Welcome Rosalie

Highly anticipated 'Italian soul' restaurant opens its doors in downtown Houston

One of this year's most eagerly anticipated restaurants makes its debut to the public on Tuesday, October 15. Rosalie Italian Soul, Top Chef Masters winner Chris Cosentino's new restaurant in downtown's C. Baldwin Hotel, has opened its doors.

Rosalie takes its inspiration from Cosentino's childhood, where he learned to cook alongside his great-grandmother Rosalie. That starts with the design by Philadelphia firm Rohe Creative, which has fashioned an updated take on Rosalie Cosentino's 70s-era kitchen. Details include retro TVs and custom walnut shelving that holds records, boomboxes, and art. Denim-covered banquettes, raised booths, and a family-style common table provide a mix of seating options.

The menu covers a wide range of Italian-American options that Cosentino and executive chef Sasha Grumman have updated with both his culinary perspective and Gulf coast ingredients. At dinner, the menu includes a number of pizzas, pastas such as blue crab manicotti and rigatoni with Texas wild boar ragu, and starters like vegetable frito misto and fried calamari. Mains run the gamut from a whole eggplant parmesan and Gulf shrimp fra diavolo to a whole chicken milanese and daily specials like lasagna and chicken cacciatore.

Breakfast includes egg sandwiches, polenta, and Italian-style doughnuts. Lunch, which begins October 23, lightens up the menu with more salads and sandwiches such as shaved porchetta and a "meatball dip." Pastry chef Valeria Trasatti's desert options include cannoli, tiramisu, soft serve ice cream, and an old school plate of Italian-style cookies.

“This food represents immigrant cuisine in America,” Cosentino said in a statement. “When Italians immigrated to the U.S., it was difficult to acquire the same product that they had at home in Italy. This is why Italian-American food was created. Ingenuity happened. I’m taking a lot of the dishes that I grew up with and breathing in a little bit of new life — in this little region of Italy known as Houston.”

Rosalie beverage director and assistant general manager Jay Pyle oversees the restaurant's Italian-focused wine list of approximately 100 bottles. Pyle has also created a cocktail program that incorporates Italian wines and spirits, such as fermet and prosecco.

Rounding out Rosalie's team are general manager Annie Balest, a veteran of Tony's and Vallone's, and director of food and beverage Charlie Skipsey. Both Balest and Skipsey worked with Cosentino's business parter Oliver Wharton at Jaleo, superstar chef José Andrés' restaurant in Las Vegas' Cosmopolitan hotel.

Cannoli with candied orange peel and dark chocolate chunks.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Cannoli with candied orange peel and dark chocolate chunks.

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River Oaks Remix

River Oaks lounge reboots around '90s DJ culture and retro bites

Photo by Michael Anthony

The recently formed LCN Hospitality group—David Anderson III, Mikos Adams, and DJ Mr. Rogers—have relaunched Fancy's with chef Dominick Lee curating the menu.

Less than two years after opening, a River Oaks cocktail lounge has new ownership and a new personality, though under the same name: Fancy’s.

Located at 1947 W. Gray St., the original Fancy’s opened in May 2024 under the guidance of Clé Group owners Zack Truesdell, Salim Dehkordi, and Dallas Rodriguez (BLVD Park, KISS, Heights Social, Say No Mas). The name said it all: an upscale, reservation-recommended lounge with a strictly enforced dress code.

The River Oaks spot is looking a little more approachable these days under new leadership. David Anderson III and Mikos Adams, both partners in downtown record lounge Off the Record, have joined with local producer and DJ Mr. Rogers to relaunch the space as a sound-driven cocktail lounge. This is the first joint venture of the trio under the recently formed LCN Hospitality group.

Fancy’s next chapter took shape through the success of DJ Mr. Rogers’ S.U.S.H.I. (Songs U Should Hear Immediately), a no-requests music-omakase pop-up during the lounge’s previous run.

“We were already spending time in the space through a music-forward pop-up, and the response made it clear there was a real appetite for guided music experiences where the DJ sets the tone and leads discovery, rather than competing for attention,” Anderson said in a statement. “After years in nightlife, where spectacle often comes first, it felt exciting to imagine something different. We thought back to the way DJs shaped culture in the ’90s and wanted to pair that sensibility with the history and energy of River Oaks.”

Former and first-time patrons will find a concept built around weekly programming, including:

S.U.S.H.I. Wednesdays (Songs U Should Hear Immediately)
Global House Thursdays
Funk, Disco, and R&B Fridays
Saturday Night After Hours, high-energy dance-focused programming

Photo by Michael Anthony

The recently formed LCN Hospitality group—David Anderson III, Mikos Adams, and DJ Mr. Rogers—have relaunched Fancy's with chef Dominick Lee curating the menu.

"As a producer and DJ, I've always been drawn to the idea of creating experiences where music is the guide, not the background,” Rogers said. “At Fancy's, we're building a space where discovery happens naturally, whether you're hearing something for the first time or rediscovering a classic through a different lens.”

In the kitchen, chef Dominick Lee looked to lavish River Oaks dinner parties of the ’90s, researching Baron Ricky di Porta Nova, a local legend known for extravagant gatherings. The result is nostalgic small plates and canapés such as Oysters di Porta Nova, a caviar-topped pasta tucked into an oyster shell, and refined chicken nuggets served with three unique dipping sauces and an optional caviar add-on.

"It's a different dinner party every night, shaped by a different sound experience," Lee said. "The food is there to complement that—indulgent but not heavy, familiar but elevated, always in service of the night unfolding around it.”

Behind the bar, bartender Sergio Contreras (formerly of L’Colombe d’Or and Tony’s) has crafted a drink menu that riffs on classic cocktails. Syrups are made in-house using natural, low-sugar ingredients, so patrons can imbibe without the sugar crash. Contreras’ menu includes highlights like the Razzle Dazzle, a French 75 remix, and Forbidden Love, a margarita with a Cabernet float.

"It's all about balance," Contreras said. "We want people to feel good while they're here and when they wake up the next morning after a late night on the dance floor. The classics are the foundation, but we're reworking them in a way that feels modern and intentional."

For those easing into the evening, the lounge offers “Fancy Hour” daily from 5 to 8 pm, featuring $10 signature cocktails and half-off the food menu. On Thursdays, the special runs all day.

The 102-seat bar also includes a second-floor outdoor patio and two private dining spaces. Fancy’s is open Wednesday through Friday, 5 pm-12 am, and Saturday from 7 pm-2 am. Reservations are available via OpenTable.