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    Where to Eat Right Now

    Where to Eat Right Now: 10 hot, new Houston restaurants for March

    Eric Sandler
    Mar 3, 2015 | 2:32 pm

    Everyone loves the Rodeo, especially the food, but one cannot live on fried Twinkies alone. Although the weather has yet to turn pleasant, it will, and that means getting out to try some new restaurants.

    Now is the time when openings pick up after the post-holiday slowdown. For those who are obsessed with trying the newest places, get caught up now. After all, Mayor Annise Parker has already paid a visit to Weights + Measures, and her schedule is probably a lot busier than yours.

    Falling behind is just unacceptable, especially when Houston offers so many appealing choices.

    As always, this month's Where To Eat Right Now consists of new or nearly new restaurants that are worth your time in roughly the order that I think you should try them.

    Table 57
    Former Haven chef Randy Evans crafted the menu for this restaurant inside the newly opened Tanglewood H-E-B. Of course, one could make a meal out of a few of the 500 varieties of yogurt in the grocery store, but that would miss out on the opportunity to sample Evans's comfort food, as realized by executive chef Allen Duhon.

    The restaurant's smoker produces both legit, Central Texas-style barbecue (including peppery, properly fatty brisket) and other dishes like smoked pork belly for a BLT and hot smoked salmon for salads. I'll be back for more of the Korean fried chicken with can't miss kimchi collard green. The chicken is juicy, sweet and spicy — and well-priced at $15 for a half bird with two sides.

    Weights + Measures
    Generally, I avoid listing a restaurant two months in a row, but my current obsession with Weights + Measures is reflected in the seven credit card transactions I've made there since Feb. 1. Sometimes I swing by for a schnapps cocktail during happy hour and stay for a plate of meatballs or a pizza. Other times its brunch, lunch or dinner with friends.

    My current obsession with Weights + Measures is reflected in the seven credit card transactions I've made there since Feb. 1.

    Recent highlights from chef Richard Kaplan's specials include a rack of locally-sourced lamb chops served medium rare alongside seasonal beets and parsnips and lightly smoked lamb heart served over couscous. The front of house staff is still learning to manage the crowds, especially during brunch, but the team, led by general manager Isaac Johnson, has so much experience that I'm confident they'll get it sorted out quickly.

    Davis St. at Hermann Park
    Admittedly, I'm a little late to this restaurant that opened in October in the Mosaic apartment building near the Medical Center, but chef Javani King made a big splash when his crispy Thai shrimp took home two awards the Rodeo's annual Best Bites competition. Those shrimp were among the highlights of a recent visit to Davis St, as were the buffalo chicken spring rolls and two, super-crispy flatbreads.

    Roast chicken with flabby skin disappointed, but a thick, juicy pork chop would hold its own against anything this side of the classic served at Perry's. Save room for dessert — a waffled brownie sundae is chewy and crispy, just as it should be.

    North Italia
    After a couple of days of invite-only previews, this Italian restaurant from the Fox Restaurant Group, the same people behind True Food Kitchen, opened its doors Tuesday. The menu's strengths are clearly the scratch made pizza and pastas. Fig and prosciutto pizza had a mild sweetness, which was balanced by the salty pork; more importantly, the crust had real-deal char.

    Ricotta gnocchi, made in house, are a light complement to the more earthy braised short rib. The staff is enthusiastic but inexperienced. If a drink or dish intended for another table shows up, try to be encouraging. As owner Sam Fox said last week, "We have an organization that's good at figuring it out."

    Akamaru Japanese Restaurant
    Rarely can a Montrose opening be described as under the radar, but this sushi restaurant has had a very quiet first couple of weeks. During my visit last week, diners only occupied one other table, but this restaurant that sits next to Boheme deserves to be busier.

    This restaurant that sits next to Boheme deserves to be busier.

    Chef Sano moved to Houston from California last year, and his restaurant offers a selection of well-priced nigiri and creative rolls. A $42 chef's choice (omakase) sushi platter yielded 16 pieces of carefully prepared sushi. The quality compares favorably to other neighborhood spots like Nippon and Osaka, and the price is hard to beat.

    Samurai Noodle
    The Houston outpost of this Seattle-based ramen shop is still very much in soft opening mode with a limited menu. Still, it's hard to deny the flavorful, creamy tonkotsu stock that's made during a three-day process or the firm, chewy texture of the house-made noodles.

    It will be nice to sample the gyoza and other snacks when the menu expands in the next week or so, but the soup is ready now. And it's good.

    Radio Milano
    Chef Jose Hernandez has recently added two tasting menus to this high-style Italian restaurant in CityCentre. I sampled the nine course menu on a recent visit, where Hernandez wowed with dishes such as oxtail consomme with truffle pearls and langoustine risotto with saffron.

    At $125 per person, the tasting is a definite splurge, but all of the dishes can also be ordered a la carte. Besides, nine course at Tony's, which is the most direct comparison in terms of an Italian-inspired, fine dining tasting, runs $165. By that standard, it's almost a bargain.

    Mary'z Mediterranean Cuisine
    After 10 years on Richmond near the Galleria, this popular Middle Eastern restaurant has added a second location on Washington Ave in the former Polovina space. Freshly baked pita emerges from a showpiece oven. Sticking to classics like falafel and shawarma will definitely result in a good meal. I skipped the beef tartare, but it looks good.

    Of course, patio weather will bring the option of lingering with friends over a hookah.

    The Cajun Stop
    This EaDo staple may not be new, but it is where I went for my first taste of crawfish this year. They didn't disappoint — easy to peel and fiercely spicy. Prices are still running around $8 a pound, but they'll start to come down as the weather warms up and supplies increase.

    Save a little money by supplementing your meal with one of the restaurant's top notch fried seafood po-boys or a bowl of gumbo. Don't forget the crispy, spicy jalapeno hushpuppies.

    Wooster's Garden
    This stylish Midtown newcomer is definitely a bar first, but it offers enough of a food menu to make it a destination for a happy hour nosh or a light dinner. Who can resist a BLT made with Fireball-candied bacon? The staff can offer pairing suggestions from the bar's well-chosen selection of craft beers.

    Wooster's also plays host to a rotating cast of food trucks on Sundays that offers the convenience of a food truck park with the added benefits of real seating and beverage director Steven Salazar's appealing cocktail menu.

    Looking for more new restaurants to try? Consider the picks from February, January, December and November.

    Akamaru's chef choice sushi platter only costs $42.

    Akamaru Japanese Restaurant sushi platter
      
    Photo by Eric Sandler
    Akamaru's chef choice sushi platter only costs $42.
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    What's Eric Eating Episodes 459 and 460

    Meet the men behind Houston's most under-the-radar Italian restaurant

    CultureMap Staff
    Apr 18, 2025 | 5:00 pm
    Fernando Rios Mike Sammons Mimo
    Courtesy of Mimo
    Chef Fernando Rios and sommelier Mike Sammons are this week's guests.

    On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” sommelier Mike Sammons and chef Fernando Rios join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss Mimo, their Italian restaurant in the East End. The duo, whose history goes back to when they worked together at iconic Houston fine dining restaurant Da Marco, opened Mimo in 2023.



    The conversation begins with Rios explaining the progression of a career that took him from Backstreet Cafe to Da Marco to Weights + Measures, where he worked as the chef de cuisine while Sammons was a partner who oversaw the beverage program. Since they both live in the East End, they saw an opportunity to team up by claiming the former Kanomwan space on Telephone Rd.

    They discuss several aspects of the restaurant’s business, including Rios’ changes to the menu, the evolution of Mimo’s wine list, and how its been received by residents of the East End. A digression about Da Marco prompts Sandler to ask about its chef-owner Marco Wiles, who generally stays out of the media spotlight. Sammons shares that Wiles is the only chef or restaurateur who makes him nervous when he dines at Mimo.

    “He’s really not forgiving about things. This is very consistent with the Italian way of looking at things — there’s a right way to do things and that’s it. If it isn’t done that way, it’s wrong. A lot of my other mentors and friends can be more forgiving, but the standards Marco has kept for years has motivated me,” Sammons says.

    “He’s still the same way,” Rios adds. “That was insane to me. I thought, you get older, you’d be more relaxed, but the way he looks at you makes you nervous. Working in the kitchen, there was times he’d throw all my stuff away and say ‘start over.’”

    Was he right, Sandler asks.

    “Absolutely, yes. He was right all the time. I just think he was one of the best to do it,” Rios affirms.

    Listen to the full interview to hear both men discuss the one thing they’re most proud of about Mimo. They also discuss their plans for the future.



    In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Houston’s finalists in this year’s James Beard Awards, the owners of Jūn adding a daytime concept called Third Place, and Aaron Bludorn promoting chef Allie Pena to be Bludorn’s new executive chef.

    In the restaurant of the week segment, Sandler and Clarkson visit Camaraderie, chef Shawn Gawle’s new restaurant in the Heights. They share their thoughts on the restaurant’s prix fixe menu, as well as its decor and beverage offerings.

    -----

    Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

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