grazing in the heights

Houston charcuterie sensation lays out new storefront in The Heights

A Houston charcuterie sensation will open a brick-and-mortar storefront in The Heights. Graze, a service that creates elaborate cheese and charcuterie boards, will open this fall in Wolf Capital Partners’ redevelopment of 1135 E 11th St.

Owner Alyssa Case tells CultureMap she started her business in 2019 after a career in the modeling industry. Currently delivery-only, Case says that Graze distinguishes itself by carefully sourcing its products and creating presentations that ensure the end result is both delicious and beautiful.

“I try to keep everything local to Houston and Texas,” Case says. “If not, it’s the best of what the rest of the U.S. has to offer.”

Towards that end, Case sources all of her cheese through Houston Dairymaids, and many of them come from Texas farms. Graze’s jams are produced locally, too. The charcuterie comes from Italy, because, as Case notes, “if it’s not going to come from Texas, why not Italy?”

Boards come in a range of styles from individual portions to custom creations designed to feed dozens of people. The popular classic board (feeds 10-12) comes with four cheeses and three kinds of charcuterie, while the oversized Texas board feeds up to 30. From there, customers can opt for elaborate table spreads.

“That’s my most favorite thing to create,” she says. “It’s a huge meat and cheese board on whatever surface you choose. In my opinion, it’s a piece of art that’s edible. They can be as big as you want; eight feet is a common size.”

Case says she always wanted a storefront where customers could pick up everything they need for a special occasion from her custom-made boards to accessories such as crackers, candles, and more. While the footprint will be small, Graze will even have a few tables.

“More than anything, I want to offer people a place where they can come and graze and snack and come with a friend and enjoy a beautiful atmosphere while also eating some really good food,” she says.

The storefront will also allow Graze to offer a shorter lead times on orders, including same day for smaller boards. If all goes according to plan, Graze will open in late September or early October. Until then, it will operate in its current, delivery-only mode.

Graze is bringing its boards to The Heights.

Photo by Becca Wright

Graze is bringing its boards to The Heights.

openings news-you-can-eat

With or Without Whiz

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

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 sandwich The 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.

news-you-can-eat openings bas's cheesesteaks