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    Introducing Blue Sushi

    New Heights sushi restaurant reels in sustainable catches and vegan eats

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 15, 2022 | 2:05 pm
    Sushi tastes better on a boat.
    Sushi tastes better on a boat.
    Courtesy of Blue Sushi Sake Grill

    Houston's newest sushi restaurant has debuted in the Heights. Blue Sushi Sake Grill has opened its doors in the M-K-T Heights mixed-use development (600 N Shepherd Dr., Suite 500)

    Part of the Omaha-based Flagship Restaurant Group, Blue Sushi serves an extensive selection of sushi (both nigiri and maki), sashimi, and prepared items that range from grilled items to hot and cold shareable plates. They can be paired with an extensive selection of wine, beer, sake, and cocktails.

    Open for lunch and dinner daily, the restaurant distinguishes itself from other sushi restaurants by participating in the Monterey Bay Aquarium: Seafood Watch program to ensure that all of the fish it serves has been responsibly caught and/or humanely raised. Menus provide sourcing information for all of the seafood items served at the restaurant.

    Those ingredients form the basis of a wide range of seafood-based dishes such as: Coconut Crab Soup with roasted corn, sweet potatoes, yellow curry, coconut milk, cilantro and chili oil; ceviche made with tilapia, white shrimp, lime juice, cucumber, cherry tomato, avocado, cilantro, sweet onion, jalapeño salsa, wonton crisps, togarashi, and chili oil; and nigiri and sashimi dishes such as the “Everything Smoked Salmon” (smoked salmon served on top of cream cheese stuffed rice tempura) and the Madai Chimichurri (red sea bream topped with cucumber, cherry tomato, aji rocoto, olive oil, marcona almonds, maldon sea salt, and chino chimichurri sauce).

    Blue Sushi also offers more than 18 vegan items including maki rolls and a selection of specialty nigiri such as seaweed caviar and Unami BBQ eggplant eel.

    Although Flagship Restaurant Group hails from Nebraska, it does have Houston ties. Co-founders Tony Gentile and Anthony Hitchcock, attended the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership. Prior to founding Flagship with their business partners, Gentile and Hitchcock opened high-end Houston grocery store Central Market.

    “We are so excited to be part of the Houston community and M-K-T Heights family! We may have Blue Sushi Sake Grill locations in 17 other destinations around the country, but every location is equally special to our company, Flagship Restaurant Group,” CEO Nick Hogan said in a statement. “This opening is going to be especially poignant, as two of our co-owners met in Houston over 20 years ago and we have so much shared history in this city. We are passionate about sustainability and providing an impactful dining experience to our guests, so we are excited to be part of a destination that has the same passion we do for culinary, beverage and responsible sourcing practices.”

    Sushi tastes better on a boat.

    Blue Sushi Sake Grill sushi boat
    Courtesy of Blue Sushi Sake Grill
    Sushi tastes better on a boat.
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    What's Eric Eating Episodes 518 and 519

    Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth

    CultureMap Staff
    Dec 19, 2025 | 4:40 pm
    Honest Mary's restaurant exterior
    Photo by Becca Wright
    Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

    On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center (2047-A West Gray St).



    Monteith shares that he started the restaurant in 2017 in order to fulfill his vision of a restaurant which could serve food that’s fast, fresh, and affordable. A trained chef who operated pioneering Austin restaurant Contigo, Wiseheart joined the group to bring both culinary expertise and operational acumen to the grouping company.

    Part of what sets Honest Mary’s apart is that diners can add cooked vegetables to the rice and proteins at the heart of every bowl. The “Market Sides” section includes an array of roasted vegetables — including sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, and Brussels sprouts — as well as black beans, maple-glazed carrots, and green lentils. Bowls can be further enhanced with toppings such as Texas pecans, crispy chickpeas, goat cheese, avocado, and apples as well as sauces such as creamy poblano, cashew lime crema, sesame vinaigrette, spicy peanut, chimichurri and apple cider vinaigrette

    Monteith explains that looking at the ingredients on display usually inspires him when he’s deciding what to eat at Honest Mary’s.

    “I will almost always look at the line and see what looks fresh and good,” Monteith says. “Today, I got the salted kale with white rice. Then, I got garlic-pepper steak. I added on lentils — they’re my go-to in the winter. They blend everything together, and I love it Then Brussels sprouts looked green. I got some jalapenos. Avocados, cause that’s healthy. Then I got the chimichurri sauce.”

    Honest Mary’s is also known for its hearty broths, a classic chicken and a vegetarian option made with seaweed and mushroom. Sandler raves about the chicken broth to Wiseheart, who shares how it’s made.

    “We spent six or seven months testing recipes and drinking it ourselves to see if it’s a good idea,” Wiseheart says. “I talk about it as a great complement to the menu. It’s healthy. It’s really simple. Most of the kitchens I came up with were rooted in French cuisine. This is just chicken stock with salt in it.”

    Listen to the full episode to hear more about Honest Mary’s plans for additional locations in Houston and Dallas. Then Monteith asks a Sandler a few questions about the Houston dining scene.



    In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Home Slice Pizza opening a new location in the Heights; the closures of Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy and Killen’s Barbecue in The Woodlands; and Esquire including ChòpnBlok on its list of America’s best new restaurants.

    In the restaurant of the week segment, the two friends discuss their recent meal at Hypsi, the Italian restaurant in the newly-opened Hotel Daphne. Listen to the episode to hear their favorite dishes and other thoughts on the meal.

    -----

    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.



    Honest Mary's restaurant exterior

    Photo by Becca Wright

    Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

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