Foodie News

Timbergrove gets in on the foodie fun: New craft beer & wine spot takes overabandoned grocer

Crisp's central bar has 24 beer taps.
One of the thin-crust pizzas from Crisp
Courtesy photo
Crisp has a separate to-go room for retail wine (by the bottle or case) as wellas beer growlers.

Sometimes it seems like Houston restaurateurs woke up a couple years ago and realized that people north of I-10 like to eat and drink too. From El Gran Malo to Cottonwood to the revitalized Corkscrew wine bar, Heights-adjacent neighborhoods like Oak Forest and Timbergrove are finally getting their delicious due.

The latest eatery among the numbered streets in Crisp, which opened at the beginning of November and offers wine, craft beer and a focused menu that features thin-crust pizzas on white or wheat dough — from the Blue Southern Belle with gorgonzola, peaches, arugula, basil and Texas Sweet Tea syrup to the San Fran North Beach, covered with tomato sauce, pepperoni, rosemary ham, fennel seed sausage, green olives, chili flakes and cherry tomatoes — plus salads, sandwiches and some traditional American-style entrees like beer can chicken and beef short ribs.

With 24 craft beers on tap (including several locals) and a sizeable wine list, Crisp seems well poised to bridge the gap that's emerged between the two drinks.

With 24 craft beers on tap (including several locals) and a sizeable wine list, Crisp seems well poised to bridge the gap that's emerged between the two drinks. There's even a retail component that sells and refills growlers and offers any wine on the list to-go for 20 percent off. There's also an enomatic wine system, so guests can add money onto a tasting card and get individual tastes in one-, three- or five-ounce pours before settling on a bottle.

Though it looks a little generic from the outside, the 6,000-square-foot open interiors are set apart by a large wood-framed central bar and exposed brick walls that date to the building's former life as the long-abandoned Shady Grocery. Crisp is owned by the team behind Pub Fiction, Shot Bar and Celtic Gardens and compared to some of the other new establishments nearby it feels less personal and more formulaic: x taps + y repurpursed old building + z servers with old timey mustaches = cool bar.

Still, it seems like a winning formula as of late. As far as neighborhood haunts go, this Timbergrove version looks like it has some promise.

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cheers to that

Texas bourbon named one of 2024's top 10 whiskies

Still Austin Whiskey Co. Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey

Still Austin Whiskey Co./Facebook

Now if only we could snag a bottle...as a Christmas gift, of course.

Three cheers for Still Austin Whiskey Co.! The distillery's Bottled in Bond Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey was recognized as one of Whisky Advocate'sTop 20 Most Exciting Whiskies of 2024.

Every year, Whisky Advocate's expert panelists rank hundreds of whiskies based on their quality, availability, value for the price, and "X-factor," meaning an excitement-inducing component like a unique flavor or an innovative idea. An international panel also reviews contenders through several blind taste tests without knowing each whisky's producer, origin, age, or price.

The magazine ranked Still Austin's five-year Red Corn Bourbon No. 7 on the list with a prestigious score of 94 points. The Red Corn whiskey, which was released in June 2024, has mash bill consisting of 36 percent Jimmy Red corn, 34 percent white corn, 25 percent rye, and 5 percent barley.

According to panelist Shane English, tasting notes start big and bold with cracked pepper, dusty leather, and cocktail cherries, before moving on to a palate of chile pepper, caramel, and buttery cornbread.

"Each sip is electric — the pepper gives this whiskey a zing balanced by poundcake and glazed doughnuts," English said. "Charred oak fades to chocolate, coffee, and pecan pie on the finish."

Still Austin had the only Texas product on the list, which was fitting given the brand's recent boasting that it could match any Kentucky Bourbon. As a game day stunt when the Texas Longhorns played the Kentucky Wildcats in November, Still Austin refilled empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles with its own Cask Strength Bourbon for just $1.

When the brand isn't playfully antagonizing Kentucky fans, its Red Corn Bourbon sells for a retail price of $85 per 750-milliliter bottle, falling nearly in the middle of the price category out of all 20 bourbons on the list, with eight others priced for less.

For additional context, none of the top five bourbons fall under a $100 price tag. In fact, the most expensive bottle on the 2024 list is the Angel's Envy 2023 Cask Strength Port Wine Barrel Finished Bourbon, which ranked No. 12 and retails for $230 per bottle.

"Our top 20 whiskies represent a curated collection that deserves your attention. Each whisky on the list stands out for its superb taste, representing the pinnacle of a year filled with remarkable tastings," said executive editor David Fleming in a release. "This list features whiskies offering exceptional value, leaders in their respective styles, and superbly made expressions that are well worth seeking out."

Whiskey Advocate's 2024 Whiskey of the Year is Laphroaig Elements 2.0 Cask Strength Scotch Single Malt, which earned 95 points and retails for $165 a bottle.

whiskey bourbon distilleries awards lists