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    Smoke Signals

    Reality star chef's 3 restaurants ready to fire in Upper Kirby

    Eric Sandler
    Mar 11, 2020 | 4:00 pm

    The wait for Tim Love's Houston debut has come to an end. The acclaimed, Fort Worth-based chef will open three new restaurants in Upper Kirby's Levy Park on Thursday, March 12. They are:

    • The Woodshed Smokehouse: "an homage to all things wood grilled, roasted, steamed, braised and slow-cooked"
    • The Love Shack: the chef's take on a classic burger joint
    • Side Dough: a double-decker bus serving coffee and pastries

    Some two years in the making, the new restaurants are Love's first Houston establishments. Best known for Lonesome Dove, his Fort Worth restaurant that will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year, the acclaimed chef operates establishments in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and Nashville. He's also a reality TV star known for his appearances on Iron Chef America, Top Chef Masters, and Restaurant Startup, a Shark Tank-style show he hosted with Masterchef judge Joe Bastianich.

    “Houston has an unimpeachable food scene and some of the most curious and welcoming diners my team and I have had the pleasure of serving, Love said in a statement. "A sprawling space with an outdoor element is hard to come by so when the opportunity came to be considered for Levy Park, I jumped at the chance. It’s really the perfect fit with a laid back oasis-in-the-city vibe I’m excited to be a part of."

    Woodshed is the largest and most significant of Love's Houston restaurants. Located on Wakeforest Ave between Richmond Dr. and Hwy. 59 feeder road, the restaurants seats approximately 100 in its main dining room, with another 35 available on its patio and a private dining room that holds 16. The building features a custom smoke room as well as rotisseries and grills. It opens for lunch and dinner daily at 11 am.

    Similar to its sibling in Fort Worth, Woodshed's menu lists not just a dish and its ingredients but also the type of wood used to season the dish: mesquite, hickory, pecan, or oak. Proteins include the usual beef, chicken, and pork as well as wild game such as venison and antelope.

    The offerings are extensive. Starters include crispy Brussels sprouts with lime vinaigrette, smoked whitefish dip with camp bread and tortilla chips, and "Kick Ass Nachos." Similarly, entrees range from Southern staples like chicken fried steak and a pulled pork sandwich to globally-inspired tastes such as a Peking-style duck that diners must reserve 24-hours in advance. One other signature item is the tacos of the day, which are made with pork, lamb, venison, goat, or antelope.

    Love Shack is a considerably more no-frills affair. Located in a kiosk on the western side of the park near Eastside St., it serves burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, nachos, and more, as well as wine, beer, lemonade, and root beer on draft. Since the kiosk is located near the dog park, Love Shack will also offer canine-friendly items such as housemade rawhide bones. It also opens for lunch and dinner daily at 11 am.

    Like Woodshed, Side Dough is located on Wakeforest. Open for breakfast and lunch, the double decker bus will serve a full range of coffee drinks plus grab-and-go items such as breakfast tacos, sandwiches, and pastries. It will operate daily from 7 am until 5 pm.

    "We are thrilled to welcome Tim Love and his dining concepts to Levy Park,” park director Stephanie Kiouses said. “Levy Park’s guests are a vibrant, diverse mix of visitors and we are excited to add these exciting culinary offerings to our existing park amenities, events and programs for our beloved parkgoers to enjoy.”

    Chef Tim Love.

    tim love
      
    Chef Tim Love.
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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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