dallas's Snider Plaza (6901 Hillcrest Ave.) warns now that it'll close on March 4, 2025. Two locations in San Antonio at Ingram Park (6401 N.W. Loop 410) and Marbach Road (1515 S.W. Loop 410) are closing December 6. The Lamar location in Fort Worth (2000 E Lamar Blvd. Ste. 100) will close on December 10, 2024.

Banks have to report financial center closings to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) 90 days in advance. The San Antonio closures were announced in a bulletin for the week of July 21, 2024.

According to some news sources that have been following recent closings, this is a fat-trimming process as more people are doing their banking online.

According to trade publication American Banker, Bank of America led the pack in Q3 of 2024, with 41 locations closed. However, over the last 12 months, its 91 closures were outpaced by U.S. Bank with 98, and Wells Fargo with 181.

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