Saturday, June 3, 2017 • Page 1B
Balls Out Burger opening set for June 3 By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com It’s a well-known adage— see something you want, and go all out. A local restauranteur has done just that with his enterprise, and is set to finally bring his unique concept – and its outside-the-box name — to the Leader community this weekend. According to a press release last week, the Balls Out Burger concept from restaurateur Ian Tucker will open its doors to the public this Saturday, June 3 at 1603 N. Durham Dr. in Houston’s burgeoning Heights district. While the process has been chock full of ups and downs, Tucker is excited to finally get the ball rolling. “It’s been a little mix of smooth and rough — for me, it’s been all about getting used to the differences in how things are done here in terms of the design process, permitting and the construction itself,” he said. “There’s different nuances that I had to wrap my head around.” Balls Out will offer a simple menu with counter service where guests can order from options that include a classic hamburger, cheeseburger, and double varieties of each of those burger choices alongside French fries in shoestring, hand-cut, and sweet potato varieties. The burger buns consist of an in-house recipe with bread produced fresh daily from Slow Dough bakery in Houston. Kids’ hamburgers and cheeseburgers complete the menu. Local brewery St. Arnold’s will be the sole source of beer on tap as Balls Out seeks to support area vendors. Finally, no burger joint is complete without a great milkshake, so Balls Out will whip up handspun shakes in three classic
flavors, chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, with ice cream sourced from Amy’s Ice Cream. Now, about that name Beyond its unique menu, Balls Out Burger’s title harbors a simple story, one rooted in personal history for Tucker, despite the connotation which might spring to mind first. The expression is used in Tucker’s home country of Ireland, but carries slightly different undertones than it would here. However, at its core, he says the message behind the phrase is quite elementary. “In my country, it just means to go after something, and if you go after something or want to do something, you put every ounce of effort into it and go after it 100 percent,” he said. “It’s about throwing caution to the wind and not stopping until you achieve something you want to.” Tucker remains aware of the name’s uniqueness and the stirrings it may cause, but said he carries little apprehension about it moving forward. “We’re getting a relative majority of positive feedback on the name. There has been the odd comment of people not liking it, but in general they seem to be alright with it,” he said. “I think once people come and visit to see what we’re doing, they’re going to realize there’s no vulgarity in what we’re doing or promoting.” Further, Tucker said regardless of the namesake chosen for any restaurant, some patrons may disapprove of it, and that’s just the way things are. As such, while he acknowledged the differing connotations the expression carries here in the United States and in Houston, all he
can do is push forward and stay true to the core of the message’s intent. “You go with it. You can’t please everybody, and I don’t believe that as a restauranteur you should be trying to please everybody. You’ve got to just focus on what you want to do, and if people come because you’re doing a good job, then great,” he said. “If people aren’t into what you’re doing (style of the business, message promotion), then fair enough. I don’t harbor any negative thoughts towards those people — they’re entitled to their opinion.” A perfect fit Tucker just moved to Houston a little more than two years ago, but had already heard much about Houston and the Heights from his wife, a native Houstonian. Upon learning about and getting a pulse of the neighborhood, he said it was instantly clear that Durham Drive and the Heights was the place to be. “The Heights is one of the areas of Houston where you can truly call it a neighborhood. It’s got that vibe to it. It’s a true neighborhood,” he said. “Sometimes in big cities like Houston, things can feel a bit impersonal, but the Heights is a very personal neighborhood.” Tucker said everything from the community’s love of biking and walking around the neighborhood to the very message and awareness it promotes – clean air and environmental issues — fits with Balls Out’s core aim, making the two a perfect marriage. Balls Out Burger will be open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. For more information, visit ballsoutburger.com or call 832-844-3359.
Photo courtesy of Quy Tran Restaurateur Ian Tucker is excited to get the ball rolling with Balls Out Burger. The establishment’s grand opening in the Heights is set for this Saturday, June 3.
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After Dinner Players combine BasketBall Camp passions for special show By Jennifer Layer For The Leader
Over 40 years ago, a devout Christian with passion for the act and a love of the stage did everything she could to combine her religious and professional interests into something new. While working for the Ally Theater, Jeannette Clift George put together a small band of young like-minded actors and created a traveling troupe that would do pop up plays at various churches. The plays they performed were written and directed by George herself. The group dubbed themselves the After Dinner Players. This went on for years until George was cast in a film titled, The Hiding Place, and was then nominated for a Golden Globe Award. This opened all sorts of doors for the A.D. Players. The team found a building, and with the hard work of Mrs. George’s engineer husband, the building was retrofitted into a small theater. In 1967, this work led to the opening of The Grace Theater, on West Alabama. “Ever since the beginning Jeannette dreamed of having
a bigger a space,” said Leigh McLeroy, director of PR and Marketing. If there’s anything to be said of George, it’s that she makes her dreams come true. With that being said, the much larger and extravagant facility named The Jeannette Clift George Theater, located at 5420 Westheimer, was opened this past February. The Grace Theater sat around 200 people while the new theater seats over twice that amount. The incredible new building was designed by a once Grace Theater goer, John Gabrielle. “John has been going to
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our shows for so long, so it was sort of a labor of love for him in designing the new building,” McLeroy said. Being that A.D. Players are a non-profit the new facility was built mostly through sponsorships from the community. “Our opening this wonderful new theater is a testament to two things: Houston is a very art’s friendly city and it’s a very generous city,” said McLeroy. “We have long-time friends of the theater that have supported us since the beginning when we were a See Players P. 2B
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Waltrip High School Dan Kelly, Head Coach Boys Basketball 1900 West 34th Street • Houston, Texas 77018 713-688-1361 dkelly@houstonisd.org http://www.houstonisd.org/Page/57732 Our Ram Rascals camps are available to all girls and boys ages 4 – 10. Campers will enjoy a morning of fundamentals, drills, and fun with our camp staff. We focus primarily on the basic fundamentals of basketball. Come dressed and ready to play with athletic shorts, a t-shirt, socks and basketball shoes. Please do not bring watches, jewelry, hats, etc. Basketballs will be provided, as will drinks. Camp Includes: Camp T-Shirt Camp Team Photo Camp Certificate Daily Snack
PartICIPantS WILL Meet coaches and players Learn basketball moves and drills Get autographs from players and coaches Get a T-shirt and Camp Picture Ram Rascals Receive Camp Certificate upon completion
Page 2B • Saturday, June 3, 2017
Players from P. 1B tiny theater with six actors to where we are today.” Some of the plays we put on, specifically the more religious pieces, were in fact written by Ms. George,” said McLeroy. “She is a very prolific playwright.” Although the A.D. Players have a homey feel, they are a very serious theater company. “We are a professional theater company. All of our actors are professionals that get equity wages,” said McLeroy. “The only difference between us and other companies is that we are non-profit and we chose to tell different kinds of stories. We focus on wholesome moral stories that show the true human condition while also making you feel good when you leave.” The A.D. Players typically have six mainstage shows and four children’s shows a year. In addition to putting on the shows, the A.D. Players also want to get youth in-
volved in learning how to put on a show through their Theater Arts Academy. “The kids that come to our classes actually get to put on shows, and even get to perform them here,” said McLeroy. “It’s really cool, I mean you wouldn’t believe how talented some of these kids are.” With everything that the A.D. Players have accomplished, they still remain humble. “I mean it when I say that it is by a miracle that we are sitting here today,” said McLeroy. “This was always Jeannette and her husband’s dream. And now being in it and sitting in it, it’s very surreal.” A.D. Players started the season with To Kill a Mocking Bird and will be ending it with Godspell. If you are interested in attending a show or volunteering for one, please visit adplayers.org.
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Saturday, June 3, 2017 • Page 3B
Professional Directory
The sports.
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Earlier this month, Waltrip golf senior Nadia Davila made school history—but to her coach, it was simply the culmination of what he always knew she could accomplish. “She was already a great kid and good player [when I met her], and she kept getting better and better,” Waltrip Head Coach Daniel Davidson said. Though the result was a historic finish, Davila’s path wasn’t all smooth sailing, as the senior struggled through a bit of a tumultuous district tournament. Out of that struggle, however, came a newfound determination. “She guaranteed me she would get to state after that,” Davidson said. And Davila delivered Upon reaching regionals, she used a strong first day to catapult herself up the leaderboard and hold off a late slump, becoming the lone HISD golfer to crack the ranks of the state’s best in 2017 before finishing in the top 40 at the state tournament. Davidson credited Davila’s lasersharp mental state and ability to compartmentalize for the ability to stay focused on the larger picture even as she struggled down the stretch. “Golf is extremely mental — you can be great and not even come close to the top of the leaderboard, but you just have to start over on every single hole,” he said. “If she had a bad hole, she just had to refocus, play smart, play the greens well — course management is huge. That helped her get back on track.” “You’ve got to have a good attitude—if you’re in a bad mood or have a bad attitude playing golf, you’re going to play horribly,” he added. “That’s a lot of what my job is, just keeping them calm and relaxed — you can’t play good golf if you’re not having fun.” While Davila’s appearance in the state tournament was a
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monumental step for Waltrip and Houston ISD from the outside looking in, Davidson said the play was simply what he’s come to expect. “She could’ve made state easily last season,” he said. “Like several of my players, I expect her to play well every time she goes out there.” From the moment Davidson took the reins, he said, the prevailing stigma was “HISD can’t play golf—this isn’t a sport for them.” “It’s really special for me and for our program. We win district every year and do decent at regionals, but now I’ve got kids coming up that I expect not just to play well, but excel,” the fifth-year coach said. “We’d get to regionals, and everyone would look at us kind of funny.” Now, however, thanks to the play of Davila and the rest of his team, Davidson feels change stirring — in the results and the mentality. “I go up there and I know all the coaches, because they expect us to be there,” he said. “They know we’re turning the program around and are putting in a lot of work to do so that other schools around here don’t necessarily do, and it’s brought us to that level we’re going to consistently be at.” Though Davila will be moving on to St. Thomas University, Davidson feels his program is in strong hands thanks to the play of Christian Rodriguez, among other returners, and that Davila’s breakthrough was just the genesis of things to come. “I absolutely expect him [Rodriguez] to make it to state next year. I’ve also got a freshman who went to regionals this year, and if she works hard, she can be up there too,” he said. “It was great for the program, to see Waltrip up there with Lamar and Bellaire. We’ve raised the bar, and we’re expected to be good every time we show up, which is pretty cool — because it was not that way beforehand.”
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By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
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