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    Foodie News

    A new Houston restaurant wants to shake up Midtown's party happy scene

    Eric Sandler
    Jan 22, 2014 | 5:43 pm

    Midtown suddenly has a new-look restaurant.

    Cook & Collins opened this week in the former El Patio/Xuco Xicana space on Brazos. The restaurant, a product of the IronCress hospitality group that's an offshoot from the owners of 3rd Floor, Pub Fiction and Crisp, is designed to be a casual neighborhood restaurant that serves classic comfort food. The restaurant is open everyday with brunch on the weekends.

    Hours are reasonable, with Cook & Collins closing by 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, to distinguish it from the bars that dominate Midtown's scene.

    "For me to keep making Midtown the single best neighborhood (in Houston), it needs more restaurants," co-owner Michael Paolucci told CultureMap in October. With Reef, Sparrow and Ibiza, Midtown doesn't lack for high-profile destinations, but when it comes to getting a good salad for lunch or a simple steak for dinner, the pickings are kind of thin.

    "For me to keep making Midtown the single best neighborhood (in Houston), it needs more restaurants."

    Cook & Collins aims to change that with a menu full of familiar flavors presented in new ways built from ingredients that are mostly local (and listed on the menu).

    At a recent preview, Paolucci, chef partner Jared Estes (from Crisp), general manager Donny Salvato and executive chef Josh Shobe showed off the new space. The change from its time as a Tex-Mex restaurant is dramatic. The restaurant feels like an upscale diner thanks to the blond wood, overstuffed banquets and subway tiles.

    While the restaurant will likely want to turn tables, the staff may discover diners prefer to linger over dessert or a final cocktail just to enjoy the atmosphere.

    First Taste

    As for the food, it's more of a mixed bag. The menu's strengths are the dishes that combine sweet and spicy flavors such as the Angry Birds fried chicken appetizer and the Pig Popper flatbread. Less successful were dishes that employed seafood.

    Fried mac and cheese can be a winner, but Cook & Collins adds crab meat that winds up coming out mushy, with the crab's sweetness lost in mix of batter, cheese and noodles. The mix of chili, mustard and fried egg for the Red Eye Fries simply didn't come together.

    It's reasonable to think Cook & Collins will improve to solidly better than average and become successful.

    Of the entrees, our group most enjoyed the brown butter-topped ribeye steak and the crispy fried chicken that's served with braised greens and mashed potatoes. The kitchen runs into trouble when it tries to extend itself, as in the not-quite-chowder seafood pot pie or an overcooked pork porterhouse with a too-sweet apple cider reduction.

    I was mostly too full for dessert, but the pink lemonade ice box pie had a nice sweet/tart balance that I'd go back to try again. A friend raved about the butterscotch pudding jar, but I didn't get the chance to try it.

    "This is all pretty average," one diner commented to me as the meal wrapped up. I thought it was a little better than that, and I think brand new restaurants deserve the benefit of the doubt. Execution will likely get better with practice, and recipes will be tweaked to match diners' tastes.

    Given the ownership's track record of success, it's reasonable to think Cook & Collins will improve to solidly better than average and become successful. After all, the neighborhood needs a casual, everyday restaurant, and this team understands Midtown well.

    But, please, ditch the crab in the fried mac & cheese.

    One of the flatbreads is named party fowl due to its combination of duck, candied bacon, pickled shitake mushrooms, bleu cheese and arugula

    Cook & Collins Houston January 2014 party fowl flatbread with duck leg, candied bacon, pickled shitake, bleu cheese and arugula
      
    Photo by © Kim Coffman Cook & Collins
    One of the flatbreads is named party fowl due to its combination of duck, candied bacon, pickled shitake mushrooms, bleu cheese and arugula
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    pizza, burgers, breakfast, and more

    4 fresh new restaurants now open in suburban Houston

    Brianna Griff
    May 8, 2025 | 4:30 pm
    Next Level Lounge at Fogo de Chão  in Katy
    Courtesy of Fogo de Chão
    Katy's Fogo de Chão features the restaurant's Next Level Lounge.

    Everyone knows how quickly Houston’s ‘burbs are growing — and that includes the dining scene. From Katy to Stafford, Pearland to Webster, new restaurants are popping up all over. Whether you’re craving grilled meats carved tableside or a stack of pillowy pancakes, these fresh spots have something for every appetite.

    Fogo de Chão
    Katy just scored its first Fogo de Chão, making it the fifth Houston-area location for the popular Brazilian steakhouse. Diners can feast on the endless parade of grilled meat and seafood that servers slice tableside, or enjoy all-day happy hour at Bar Fogo. The new location also marks the Houston-area debut of Fogo's Next Level Lounge concept, billed as a sleek whiskey and bourbon hideaway. Located at 222 West Grand Parkway South, Fogo is open Monday - Thursday from 11:30 am–10 pm, Friday until 10:30 pm, Saturday from 11 am–10:30 pm, and Sunday from 11 am–9 pm.

    Hash Kitchen
    It’s brunch all day, every day at Hash Kitchen’s new Webster outpost, joining its sister spot in Pearland. The lively location dishes out plates of tamale eggs Benedict, pineapple upside-down pancakes, and birria-loaded scramblers. It’s always a party with an extensive drink menu featuring a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar with more than 50 toppings, plus a live DJ spinning tunes on weekends. Hash Kitchen is located at 1065 W Bay Area Boulevard, Suite 170, in Webster, and is open Monday-Friday from 7 am-2 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 7 am-3 pm.

    Via 313
    Pearland is now home to a slice of Motor City with the opening of Via 313 in the Silverlake Business Park. The Austin-based pizzeria serves up Detroit-style rectangular pies with crispy edges and focaccia-like dough, plus vegan and gluten-free options. Try The Jalapeño Poppa with bacon, whipped cream cheese, jalapeños, and Sriracha hot honey, or go for The Cadillac — a sweet-and-savory combo of prosciutto, gorgonzola, fig preserves, and balsamic glaze. This is Via’s fourth Houston-area location and can be found at 9250 Broadway St., Suite 190. Hours are Monday - Thursday from 11 am–10 pm, Friday and Saturday until 11 pm, and Sunday from 11 am–9 pm.

    Hopdoddy Burger Bar
    Hop on over to Stafford’s The Grid for a bite at Austin-based Hopdoddy Burger Bar. Highlights include the Cadillac Burger — a half-pound wagyu beef patty topped with steakhouse bacon and truffle aioli — plus veggie options, gluten-free buns, loaded Brussels sprouts, salads, and boozy milkshakes. The chef-crafted “Burger of the Month” keeps the menu fresh. The Stafford spot joins Hopdoddy’s nine other Houston-area locations and is decked out with custom neon signs and vibrant artwork. Located at 12333 Southwest Freeway, Suite 300, it’s open Sunday - Thursday, 11 am-10 pm, and Friday and Saturday, 11 am-11 pm.

    Next Level Lounge at Fogo de Ch\u00e3o  in Katy
      

    Courtesy of Fogo de Chão

    Katy's Fogo de Chão features the restaurant's Next Level Lounge.

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