Belvedere

1131 Uptown Park Blvd
Houston, TX 77056
Neighborhood: Galleria/Uptown

Labor Day Weekend. Too many parties, too much drinking, too much ratchet,  too much crazy. However, you have to go out on a high note, and it had been a while since I'd been to Plan B. Slightly drained after a few days of partying, I felt I could depend on Belvedere. Sundays they advertise free entry for everyone until eleven, they've got parties going on outside on the patio and inside the main rooms, and the place looks classy. The Professor, though, is not happy. Want to know why? Read on.

The start of a good night?

Let's get the technicalities out of the way. Belvedere is in a great part of the city, located in the Uptown area nearby a wonderful shopping and dining area. For the casual sports viewer there's a Champps close by, the paths between the stores look like quaintly lit European streetways, and the clientele and esthetic is relaxed and classy. There's parking as far as the eye can see, and Belvedere itself is lit up like a Miami Night, with a sleek interior, a lovely White Room at the rear, plenty of reserved seating, a lengthy bar, and a spacious patio. There's so much to love about the place.

It looks really nice.

The DJs are always on top of their game. Fridays they have what they call International Nights, which blend hip hop, dance numbers and reggae under the watch of one of Houston's most well rounded DJs, DJ Shinski. Sunday night they had hip hop and reggae on the patio blending with classic hip hop and 80s New Wave tracks for a diverse dance experience. Inside it was absolute hip hop, cycling through numbers by 2 Chainz and others, your expected urban hip hop experience. The club was absolutely packed, with people lining the bar, every VIP section bought up, and the patio area moving and flowing. Sounds like a great night, correct?

The night was going strong.

It is. It normally is. I just have one, huge complain, that has nothing to do with the club. I want to be clear, the staff of Belvedere is exceptional and incredibly friendly. Any one of the men or women working the bar and pouring your drinks is professional, courteous, speedy and helpful. A bottle of beer will run you five dollars, slightly higher than Houston's standard but expected in an area with this level of demand, clientele and experience. The same goes for their Jack and Coke, which runs nine dollars, which is just about the ceiling for that drink in Houston. I've got no problems with those prices, in this area, with this sort of crowd and service. Really, no complaints about either the wonderful service or the drinks, which have a strong pour. They've even got a massive wall of four large tvs to help watch any number of games on that day.

A view from the bar.

 What earns my ire is the false promotion used for their Labor Day party. The experience you want to deliver is one of consistency, quality and happiness. The promoters for Sunday night were Lisa Rogers and Steve Rogers, who traditionally take a 20 dollar cover at the door after eleven. That's something to be aware of if you're coming in for a visit. Man or woman, you will pay 20 if you're coming in late. But if you come in earlier, you're fine. No cover. That's the expectation of Plan B, the party they hold on Sundays.

Four tvs for you sports nuts.

What earns my ire is the false promotions. I like to carry cash with me so I know how much I'm spending, so I drew out my normal amount for an evening like this and proceeded to the club. Guess my surprise when I arrived, shortly after ten, to find out that Lisa and Steve had falsely promoted the night as being free before eleven. Look, I get that it's the Labor Day weekend. I know this is your chance to make extra money. I don't have any problem with that. In fact, that was common at a number of places around town. What I don't want is for you to lie on your flyer just to draw in a crowd, because if I can't trust your promotions here, why should I trust them at Sugar Hill, or the rumored Scott Gertners that Steve is supposedly attached to?

It was packed.

Be honest with me. Don't lie. Now look, I've never had problems with the Rogers and their promotions before, so maybe there was some sort of mix up on their flyers. I don't know, so I'm not going to hold it against them too much. But the one thing I need from a club, a bar, a promoter or an owner is trustworthiness. If I could separately rate Belvedere apart from Steve and Lisa for my experience Sunday, I would. As it is, the deception really bothered me and still does, because I get around far and wide in Houston. I expect a quality experience and a fair sale, nothing more. So despite how much I love Belvedere, for this night I can't rate it higher than average. I talked to lots of women, had good drinks and loved the music, but the promoters really need to get their game straight. I consider this a first strike, so I'll re-rate Belvedere after a future visit. Also, if I might mention, the story right now is the Sunday night has been on a steady decline. The bump this Sunday was from the Labor Day crowd. So, with increased competition abounding on Sunday nights, I'd advise Steve and Lisa to be upfront with their promotions in a future.

The Final Call:
Facilities: 5/5
Staff: 5/5
Service: 1/5
Drinks: 4/5
Food: N/A


Overall: 3/5 (A rating of my overall positive or negative feelings on the night.)

The Living Room

The Living Room
2670 Sage Rd
Houston, TX 77056
Neighborhood: Galleria/Uptown

I needed a break from the club scene I'd been doing the last two weeks. When you back to back Empire and Gatsby, it gets a bit overwhelming. Everybody's on top of everyone, it's hot and crowded, and the dress code seems to basically just "be dressed". There's nothing wrong with that of course. That scene is good from time to time, but sometimes you want something with a bit more of an upscale vibe.

That's what brought me out to the Living Room. It was a hell of a time finding the place, first of all. The exterior is unmarked, it's in a plaza area in the Galleria, and it's hard to tell where the parking is. I was almost deterred, but my love of a good drink and good music kept me going. Glad I did, too.

Because alcohol.

I managed to get parking in the lot next door, and I didn't have to pay, but only because I arrived around 9:45. Parking attendants don't seem to arrive to start charging until 10:00, when the lounge itself opens up. There's also a valet parking option, though I'm sure the charge is higher. There's no cover at the door, so that's a plus, just know up front you'll likely have to pay around ten dollars for a spot. When you consider some of the other clubs and lounges in Houston charge both parking and door cover, the Living Room isn't a bad deal.

Boost Mobile is promoting everywhere in Houston.

Inside, the Living Room seems fairly small, at least while you're on ground level. There are two floors, so we'll start from the bottom. The lighting subdued, a mix of blue and purple, with soft lit candles within the purchased seating along the right wall. Because of space restrictions, seating is restricted to those purchasing bottle service. However, throughout the night, I didn't see too much trouble with the ground floor. People were mingling, enjoying themselves, and never seemed to lack space to get around. At least, I never did.

There is a fee to move to the second level, which I believe is twenty dollars, but I can't say for sure. After all, yours truly did not have to pay. Many of the patrons I saw on the first floor seemed to eventually make their way upstairs, at least at some point. I need to emphasize this: You really don't need to. There's plenty of fun to be had on the first level. There are pretty people, the music is the same upstairs and downstairs, there's no difference in the drinks or prices. Think of the second floor as just one more perk, if you're willing to pay the charge.

Plus you get nice views like this.

Half of the second level is reserved for parties and VIP celebrations, roped off from the main section. This is where the bottle drinks are served, and a few scattered balloons marked a birthday party. It's also where the DJ booth is located. DJ Good Grief was on the deck, and the music was fantastic. Early in the night, the music went between R&B, soul, and a mix of modern and classic hip hop tracks. Shortly after midnight, the party goes into full effect, and the mix skews toward hip hop club tracks, with a few breaks of dance tracks and popular hits, such as "Blurred Lines".  Also a plus? The music was going strong, but never so loud that you couldn't talk to the person next to you. Some places have trouble finding the right balance.

I dare not.

The crowd was well dressed, both men and women were looking sharp, the music was great and the staff was incredibly friendly. Early on in the evening, they kept me good company as I awaited the crowd, which tends to start filing in around eleven. By midnight, the lounge is packed, and people are making their way upstairs. As far as pricing, a beer went for five dollars, a Jack and Coke for eight, and a glass of wine for fifteen. I'm not a huge fan of the wine price, but then again, I'm a Jack and Coke man. These prices are competitive with all the upscale locations in Houston, and are equal to, or better than, some spots that maintain a much more relaxed dress code or rougher crowd. The pours are strong, too, so that's a plus.

I want to fall asleep in that chair.

So what's the final verdict? Overall, I had a blast. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. It was never so crowded I felt suffocated, I didn't feel out of place in a suit, though a simple button up shirt would have been sufficient as well, the decor and ambiance are trendy, and the staff is incredibly helpful and inviting. Despite reservations about the size of the place, I had one of the best times I've had at any location in Houston. Best of all, it was easy to conversate with people around you, striking up conversations with others at the bar or watching the dance floor. The Living Room is definitely a top spot to visit and I will make it a regular location to return to.


The Final Call:
Facilities: 5/5
Staff: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Drinks: 5/5
Food: N/A

Overall: 5/5