11 things to know

11 Houston restaurant reopenings and closings to know about right now

Editor’s note: With the turbulent state of the restaurant industry, it can be difficult to keep track of which restaurants are currently open. Here’s a quick round up of reopenings and closings — both temporary and permanent — that may be of interest to CultureMap readers.

Rosie Cannonball isn’t ready to reopen its interior for dine-in, but the Montrose restaurant has a new offering for those who want to dine al fresco. The Spritz Patio utilizes a covered, outdoor space at sister concept Goodnight Charlie’s as a venue to serve a menu of cocktails, savory Mediterranean-inspired dishes, and frozen treats.

The menu, a collaboration between the chef teams for Rosie Cannonball and March (Goodnight’s highly anticipated tasting menu restaurant), includes a selection of shareable items such as arancini, frito misto, and “spreads & breads” such as chicken liver mousse with baguette. For dessert, choose from a selection of gelato and sorbet bars (hello, "Mint Fudgsicle"). Beverage options include cocktails, wines by-the-glass, beers, and smoothies.

The patio is open Wednesday - Sunday. Rosie Cannonball also remains open for delivery and to-go.

Pinstripes, the Upper Kirby bar and restaurant that offers both bowling and bocce, reopens Friday, July 17. With 30,000 square feet of indoor space plus a large patio, the venue presents itself as a safe way for people to socialize while dining on the restaurant’s Italian-American menu. In addition, Pinstripes is offering to-go family meals that includes gift cards good towards a future visit.

Heights hand roll restaurant Handoreopened for to-go service on Wednesday, July 15. Diners will also find the restaurant's sushi rolls and small plates on third party delivery apps.

Sixty Vines, the wine bar and restaurant in Rice Village, resumed dine-in service on Monday, July 13. The restaurant features an Italian-inspired menu as well as 60 wines on tap.

Speaking of wine-driven pizzerias, Crisp reopened for dine-in service on Wednesday, July 15. The Shady Acres favorite closed on July 7 after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.

Also in Shady Acres, Bungalow Heightsannounced on social media that it has reopened for dine-in service after applying for the necessary permits to operate as a restaurant.

Monkey’s Tail reopened for dine-in service on July 7 after a two-week hiatus. The Mexican-inspired, modern ice house has expanded its patio to give patrons more options for outdoor dining.

Craft beer favorite Moon Tower Innreopened for to-go service on Monday, July 13. Get a wild game sausage or burger from 4 - 11 pm daily.

Earthcraft Juicery has reopened its location in Midtown’s Drewery Place luxury high-rise. In addition to juices, Earthcraft also offers smoothies and acai bowl.

Boomtown Coffee has permanently closed its downtown location on Main Street. “We're so grateful for all of your support over the years, and are excited for new opportunities even as this one comes to a close. Thanks for everything,” the cafe wrote in a social media post announcing the closure.

Originally the Honeymoon Cafe, Boomtown took over the space in 2018. The company’s other locations in downtown’s Understory food court and the Heights remain open.

Theodore Rex, the elevated downtown restaurant from James Beard Award winner Justin Yu, temporarily closed on Sunday, July 12, “so that the restaurant and our staff can take a moment to breathe and take care of themselves,” the restaurant wrote on social media. It expects to reopen in two weeks.

Play socially-distant bocce at Pinstripes.

Courtesy of Pinstripes

Play socially-distant bocce at Pinstripes.

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What's Eric Eating Episodes 459 and 460

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

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.

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