Page 10 • Saturday, May 21, 2022 • The Leader
Art Valet: Creativity on display all around Heights area MITCH COHEN Art Columnist
Select banners designed by art students in Hamilton Middle School’s Visual Arts Department are now flying high on the street lamps of West 19th Street. Avid readers of this column may have thought they missed the banners, originally slated to adjourn the street throughout the month of April. Murphy’s law stepped in and created more mayhem mishaps than a daytime soap. In the March 12 edition of The Leader, I introduced readers to Amy Hanks, the art teacher who came up with the brilliant idea of having the students create the art for new banners on West 19th. Take a stroll and check out the artwork on the east and west sides of the street. The
banners span the 200 and 300 blocks and all the way to the 500 blocks of West 19th right in front of Adore Dental. In other news, Houston artists continue to take marketing into their own hands and I shall dutifully inform you of their endeavors here, when I can. Two events that came across my radar that I highly recommend happen this Saturday evening and are, fortunately for you, within walking distance of each other.
Put it together in Sawyer Yards Artists Gretchen McDaniel, Marie Casamayor-Harvey and Rikki Mitman have collaborated to present “Collage: Putting It Together,” which will feature their work at an open reception from 5-8 p.m. Saturday at Silos Gallery 200, located inside the Silos building at Sawyer Yards, 1502 Sawyer St. The show runs through Aug. 14. Each artist is disciplined in a different media - McDaniel
Contributed photo From left, artists Gretchen McDaniel, Marie Casamayor-Harvey and Rikki Mitman show their work Saturday in Sawyer Yards.
in textiles, Casamayor-Harvey in paper and Mitman in kiln-fired enamels. McDaniel, who works largely in textiles, is strongly attracted to the tactile feel, the textures and colors of
fabrics and threads. With these materials, she expresses a quest for truth, mercy, justice and, most of all, love. Casamayor-Harvey, who also creates paintings, sculptures and other works, ex-
plores musical, spiritual and emotional experiences through her paper collage. A particular focus of late is the concept of belonging across space and time. Mitman’s kiln-fired enamels, which incorporate glass and other enameled bits on a base of heavy copper, are largely abstract and deeply personal, reflecting her own need to find moments of calm and beauty in a hectic world. A side note about Mitman: We met in 2004 when she attended my very first outdoor art market. It’s exciting to still be friends and having gotten the chance to see her art evolve over the years. Gallery 200 is located inside the Silos building about in the middle of the building. Use the main front entrance to the Silos at Sawyer Yards from 1502 Sawyer St. Elements of Silver Street On the other side of the Silos is Silver Street Studios (you may wish to drive),
where Deborah Ellington of D. Ellington Studios notified me she will be featuring new glass sculptures and archival prints in a collaborative exhibition with Bourne Jewelry titled “Elements” in the West Gallery. Elements is the last in a series of exhibitions featuring a handful of the artists from Silver Street Studios. West Gallery is located inside entrance No. 4, which is hard to miss in fluorescent pink. Just head straight down the hallway. Silver Street Studios’ address is 2000 Edwards St.. The No. 4 entrance is on the alley side, facing Winter Street Studios. Details on both exhibits and other upcoming art events can be found online at www.sawyeryards.com/art/ exhibitions. Cohen is an artist and founder of the First Saturday Arts Market and the Market at Sawyer Yards. Find him at ArtValet.com for additional highlights and artist’s stories.
Review: Mico’s a hot choice for chicken sandwiches By Jennifer Caldwell news@theleadernews.com
Mico’s Hot Chicken, 1603 North Durham Drive, serves Nashville’s iconic style of hot chicken with a Texas twist. Its secret menu, for example, features a spicy chicken sandwich with two scoops of ice cream. This location is the first brick and mortar for Mico’s, and is hopefully the first of many, as the food is outstanding. Mico’s has a food truck presence in Spring right now, with plans to expand as opportunity arises. Parking is plentiful on the side of the building. While there is an interior space, most seating is in a covered outdoor area. Everything is counter service, and the staff is well-versed in the menu and in the differing levels of heat available for the fried chicken. Ordering goes quickly,
and a text is sent to confirm when your order is ready to be retrieved. The patio was quite full of patrons and had a small line of people waiting for their orders, yet I still received my food in less than 10 minutes, which was very impressive. The menu is very focused, with Mico’s signature fried chicken available as a sandwich, as tenders or as loaded fries. Heat varies from no heat at all to the x-hot sauce. The extra hot version of its delicious sauce uses a Carolina Reaper Pepper, which means it was too hot for my taste, but another guest quickly recommended it as a very flavorful sauce experience. I chose a fried chicken sammich in medium heat and loaded fries in hot heat. The fried chicken sammich is simple and decadent. It is messy. Dripping with sauce, the medium heat had the perfect amount of spice,
Photo by Jennifer Caldwell The Chicken Sammich at Mico’s Hot Chicken is topped with hot sauce, pickles and a creamy, crunchy coleslaw.
with crunchy dill pickles and a crunchy slaw to counteract some of the heat from the sandwich. There is a perfect level of spice (for me!), which was helped by the presence of a creamy and crunchy slaw.
The loaded waffle fries were also incredible. These were hot, and were much spicier, but were helped with a layer of cheddar cheese, and with a drizzle of Mico’s delicious comeback sauce. The entire menu is very
accessible to most budgets as the priciest item is the threepiece tender basket at $13. The sandwich comes in at $11, and the loaded fries are $10. Drinks and add-ons are, of course, an additional fee, but everything is very reasonably priced. Given that there is a “no heat” option for the fried chicken, I can certainly see this as a terrific option for a quick meal for the family. There is a lovely outside space, with plenty of room to bring the kids out for a nice dinner. Mico’s Hot Chicken has a healthy selection of local beers to pair with your sammy. It also offers a selection of teas, and the most bright, sweet and delicious lemonade that I have had in a long time. For those of you who like to bring the heat, Mico’s offers milk to help counteract the x-hot sauce. The highlight of the meal
was the chicken sammich, which was balanced and delicious. I’m a sucker for weird food combinations, and the ice cream chicken sandwich is next on my list…provided I can mentally and physically prepare myself to handle that much heat!! Mico’s Hot Chicken was an excellent experience and should be considered a go-to for aficionados of both heat and amazing fried chicken. Mico’s Hot Chicken Address: 1603 North Durham Drive Dining options: Dine-in, Takeout Hours: 10:30 a.m-9:30 p.m. daily Entrée prices: $10-$13 Kid-friendly: Yes Senior discount: No Alcohol: Yes (beer and seltzer) Healthy options: None Star of the show: Chicken Sammich Rating: 5 out of 5 bites
MAY 21, 2022 5:30 - 8:30PM
401 W 25th St Houston, TX 77008
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