Mom’s recipes always taste best. Share her favorite (or yours) and you could win a Phoenicia gift card! Simply email us with one recipe only that includes:
1.) Step-by-step instructions
2.) Ingredients and quantity of each you used
3.) Photo of finished recipe (optional)
4.) Your contact information (full name, email address and phone number)
Three winners will be chosen based on recipe creativity and overall appeal. Grand Prize: 1 – $100 Phoenicia gift card Second Prize: 1 – $50 Phoenicia gift card Third Prize: 1 – $25 Phoenicia gift card
Entries must be received by Monday, May 13, 2013 at 11:59PM (CST). Only one entry per person, please.
Must be 18 years of age or older to participate. Recipes must be original and may not be copied from any source. Any photo you submit must belong to you and you warrant that it does not and shall not infringe on any copyright or any other third party right nor violate any applicable law or regulation. By submitting a recipe entry, you give Phoenicia Specialty Foods non-exclusive rights to use your recipe and photo for any promotional purposes, without compensation. Contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. Employees of Phoenicia Specialty Foods, MKT BAR and Arpi’s Deli and their immediate family members living in the same household are not eligible.
Be among the first to experience “Sound Proof,” a collection of photographs and collages by Peter Lucas on Thursday, May 9th and meet the artist himself. After a brief introduction, Lucas will play a DJ set from 7-9PM.
About the Art
Artist Peter Lucas has drawn from his eclectic collection of old records and tapes to create a series of work exploring the nature and aesthetics of music media objects. Lucas’ photographs and collages incorporate and reframe elements of vinyl records, covers, sleeves, and 8-track and cassette tape cartridges. Emphasizing design as well as edges, textures, and degradation, Sound Proof is an homage to the rapidly vanishing culture of physical music media, a conceptual shifting of these vessels into art objects, and a personal rumination on the artist’s lifelong relationship with music.
On View: May 10 – June 9, 2013 Opening Reception: Thursday, May 9, 2013, 6-9PM Cost: Free admission. All artwork will be available for purchase.
Mother’s Day Weekend
May 11-12, 2013
9AM-2PM
MKT BAR presents full-service dining and a special YUMMY! brunch menu guaranteed to make Mama happy. Highlights of our Mom’s Day special menu include Fresh Fruit Waffles, Piperade with Eggs, an Egg Scramble with chorizo and more. Popular choices including Haig’s Chili and several gourmet pizzas from the regular MKT BAR menu will also be available. Of course a good brunch isn’t complete without drinks, so have Mom order a party-pretty pomegranate mimosa or a summer-loving white sangria to accompany her meal. On Sunday May 12th, the Pelayo Parlade Duo performs from noon to 3PM.
MKT BAR YUMMY! Mama’s Day Brunch Menu
•Fresh Fruit Waffles $10
with seasonal mixed fruit and cardamom whipped cream
•Hill Country Fried Chicken and Waffles $13
with Moroccan-spiced maple syrup
•Yogurt and Granola $6
A cup of Greek yogurt with homemade, honey-sweetened granola
•Piperade w/ Eggs $9
Two soft-cooked eggs in pepper and tomato sauce, served with pita chips
•Egg Scramble $10 with chorizo / $8 without chorizo
Over roasted potatoes and green onions with a drizzle of MKT Queso
•Side of Herb-Roasted Potatoes, Home-Style Sausage or Home-Style Bacon $2
•Plantain Chips $7
Crispy, homemade plantain chips with mango salsa and chimichurri
•MKT Queso $9
Melted beemster, sharp white cheddar, Gruyère and kefalograviera cheeses with grilled jalapeño, green olives, roasted peppers and oven-baked pita chips
•Haig’s Chili $8
Ground chuck steak with onions, roasted peppers, fava beans and chickpeas topped with sharp white cheddar cheese, red radish, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil and scallions
•Farmer’s Market Pizza $12
Kefalograviera cheese, spinach, red peppers, roasted shallots and garlic topped with green onions, roasted pears and apples
•The Butcher $14
Pizza with marinara sauce, mozzarella, chorizo, Italian sausage, ground beef and sopressata
•Big Cheese $12
Pizza with house marinara, fresh mozzarella and parmesan
Admiring MKT BAR’s lovely illustrations of pretty ladies and handsome men graced with luscious locks of bountiful hair? They’re the ink and watercolor creations of our very own server Monica Alexander. While we know she’ll leave us one day to pursue her lifelong dream of being an artist, we encourage YUMMY! customers to come meet this talented woman with a beautiful smile and energy that are sure to fill your day.
Monica is a local illustrator who spent the last four years studying illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. Drawing had always been her first love and she started to develop her style in high school. During her college years, she truly discovered her illustrator side by fully immersing herself into the world of illustration. She graduated in June 2012 and started her job as a server at MKT BAR days later. Her biggest plan for the future is to become a freelance illustrator and earn a living doing what she loves most. We’re thrilled to have her as part of our Phoenicia family in the meantime!
View Houston through the eyes of Rosine Kouamen, hometown photographer and mixed-media artist who endeavors to capture the transformation of culture through her lens and artistic creations. Explore Houston’s bustling ethnic epicenter as the native Cameroonian displays work that depicts how identity transcends time and location.
Exhibit: Through May 31, 2013
Opening Reception: Wednesday, April 24, 2013, 7-10PM
Free admission. Kouamen will attend the opening reception and light bites will be served. Drinks and all artwork will be available for purchase.
For more information on Rosine Kouamen, visit http://www.rosinekouamen.com
With a background as a computer programmer, Massar Rahma walked into Phoenicia Specialty Foods two years ago, looking for a stocking job that would tide him over until he found his dream job. Little did he know that dream job would be as general manager at Arpi’s Phoenicia Deli!
When Massar began working at Arpi’s, he fell in love with the food and the different kinds of coffees they make. He was eager to learn how to make them and worked diligently to learn from other baristas until he perfected his techniques. His favorite coffee drink is the Vanilla Dulce de Leche–and he gets many requests for this goodness in a cup!
At Arpi’s, he is the Massar of all! He can often be seen buzzing around the busy kitchen, helping on the registers, making coffee and always taking the time to help a customer who may be unfamiliar with Arpi’s delicacies. He laughs as he recalls one customer, who has since become a regular, who chastised him for making him taste an item. Now that customer comes in almost daily for it. The customer said, “It is your fault, Massar! You made me try it!” Massar loves the busy lunch times and has a following of regulars that come in so often, he knows their orders by heart.
You can hear the joy in his heart when he talks about busy weekends when families are relaxing at tables and kids are playing games and laughing. This is Massar’s favorite time at Arpi’s. He beams with a humbling sincerity we when he talks about Arpi’s and how he wants customers to feel like Arpi’s is their home away from home.
Come to Arpi’s and become one of Massar’s “regulars.” He will make you feel like you are home.
It’s a well-known fact that Phoodies pursue their passion at Phoenicia, but for one charming couple, the passion has grown beyond pita, pastries and pinot. What began as a chance meeting on a simple night out with friends, later transformed this pair into starry-eyed passengers who had unknowingly sailed aboard the Phoenicia love boat!
A friend of Dea Chincuanco and Carlos Go Boncan introduced them at MKT BAR during Valentine’s Week 2012. A short time later, the two become Facebook friends and chatted regularly. They eventually started dating and ultimately kindled a blossoming romance.
With the holidays approaching and a big celebration planned with Dea’s family, Carlos was extremely busy at work and confessed to Dea he had been unable to get her a Christmas present. Dea understood and the Christmas Eve celebration proceeded as planned. After everyone had opened their gifts, Carlos escorted Dea outside to a magical backyard setting, orchestrated with the assistance of her family. Carlos got down on one knee, presented a ring and proposed to an unsuspecting Dea. He professed that she had made him the world’s happiest man and in return, he wanted to make her the happiest woman. Completely surprised and delighted, Dea accepted. On behalf of the entire YUMMY! Crew, we congratulate the happy couple on their upcoming spring wedding and wish them a lifetime of delicious happiness!
Lovers in Italy and around the world exchange chocolate-covered hazelnut Baci Perugina “kisses” for Valentine’s Day. The chocolate-hazelnut combination is rooted in the history of chocolate production in Italy, and is full of tall tales and intriguing characters. No character is bigger in that story than Gianduia (pronounced zhan-DO-yuh). We know it as the irresistible, creamy smooth, spreadable combination of chocolate and hazelnuts (think Nutella). But in the mid-1800s, Italians knew Gianduia as a marionette of the Commedia dell’Arte theater.
Signifying good humor, honesty, and the pleasures of food and drink, Gianduia the puppet was a source of huge civic pride as a peasant of the Piedmont region, specifically the town of Turin in Northern Italy. In February 1865, at a time of much political upheaval, local citizens banded together and made their favorite character, Gianduia, the King of Carnival. In the excess and indulgence of these pre-Lent celebrations, the first chocolate and hazelnut confection — the gianduiotti, appeared.
Named after the patron of Turin’s Carnival, gianduiotti (zhee-an-DWO-tee) are plump, finger-sized soft confections of chocolate, hazelnut paste, and sugar, wrapped individually. Gianduia (the chocolate-hazelnut spread) and gianduiotti (the individual candies) were revolutionary for their smooth texture, given that chocolate manufactured at the time produced a gritty product. In fact, the chocolate bar as we know it had not yet been invented, and there was no such thing as a milk chocolate bar.
Today, choices of chocolate-hazelnut combinations abound, whether it is traditional Pernigotti Gianduiotti, in Italian sweet bread Balocco Panettone, or in the love-note-filled “kisses,” the Baci Perugina. The well-known modern version of gianduia, Nutella, came about more than 75 years after its invention as a luxury sweet on the streets of Turin. But unlike the original, the one we love today comes in milk chocolate.
Find all of these delectable chocolate-hazelnut combinations freshly stocked at Phoenicia. And for a legendary combo you’ll really love, pair these treats with a bottle of wine from Phoenicia’s extensive selection.
Quickly becoming everyone’s favorite reason to shop downtown, Milly always shows amazing enthusiasm and passion for Phoenicia, and possesses unrivaled product knowledge. She can often be found hunting down a certain spice or searching the shelves for a special food that the customer can only describe by appearance or aroma. She is truly a phenomenal Phoenicia Phoodie!
As she remembers fondly, Milly started eight years ago after first asking her brother, who was already a Phoenicia employee, if she could be hired. When he failed to get her an interview, she boldly walked right up to the owner and told him, “You need to hire me!” And we are forever grateful he did.
Milly was born in Higuey, Dominican Republic, a city known for its tourism and beauty. Growing up in Higuey gave her a passion for history and culture–both representing what she loves most about Phoenicia. Milly delights in the history behind the foods we sell and even though she is a self-proclaimed non-cook, she admires how dishes are made and what they represent to the cultures that enjoy them.
Heath, a resident of One Park Place, loves Milly’s energy and passion for the job. He recently stated, “Milly is the main reason I shop here. She has an amazing, positive energy and is one of the best things about Phoenicia.”
When she isn’t bustling through the store, Milly likes to relax by reading books, riding her bike, attending shows at Miller Outdoor Theater or zipping around on her cute scooter.
Milly was recently voted the “Yummiest All-Around Employee” by her coworkers and we wholeheartedly agree. Be sure to stop by Phoenicia Downtown and see all the products that make Milly’s heart sing!
It’s a charming coincidence that Peter is our “Big Cheese.” With much of his passion for food coming from his Armenian grandmother and her heavenly homemade Armenian string cheese, Peter hails from generations of foodies. His mother was a dietician at Macy’s and he beams as he discusses the dried beef and basturmas she created. Just a sniff of his favorite spice, coriander, reminds him of the dedication to food and the food lovers he has at Phoenicia. While he oversees accounting, billing and business negotiations, his romance with food can be seen in every aisle.
As Peter recalls his childhood days, he thinks of times when his mother would force him to play the piano. He absolutely hated it! His father, a physician, would often come out of his office to motivate young Peter to play. Although his relationship with the piano had a shaky start, Peter has since become an amazing musician. Often found playing the keyboard and piano with his band all over Houston, Peter frequently plays at his alma mater, the University of Houston, where he was a pre-med major.
Peter has been a member of the Phoenicia family for more than 30 years and is well-versed in every aspect of the store from finances to products. His passion for food is contagious and he can often be spotted with his sleeves rolled up in Phoenicia kitchens inspiring our YUMMY! Crew.
One day, Phoenicia’s Fun Committee might decide to put a piano in the middle of the grocery store so Peter can orchestrate the pita bread marching down from the ovens. But until then, know that Phoenicia values Peter for adding strength and passion with his big spirit, overflowing wisdom and eagerness to explore!
