New Houston Bakery Bar

Top Chef star is finally opening up her own Houston bakery bar: The Sugar Hooker roars into Midtown

More than six months after successfully raising $50,000 via Kickstarter, Fluff Bake Bar owner Rebecca Masson revealed Friday that she's officially signed a lease to make her brick and mortar location a reality. With the bakery bar expected to open in the next three to four months, Masson — a former Top Chef: Just Desserts contestant — posted an amusing reaction to Twitter:

this might be more terrifying than that time I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane...

— rebecca masson (@sugar_fairy) July 11, 2014

Masson is taking over the former Sweet Lola Yogurt Bar space that closed last year at 304 Gray Street in Midtown. When it opens, the pastry shop will be more than just a retail bakery for Masson's signature sweets like Fluffernuts and Veruca Salt Cup|Cakes. The baker dubbed The Sugar Hooker will offer plated desserts and charcuterie plates as well.

Beer and wine pairings will even be available for custom dessert tastings.

Some of the plated options include chocolate stout syllabub (crème fraiche, spiced caramel, Ritz cracker crunch), risotto fritters with gingered blueberries and Texas honey semifreddo, Valrhona Tainori chocolate parfait and Meyer lemon ice box pie.

As for the "bar" component of the name, the location will serve beer and wine from a list Masson is creating with assistance from well-regarded local sommelier Antonio Gianola of Houston Wine Merchant. Beer and wine pairings will even be available for custom dessert tastings.

The full shop will also allow Masson to host fellow pastry chefs for weekend takeovers. Austin’s Philip Speer, Chicago’s Amanda Rockman, and Cincinnati’s Megan Ketover have already signed on.

Masson's move comes as the Midtown restaurant scene is shifting slightly. Yes, the bar scene is still booming, but the restaurants are diversifying.

Cook & Collins offers a more grown-up, casual spot while both Kata Robata and Oporto are currently working to open new locations in the area. Fluff Bake Bar would seem to fit into the trend of better food options for the area and represents one of the more interesting new bakery concepts to emerge in 2014.

Rebecca Masson is making her long-awaited big move to a brick and mortar bakery bar.

Courtesy photo

Rebecca Masson is making her long-awaited big move to a brick and mortar bakery bar.

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there's the rub

Restaurant known for 'new Houston cuisine' now open in Cypress

Courtesy of Jonathan's the Rub

Jonathan's the Rub serves steaks and other dishes.

A restaurant known for its eclectic “new Houston cuisine” has opened in Cypress. The fourth location of Jonathan’s the Rub is now open for dinner in Bridgeland (20215 Bridgeland Creek Parkway).

First announced last year, the new Jonathan’s is located in Village Green, a 70-acre mixed-use development within the 925-acre Bridgeland Central district. The 5,500-square-foot restaurant includes two patios totaling 2,600 square feet, giving the restaurant plenty of room for private dining rooms, a bar area, and indoor-outdoor areas with fire pits and greenery.

“We were looking for the next frontier — a community with a booming population and a clear vision for growth that aligns with our brand,” chef-owner Jonathan Levine said in a statement. “When we discovered Bridgeland and learned it was a Howard Hughes development, we were immediately impressed. With their reputation for developing generational communities, we felt confident that Bridgeland was the right place for our family and for Jonathan’s the Rub.”

Like Jonathan’s three other locations, the menu at Bridgeland is built around Levine’s signature “new Houston cuisine,” a kicked-up take on comfort food that includes everything from lobster tacos and blackened shrimp and grits to Italian American classics and steakhouse fare.

Village Green is also home to H-E-B and restaurants such as Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café and Crust Pizza Co. Austin-based burger joint P. Terry’s will open there next year.

“Jonathan’s the Rub’s arrival in Bridgeland Central brings a distinguished addition to the culinary scene in both the community and northwest Houston,” said Jim Carman, president of the Texas region, for Bridgeland developer Howard Hughes Communities. “We’re proud to partner with exceptional restaurateurs like Chef Jonathan Levine to bring elevated dining experiences that enhance the lifestyle offerings for our residents and neighbors.”

Courtesy of Jonathan's the Rub

Jonathan's the Rub serves steaks and other dishes.