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    Year in Review

    Top 10 restaurant and bar stories that Houston devoured in 2017

    CultureMap Staff
    Dec 29, 2017 | 2:23 pm

    Editor's note: As the year comes to a close, we look back at the 10 most popular restaurant and bar stories of 2017. These are the openings, closings, and celebrity sightings that Houston readers gobbled up, all from CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler.

    1. Guy Fieri films Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives at six Houston restaurants. The Mayor of Flavortown snuck into Houston to shine the Triple D spotlight on six deserving Houston-area restaurants: the Original Irma's, Cuchara, Cool Runnings, Cafe Lili, The Original Marini's Empanada House, and Q-Shi, the Spring restaurant that blends barbecue and sushi.

    2. Despite Hurricane Harvey's havoc, some Houston restaurants remain open. One day after the historic storm made landfall, a few Houston restaurants managed to open their doors. Stir-crazy CultureMap readers managed to navigate through the flooded streets to find hot meals.

    3. Developer unveils stunning plan to transform Airline farmers market into a foodie paradise. Real estate developer MLB Capital Partners unveiled an ambitious plan to convert the Houston Farmers Market, widely known as the Canino's Market after its largest tenant, into a "destination retail experience offering more diversified products, renovated facilities and community programming." The company has recruited chef Chris Shepherd and his business partner Kevin Floyd to help select the vendors for the new market.

    4. 'The best Sichuan restaurant in America' quietly arrives in Houston with Chinatown location. Chengdu Taste, a Los Angeles-based restaurant that's a favorite of Los Angeles Times critic Jonathan Gold and cookbook author J. Kenji López-Alt, quietly opened a Houston location in Chinatown — at least until CultureMap readers flocked to the place.

    5. Acclaimed Midtown seafood restaurant shutters as the latest victim of Harvey. In making the painful decision to close his eponymous seafood restaurant, popular local chef Mark Holley cited the three week closure of his restaurant after Harvey as being a financial blow that he couldn't recover from. Hopefully, the chef reemerges soon; Houstonians deserve regular access to his signature gumbo.

    6. Where to eat right now: 10 exciting new restaurants to try in January. This year's Where to Eat Now columns got off to a strong start in January thanks to restaurants like Riel, Pinkerton's Barbecue, and Maba Pan Asian Diner.

    7. Where to Eat Now: 10 new restaurants to try in June and one to avoid. Chengdu Taste, FM Kitchen & Bar, and The Branch led June's restaurant suggestions, but we strongly advised against a visit to Bud's Pitmaster BBQ.

    8. New England Patriots players chow down on 40 pounds of Killen's Barbecue. Prior to their historic comeback win in the Super Bowl, about a dozen members of the New England Patriots got a taste of Texas when they dined at Killen's Barbecue in Pearland. Led by center David Andrews, the group also included backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and offensive linemen Marcus Cannon, Joe Thuney, Tre Jackson, Chris Baker, LaAdrian Waddle, Shaq Mason, Cameron Fleming, and Nate Solder.

    9. Sneak peek: Acclaimed ramen shop offers half off on food during soft opening. Austin-based ramen shop Ramen Tatsu-ya introduced itself to Houston in the best way possible — three days of half-off soup. If the current cold snap has you craving noodles, we recommend the Mi So Hot.

    10. Enjoy Houston Restaurant Weeks 2017 at these 11 can't-miss newcomers. The list of restaurants participating in HRW for the first time is always popular with CultureMap readers. In 2017, Coltivare, Xochi, and Potente were the new participants we were most excited about.

    Holley's closed at the end of September.

    Houston, new brunch menus, Jan 2017, Lancelot bar at Holley\u2019s
    Photo by Julie Soefer
    Holley's closed at the end of September.
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    This week in eating

    9 things to know in Houston food right now: Openings, closings, and more

    Brianna McClane
    Mar 12, 2026 | 9:15 am
    banana sundae hai hospitality hai for her
    Photo by Hai Hospitality
    Uchi and Uchiko are offering an $11 banana sundae for March, with a percentage of proceeds benefiting Girls Inc.

    From po’boys to fibermaxxing, Houston eateries and chefs continue to flex their culinary chops. Read on to find out how Brennan’s of Houston is commemorating its anniversary, which two restaurants are now under one roof, and which Houston classic has added breakfast enchiladas to its menu.

    Openings and Closings

    Maggie’s Coffee has opened in Energy Tower II, an office building in the Energy Corridor. Named after Mac Haik’s beagle, the former football pro’s restaurant group developed the project, with Gin Braverman as designer. The cafe sources its beans from Independence Coffee Co. in Bastrop and offers bites from local Kraftsmen Bakery. Open Monday–Friday from 7 am–3 pm, Maggie’s Coffee is located at 11720 Katy Freeway.

    Crawfish Cafe and Pho Prime, two concepts from Houston's Mamba Hospitality Group, have combined into a newly renovated, 10,000-square-foot space in Chinatown. The full-service, dual-concept restaurant provides diners with menus for both Crawfish Cafe’s New Orleans–inspired fare and Pho Prime’s traditional Vietnamese dishes. The two dining rooms feature cultural accents from Vietnam and New Orleans, including two 20-foot, side-by-side murals by Houston artist Donkeeboy. The restaurant is open daily from 11 am-10 pm at 11209 Bellaire Boulevard.

    Pie Tap Pizza has tapped out of its only Houston location. The Dallas-based restaurant announced on Facebook that it had closed as of Friday, March 6. Open less than a year in the Novel Residences luxury apartment building, the restaurant made its pizza with dough that uses a 96-hour fermentation process.

    Events

    Thursday, March 12

    Bayou City Po’boys on Parade
    Local chefs are putting a spin on the classic sandwich for this six-week pop-up presented by Blue Plate Mayo. The event kicks off at Blood Bros. BBQ on March 12 from 12–2 pm and wraps up April 2 at Eunice with a crawfish boil. Winnie’s, Killen’s in the Heights, BB’s Tex-Orleans on White Oak, and Josephine’s are also participating.

    Monday, March 16

    Eastward Bound: A Farewell Collaboration
    There’s only one night left of this two-night event featuring a five-course meal that showcases the flavors of Burma, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Suu Khin of Burmalicious, Sherman Yeung of Tobiuo Sushi, Willet Feng of Borrowed Goods, and Christine Ha of The Blind Goat and Stuffed Belly are joining together to honor their Asian heritage and bid farewell to Feng and his wife Diane as they leave Houston for a new endeavor in Taiwan. Tickets are $100 per person for the Monday, March 16 dinner, which begins at 5 pm. The Blind Goat (8145 Long Point Road) is hosting the event.

    Throughout March

    Brennan’s of Houston Anniversary
    The Houston mainstay is celebrating its March 5, 1967 opening with a $67 three-course menu featuring turtle soup, pecan-crusted Gulf fish, and demi strawberry shortcake. Diners can pair the meal with a $67 bottle of Chardonnay or Cabernet. The special is available for lunch, brunch, and dinner throughout March. Brennan’s of Houston is located at 3300 Smith Street.

    Hai for Her at Uchi and Uchiko
    Hai Hospitality is honoring Women’s History Month with the launch of its fifth annual Hai for Her initiative. Uchi and Uchiko are offering a special banana sundae for March, with a percentage of proceeds benefiting Girls Inc. The $11 dessert combines banana sorbet with candied coconut, coconut caramel, crispy plantains, black sesame salt, and brûléed banana. Uchi is located at 904 Westheimer Road., and Uchiko is at 1801 Post Oak Boulevard.

    New Menus

    Bellagreen
    Joining the “fibermaxxing” movement, Bellagreen’s spring menu is fiber-forward with dishes like gluten-free lemon blueberry cheesecake with a coconut hemp crust and the Golden Glow roasted veggie bowl with quinoa and pumpkin seeds. The seasonal menu is available through May 31. The restaurant’s gluten-free mac and cheese has also returned as a permanent fixture, along with a “build your own mac” option with vegetables and proteins.

    Goode Co. Taqueria
    The Tex-Mex restaurant has overhauled its menu for the first time in seven years, with a fresh lineup featuring street tacos, tostadas, loaded fries, and a crispy chicken sandwich. Breakfast offerings include the Saddle Up Enchiladas topped with two eggs and the LG Special taco with chorizo, egg, refried beans, and cheddar. The menu is available now at 4902 Kirby Drive.

    banana sundae hai hospitality hai for her

    Photo by Hai Hospitality

    Uchi and Uchiko are offering an $11 banana sundae for March, with a percentage of proceeds benefiting Girls Inc.

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