Foodie News

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

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

unspecified

River Oaks Remix

River Oaks lounge reboots around '90s DJ culture and retro bites

Photo by Michael Anthony

The recently formed LCN Hospitality group—David Anderson III, Mikos Adams, and DJ Mr. Rogers—have relaunched Fancy's with chef Dominick Lee curating the menu.

Less than two years after opening, a River Oaks cocktail lounge has new ownership and a new personality, though under the same name: Fancy’s.

Located at 1947 W. Gray St., the original Fancy’s opened in May 2024 under the guidance of Clé Group owners Zack Truesdell, Salim Dehkordi, and Dallas Rodriguez (BLVD Park, KISS, Heights Social, Say No Mas). The name said it all: an upscale, reservation-recommended lounge with a strictly enforced dress code.

The River Oaks spot is looking a little more approachable these days under new leadership. David Anderson III and Mikos Adams, both partners in downtown record lounge Off the Record, have joined with local producer and DJ Mr. Rogers to relaunch the space as a sound-driven cocktail lounge. This is the first joint venture of the trio under the recently formed LCN Hospitality group.

Fancy’s next chapter took shape through the success of DJ Mr. Rogers’ S.U.S.H.I. (Songs U Should Hear Immediately), a no-requests music-omakase pop-up during the lounge’s previous run.

“We were already spending time in the space through a music-forward pop-up, and the response made it clear there was a real appetite for guided music experiences where the DJ sets the tone and leads discovery, rather than competing for attention,” Anderson said in a statement. “After years in nightlife, where spectacle often comes first, it felt exciting to imagine something different. We thought back to the way DJs shaped culture in the ’90s and wanted to pair that sensibility with the history and energy of River Oaks.”

Former and first-time patrons will find a concept built around weekly programming, including:

S.U.S.H.I. Wednesdays (Songs U Should Hear Immediately)
Global House Thursdays
Funk, Disco, and R&B Fridays
Saturday Night After Hours, high-energy dance-focused programming

Photo by Michael Anthony

The recently formed LCN Hospitality group—David Anderson III, Mikos Adams, and DJ Mr. Rogers—have relaunched Fancy's with chef Dominick Lee curating the menu.

"As a producer and DJ, I've always been drawn to the idea of creating experiences where music is the guide, not the background,” Rogers said. “At Fancy's, we're building a space where discovery happens naturally, whether you're hearing something for the first time or rediscovering a classic through a different lens.”

In the kitchen, chef Dominick Lee looked to lavish River Oaks dinner parties of the ’90s, researching Baron Ricky di Porta Nova, a local legend known for extravagant gatherings. The result is nostalgic small plates and canapés such as Oysters di Porta Nova, a caviar-topped pasta tucked into an oyster shell, and refined chicken nuggets served with three unique dipping sauces and an optional caviar add-on.

"It's a different dinner party every night, shaped by a different sound experience," Lee said. "The food is there to complement that—indulgent but not heavy, familiar but elevated, always in service of the night unfolding around it.”

Behind the bar, bartender Sergio Contreras (formerly of L’Colombe d’Or and Tony’s) has crafted a drink menu that riffs on classic cocktails. Syrups are made in-house using natural, low-sugar ingredients, so patrons can imbibe without the sugar crash. Contreras’ menu includes highlights like the Razzle Dazzle, a French 75 remix, and Forbidden Love, a margarita with a Cabernet float.

"It's all about balance," Contreras said. "We want people to feel good while they're here and when they wake up the next morning after a late night on the dance floor. The classics are the foundation, but we're reworking them in a way that feels modern and intentional."

For those easing into the evening, the lounge offers “Fancy Hour” daily from 5 to 8 pm, featuring $10 signature cocktails and half-off the food menu. On Thursdays, the special runs all day.

The 102-seat bar also includes a second-floor outdoor patio and two private dining spaces. Fancy’s is open Wednesday through Friday, 5 pm-12 am, and Saturday from 7 pm-2 am. Reservations are available via OpenTable.