Foodie News

The Heights jumps into Houston's new pastry shop craze: Architect turned baker plans a cozy spot

Add The Heights to the list of neighborhoods where a new-style, baker-driven pastry shop is set to open. Coming in April, architect turned baker Jessica Lusk is transforming her Stella Bakes online business into a 30-seat bakery and cafe called RED Dessert Dive & Coffee Shop.

"Currently, I'm an architect, but I'm not liking it," Lusk tells CultureMap. She started Stella Bakes two years ago to explore a career change and has found enough of an audience for her work that "I'm following it up with a brick and mortar." She's been traveling across the country collecting ideas and wants RED to have a "cozy" feel.

RED will be at least the fourth new bakery coming to Houston in 2014.

Lusk has long-time roots in the Heights. She lives there now, and both her grandfather and mother grew up there. To pay homage to the neighborhood and emphasize her commitment to sustainability, Lusk has incorporated reclaimed wood into her design for RED's bar front. The staff will also wear "It's ok to love Houston" T-shirts from nearby store Hello Lucky. "I want to support Houston businesses and be proud and promote Houston," Lusk explains.

She describes RED's menu as "classic American desserts with a twist." In addition to classics, Lusk is developing recipes that she describes as "super-different," such as using malt powder in cake recipes. She also cites her salted caramel brownies as a customer favorite that will make an appearance at the shop.

"We really do strive to use the best quality ingredients," Lusk says. She uses organic produce when available and seasonal produce from farmers markets.

As with other newcomers like Common Bond and Rebecca Masson's proposed Fluff Bake Bar, RED will have a beer and wine license. Lusk says the cafe will definitely serve wine, but she's still trying to figure out how to incorporate beer. Greenway coffee will also be available.

RED will be at least the fourth new bakery coming to Houston in 2014, and that doesn't include Three Brothers new location on Washington Ave. Won't that be delicious?

Jessica Lusk will open RED Dessert Dive & Coffee Shop on Studewood next year

Stella Bakes RED Dessert Dive & Coffee Shop is opening in The Heights in Spring 2014 November 2013

StellaBakes.com

Jessica Lusk will open RED Dessert Dive & Coffee Shop on Studewood next year

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wave goodbye, Wooster's

Midtown bar with creative cocktails and craft taps will close in February

Photo courtesy of Wooster's Garden

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A staple Midtown cocktail bar will soon serve its last drink. Wooster’s Garden will close on February 12, co-owner Jeff Barati announced on Instagram.

He paid tribute to the bar in an emotional post about its legacy.

Since 2014, Wooster’s Garden has been so much more than a place to grab a cocktail – it’s been a second home, a meeting place, a celebration spot, a refuge after long days, and the backdrop to countless memories. Truly my favorite of all our concepts. So many great memories that are very difficult to put into words. I’m getting emotional typing this.

We’ve watched first dates and engagement parties turn into lifelong partnerships, strangers become regulars, and regulars become family. We’ve shared laughs, tears, milestones, cigar nights, and late nights. None of this would have been possible without the community that showed up night after night – your support, stories, and loyalty are what gave this Midtown haven a heartbeat.

Barati tells CultureMap that he and business partner Andy Aweida have leased the space to a new operator who will announce its plans soon. Still, he has some hope that Wooster’s will be revived in the future.

“Our tentative plan is to reopen elsewhere if we can find the right location,” he writes a in a text. “The staff wants to stay together and reopen.”

Opened in 2014 by the Kirby Group, Wooster’s Garden offered a compelling mix of craft cocktails paired with an extensive tap wall of beer and wine along with creative, upscale bar food. Its format and indoor-outdoor design served as a template for a number of the group’s later concepts, including Heights Bier Garten and Bayou Heights Bier Garten.

Closing Wooster’s Garden follows the Kirby Group’s recent decision to shutter Verde Garden, its Mexican-themed bar in Montrose’s Harlow District development. It will be replaced by Exilio Latin Flair, a pan-Latin restaurant from the owners of Bari Ristorante.

cocktails closings wooster's garden