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One of Houston’s most enduring restaurants has finally revealed the details on its new home. La Griglia will soon transition from its current home in the River Oaks Shopping Center to a new location in the Harlow District, the dining-focused development at the site of the former Nino’s and Vincent’s spaces.

The restaurant’s last day of service at its current location will be this Saturday, November 4. It will reopen on Monday, November 20 at 2817 West Dallas St. News that the restaurant would make this move has circulated broadly for the better part of a year, but Landry’s, Inc. has refused to comment about its plans for the restaurant until now.

La Griglia has been a River Oaks institution since its founding by legendary Houston restaurateur Tony Vallone. The restaurant has been part of Landry’s Signature Group since Tilman Fertitta acquired it and Grotto from Vallone in 2004.

“La Griglia has been a Houston staple for decades, and we are grateful to the many patrons who continually support the restaurant and its fine staff,” Fertitta said in a statement. “The La Griglia team has worked hand-in-hand to create an elevated menu and atmosphere unlike anything our dedicated diners have seen or tasted. La Griglia looks forward to welcoming both longtime patrons and first-time guests to experience a restaurant that is fresh yet familiar.”

Socialites, politicians, and a devoted cast of regulars count on La Griglia for signature items such as its well-stocked bread basket, precisely cooked pasta and seafood dishes, and rolling dessert cart. Its bright murals and lively atmosphere — highlighted by its decadent Halloween party — have made it a go-to for Houston’s see-and-be-seen crowd.

To update the restaurant’s menu, Fertitta retained chef Mark Ladner. Known for his restaurant Bar Enza, Ladner won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: New York for his work at Del Posto, the iconic Italian restaurant founded by Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich.

“The menu will blend La Griglia signature dishes with new creations featuring simple, uncomplicated ingredients elegantly presented,” La Griglia’s Brandon Busch added. “A significant portion of the exceptional ingredients were sourced from Italy and act as inspiration for the new offerings.”

Details on the new interior are light, and Landry’s declined CultureMap’s request for photos. According to a release, diners can expect marble and brass finishes and leather surfaces. Patrons will be able to choose to sit in the main dining room, a wine room, and an outdoor courtyard.

Houston's largest urban park will unveil its latest amenity Saturday with the grand opening of the Memorial Park Running Complex, which includes a timing track, new trails, viewing decks, an event plaza and other gathering spaces.

The centerpiece of the $13 million running complex, situated near the new land bridges on the south side of Memorial Drive, is the Roy H. Cullen Timing Track. The five-lane, 400-meter track is largely surrounded by native plants and trees, and the track circles around the same vegetation.

"Knowing that Memorial Park is really a runner's park in so many ways, we created a space for runners, walkers, trainers, anyone who just loves being out in nature and enjoys that kind of experience to come in and try out our new timing track," said Holli Clements, the vice president of engagement for the Memorial Park Conservancy. "It's going to be quite unique from probably any other track and field experience that you could find here in Houston."

Children younger than 12 years old will be the first to run on the new track during a "kids dash" that will be held immediately after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. The free grand opening event spans from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and also will include a DJ, giveaways, a "Vendor Village" with local businesses and organizations and food and drinks for purchase.

The running complex is the latest project delivered as part of Memorial Park's 10-year plan, initiated in 2018, with a new sports complex, wetlands area and the aforementioned land bridges and corresponding prairie having opened in recent years. The two land bridges, which cross over Memorial Drive, opened in February and connect the north and south sides of the park.

RELATED: Uptown Houston gets grant funding for pedestrian pathway across Loop 610 and into Memorial Park

Clements said the running complex should continue to shift park users from the north side – which includes the sports complex, Memorial Park Golf Course, the Clay Family Eastern Glades and the Seymour Lieberman Trail – to the south side. The Seymour Lieberman Trail is a 3-mile loop that has as many as 10,000 users per day, according to Memorial Park Conservancy president and CEO Shellye Arnold.

There are now more places to run and walk on the south side of Memorial Park, which includes the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center and series of hiking and mountain biking trails.

"Some of it is about really shifting, kind of shifting the gravity and the distribution of the users of the park and giving them an introductory experience to our south side trails in our Bayou Wilds area," Clements said. "So many of our runners that come are regulars on the north side. Some of them have never even come across Memorial Drive and come to the south side of the park. So we hope that this will be a really fun new way for them to engage and experience the south side of Memorial Park."

The running complex, which covers about 3 acres in the 1,500-acre park, also is meant to be a central gathering space, according to Clements. She said its event plaza can be rented out for private events such as corporate lunches, weddings and other special occasions.

Clements said a café, which will include healthy options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, is expected to open in the running complex early next year.

"The event plaza is going to be a space for gathering, which is something we heard people wanted in our master plan input sessions," Clements said. "We want spaces to gather in the park for community and for connection, and the event plaza is going to be a perfect space for that."

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In his first Arizona Fall League game on Oct. 2, Astros outfielder Kenedy Corona injured a finger diving back into first base on a pickoff play. It looked like his AFL experience with the Mesa Solar Sox might be over before it really got started.

Some players may have headed home, especially after a long and successful year. The Astros' No. 11 prospect had played 117 games and turned in a 20-30 season, so it’s not like he was sent to Arizona to make up for lost playing time. But once Corona got the good news that his finger wasn’t broken, he decided he wanted to stick around.

“They asked if I wanted to go home, but I opted to stay here, to recover here after they gave me the diagnosis of what was going on with my finger,” Corona said via translator Annalee Ramirez. “I decided to recover here, waited it out and came back to play.”

The 23-year old returned to action on Oct. 23 and went 1-for-10 in his first three games back. While the rest of the Fall League participants were three-plus weeks into play, Corona had some catching up to do.

“It was a little bit challenging to adjust my eye to the pitches being thrown here, to the way the game is being played here,” he said. “But they are small adjustments that can be made, that are quick fixes.”

If Wednesday night was any indication, he’s made them. Corona went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored as the Solar Sox blanked the Scottsdale Scorpions, 7-0.

His opposite-field double with the bases loaded off of Phillies reliever Andrew Baker in the sixth doubled Mesa’s lead from two to four. Corona had worked the count in his favor to 3-1, and he expected the right-hander to go with his upper-90s fastball next.

“He threw a few breaking balls that were coming out of the zone, they weren’t hitting where they needed to,” Corona said. “I knew he had a good fastball, so that’s what I was looking for. It came and I hit it.”

Corona picked up a single in the third and another one in the fifth. The 23-year-old also made a tremendous sliding catch after a long run in foul territory in the bottom of the eighth. It was the kind of performance Corona wanted to provide coming into the campaign.

Acquired from the Mets for Jake Marisnick in December 2019, Corona had to wait to make his Astros organizational debut until 2021 because of the pandemic, then didn’t stand out during his full-season debut in 2021. But he’s gotten continuously better over the past two years. He broke out in 2022, hitting 19 homers and stealing 28 bases across two levels of A ball, then upping his power-speed to 22 homers and 32 steals this season, mostly with Double-A Corpus Christi. Now back in the swing of things, he’s optimistic he can continue to show off his skills through the end of the Fall League, proving that staying put was a wise decision.

“I always hope to leave an impact wherever I go, whether it’s with my at-bats, out in the field with my defense,” Corona said. “That’s the goal, to leave an impact so people know who I am.”

HOUSTON — Dana Brown’s phone is “blowing up,” but the demand isn’t dictating his pace in searching for the Astros’ next manager.

Brown said on Wednesday the team has not started interviewing candidates and has no timeframe for hiring Dusty Baker’s successor, offering a stark contrast to the four other clubs currently searching for skippers.

All of them — the New York Mets, Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres — are in various stages of the interview process.

Houston is not, but perhaps the patience should not be a surprise. Owner Jim Crane “parted ways” with James Click on November 10, 2022, and did not hire Brown as his replacement until January 26.

Crane is intimately involved in this search, too, but it’s difficult to envision that he will wait two months to pick a manager. Still, Brown said on Wednesday he has no interviews scheduled during next week’s general manager’s meetings in Phoenix and avoided giving a timeframe for naming the franchise’s 20th full-time manager.

“There’s no rush,” Brown said. “Right now, we’re going to gather a few names, cast the net and get started here soon.”

Brown declined to name specific candidates, but did acknowledge that previous managerial experience is not a prerequisite for the role — a revelation that would bode well for longtime Astros bench coach Joe Espada, the most logical internal candidate to replace Baker.

First-base coach Omar López has no major-league managerial experience but managed for 12 seasons in Houston’s minor-league system before leading Team Venezuela during March’s World Baseball Classic.

“I’m looking for someone with some leadership ability, someone that can run the clubhouse. Looking for someone with great feel for players and managing players. There’s a lot that I’m looking for,” Brown said. “He’s got to know the game, be able to run a bullpen. Most of all, he’s got to have the leadership skills and I’m looking for someone I can gel with and communicate well with.”

No general manager and manager will ever agree on everything, but it’s worth noting how often Brown and Baker’s disagreements became public last season. Most centered around Baker’s lineup decisions and a curious division of playing time, especially regarding backup catcher Yainer Diaz.

Finding someone with whom Brown is aligned should be the foremost objective for whoever is running the search — Brown himself, Crane or influential baseball operations adviser Jeff Bagwell.

Last week, Crane acknowledged he will be involved in a search he described as “fluid” and perhaps shorter than Brown projected on Wednesday. Former Astros catcher Brad Ausmus, a friend of Bagwell’s, and Arizona Diamondbacks bench coach Jeff Banister remain two logical candidates with ties to the organization or area.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported on Tuesday night that Houston had “expressed interest” in Craig Counsell, though Counsell is not known to have an interview scheduled in Houston.

KHOU-11 reported earlier this week that Atlanta Braves third-base coach Ron Washington is interested in the opening, too. Given Washington and Brown spent three seasons together in Atlanta, it stands to reason Washington may be one of those “blowing up” Brown’s phone.

Peek at the payroll

Though he has not addressed it yet this winter, Crane has been consistent during his ownership tenure when discussing his club’s payroll and possibly exceeding the competitive balance tax. In March, the owner claimed he is “not afraid to go over” the CBT, but did not sound like someone eager to do so. Crane has echoed a similar refrain over the past two offseasons.

The Astros have exceeded the first CBT threshold once during Crane’s ownership tenure, a consequence of absorbing Zack Greinke’s massive contract during his blockbuster acquisition at the 2019 trade deadline.

According to Cot’s Contracts, Houston finished the 2023 season $4,147,355 under the first CBT threshold. The club ended $31,713,857 under the mark in 2022, according to the same calculations.

Last season, only 10 teams had a higher luxury tax payroll than the Astros. Not much money will be removed from that estimated $228,852,645, inviting the question of whether Crane and the Astros must consider exceeding the tax for the second time in franchise history.

“We haven’t had much discussion. I’m sure we’ll have those discussions as we move forward and it depends on who is available,” Brown said on Wednesday. “We’ll probably get more into it. But as I’ve said, we’ll do whatever we have to do to focus on 2024 and win the division and get back deep into the postseason.”

The first luxury tax threshold in 2024 is $237,000,000. Most outside projections have the Astros already close to reaching it, though estimating these payrolls is an inexact science. Only a look at the Astros’ official books would give an accurate assessment — and it’s important to note that the final luxury tax calculations aren’t made until the season ends.

Cot’s Contracts currently projects Houston’s 2024 CBT payroll at $235,168,810. Roster Resource estimates it at $231,396,032. Both of those approximations included the projected salaries of Houston’s seven arbitration-eligible players, which MLB Trade Rumors puts around $38.5 million.

Spotrac did not include those estimates — and still has Houston’s 2024 CBT payroll at $200,740,476. According to that same site, only Steve Cohen’s New York Mets have more luxury tax allocations for 2024 than the Astros.

None of Houston’s seven arbitration-eligible players are non-tender candidates. Two of them, Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez, are projected to earn at least $12 million next season.

The roster isn’t set for 2024, either. On Wednesday, Brown listed bullpen help and a backup catcher as his foremost priority, but it would behoove him to survey both the starting pitching and outfield markets to augment the Astros’ roster. If Brown addresses even three of those four areas and Crane is intent on remaining under the competitive balance tax, could Houston engineer a trade or two to trim its CBT commitment and give itself more room for possible in-season acquisitions?

Click tried to trade starter José Urquidy in 2022, but Baker and Crane vetoed it. Urquidy is projected to make $3.5 million during his second trip through the arbitration process this winter. Houston’s starting pitching surplus, even as uncertain as it is, once again could make Urquidy expendable. Finding a team willing to take on the remaining two years of reliever Rafael Montero’s $34.5 million contract feels doubtful, but Houston could pay down some of the deal to make it more appealing and still get further under the CBT.

(Top photo of Crane: Elsa / Getty Images)

It's that time of year again, when the airwaves are flooded with that holiday staple known as the Hallmark Channel Christmas movie.

Legions of fans know the plots by heart. Big-city gal returns to her small town, finds love and saves Christmas. Or the family business. Or a lost kitten. Two colleagues who can't stand each other discover they have more in common than ever imagined and find love. And save Christmas. Or the family business. Or a lost kitten. Three generations of family at loggerheads re-connect after finding themselves stranded in a cozy cabin in the woods. And save Christmas. Or the family business. Or a lost kitten.

And all with a lot of heart and holiday cheer. (Note: We at CultureMap kid because we love.)

Now, fans who love the genre for its uplifting messages and smiles-through-tears can experience the movies in a whole new way. The Hilton Americas-Houston is offering a limited-time Hallmark Channel “Countdown to Christmas” Holiday Suite by Hilton, available starting November 1 and running through January 1, 2024. The hotel is one of only three Hilton properties across the country to offer this one-of-a-kind festive dreamscape.

In H-Town, guests can book the Hilton Americas-Houston's "Haul Out the Holly" suite, which offers a cascade of seasonal cheer., and is based on the all-new, original Hallmark holiday movie of the same name. Look for jaw-dropping holiday designs and light treatments throughout the suite, including enchanting light pillows, a light-up holiday village that will dazzle the world’s biggest Christmas enthusiasts, a custom holiday light decorating station, a gingerbread bar, and more.

Expect special surprise-and-delight moments like a festive oversized game, a custom Hallmark Channel light-up marquee, and even a twinkling Christmas light ceiling. This exceptional stay will allow guests to embrace the essence of the sequel film, starring beloved Hallmark star Lacey Chabert and centering on the iconic residents and ongoing HOA decorating competitions – and infamous citations – of the ever-festive Evergreen Lane.

"We're thrilled to partner with Hallmark for a collaboration that embodies the joy of the holiday season and brings to life the light and warmth of hospitality we show our guests every day,” said Matt Schuyler, chief brand officer, Hilton in a press release announcing the initiative. “This is a great representation of Hilton’s commitment to delivering immersive and unforgettable experiences during every stay. Our collaboration with Hallmark allows us to leverage timeless storytelling to bring an added level of excitement during the holidays.”

The "Haul Out the Holly" suite, like its counterparts the “Hallmark’s Holiday Sweetest Suite” at the Hilton New York Times Square and the “Santa Summit” at the Hilton Chicago, includes a custom-decorated Christmas tree and complimentary hot cocoa station.

To keep the holiday cheer going all season long, each of these special guest suites also include Hallmark Channel-branded takeaways that guests can enjoy with their loved ones during or after their holiday stay. Think Hallmark Channel Wine, Bissinger’s cocoa mix and hot cocoa bombs, Republic of Tea products, wine glasses, mugs, and more.

Rates start at $1,050 per night. Reservations can be made online.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- After widespread reports of frost Thursday morning, Friday morning will still be cool but noticeably milder in the upper 40s.

You won't need a jacket by the afternoon as temperatures warm into the mid 70s under a mostly sunny sky.

The warming trend will continue through the weekend and into next week. Another cold front is expected to move in at the end of next week.

How does the weather look for Election Day?

It should be rain-free but very warm and humid. High temperatures will soar into the mid 80s after morning lows in the upper 60s.

Is there any rain in the 10 day forecast?

Yes! But it's a small chance for now. It should stay rain-free through the weekend, then humid air rushing in Monday could bring isolated showers. A higher chance of rain could accompany a front penciled in for next Thursday, November 9th, and that rain chance is expected to continue behind the front into Veterans Day weekend.

What is happening in the tropics?

We are monitoring a system with a low chance of development in the Caribbean that's moving west towards Central America. For our latest tropical update, head to our Tropical Update page.

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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Many Houstonians are seeing dramatic increases in their water bills with seemingly no rhyme or reason.

The issue came up at Tuesday night's city council, bringing at least one resident to tears. Nearly two dozen residents came forward to complain about severely inaccurate water meter readings.

Mayor Pro-Tem Dave Martin told ABC13 on Wednesday that they are still trying to figure out what exactly is going wrong here.

The bottom line is some residents are seeing water usage estimates that are 10 times higher than normal. Commonly, that could be traced back to a water leak, but in most cases, they're not finding that.

In September 2022, Jan Adelman's bill said he used 29,000 gallons of water over a period of one month. At Tuesday's council listening session, he explained that was impossible because of his heartbreaking reality.

SEE ALSO: Action 13 steps in to help Houston man with his $50,000 water bill

His wife was sick and hospitalized for 19 days.

"So, there is no way we used that water throughout our home, and as a side note, my wife passed away less than a month after that bill," Adelman tearfully said.

Adelman poured his heart out to the city council on Tuesday.

He said now, a year later, he was slapped with another bill. The most recent one says he used 53,000 gallons of water during this past September.

"Ten times the amount of water of the previous month and enough water to fill my swimming pool three times," Adelman said.

The City of Houston billed Adelman over $1,538.

Martin said the city council is working on an ordinance change to address the financial burden the inaccuracies are putting on residents.

SEE ALSO: Midtown resident hit with $1,400 water bill that city told him was caused by private leak

"More relief for expensive water bills. What are we going to do about it in terms of dollars? Well, we have to figure that out, but there are many cases we heard (Tuesday) that defy logic," Martin said. "It is a mess, and we know it's a mess."

Adelman said a technician determined his meter wasn't working properly; therefore, there was no way of gathering an accurate reading.

"There is a myriad of problems, but part of it is you have great difficulty in getting through to anyone," Adelman said.

SEE ALSO: Houston family stunned by nearly $24K water bill following city's replacement of faulty devices

Thankfully, at the meeting, a representative followed up with each complainant.

Martin says the city will compile a report by the end of next week and go from there.

"I think the awareness was significantly increased, and I hope there is a concerted effort to get to the bottom of it," Adelman said.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Whether you knew him as Big Puma, Fat Elvis, a Killer B, or the catalyst of that Astros playoff comeback from 2005, Lance Berkman has been tightly woven into Houston sports fabric going back to his days with the Rice Owls baseball team.

The video is from a previous 2021 report on Berkman's hiring at HCU.

Berkman, now teaching the next generation of baseball players as Houston Christian University's head coach on the diamond, is heading into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame.

The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority announced on Thursday the former Astro's induction for the 2024 class, which already will have Houston Comets great Cynthia Cooper as part of it.

"Berkman's passion for baseball at every level and his undeniable impact on the city of Houston make him more than worthy to be a part of the very accomplished 2024 Hall of Fame class," the sports authority wrote in a news release.

Berkman is also joining two Astros teammates who were already inducted, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio.

"It's certainly a great honor to me, and getting to be in there with a couple of my former teammates is just the icing on the cake," Berkman said.

The 47-year-old's origin story in Houston is well known, having matriculated at Rice University, where he was instrumental in the baseball program's first College World Series berth in 1997. Later that year, the Astros made him the 16th overall pick in the MLB draft.

He went onto start his 12 years with the Astros in 1999. From there, his story is one dearly held by fans of that era. With Houston, he earned five All-Star selections, was in the National League MVP conversation in a handful of seasons, and helped the 'Stros reach their first-ever World Series in 2005.

Berkman went on to wind down his MLB career with the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, and the Texas Rangers, winning the 2011 World Series with the Cards. He retired as an Astro in 2014 after signing a ceremonial contract.

The sports authority plans to announce a third and final member of the 2024 class at a later date.

Berkman and Cooper will be inducted during the 2024 Houston Sports Awards, which is set in January.

HOUSTON -- — Jalen Green scored 23 and Fred VanVleet added 22 points and 11 assists as the Houston Rockets earned their first win of the season, 128-119 over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.

The Rockets, who dropped their first three games, led by 18 points in the first half before letting the Hornets get back in it. But Houston used a big run in the third quarter to stretch its lead and withstood a late push by the Hornets for the victory.

VanVleet, an eight-year veteran who joined the Rockets this season, said young teams have to learn how to win.

“Especially with the history and the circumstances that have been here the last couple of years, you have to learn how valuable possessions are and how fast things can snowball both ways,” he said. “So just continue to make the right plays and chip away and then once it gets crunch time, you've got to be able to get organized and keep your mind right and make the crucial plays.”

Houston was up by five points late in the fourth quarter when a 3-pointer by Green pushed the lead to 120-112 with less than two minutes left.

LaMelo Ball made 1 of 2 free throws before Green added a driving layup with just more than a minute to go.

Terry Rozier made a basket for Charlotte, before Alperen Sengun made a thundering one-handed dunk a few seconds later, pushing the lead to 124-115.

Green was glad to see the Rockets get their first win after losing a couple of close games after a blowout loss to Orlando in their opener.

“We all knew what we were doing and the growth that we made,” he said. “So it was just good to put this one together.”

All five of Houston’s starters score at least 17 points. Dillon Brooks had 20, Sengun had 19 and seven rebounds and Jabari Smith Jr. added 17.

P.J. Washington scored 23 and Rozier finished with 21 points to lead the Hornets, who fell to 1-3.

“There's things we've got to do better,” Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. “Actually a lot of the stuff we didn't do well tonight, we've done well in the other games. What we've got to do is put it all together.”

Ball had just six points with about six minutes left before scoring 10 points, with two 3-pointers, to power an 18-9 run that cut the lead to 115-110 with about 2½ minutes to go. He finished with 19 points and five assists.

The Rockets led by three points early in the third before using an 11-2 run to make it 77-65 with eight minutes left in the quarter. Green had a 3-pointer in that stretch and Brooks made two consecutive 3’s to cap the run.

Charlotte ended the quarter with a 7-2 spurt, with the first four points from Nick Richards, cutting the lead to 86-78 entering the fourth.

Houston’s Amen Thompson, the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, had four points before leaving in the third quarter with a sprained right ankle.

UP NEXT

Hornets: Visit Indiana on Saturday night.

Rockets: Play consecutive home games against Sacramento on Saturday and Monday nights.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Quarterback Bryce Young led his first game-winning drive in a 15-13 victory against the Houston Texans in Week 8. Young orchestrated a 15-play, 86-yard drive starting at the Panthers' 9-yard line that took 6:17 off the clock to set up an Eddy Piñeiro 23-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.

He completed 5-of-6 passes for 60 yards and added a rush for 7 yards on the team's final march.

Through eight games, he currently ranks fourth in the NFC with a 93.3 passer rating in the fourth quarter of games. Young finished the day completing 22-of-31 passes (71 percent) for 235 yards and a touchdown. His 103.6 passer rating was the sixth-highest in the NFC during Week 8 and marked the first time in his career he registered a passer rating over 100.

His 22 completions extended his streak of completing 20 or more passes in six games to start his career. He joins Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (2020) and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (2019) as the only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to record at least 20 completions in each of his first six games.