It seems like only yesterday I was blogging about Landry’s Inc. buying Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and soon after that rumoring the concept was island bound. At 11 a.m. Thursday, the eatery officially opens at the Galveston Island Historic Pleasaure Pier.

(The pier opens for sneak previews this weekend.)

While there’s a charge to enter the pier, there’s no charge for access to Bubba Gump’s, which can seat more than 350 people.

The concept’s name is taken from the 1994 movie “Forrest Gump.” In the movie, character Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue called shrimp the “fruit of the sea” and extolled the many ways it could be prepared. Bubba Gump prepares shrimp 19 ways.

Along with an entertaining atmosphere, Bubba Gump serves up fish entrees, salads, fun children’s meals, desserts and award-winning ribs. Signature menu items include appetizers such as Mama Gump’s Garlic Bread Basket,

Bubba’s Far Out Dip and the Run Across America Sampler featuring a taste of all the appetizer favorites. Entrees such as Bucket of Boat Trash, which features shrimp and lobster claws, Bourbon Street Mahi Mahi and Lt. Dan’s Drunken Shrimp are among customer favorites.

Bubba Gump restaurants each generate about $7.2 million a year. So, do you plan to give Bubba Gump’s a try ? Let us know what you think.

A member of the island’s prominent Moody family has plunked down $1,025,750 for a mansion, but it’s not in Galveston. Island businessman Robert Moody Jr. on May 10 was the winning bidder in an auction of an estate home on 50 acres just west of Nacogdoches.


Robert Moody Jr.'s new mansion west of Nacogdoches

Moody, son of Robert L. Moody, who runs American National Insurance Co. and whose family controls tourist complex Moody Gardens, also acquired the majority of adjacent tracts of land.

The property was auctioned off in an event conducted by National Auction Group.

Moody outbid nine other registered participants, each of whom was required to bring $50,000 in the form of business check, personal check or certified funds to bid on the estate home and $10,000 for each additional adjacent tract. Danny Bates of Nacogdoches bought one of the tracts.

It wasn't immediately clear on Monday whether Moody, who heads
Moody Insurance Group, plans to use the estate home or considers it an investment.

The residence is the centerpiece of a functioning blueberry farm of several acres, which also generates revenue and provides some healthy snacking for the owner. Also, the blueberry farm has a packing building and walk-in cooler.

The house boasts four bedrooms and six-and-a-half baths in more than 9,000 square feet.

The exterior is made of Arkansas and Tennessee stonewalls. The home features a custom standing seam copper roof. The first floor boasts a dramatic den with a sizeable stone fireplace with a large hearth and a surrounding stone floor.

A large glassed-in atrium with a wrap-around redwood deck overlooking the lake surrounds the front porch among other amenities.

The self-serve, frozen yogurt race in the county continues to heat up, this time with Tutti Frutti planning a 1,200-square-foot shop in Victory Lakes Town Center at Interestate 45 and FM 646.

Thanks to this blog report, I won’t be able to get the Tutti Frutti song out of my head today. And I’m also hungry.

But I digress.

With more than 50 flavors and 580 stores worldwide, Tutti Frutti is a popular chain. I’m not certain about an opening date, but I am certain that frozen yogurt franchises are bent on infiltrating the county and Clear Lake area.

As I’ve previously blogged, Oklahoma-based yogurt purveyor Orange Leaf is preparing to soon open an island shop, 6606 Seawall Blvd. Last fall, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt opened at 301 W. Parkwood Ave. in Friendswood. About the same time, Berrylicious Frozen Yogurt opened a shop at 1628 S. Friendswood Drive.

Remember the 1980s when our fro-yo options were pretty much limited to TCBY and I Can't Believe It's Yogurt? I thought the cold wars had melted away by the 1990s and frozen yogurt had gone the way of parachute pants and the Rubik’s Cube.


Tutti Frutti Yogurt's toppings bar

Yogurt has fewer calories than ice cream and is packed with live cultures that are supposed to be good for us, which could be part of the appeal. Or maybe the toppings got more interesting.

Perhaps the new fascination with frozen yogurt can be partially attributed to the hundreds of new flavors, ranging from “Snickerdoodle” to “Pumpkin Pie.”

Any theories out there why fro-yo is back and bigger than ever?

Do you have a favorite franchise?

Did anyone else notice that “Opening Soon” sign heralding the imminent arrival of BeQuay Sandwiches at 3728 Broadway in Galveston? BeQuay is planned for the building formerly occupied by Pho 20, which moved earlier this year to a larger space at 2101 Broadway.


BeQuay Sandwiches at 3728 Broadway

Owners weren’t available for comment, but it appears BeQuay will serve up the popular Vietnamese-French sandwich known as “banh mi.”

The sandwiches typically are made of baguettes filled with charbroiled meats (or tofu for vegetarians), and topped with such things as sliced pickled carrots, jalapenos and fresh cilantro.

I only know of one other such eatery in our readership area — Nobi Asian Grill in Friendswood. (If there are others, let me know.)

Are there any fans of banh mi? Do you plan to give BeQuay a try?

I’ve been writing about rumors of The Cheesecake Factory opening an area eatery since 2004. But this time, it looks real. An astute reader sent this link by b4-u-Eat, an online restaurant guide that shows the casual eatery plans a Baybrook Mall site.


Cheesecake Factory photo

I also found this job posting by The Cheesecake Factory seeking managers at the proposed Baybrook Mall eatery.

Calabasas Hills-based The Cheesecake Factory is known for cheesecake flavors such as White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle and Key Lime, along with big portions of American fare (they also now have small plates for the calorie conscious), specialty drinks (spiked milkshakes anyone?) and more.


Cheesecake Factory photo

So, is this good news? What’s your favorite cheesecake flavor or dish at the restaurant?

Representatives for Tanger Factory Outlet Centers and Simon Property Group have been slow to offer fresh updates about retailers who will occupy the jointly developed 90-store outlet mall in Texas City.

But inquiring shoppers want answers. Now.

So, I'm happy to report that a very helpful reader has provided a site plan floating around that appears to be real. I have no reason to doubt the veracity of the site plan. At the same time, I’m not swearing on a Bible that this is the tenant lineup. It could be an elaborate ruse to throw us off the trail.

A disclaimer on the site plan states: "We are negotiating with the stores listed and certain stores are reviewing leases. We do not guarantee that the listed stores will be open."

If negotiations pan out, there are interesting tenant trends to observe. Shoes. Lots of shoes. And lots of children's clothing stores.

And several stores are returning to the market, including women’s clothing store Chico’s, which left downtown Galveston after Hurricane Ike. Bass Shoes also is returning, as is Van Heusen. Both also left the island’s downtown after the September 2008 storm. Before that, they had departed La Marque's outlet mall, now called Gulfway Plaza.

Women’s clothing retailer New York & Co., which left Mall of the Mainland several years ago, also is on the retail roster.

The list I provide below the site map isn’t complete. Some spaces are reserved. So there'll be more. Also, I had trouble reading some of the food court area tenants. Let me know what you think of the tenants and which ones you are happiest about. I'm looking forward to hearing from shoppers.


Courtesy Photo - Enlarge Image

In no particular order, here are tenants named on that plan.

Old Navy

Direct Tools (sells paint sprayers, power tools and accessories, grills, pressure washers and more).

Under Armour (sport clothing apparel and gear)

Guess

Disney Store (as previously buzzed)

Puma

New York & Co.

Clarks-Bostonian (fashionable footwear and accessories for men and women)

Bass Shoes (Bass walked out of La Marque and Galveston markets several years ago.)

Kitchen Collection (gadgets, tools and small appliances)

Chico’s

Talbots

J. Crew

Banana Republic

Michael Kors

Calvin Klein

Cole Haan

Ann Taylor

Kenneth Cole

Aldo

Sperry/Saucony (athletic shoes)

Van Heusen

Converse

Nike

Finish Line (athletic shoes, gear)

Jones New York

Nine West

BCBG

Fossil

NYDJ (Not Your Daughter’s Jeans)

Naturalizer

Kasper

Famous Footwear

Crocs

Justice (girls clothing)

Columbia Sportswear

Gap

Aeropostale

U.S. Polo Association (brand products sanctioned by the United States Polo Association, the governing body for the sport of polo).

Polo (sells Ralph Lauren apparel)

Lane Bryant

Tommy Hilfiger

Reebok

JoS A. Bank Clothiers

Loft (women’s clothing)

Hartstrings (children’s clothing)

The Uniform Outlet (Hmm. This outlet store already has a store in La Marque’s Gulfway Plaza).

Carter’s (children’s clothing)

The Children’s Place

Gymboree

Lids (hats)

Samsonite

Robert Wayne (more athletic footwear)

American Eagle Outfitters (trendy clothing)

Kay Jewelers

Elizabeth Arden (cosmetics)

Ultra (diamonds)

Sunglass Hut

Vans

Haggar

Perry Ellis

Brooks Brothers

Coach

Zumiez (snowboarding and skateboarding shoes, clothing)

Journeys (shoes)

Skechers (shoes, shapeups, boots)

Starbucks

Island-based Galveston Restaurant Group continues to serve up big news and fresh concepts, this week announcing plans to open Nonno Tony’s World Kitchen at Pier 21 on the island.

Look for a late summer opening of Nonno Tony’s World Kitchen, which will offer Italian, Asian fusion, Creole and traditional American fare all served from an open-style kitchen.


Nonno Tony’s will open just south of Olympia Grill at Pier 21. Photo by Stacy Canion

The eatery with harbor views will feature a steam kettle bar and brick ovens, company principals report. The eatery also will include “Paulie’s Bar,” offering an extensive beer and wine list.

“Nonno,” is Italian for grandfather” and pays homage to Galveston Restaurant Group’s patriarch, Tony Smecca, who is father to two of the company partners — Johnny and Joey Smecca. Paulie’s Bar is named in honor of the father of Danny Hart, a third partner in the company.

Family plays a big part in the company, the partners say. Nonno Tony’s world flavors will utilize techniques honed at other Galveston Restaurant Group properties.

“We wanted to celebrate some of the most iconic dishes from our restaurants,” Joey Smecca said.

Galveston Restaurant Group is a company to watch with a lot on its plate. It owns and operates five restaurants in Galveston and Little Daddy’s Gumbo Bar in League City. Last month, it announced its most popular concepts — Sky Bar Steak & Sushi and Gumbo Bar — would be trading spaces in the island’s downtown.

In the Nonno venture, the company will lease space from Mitchell Historic Properties.

“We would like to see Pier 21 grow as a family friendly destination where visitors can enjoy a great meal, visit attractions and even stay the night," said Bill Ross, senior vice president and general manager of Mitchell Historic Properties, which also operates Harbor House Hotel at the Pier.

Galveston Restaurant Group will open Nonno Tony’s World Kitchen in an existing building, just south of Olympia Grill at Pier 21.