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    Celeb Spotting

    A former president, the Secret Service and his staff chow down at a Houston food truck

    Eric Sandler
    Feb 13, 2015 | 7:11 am

    Looks like Cousins Maine Lobster, the California-based, Shark Tank TV show backed food truck that launched in Houston last month, is a bona fide phenomenon. While typically a new food truck can count on a visit from hip hop superstar Bun B, Cousins hosted a slightly more unlikely visitor.

    Former President George H.W. Bush enjoyed a special meal from the truck.

    In addition to being one of Houston's most popular celebrities, Bush 41 knows quite a bit about Maine. His family owns an estate in the coastal town of Kennebunkport. When the Cousins Maine Lobster truck set up shop on Post Oak at the monthly Tasty Tuesday food truck event, a member of Bush's staff and a Secret Service agent approached the truck and asked if they could also visit the president's office. Local franchisee Neil Werner tells CultureMap he packed up a little early in order to accommodate the request.

    "One of his aides told me it really raised his spirits because it brought Maine back home to him."

    So, what did the former leader of the free world think of the truck's signature lobster roll?

    "He didn't have lobster," Werner says. "The clam chowder was his big thing. He wanted his staff to have the lobster."

    Fair enough. Bush's assistants and members of his Secret Service detail ate through Cousins' lobster specialties while he ate clam chowder, a whoopie pie, a Maine Root soda and a little whoopie pie ice cream, just for good measure.

    Werner reports that the former President thoroughly enjoyed his meal. "He loved it. He couldn't stop raving about it," Werner says. "One of his aides told me it really raised his spirits because it brought Maine back home to him."

    During the half hour or so Werner spent at Bush's office, he says they talked about favorite places in Maine, where Cousins sources its lobster and the recent success of the New England Patriots.

    "He's the nicest guy in the world and an incredible presence to be around," Werner added.

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    news/restaurants-bars

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    a CultureMap Exclusive

    Houston's 'Chinese takeout bar from the future' touches down in Webster

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 1, 2026 | 4:02 pm
    Rice Box Webster rendering
    Courtesy of The Rice Box
    A rendering previews The Rice Box's new location in Webster.

    Houston’s Chinese takeout bar from the future is coming to the Bay Area. The sixth location of The Rice Box will open in Webster later this summer.

    Located at 114 El Dorado Blvd, the new location will be called Rice Box Space Center after NASA’s headquarters at the nearby Johnson Space Center. Founder John Peterson tells CultureMap that it’s a bit of a homecoming for him and his wife/business partner, Jenny Vo, as they grew up in the area. As with every new location, the restaurant created a movie-style poster to announce its opening.

    Rice Box Webster movie poster The Rice Box Space Center is expected to open later this summer.Courtesy of The Rice Box

    For its first truly suburban location, Peterson plans to offer a more efficient pickup system for to-go orders. Dubbed The Rice Box Pickup Reactors, the system applies Rice Box’s sci-fi aesthetic to curbside ordering. As seen in the rendering above, the building will have six slots that drivers will pull into to get their orders.

    “The goal is to have guests in and out with food in hand in around 90 seconds,” Peterson writes in an email. “It’s still pickup, but we’re trying to make that moment feel more intentional and more connected to the digital side of Rice Box instead of treating it like an afterthought. We’re looking at this opening as both a new store and a prototype for how Rice Box can work in more suburban markets without losing the part of the brand that makes it feel like us.”

    Bay Area-area diners can expect the same menu as the Rice Box’s other locations. That includes staples such as General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken, beef with broccoli, and orange peel beef. The restaurant also serves traditional Chinese-inspired fare such as Chongqing chicken, cumin beef, mapo tofu, and chow fun noodles.

    Recently, Peterson rolled out a new version of Rice Box’s dumplings. Available in chicken, pork, or vegetable, each style of dumpling comes with a different wrapper that enhances the filling’s flavor. They’re also available either steamed or fried.

    The Rice Box started as a food truck in the early 2010s. After moving to a permanent location in the Greenway Plaza food court, it has opened brick-and-mortar locations in the Heights, River Oaks, Rice Village, and Memorial.

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