Editor’s note: Houston’s restaurant scene moves pretty fast. In order to prevent CultureMap readers from missing anything, let’s stop to look around at all the latest news to know.
Openings and closings
Beloved Heights breakfast taco joint Chilosos Taco House has opened a new location in Cypress at the Bridgeland development. Known for its freshly made corn and flour tortillas, the new Chilosos will also offer a full bar for the first time. Located in the Lakeland Village Center at 10535 Fry Rd., the restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 7 am to 9 pm.
Austin-based wing joint Pluckers will join In-N-Out Burger, Whiskey Cake, and others in Stafford’s emerging The Grid mixed-use development. Slated to open in 2019, the Houston area’s fifth Pluckers will provide Houstonians with another venue for chowing down in Dr Pepper wings while sipping a craft beer.
Mia’s Table, Johnny Carrabba’s casual comfort food restaurant, has opened its second location near The Woodlands in Shenandoah. Located at 18450 I-45 South, the restaurant serves a family-friendly mix of burgers, salads, and entrees such as meatloaf, chicken fried steak, and fried seafood platters. Of course, soft serve ice creams are included at no additional charge.
Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar, a Louisiana-based restaurant that counts New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees as one of its owners, held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, October 3, for its Spring location. Slated to open in spring 2019, the 8,500-square-foot restaurant will be located at 21930 Kuykendahl Rd. Another outpost will open in the Katy Grand shopping center sometime next year.
Houston Tex-Mex favorite Cafe Adobe has closed both of its locations, according to a post in the Houston Foodie Friends Facebook group by local TV/radio personality Cleverley Stone. Known more for its margaritas than its food, Houstonians may feel a nostalgic twang for the restaurant's passing, but at least the city still offers lot of great Tex-Mex options. The original location on Westheimer near Shepherd closed in 2013 to make way for new apartments.
Kosher restaurant Genesis Steakhouse & Wine Bar announced on Facebook that it has temporarily closed as it prepares to move into a new location. Formerly located in the Bellaire triangle, Genesis will soon reopen in Meyerland’s in the N. Braeswood Square shopping center near Belden’s. No word yet on the timing of the reopening.
Other news and notes
River Oaks institution Backstreet Cafe is celebrating its 35th birthday in style. The restaurant — famous for having employed chef Hugo Ortega as a dishwasher before his marriage to owner Tracy Vaught and rise to James Beard Award winning star — will be pouring Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne (2009) for just $35 per glass (or $175 per bottle). In addition, the restaurant will offer select signature cocktails for $3.50 during lunch and brunch.
Better burger joint BuffBurger has rolled out a new menu of breakfast sandwiches that’s available at both its Montrose and Spring Branch locations. Served daily from 7 am to 11 am, the options include an egg sandwich (cheddar cheese, grilled onions, chives), house smoked salmon (cream cheese, onion, tomato), and fried chicken on a biscuit with pepper jelly. Pair them with homemade tater tots, a selection of Katz coffees, or mimosas from the bar. Sandwiches are also available as salads on a bed of mixed greens or with gluten-free buns.
All Houston-area outlets of Russo’s New York Pizzeria are celebrating National Pizza Month with a special deal. Get two, one-topping pizzas for just $24.95 from October 1 to 31 (regularly $38). Available for delivery and carry-out only; must mention “national pizza month” when ordering.
Feges BBQ, Greenway Coffee, and Holler Brewing Co. have teamed up to create a new beer. Houston Triple Craft is a smoked coffee marzen that uses 100 pounds of smoked German pilsner malt, Noble German hops, and double-filtered espresso to put a smoky spin on a classic Oktoberfest brew. Try it at Holler’s taproom and brewery in Sawyer Yards.
All things Agricole Hospitality
The Heights-based restaurant group will begin the roll out of its three EaDo concepts — Vinny’s, Miss Carousel, and Indianola — sometime this month (in that order), but the company’s existing bars and restaurants have news of their own.
Revival Market now offers the same menu all day, which means diners may have breakfast sandwiches for lunch or a burger to start the morning. New additions include a garlic and herb roasted half chicken ($16), pulled pork and grits ($12), and a biscuit sandwich with scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese ($12).
Meanwhile, Eight Row Flint recently purchased a larger food truck that allowed chef de cuisine Marcelo Garcia to expand the bar’s food offerings. The signature tacos and queso remain, but customers may now opt for wings, street corn hushpuppies, an eight-ounce carne asada, and more.
With the reopening of the Menil Collection, Night Heron has added Friday lunch service starting at 11 am. Friday happy hour now runs from 11 am to 6 pm with $7 cocktails, $7 wines by-the-glass, and $3 beers. A dedicated Friday lunch menu will be introduced soon.
Off the map
Not that readers should ever click away from CultureMap, but these three pieces are worth a little time. First, Texas Monthly senior editor John Nova Lomax pays tribute to East End dive D&W Lounge for Vice. Then, ChefsFeed asked notables like Robert Del Grande (Cafe Annie), Justin Yu (Theodore Rex), and Kaiser Lashkari (Himalaya) to share some impressions of Houston. Finally, Anvil and Better Luck Tomorrow are among 40 bars from across the country that share their most popular cocktails with Punch.
Walk-Ons will brings its Cajun dishes to Spring next year.
