All hail Phoenicia: Take a video tour of new specialty grocery store in downtown Houston

Is it too soon to declare Phoenicia inner loopers new favorite grocery store? After two-and-a-half years of planning and months of delays, Phoenicia Specialty Foods Downtown is finally open and it is awesome.

In the store's first hours on Monday, downtown residents and workers alike were wandering the aisles of sleek chrome shelving, perusing the olive bar, gazing at the beautiful pastry treats in the dessert cases and hanging out near the pita counter where hot and fluffy versions travel down from the second floor to be packaged and served.

The 100,000-square-foot emporium on Houston's west side has been culled to an efficient 28,000 square feet, mixing the global selection that Phoenicia is known for with staples for a neighborhood grocer. Co-owner Haig Tcholakian says the shelves are about 90 percent full but there are still more products to come.

The store defintely has an urban feel, and manages to be full without feeling overwhelming.

There are the standards — Omaha meats, cheap vegetables, Blue Bell ice cream, and household products — plus all the extras that Phoenicia is known for.

Incredible spice aisle? Check.

Shelf full of honey varieties? You know it.

Don't even get me started on the olive oils.

And the fruit counters dont just have tangerines and Fuji apples — there are also quinces, persimmons and dates. There is a sizeable wine section and plenty of hard-to-find imports and specialty items, with the two-floors comprising 10,000 products from 50 countries.

The store is wrapped with a sleek seating area for those who want a meal. In addition to the salad and olive bars, there's a shawarma station with lamb, chicken and other meats ready to slice into gyros, plus prepared foods counters with faves like hummus and muhammara. Or follow the lead of one of Phoenicia's first customers on Monday and grab coffee and then hang out with your laptop and the free Wi-Fi.

For a more typical restaurant experience, Phoenicia also has a dedicated restaurant, coffeeshop and bar called MKT BAR. Offering pizza, sliders, coffee, a dozen beers on tap, wine and Trentino gelato in flavors like chocolate bacon that were specially made for Phoenicia. MKT BAR will have evening entertainment and stay open until 2 a.m. on Thursday through Saturday.

And let's not forget the best part: the parking. The Phoenicia spaces on the second and third floor of One Park Place are easy to get to and clearly marked, with an elevator straight down into the store. It's the best system of free parking in downtown Houston and easier than getting into and out of a crowded Starbucks parking lot.

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http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/11-07-11-11-01-all-hail-phoenicia-grocer-opens-to-big-fanfare-downtown/

 Now Open - Phoenicia Gourmet Grocer

FINGER LANDS AWARD-WINNING PHOENICIA SPECIALTY FOODS A 28,000-SQUARE-FOOT FULL SERVICE SUPERMARKET AT ONE PARK PLACE HOUSTON

Like the flagship West Houston location, the One Park Place Phoenicia Specialty Foods location will be packed to the gills with imports while concurrently catering to downtown's growing residential population and business dining set with everyday standards like fresh meat and seafood, produce, milk, artisan breads and pastries, cheeses, fine wine, beer, coffee, and house wares. "We're focusing on more prepared foods and catering, along with everyday household needs," says Haig Tcholakian. "The majority of our shelf products will be available in the downtown store, but we'll add more consumer-type products to be more convenient for people who live downtown." In addition to the retail space, One Park Place's Phoenicia is designed to appeal to walk-up diners, downtown residents and office workers.

October 2010 Winner of the Central Houston Allen Award for Civic Enhancement

Central Houston Inc., Houston’s non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of downtown and the center city, announced One Park Place as this year’s recipient of the Allen Award for Civic Enhancement. One Park Place was recognized at Central Houston Inc.’s annual meeting yesterday for bringing the first new residential high-rise to downtown in 40 years. “One Park Place, and owner Marvy Finger, have played a significant role in bringing more residents into downtown,” said Central Houston Chairman Chip Carlisle. “This kind of development shows that downtown is a place of growth and renewal and critical to sustaining a vital, viable downtown.”

April 2010 Winner of the Houston Business Journal (HBJ) Multifamily Project Award

One Park Place, the Finger Companies’ new residential high-rise in downtown Houston, has received the Houston Business Journal (HBJ) Multifamily Project Landmark Award. Recognized as one of the industry’s most prestigious awards, the HBJ Landmark Awards have been honoring outstanding commercial real estate projects and developments locally for 10 years.

January 26, 2010 Winner of the ULI Houston Development of Distinction Award

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) honored seven outstanding examples of best practices in real estate development: Winner / For-Profit

January 16, 2007

The Finger Companies and its luxury multifamily developments in national urban markets was featured in the January 2007 issue of CONSTRUCTION TODAY magazine a leading information source for leaders in the building industry.

• Construction Today Article - January 2007