The Plane Truth

Fly dining: New celebrity chef restaurant to open in IAH, giving the airport an expansion boost

San Antonio celebrity chef Johnny Hernandez is expected to make headway in Houston soon: The Houston Chronicle's Greg Morago reports that The Frutería — Botanero is expected to open at George Bush Intercontinental Airport later this year.

That concept only recently opened in San Antonio's Lone Star Arts District, a green grocer by day selling fresh-pressed juices, fruit cups, tortas, tostadas and salads. At night, the place transforms into a Mexican-style botanero, offering snacks, tapas, antojitos and cocktails.

The expansion — expected to be complete in late 2013 — will mean a 500 percent increase in concessions.

According to the San Antonio Express-News, HMSHost, a provider of airport dining and retail services, approached Hernandez about opening five eateries at the San Antonio International Airport, too, and making other possible entrées into the airports of Dallas, Denver and Boston.

"Hernandez's Houston airport version of The Frutería — Botanero will fill a 1,200-square-foot space and be operational by mid-March," the Express-News writes. "The airport terminal in which the restaurant will be located must open by April 1, [Hernandez said]."

Given context clues, we're guessing that it will open with the first phase of Terminal B, a $1 billion redevelopment project headed up by the Houston Airport System and United Airlines.

HAS spokesperson Darian Ward told CultureMap that the first phase of the first phase will open in late March; the rest of the phase one expansion — expected to be complete in late 2013 — will bring with it a 500 percent increase in concessions.

That can only mean good things for domestic travelers, who have previously described the food and drink selection in the terminal as "abysmal."

Johnny Hernandez, celebrity chef and restaurateur, is about to add airport eateries to his growing empire.

Johnny Hernandez, chef, La Fruteria, Mexican restaurant, February 2013

Johnny Hernandez Facebook

Johnny Hernandez, celebrity chef and restaurateur, is about to add airport eateries to his growing empire.

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T+L in HOU

Travel + Leisure includes Houston stay on 100 best new hotels list

Photo by Julie Soefer

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Hot on the heels of being named one of Esquire magazine’s best new hotels in the world of 2025, Houston's Hotel Saint Augustine has picked up another accolade. The Montrose property landed on Travel + Leisure’s 100 Best New Hotels of the Year this week. It's the only Texas hotel to make the list.

The magazine noted the property “feels true to the destination and is a perfect addition to Houston's growing hospitality scene,” noting details that pay tribute to Houston’s history, like the Night Heron cocktail named after the city’s official bird and that the hotel itself takes its own name from Augustus Chapman, one of Houston’s founders.

When Austin-based Bunkhouse Hotels opened Saint Augustine back in December of 2024, it was a much-anticipated addition to the Bayou City’s hospitality scene. Adjacent to the world-renowned Menil Collection, the Hotel Saint Augustine blends seamlessly into its surroundings with a quiet elegance and luxury amenities.

“For us, Hotel Saint Augustine offers a chance to become part of a neighborhood that deeply aligns with the Bunkhouse ethos,” Bunkhouse senior VP of design and development Tenaya Hills said when it first opened. “Montrose, and by extension, the Museum District and Houston at large, foster an incredible sense of community, of creativity, of old world and new. We wanted to create a place where everyone could come and feel as welcome and inspired. As the next iteration of our Saint hotels, we aim to provide the same unique feeling of seclusion, of permission to be indulgent, and, most of all, completely at ease.”

With 71 rooms across five, two-story buildings, many with courtyard views, the Saint Augustine has quickly become known for being both upscale and approachable. Reviews thus far on sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp call the property “simply stunning,” with a “fun atmosphere,” and “a treasure…in the heart of Houston.”

On the Travel + Leisure list, the hotel is ranked among properties such as the Hotel Hana in Paris, The Lotus Palace in India, and the Palm House in Palm Beach, Florida. Room rates start at $429 per night.