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    Raise a Glass

    Spice up special events with Tony's private dining and catering

    CultureMap Create
    Sep 27, 2021 | 12:30 pm

    The iconic Tony's restaurant has always been a place for celebrations, from birthdays to holidays to rehearsal dinners — any number of life's important occasions.

    But did you know that Tony's, which is celebrating 56 years of culinary excellence in Houston, also offers catering and private dining spaces?

    Tony's is renowned for dedication and attention to detail when hosting events, paired with outstanding flavors made with the finest quality ingredients. The highly trained staff caters to any dining experience, of any kind and any size.

    Consider these private dining spaces for your next gathering:

    Main Dining Room: World-class art, towering 14-foot sculptures, a centerpiece of fresh flowers, and crisp linens make this one of America’s most beautiful dining rooms. This spacious room is great for corporate events, weddings, and receptions.

    San Remo Room: With the ability to seat up to 100 people, this room is ethereal and spacious with airy views and beautiful works of modern art. It's ideal for special functions that range from 30-100 people.

    Wine Library: Versace chargers, variegated roses, and a towering Murano chandelier crown this intimate setting that accommodates up to 12 guests. It is the perfect pairing for dinners, board meetings, or intimate evenings.

    Wine Cellar: Dine surrounded by an astonishing wine collection, when only the most exquisite atmosphere will do. The room is crowned with a custom Murano chandelier and seats up to 50 people.

    Get a taste for some of the show-stopping table-side presentations that are available for private events:

    • Gulf Coast salt-crusted snapper: This dish is presented flambéed and carved table-side.
    • Tony’s famous soufflés: From savory like the trufflé soufflés served with a creamy quadrello di bufala sauce to sweet soufflés like bananas Foster, tiramisu, praline, raspberry, Grand Marnier, and more.
    • Chef Austin’s dry-aged duck ala presse. This Crescent Island duck is dry aged for 14 days. The chef presents the whole duck table-side and then makes the sauce in a vintage duck press from France — one of the only duck presse in the city.

    Catering
    It's one thing to host a party, and another for the party to cater to you. Tony's experience is not limited to in-restaurant dining — the restaurant brings exquisite service and cuisine to your home or event venue, no matter the size.

    From holiday celebrations to anniversaries, galas, and beyond, Tony’s catering can create a custom menu and experience that surpasses expectations.

    Memorable options range from custom carving stations to elegant seated dinners to a seven-course interactive food and wine tasting led by a chef, and so much more.

    For the menu, imagine elegant seafood and caviar displays, an interactive wagyu station where the beef is sliced and seared to order, a roaming oyster bar offered with a truffle dill mignonette sauce, and comfort food featuring Tony's famous fried chicken.

    Indulge in classics like truffle risotto, pappardelle bolognese, and pansoti, and end the meal with frozen brandy freezes or a Baked Alaska large enough to serve your entire party.

    To learn more about Tony's private dining and catering options, and to begin planning your next mouthwatering meal, visit here.

    Tony’s wine cellar is a perfect setting for celebrating any occasion.

    Tony's wine library
    Photo courtesy of Tony's
    Tony’s wine cellar is a perfect setting for celebrating any occasion.
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    firing up Montrose

    New Houston seafood restaurant adds live-fire flair to Japanese flavors

    Eric Sandler
    Dec 3, 2025 | 10:02 am
    Casa Kenji restaurant
    Photo by Becca Wright
    Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

    An ambitious new seafood restaurant is coming to Montrose next week. Casa Kenji will open on Tuesday, December 9.

    Located in the former Andiron space (3201 Allen Pkwy), Casa Kenji is the first Houston project for New Orleans restaurateur Malachi DuPre, a former LSU standout who played briefly in the NFL before establishing Kenji and Kenji Kazoku restaurants in New Orleans. Together with former LSU teammate John “B-John” Ballis and Houston chef Bigler “Biggie” Cruz, Casa Kenji will blend Latin and Japanese influences while also incorporating live-fire elements into the restaurant’s dishes. Cruz, whose resume includes a lengthy stint at Uchi as well as working at critically acclaimed Houston seafood restaurant Golfstrømmen, tells CultureMap that Casa Kenji’s approach is the first time he can be himself in the kitchen.

    “My perfect restaurant was always based on the live fire and sushi combination,” Cruz says. “My mom cooked with wood for my entire life. The live fire creates completely different flavors. The smoky flavors, the sear from the charcoal — they create a different type of memory for me.”

    The use of live fire techniques will permeate Casa Kenji’s menus in ways both big and small. For example, diners will be able to feast on prawns grilled directly on charcoal and served with yuzu chili garlic, or savor lightly seared Japanese wagyu tataki paired with mushrooms. Even raw dishes will benefit from the restaurant’s wood-burning grill and stove.

    “Every vegetable we peel, we make into an ash that’s a topping for the dishes. It adds a different layer of flavor,” Cruz says. Look for it in the scallop aguachile, among others.

    Even vegetables get a smoky component, as in a cabbage dish that’s braised with dashi and soy sauce before being roasted and served with an onion soubise that Cruz says he developed based on techniques he learned from Golfstrømmen chef Christopher Haatuft.

    “It’s rich, super savory, with smoky layers, and you get brightness from the shiso gremolata. I think it will be a signature dish for us,” the chef says.

    One change to the interior is the addition of a six-seat omakase counter that looks into the kitchen. Cruz promises those diners will have an even more elevated experience than the restaurant’s regular menu, including ingredients such as Japanese wagyu and premium fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market.

    Beyond its cuisine, Casa Kenji hopes to stand out with its spacious outdoor patio. Since very few Japanese-inspired restaurants in Houston offer outdoor seating, it should appeal to diners who want a little vitamin D along with their tuna crudo.

    “We’re proud to showcase the craft and creativity that defines Casa Kenji,” co-founders Cruz, Ballis, and DuPre said in a statement. “With chef Bigler Cruz at the helm — blending live-fire technique with the discipline of Japanese tradition — we’re equally honored and excited to share a unique concept that is truly rooted in passion, culture, and community.”

    Casa Kenji will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 4 pm. Reservations are available on Resy.

    Casa Kenji restaurant

    Photo by Becca Wright

    Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

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