Pet of the Week

Pet of the week Wolfgang waves goodbye to a cool cat ... and Papa John

Little Wolfgang is a ball of family fun.

Courtesy photo

Name: Wolfgang, as in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wolfgang Puck — and Eddie Van Halen’s kid.

Birthdate: February 1, 2017, I’m barely out of Garanimals. I’m going to be your best friend for a long, long time.

Ethnicity: I’m a wire fox terrier mixed-up fella. Here’s my deal. I was adopted from Pearland Animal Control, but my alleged new owner, let’s call him Mean Mister Mustard, returned me after only six days because I shed. Mister Mustard (no relation to Colonel Mustard from Clue) said he doesn’t want a dog that sheds. So sue me, I shed a little. Ninety-nine percent of dogs shed, and I’m not even a big shedder.

My rep around here is that I’m a cuddler, I make friends with everybody I meet, and I’m a bouncy bundle of fun. I'm "fixed," healthy and ready to roll. Meanwhile, if everybody got rid of guys who shed, bald guys would be in a lot of trouble. Some people … huh?

Come and get me: I'm available for adoption at 11 am Friday, August 17 at Citizens for Animal Protection (17555 Katy Freeway; 281-497-0591). Tell them, "Ken sent me."

Wolfgang’s word up: Today, newspapers around the country, including my former employer, are running editorials stating loud and clear, in simple language using the best words, that journalists and the media are not enemies of the people. Journalists help keep this country free. Any attack on a free press is an assault on America’s values and spirit. It’s okay to disagree, in fact that's the heartbeat of America, but let’s not lose sight of who we are. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Farewell, lovely (and temperamental) cat
With sadness, I have traded in my nuclear-powered, supercharged Jaquar for a more reliable car. I’m driving back and forth to Austin a lot now, and I got tired of “check engine light” coming on each trip. I will miss the Jag, tons of sentimental value.

I’ll need that reliable car September 16, when WWE holds its annual “Hell in a Cell” spectacular at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. Since the main event of Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens has leaked, that means I can safely predict that Reigns will beat Universal champ Brock Lesnar this Sunday at Summerslam. The WWE returns to Toyota Center in Houston on September 15. Tickets are still available.

Papa, help!
I’ve been covering the fast food scene forever, never heard of anything like this: Papa John’s corporate is reaching out to help local franchisees who are suffering decreased sales as a result of company founder John Schnatter’s controversial remarks. While the PR nightmare swirls, corporate will give franchisees breaks on royalty payments and supply prices for the rest of 2018. Corporate also will help franchisees pay for advertising and the cost of new signs and pizza boxes (without Schnatter’s image on them). The Houston Astros and Houston Texans are sticking with Papa John’s as their concession pizza, but you won’t see Schnatter’s puss anywhere.

Live, from Liverpool: Ken Hoffman
I will be gone next week: it’s the start of International Beatle Week in Liverpool, England.

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Dog lover? Ken Hoffman introduces you to an adorable pup available for adoption in Houston every Thursday.

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sushi in the park

2 star chefs roll out sushi spot with fresh-from-Tokyo goods along with intimate new bar in buzzy Buffalo Bayou hub

Doko Bar Doko Daniel Lee, Patrick Pham, Andrew Lin

Photo by Alex Montoya

Daniel Lee, Patrick Pham, and Andrew Lin.

Two of Houston’s most prolific sushi chefs have signed on to an eagerly anticipated mixed-use development. Chefs Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee, the owners of 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Best New Restaurant winner Aiko, will open Doko, a new sushi restaurant, and Bar Doko, an intimate cocktail bar, in the Autry Park mixed-use development.

Expected to open this fall on the ground floor of the Hanover Parkview mid-rise, Doko will serve a menu of sushi that utilizes fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market. The 1,900-square-foot restaurant is expected to seat 50 in its main dining room and 12 at its bar.

Tiny Bar Doko will occupy just 600-square-feet in a space that’s adjacent to Doko. The group’s first bar, it will serve Japanese-inspired cocktails. Houston architecture firm JT ARC Studio and Los Angeles’ JAW Collective will create the designs for both establishments

Taken together, Doko and Bar Doko are the latest projects from Duckstache Hospitality, the company that chefs Pham and Lee established with business partners Andrew Lin and C.J. Short. In addition to the aforementioned Aiko, they also operate Kokoro in downtown’s Bravery Chef Hall, Himari at the Stomping Grounds in Garden Oaks, and two outposts of hand roll concept Handies Douzo.

“Autry Park is an amazing opportunity to continue to showcase our culinary creativity in a unique setting,” Lin said in a statement. “We look to evolve our offering in Japanese cuisine to provide our guests with memorable dining experiences.”

Doko and Bar Doko will join a number of new restaurants at Autry Park. They include two new concepts from Berg Hospitality, Annabelle Brasserie and Turner’s Cut; two restaurants from MF Sushi chef-owner Chris Kinjo, MF Lobster and Ceviche and Annam, a Vietnamese restaurant; Auden, a vegetable-forward, globally inspired restaurant; a second location of pilates studio and coffee shop Duo; and the first Houston location of Austin favorite Lick Honest Ice Creams.

Developed by local real estate firms Lionstone Investments and Hanover Company, Autry Park occupies 14 acres on the western edge of Buffalo Bayou Park. The project's three-phase masterplan includes five towers encompassing 1,450 residential units, 350,000 square feet of Class A office space, and 100,000 square feet of retail, according to press materials.

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