adios, midtown

Houston's 'Sugar Fairy' serves up a new home for her beloved bakery

Rebecca Masson is relocated Fluff Bake Bar.

Courtesy photo

Fluff Bake Bar will have a new home for the new year. Chef-owner Rebecca Masson tells CultureMap that she’s relocating her bakery from Midtown to Shady Acres (Full disclosure: Masson is a regular guest on CultureMap's "What's Eric Eating" podcast).

Fluff’s last day of service in its current location will be Sunday, January 19. It will open at 1701 W. 15th St a couple of weeks later.

“I’m so sick of Midtown,” Masson says. “The biggest issue is parking. Even though there is a humongous parking garage behind the bakery, no one knows it’s there. No one takes the time to look for it. They drive by, they don’t see a parking spot, they don’t pull over.”

Having decided to relocate, she began looking in and around The Heights. Initially, she approached private equity investor Louie Comella about taking over the shuttered Gelazzi space, but Comella had already sold the property. Fortunately, he had another property available that had been slated to become a bar.

“We were going to open it up as part of a TV show,” Comella says. “I decided no, because Rebecca came up and said I needed a spot. We built it out for her the way she liked.”

For the most part, Fluff’s menu will remain the same. Patrons will be able to get the same Veruca Salt cakes, Couch Potato cookies, and Star Crossed Lover bars that they’ve been buying since the Midtown shop opened in 2015.

Masson is moving all of her equipment to the new location. Since it’s physically a little larger than her current location, it will offer more seating.

Moving into the middle of a neighborhood will result in one important change. Fluff will open at 7 am with a new line of breakfast goods, including kolaches, cinnamon rolls, and, most importantly, Masson’s signature croissants — previously only available occasionally as part of her Saturday morning bake sale pop-ups.

The kolaches should be equally memorable. She’s working with Truth BBQ to include some of its signature meats in the savory pastries.

Masson, known as both the Sugar Fairy and the Sugar Hooker (depending on who you ask), is feeling optimistic about her new spot.

“I’ve always liked being a part of a community, and I think being smackdab in the middle of a residential neighborhood will be a huge draw for us,” she says. “It will be a great place to convene and eat delicious cookies.”

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Bernadine's Revived?

Houston chef takes flight with new Gulf Coast seafood spot in the Heights

Southern Smoke Festival 2022 Graham Laborde Paige Gallaspy Laborde

Photo by Emily Jaschke

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Everything old is new again for Graham Laborde. The chef, a co-owner of Midtown sandwich favorite Winnie’s, will open a new, Gulf Coast-inspired seafood restaurant in the Heights called Little Bird.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because Laborde once led Bernadine’s, a “love letter” to Gulf Coast cuisine that operated in the Heights from 2015 until 2017. While Little Bird is a distinct restaurant with its own identity, diners with a long enough memory will certainly see some commonalities between the two restaurants.

“I’m a firm believer in playing to my strengths, I don’t think any of the cooking I’ve done either at Bernadine’s or Winnie’s or Little Bird, which you’ll soon see, does anything but play to my strengths,” Laborde tells CultureMap. You can’t change who you are. This is the cuisine I know and love. It’s what I’m best at. I’m excited to do it.”

Laborde has claimed the former Flying Fish/The Kid space (1815 N. Durham) for Little Bird, which is just around the corner from where Bernadine’s used to be (it’s now Star Rover). Plans call for about 150 seats, private dining rooms, and an air-conditioned patio. Details include a hand-carved wooden oyster bar and a mural by Houston artists Whitney Garrett-Yarbrough and Dayle Booth.

The menu is still under development, but don’t be surprised if at least a couple of Bernadine’s dishes show up. “I’ve grown a lot over the last 10 years. I think that my style, my palate has grown a lot, too. The menu is a work in progress, but I’m excited to hammer it out,” he says.

Adding to the “getting the band back together” vibe are some of the people helping Laborde bring Little Bird to life. Julia Doran, who served as Bernadine’s pastry chef before a length stint at Nancy’s Hustle and Tiny Champions, is consulting on the dessert program. Chelsea Thomas, formerly Bernadine’s assistant general manager, will serve as general manager at the new restaurant (full disclosure: Thomas is a regular contributor to CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast). Bartender Justin Ware, director of operations for Winnie’s, Johnny’s Gold Brick, and Starduster Lounge, will oversee Little Bird’s beverage offerings.

The chef is excited to be back in the Heights, a neighborhood he knows well.

“I first moved to the Heights straight from New Orleans. I noticed Heights Blvd had a middle ground. It made the transition so much easier,” Laborde says. “I’ve lived in the Heights and Garden Oaks for 16 years. It’s my home. I’m thrilled to be back here.”

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