After months of real estate rumors, Weingarten Realty has announced that Michael Cordúa will be opening a third location of Américas, his flamboyant signature South American eatery, in the River Oaks Shopping Center.
Scheduled to open in the fall, Américas will occupy a second-floor space in the newly constructed section near the intersection of West Gray and Shepherd Drive next to Barnes & Noble. Last year the culinary insiders were buzzing that Tony and Jeff Vallone were considering the same spot (plus the first-floor area) for their new concept, but they ultimately chose to open Ciao Bello in the Uptown/Galleria area.
The 9,150-square-foot restaurant will feature an elevated bar area and private event spaces, and acclaimed Chicago architect Jordan Mozer—who put his mark on the exuberant Gaudí-esque original Américas on Post Oak—is returning to put a sure-to-be-noteworthy design in place. “The [River Oaks Shopping] Center’s personality is very much like what we have created in all of our Américas restaurants—vibrant and eclectic with a sense of relaxed glamour,” Cordúa said in a statement.
