We've been given the heads up that Fuego Tortilla Grill is scheduled to open its Woodway location right at the start of 2015.

Fuego, which will eventually have locations in Woodway across Highway 84 from H-E-B AND near Baylor on the east side of Interstate-35, features street tacos and all that implies.

Congrats to Austin Hooper, the Day 1 winner of the 12 Days of Christmas Carol Trivia. He correctly answered Joy to the World by Earth, Wind and Fire. 

We're hitting it hard this year with 12 straight (week) days of Christmas Carol Trivia. Today's prize is $10 to Captain Billy Whizzbang's. 

The first person to email the correct name of the song and the artist we're looking for to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. wins. Here's the question:

This diminutive actress, whose résumé includes riding a tornado and recording with Barbara Streisand, seems like the perfect person to wish us one of these.

Your favorite time of year has arrived once again, WacoFork friends. It's that time when I contrive trivia questions based on Christmas Carol performed by various and (hopefully) increasingly random artists.

We're going to hit it hard this year with 12 straight (week) days of Christmas Carol Trivia (Lord willing and the creek don't rise). We're also thinking of mixing in a slightly new format as Melissa might bring us questions based on mash-ups of movie title from Christmas movies and non-Christmas films, i.e. an answer might be "The Importance of Being Ernest Saves Christmas."

So the bad news is that Coach’s downtown won’t arrive until early 2015. But the good news is they’re making the downtown space at 3rd and Austin Avenue their own. This downtown location has been a few different things in recent years with varying levels of success, so it's good that Coach's won't be just another thing rolling in.

I stopped by today and spoke with co-owner Gary Zacharias as he was hard at work on the remodeling of the outside. Coach's has constructed an adjoining house for its barbecue pit along with other cosmetic changes to the building.

I'm not sure the anticipation of Manny's on the River has quite kept pace with just how cool this new restaurant might be.

I stopped by Manny's on Tuesday morning to check on its possible opening date and spoke with Manny's rep Mike Anderson. He said the restaurant is hosting a private event on Sunday evening and then swinging open the doors to the public on Monday.

And now, the dramatic conclusion to the blog I just typed 20 minutes ago.

Previsouly on The Hippodrome: Dine-in Theater: I mused what it would be like if Katniss Everdeen could just have a chilled-out normal life, which was really just a literary device to brag about my own Thursday.

I wish Katniss Everdeen could experience days like the one I enjoyed on Thursday. 

I wish she could just piddle around most of the morning before meeting a friend for a late lunch that also involves taking some pictures of the food for a blog to be written later. Then she could go home for a nap, since she ate a burger (with a fried egg on it) and french fries and pizza and, oh yeah, washed it down with Guinness and finished with apple pie. When she woke up, she could do a little writing and then go back downtown for the premiere of a hot new movie at the cool renovated downtown theater.

There was a moment last night when — as I was enjoying delicious straw french fries and chicken fingers, both dipped in honey mustard, while watching a delightful musical performance — I realized I was having a unique experience in our town.

Granted, the Hippodrome's Christian concert night wasn't a big fancy event and there were a few kinks that need working out, but it was cool.

I'm psyched to go to the new Hippodrome twice this week.

Because of football, I didn't make any of the first weekend's slate of Hippodrome grand-opening events, so I'm doubling down this week beginning with The Gladsome Light and Joel Sprayberry show on Wednesday night. 

Firehouse subs will open this week.

I just spoke with Firehouse representatives Junior Chambliss and Mike McCown and they told me the restaurant will be open to the public beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday.