Good Dog Comes to Montrose

Gourmet hot dog restaurant plans second location with expanded list of craft beers

Good news, Montrose hot dog lovers. Good Dog Houston, the food truck-turned-brick and mortar restaurant that's known for its carefully constructed hot dogs featuring an impressive array of housemade condiments, will open a second location in the former Brick & Spoon/Bocados space on West Alabama.

Co-owners Amalia Pferd and Daniel Caballero began the search for a second location a year ago. When they heard that Brick & Spoon closed back in August, they seized the opportunity to move into a location they had originally considered before committing to The Heights.

"We thought a second location was a good decision, because we wanted to get our brand out there more. Not everyone is able to make it to The Heights to try us," Pferd tells CultureMap. "Montrose has always been good to us. We parked our truck at The Menil Collection for awhile, and it was one of our best locations. That’s why we liked this particular spot."

Beyond reconnecting with customers who patronized the truck at The Menil, the new location brings Good Dog into Houston's most prestigious dining neighborhood where high profile restaurants like Underbelly, Uchi and Pax Americana blend with neighborhood favorites like Paulie's and Niko Niko's.

"We love the energy of Montrose," Caballero adds. "It's only 4.2 miles (from the original location), but it has another feel to it."

Slated to open in March 2016, the duo are planning renovations to the kitchen, dining room and patio. Changes include reconfiguring the space so that it flows well for counter service, expanding the bar and applying a liberal coat of their signature "Good Dog blue" paint.

Caballero plans to double the number of craft beers served from 10 in the Heights to 20 in Montrose, as well as expand their list of all Texas wines. Pferd says they have yet to make a final decision about adding spirits to the mix but concedes that boozy versions of their signature milkshakes has definite appeal.

The menu will feature all of the familiar hot dogs Good Dog fans enjoy like the Guac-A-Dog and the Ol' Zapata, as well as the fish and chips that's become a signature at the restaurant. Where the menu expands beyond that remains to be seen.

"I do want to listen to the neighborhood and see where I need to take it with the non-hot dog items," Pferd says. "We have a little more space over there, so we may be able to pull off some things for service and making sure we have a good-sized menu."

With a two year track record of delivering consistently good food and service under their belts, Caballero is ready for a new challenge.

"I can't wait to get started," he concludes.

Good Dog Houston will celebrate its second anniversary with a party Saturday from 6 pm to 10 pm. Catch the truck at the CultureMap Holiday Pop-Up Shop on Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm.

Look for the full range of Good Dog classics at the new location.

Good Dog Houston/Facebook

Look for the full range of Good Dog classics at the new location.

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Houston's smallest restaurant?

Michelin-recognized Houston sushi chef fires up 4-seat Japanese skewer spot

Courtesy of Sip & Skewer

Diners sit in front of chefs cooking on a grill.

The team behind one of Houston’s Michelin-recognized sushi restaurants is opening an intimate new izakaya. Sip & Skewer is the newest concept from Hidden Omakase owner Tuan Tran and chef Marcos Juarez.

Opening Friday, February 13, Sip & Skewer is a four-seat restaurant devoted to skewered meats that’s located within Sushi by Hidden, the group’s affordable omakase restaurant in Rice Village. At Sip & Skewer, diners sit across from the chefs as they cook a 10-course, $90 meal on a Japanese binchotan grill.

“Sip & Skewer is small, loud, and intentional. The kind of hidden experience you’d find in Tokyo,” Tran said. “And with Chef Marcos guiding the team at Sushi by Hidden, this space is getting new energy from every angle.”

A four-seat restaurant within a 10-seat restaurant might seem kind of superfluous, but Tran explains that it’s part of a larger plan for his group of restaurants, which also includes West U. hand roll restaurant Norigami. It also builds on the success of Hidden Omakase, the Galleria-area sushi counter that earned a Recommended designation in the Michelin Guide.

“Sip & Skewer is part of a larger vision. It’s designed as a stepping stone toward our next concept, Kōri, a new hand roll and craft cocktail bar opening in the Heights. Our plan is to open Sip & Skewer directly next to our hand roll spot, creating a small alley of Japanese concepts that feed into one another,” Tran explains.

“This allows us to build awareness, train our team in a new format, and introduce guests to Japanese charcoal grilling in a very personal way before we scale the idea into a larger setting with Kōri. The four-seat format keeps overhead extremely low while serving as a live test kitchen and brand builder for what’s coming next,” he adds.

On a related note, Juarez and the other chefs at Hidden Omakase are dividing their time between all three restaurants. Tuam explains that it’s a deliberate strategy to ensure a consistent customer experience.

“The same team that works Michelin-recognized omakase service also runs the grill here, which keeps quality and execution consistent while allowing the chefs a creative outlet in a very different format,” Tran said. “Because Sip & Skewer is only four seats and reservations only, it does not require a dedicated full-time staff. It’s an extension of the team rather than a separate operation.”