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    Foodie News

    Salivating over school lunches? It's happening at River Oaks Baptist

    Ruthie Miller
    Dec 17, 2010 | 10:01 am
    • Many students, especially the older ones, like to make their own salads.
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
    • A student happily munches on an apple.
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
    • The Protein Police checks in with student lunchers.
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
    • Steamed cauliflower
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
    • Two green-light foods, two yellow-light foods, one red-light food = TheSpotlight Program
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
    • An over-the-shoulder look at a balanced meal
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller

    Recently, for lunch I had oven-roasted potatoes, lightly steamed cauliflower, gorgeous risotto cakes, and a delicious cup of Italian Wedding soup. But I wasn’t at Haven or t’afia. I was in a school cafeteria.
     
    Uh-huh. Michelle Obama would approve.
     
    Like most other schools in Houston, the K-8 River Oaks Baptist used to have pre-portioned student lunches delivered daily. But menu items were lackluster and loaded with preservatives, and more food ended up in the trash than in students' tummies. Something had to change.
     
    Now River Oaks Baptist contracts student meals to SAGE Dining Services, a Maryland-based company determined to change the way students think about lunch. SAGE brings in chefs and managers who prepare all food on site, and they use what they call a stoplight program to teach kids to make healthy choices. The theory is that students choose their lunch items for themselves: they can have one red-light food, two yellow-light foods, and as many green-light foods as they like.
     
    The idea is easily digestible and teaches kids to budget their meals appropriately. Red light foods are the heavier items like lasagna, hamburgers, and roasted poblano soup. The yellows are a bit lighter: homemade hummus, tuna salad, and Spanish rice. And the green light foods are the healthiest of the lot — things like fresh fruit, sautéed spinach, and fish tacos. There are two soups made fresh daily, as well as sandwich and salad bars for when nothing else appeals.
     
    Sounds great — but does it work? “Absolutely,” says Food Service Director Jill Lewis. “With 12-14 menu items to choose from daily, even the pickiest of students can find something of interest.”
     
    The process is not quite as seamless as it sounds, though. The food deserves serious praise, but I want more education involved . . . to teach students what makes an item a red, yellow, or green-light food, and then to oversee as the students choose the dishes for themselves. Yes, all dishes are labeled as red, yellow, or green-light foods — but the labels are small and not at the eye-level of a child. So kids don’t necessarily learn or use the system, but rather decide what they want and wait for someone to fix it.
     
    Regardless, it's a tremendous step up. While many school cafeterias around town feature cheap, fatty foods that are high in preservatives, River Oaks Baptist (and the seven other Houston schools who use SAGE Dining Services) is clearly committed to changing the norm.
     
    In addition to higher quality foods made in-house, they’ve got plenty of resources on hand to combat food-related allergies, including soy products and nut-free zones. And while the students do pretty well on their own, the school has “Protein Police” circulating the cafeteria to make sure students are eating enough of the energy foods to keep them going during class.
     
    As we reexamine what our students are eating these days at school, it’s nice to find an institution taking proactive measures.
     
    Bon appétit, indeed.

    unspecified
    news/restaurants-bars

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    FM Kitchen closes

    Inner loop pickleball bar expands into neighboring burger joint

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 17, 2025 | 6:00 am
    PKL Social exterior
    Photo by Becca Wright
    PKL Social has expanded into FM Kitchen & Bar.

    One of the inner loop’s most popular pickleball destinations is getting a makeover. PKL Social is expanding its footprint by claiming the space formerly occupied by FM Kitchen & Bar.

    Since both PKL Social and FM Kitchen share ownership and management, the name change unites the property under one brand. It focuses on PKL Social’s success in its first year-plus of operations and sheds the FM Kitchen brand that’s been serving up burgers, comfort food, craft beer, and cocktails since 2017. Although the change won’t officially take place until July 26, the building’s exterior is already sporting a fresh coat of paint with PKL Social’s branding.

    “It’s a direct response to the demand for more,” operating partner Jason Mok said in a statement. “We’ve conceptualized everything people have loved about FM Kitchen & Bar and PKL Social by creating a single concept and venue that brings it all together in an exciting, more seamless way.”

    Open since March 2024, PKL Social has four pickleball courts, big screen TVs for watching sports, and two, 140-inch LED video walls for big games and other events. The rebranding brings upgrades in the form of Full Swing golf simulators that will allow people to play golf and other games for an hourly rental fee.

    Some things will remain the same. The new PKL Social will still serve many of FM Kitchen’s most popular dishes, including its signature cheeseburger, smash burger, and weekend brunch items. Additions include on-trend items such as a chopped chicken Caesar wrap and a Buffalo chicken wrap, a fried shrimp basket, and a California-style burrito.

    Beverage options include cocktails, craft beer, and wine. Non-alcoholic options include beer, cocktails, oat milk lattes sourced from Tenfold Coffee, and a frozen strawberry lemonade.

    In terms of the venue’s layout, the patio bar and restaurant area that had been home to FM Kitchen will remain family-friendly. The court area around PKL Social’s original footprint will remain adults-only.

    “PKL Social is becoming so much more than a pickleball destination. It’s a sports bar and event-centric destination with high energy and excellent food,” Mok added. “With our new upgrades, we can offer customers everything from corporate events and happy hours to social events such as our game day and reality TV watch parties, popular bingo nights, and cold plunge socials. We are excited to expand these options even further to be a true social destination for all.”

    PKL Social will celebrate its expansion on July 26 with drink specials, raffle prizes, giveaways, a DJ, sips from brands including LALO Tequila, Athletic Brewing Co., Beam Suntory, and more.

    PKL Social exterior
      

    Photo by Becca Wright

    PKL Social has expanded into FM Kitchen & Bar.

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