From an intimate new Italian restaurant in West U. to the surprise shutter of a Midtown pickleball venue, the Houston food scene moves pretty fast. Read on to find out how Winsome Prime is celebrating its anniversary, an Atlanta chef who just opened his first Houston restaurant, and an exciting new dinner series that’s bringing one of Austin’s best chefs to the Heights for a one-night-only meal.

Openings and closings

Osteria di Mercato has opened in West University Place. A sister concept to Mercato and Company, a gourmet grocer that opened last year, the 30-seat, dinner-only restaurant aims to serve traditional Italian fare in an intimate environment. The menu features dishes such as saffron arancini, tuna crudo with passion fruit chili sauce, fettuccine with braised rabbit, smoked ricotta and spinach agnoloti, swiss chard-stuffed quail.

Executive chef Mauricio Alvarado spent 16 years working for various Tony Vallone restaurants, including Ciao Bello, Vallone’s, and Tony’s. The Michelin Guide designated general manager Marco Thompson as Toronto’s sommelier of the year in 2023.

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30-9:30 pm. Reservations are available on Resy.

Atlantic Ocean has opened in the former Passerella space at 6011 Washington Ave. Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, the wide-ranging menu offers seafood dishes from around the globe.

Starters include cornmeal-crusted crab cake, chargrilled oysters, clams calabrese, and Moroccan lamb shots. Entrees offer similar diversity, ranging from blackened redfish and grilled branzino with chimichurri and citrus mojo to a soy-martinated ribeye and lobster pasta that’s made with butter-poached claw meat.

Chef-owner Virgil Harper is best known for Toast on Lenox, his acclaimed brunch concept in Atlanta. He’s joined in the kitchen by executive chef and partner Aliyah Watley.

"Atlantic Ocean was created to deliver a dining experience where every detail feels intentional, from the quality of the seafood to the warmth of the service and the atmosphere around you,” Harper said in a statement. “Houston’s dynamic food culture makes it the perfect home for this concept, and we’re excited to share a menu that respects seafood traditions while bringing a fresh, creative perspective."

Midtown pickleball bar Solarium has closed, according to its Instagram page. Opened in April 25, the bar transformed the former Holman Draft Hall space with six outdoor courts and five private rooms to watch the action.

Solarium was a joint venture between the Kirby Group and Rex Hospitality, the restaurant group owned by Astros pitcher Lance McCullers, Jr. and his business partners, Juan Carlos de Aldecoa and Jimmy Doan. Earlier this year, Rex closed its Maven Coffee location in Sawyer Yards to concentrate on its wholesale business that sells coffee products such as cold brew concentrate.

Other news and notes

Zaranda, Hugo Ortega’s California-inspired restaurant in downtown, is now open Sunday. It will serve an a la carte brunch from 11 am-3 pm. Options include cornbread with Mandarin-honey butter; tostada de campechana with octopus, shrimp, raw oysters, cucumber, avocado, ancho-morita purée, Clamato, Maggi, soy, and olive oil; steak and eggs with refried beans, guacamole, salsa, and flour tortillas; Baja breakfast burrito with bacon, chorizo, scrambled eggs, potato, onion, salsa roja y verde, avocado, and cheese-crusted sobaquera; chilaquiles with shredded chicken, sunny-side-up eggs, totopos, salsa verde, crema, and housemade queso fresco; and more. It will also be open for dinner from 4-9 pm.

Winsome Prime is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a limited time menu. The three-course, $50, prix fixe menu includes choices such as chili-glazed shrimp, crab beignets, spinach and artichoke dip, kung pao pasta, and chicken royale. Upgrade to the signature Hawaiian ribeye — a nod to the location once being home to Houston’s — for $10. Choose one of three desserts to complete the meal.

Food events

Doke concepts will host a series of guest chef dinners in April, May, and June. Each evening will begin with champagne and hors d’oeuvres at Lazy Land. Diners will then be driven to The Green Room for a three-course dinner, followed by dessert cocktails and s’mores at Heights & Co. The lineup includes chefs recognized by the Michelin Guide and the most recent winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas.

• April 15: Joseph Geiskopf, chef and co-owner of The On’ry, a traveling culinary concept based out of Houston, formerly of Ciel and Credence
• April 29: Kevin Fink, chef and co-owner of Emmer and Rye Hospitality, which operates Michelin-recognized restaurants Emmer & Rye, Hestia, Isidore, and others.
• May 13: Louis Maldonado, a former Top Chef contestant who held one Michelin star at Cortez restaurant in San Francisco.
• May 26: Thomas Bille, chef-owner of Belly of the Beast in Spring and 2025 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Texas
• June 10: To be announced
• June 24: Ryan Lachine, executive chef of State of Grace, formerly chef-owner of Riel

Photo by Madelynne Grace

Atlantic Ocean recently opened on Washington Avenue.

“This dinner party series is designed to give our guests an upscale, unique dining experience while highlighting each of our restaurants' distinct personalities,” Doke Concepts owner Brian Doke said in a statement. “With the help of our incredible guest chefs, we’re confident we’re going to give our guests an unforgettable evening.

Tickets will be available via the Lazy Lane website.