A bigger, better Latin Bites: Restaurant grows into new swanky digs as crowd pours in

There's something a little bittersweet about seeing something small that you love become a big deal. A favorite band goes from coffeehouses to arenas, Ryan Gosling now makes action movies and Latin Bites grows from a couple tables in the downtown warehouse district to a swanky corner of Tanglewood.

Opening last week in the former Rockwood Room space on Woodway, Latin Bites is still pretty, with the same aquatic blue tones and unblemished white walls and light fixtures, but the cozy charm of the original location has been replaced by a vibe that's a little more airy and formal. With executive chef Roberto Castre winning Eater's Chef of the Year in 2011, Latin Bites isn't so much a talented underdog as an established player, and the expanded menu as well as the location and decór reflect this.

 Latin Bites hasn't really changed, it's just grown up a little bit. 

The dinner menu has more grill options and specialties, and the tiradito and cebiche menu has expanded to a whopping 20 choices, from traditional mixes to more fusion offerings including a scallop cebiche, one with salmon and mango and an Asian-accented version with tuna, snow peas, peanuts and a wonton tube among other ingredients.

Prices have taken a jump up, but so have the portion sizes — I could barely finish my fish cebiche, and I loved the spicier aji rocoto that's now one of three leche de tigre options for many of the cebiche dishes. After a short absence, it's a reminder that with the exception of Samba Grille, no one else in Houston is in the same league when it comes to this Peruvian specialty.

The formerly massive bar area of the space has been split into two sections: A pisco (and beer and wine) bar that's shunted slightly awkwardly into a corner, and the cebiche bar, which fronts the sizeable open kitchen — it's a great place to sit for a view of the action. There's also a lovely private room that seats about a dozen hidden at the end of a hallway. It's seemingly soundproof windows also look into the kitchen for an interesting vibe that's both secluded and bustling.

Owners Carlos Ramos says that since reopening, the restaurant has seen a mix of regulars and new neighbors coming in, with record crowds at both lunch and dinner services. Everything from the design to the menu seems perfectly calibrated to please both constituencies.

Latin Bites hasn't really changed, it's just grown up a little bit.