Supermarket showdown

Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck gets some competition: H-E-B introduces $2.98 wine &other Primo Picks

H-E-B is offering Cul-De-Sac Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines at$2.98 a bottle
Creamy Creations Poteet strawberry ice cream, $4.98 half gallon
That Green Sauce, $4 a bottle

With Trader Joe's announcing plans to open its first Houston-area store in The Woodlands on June 15, H-E-B is getting a jump on the latest shakeup in Houston's supermarket scene with the introduction of more than 800 "unique, tasty and cool" new products called Primo Picks at 35 of its Houston-area stores.

"In general, supermarkets fall into the trap of running the same boring Wednesday specials over and over again. We thought we’d change it up a bit and feature some of the truly unique items we have at H-E-B," Scott McClelland, president of H-E-B Houston, noted in an email.

The wide range of products, which emphasizes Texas suppliers as well as items from across the United States, includes:

H-E-B Creamy Creations Poteet strawberry ice cream, $4.98 half gallon (quantities limited)
Michaels of Brooklyn pasta sauce, $8.99 a bottle
Rao's homemade pastas from the famed New York restaurant, $5.19 each
H-E-B Mootopia lactose free milk, $3.28 a half gallon
H-E-B queso poblano chicken sausage, $3.48 a pound
Central Market organic truffles, $5.48 a box
H-E-B That Green Sauce, modeled after a fiery sauce at an unnamed Mexican restaurant, $4 a bottle

The eclectic selections also include nail polish in shades of Lone Star Blue and High Maintenance ($4.97 each), Grand Champion charcoal briquets ($4.48 a bag), and tub cookies in flavors like Texas Almond Crunch, White Chocolate Caramel Chips and Snickerdoodle ($2.49-$3.99).

But the item that caught our eye is a new line of Cul-De-Sac wines, developed with a California winemaker, that retails for $2.98 a bottle. The wines, along with many of the Primo Pick products, seem positioned to compete with products from Trader Joe's, which plans to enter the Houston market with three stores this year, including a location in the former Alabama Theater just down the street from the flagship H-E-B Montrose Market.

California-based Trader Joe's is known for its extensive line of unusual products, including its popular Two Buck Chuck wines that retail for $2 a bottle.

H-E-B officials insist the timing of the Primo Picks rollout is purely coincidental. "We've been working on this for over a year," said H-E-B spokeswoman Cyndy Garza-Roberts. "We're always looking to introduce new and different items to our customers."

"Trader Joe's? Are they coming to Houston?" McClelland joked in his email.

All Primo Products, which are exclusive to Houston-area H-E-B stores, are marked with an identifying tag throughout the store so customers can find them easily, Garza-Roberts said.

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shadows and tall trees

Experiential Asian fusion eatery serves up steak and sushi in Upper Kirby

Photo by Karter Kendrick

An 8-foot bonsai tree hangs above the bar.

A new Asian fusion restaurant is ready to spice up Upper Kirby. Haii Keii opens this Tuesday, February 18.

Occupying 3,000 square feet in the Kirby Collection mixed-use development (3300 Kirby Drive), Haii Keii combines a high-style dining room with an eclectic menu that draws influences from several countries throughout East Asia. A month-long overseas trip convinced managing partner Jarred Tosto to create the concept in concert with executive chef Jeffrey Taylor.

“I went to China and Thailand for a month,” Tosto. “I fell in love with the food and everything about it. We don’t want to be one dimensional. We want to be all around.”

Although Tosto still maintains a role as the director of operations for Galleria-area steakhouse Juliet, his focus is on Haii Keii. “This is my baby,” he says.

The menu is built around shareable items and flavors that Tosto enjoys. For example, snapper comes with a Thai-inspired coconut curry sauce. House made milk bread gets slathered with foie gras mousse, eel, and a plum gastrique. Carnivore will fine options that include American, Australian, and Japanese wagyu steaks, but vegetarians are welcome, too.

“Our veggie dishes, we love veggies” Tosto says. “My favorite vegetable is our pea shoots. That has fresno chiles and sweet white soy. It’s a healthy dish that’s packed full of flavor.”

Haii Keii also serves sushi. Like the rest of the menu, it gets a bit of a twist. The signature banh mi roll is made with shrimp, pickled carrots and daikon, and jalapeno that’s lightly fried. The Murakami roll (pictured above) is a decadent combination of king crab, Japanese wagyu, and Kaluga caviar.

Tosto worked with Houston’s Gin Design Group on the restaurant’s interior. Taking inspiration from movies like Kill Bill and Blade Runner, the room features 8-foot Shoji screens that will display projected images and more than 4,000 linear feet of crimson rope along the black leather booths. An upside down, 8-foot tall tree hangs above the bar. Taken together, it’s a celebratory environment that should draw plenty of interest. Just don’t use the V-word to describe the experience that Haii Keii is trying to create.

“My career was in L.A. I got to see all the crazy restaurants that opened there,” Tosto says. “Right now, Houston’s scene is unbelievable. I can’t wait to be part of that. We’re not vibe dining. We’re more experience driven. You’re just blown away [by the design].”

Photo by Karter Kendrick

An 8-foot bonsai tree hangs above the bar.

news-you-can-eat openings haii keii