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    A New Kind Of LÜNCH

    A new kind of LÜNCH: Summer's most buzzworthy dining experience unites top chefs

    Eric Sandler
    Aug 4, 2016 | 10:15 am

    This summer's most buzzworthy dining experience isn't taking place at some new opening River Oaks District or the Heights. The meal may be served at Oxheart, but James Beard Award winner Justin Yu isn't preparing the cuisine (although he might appear as a food runner). Rather than a gala dinner, this pop-up takes place during the day.

    LÜNCH, the pop-up that unites chef Peter Jahnke (Oxheart, Underbelly) with pastry chef Jillian Bartolome (Common Bond) and Master Sommelier David Keck (Camerata) has already completed about half of its 10-day takeover of Oxheart's intimate space in downtown's warehouse district, but curious diners still have time to book a table. Here's what to expect.

    Upon entering, diners will notice that Oxheart designer gindesignsgroup has given the space a mild reworking that allows it to feel both familiar but slightly different. The usually open kitchen has been hidden from view with curtains, and the 12-seat counter has been moved closer to the door to serve as the hostess stand. The six-person table that's usually next to the entrance has been relocated to the middle of the dining room, and new curtains hang from the ceiling near the tables.

    Menu choices are straightforward. For $25, diners receive two courses and a takeaway dessert (aka, the Loop). A four-course menu (aka, the Beltway 8) costs $40, or select six courses (aka, the Grand Parkway) for $60. Wine pairings are also available. Note that the dishes offered on each menu don't overlap, and the menu changes frequently enough that the dishes I ate on Friday may already have been retired.

    Last month, Jahnke told CultureMap that his dishes would be on the lighter side, and that held true during Friday's lunch. Lightness, acidity, and textural contrasts marked all of the chef's dishes. For example, walnut pesto and coffee rice balanced a rich, fatty duck confit. Similarly, sweet sous vide shrimp got a hit of tartness from sliced grapes and an herbal boost from fennel custard. Bartolome's dessert, a Japanese-inspired chocolate namelaka with coconut, demonstrated she's proficient with more than just Common Bond's signature croissants and cookies.

    Artful plating marked all of the dishes. Diners may be used to seeing that sort of care at dinner, but the thoughtful preparations mark LÜNCH as a special experience. Similarly, Keck and some of his restaurant industry friends delivered an extremely polished, efficient service. The six-course meal only took about 90 minutes, which makes it possible for downtown office workers to stretch a bit and order the full menu.

    Some inconveniences that one will tolerate at a pop-up will need tweaking if LÜNCH ever becomes a restaurant. Most importantly, it would be nice to have a printed menu that lists the dishes available with each menu and the corresponding price. My friends and I decided early on to order the six-course menu, but we cast a few jealous glances at adjacent tables as we tried to discern what we missed out on.

    Complaining about portion sizes at a tasting menu is pretty tired, but no one I know who has eaten at LÜNCH has left feeling full (admittedly a subjective perception). Few people have the inclination to consume a huge meal in the middle of the day — or the time for a nap such a meal might trigger — but a six-course meal should at least leave one feeling more satiated than we did. Adding a bread course would help; given Bartolome's Michelin-starred resume, it would probably be delicious, too.

    Still, a pop-up typically serves as a testing ground for ideas that may one day lead to a restaurant. By that standard, I consider LÜNCH to be highly successful. Jahnke, Bartolome, and Keck display enough good ideas that a restaurant that combined their talents could emerge as one of Houston's top dining destinations.

    LÜNCH is served daily from 11 am until 4 pm through August 7. For reservations, call 832-408-0681.

    Pickled plums.

    Lunch pop-up pickled plums
      
    Photo by Eric Sandler
    Pickled plums.
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    With or Without Whiz

    Houston burger mastermind fires up new pop-up devoted to Philly cheesesteaks

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 19, 2025 | 4:35 pm
    Bas's Cheesesteaks Abbas Dhanani
    Photo by Michael Ma
    Abbas Dhanani is serving up cheesesteaks at his new pop-up.

    Abbas Dhanani is at it again. The food influencer-turned-restaurateur behind the CultureMap Tastemaker Award-winning smash burger concept Burger Bodega is firing up a new pop-up concept devoted to another iconic sandwich.

    Called Bas’s Cheesesteaks, the new concept will Dhanani’s take on the classic Philly cheesesteak, made with sliced ribeye and white cheese on a seeded hoagie roll — onions and a spicy sauce are optional. A second version swaps the white cheese for Cheez Whiz. Like Burger Bodega, Dhanani is using halal beef for his cheesesteaks.

    Bas's Cheesesteaks cheesesteak sandwichThe cheesesteak is served on a seeded hoagie roll.Photo by Michael Ma

    “We have experimented with cheesesteaks as specials on the menu at Burger Bodega and received amazing feedback,” Dhanani said in a statement. “However, the cheesesteaks at Bas’s are the most refined versions we have done so far. I am excited to bring authentic Philly cheesesteaks to Houston as a new flavor experience while continuing to build on the energy and community we have created at Burger Bodega. This is a huge passion project for me, and I plan to take it step by step, just like Burger Bodega."

    As Dhanani notes, he introduced Burger Bodega with a series of pop-ups throughout Houston. To answer the obvious question, of course a restaurant could be in the cards for Bas’s, too.

    “I think thats the goal of any new pop-up concept,” Dhanani tells CultureMap. “Like Burger Bodega, we want to take it one step at a time and see where it goes.”

    Bas’s Cheesesteaks will have its first pop-up on Monday, June 30 at Burger Bodega’s location (4520 Washington Avenue). In addition to the two cheesesteaks, diners can get fries. Future pop-ups will be announced via Instagram.

    As for Burger Bodega’s second location in Katy, Dhanani says it’s still working through securing the necessary permits to begin construction.

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