10 things to know

10 things to know in Houston food right now: Openings, closings, and people on the move

Editor’s note: Houston’s restaurant scene moves pretty fast. In order to prevent CultureMap readers from missing anything, let’s stop to look around at all the latest news to know.

Openings and closings

Montrose bar Stone’s Throw has closed. A representative for owner Shawn Bermudez (The Burger Joint, Present Company) confirmed the closure but declined to comment on whether Bermudez has any plans for the space. Opened in 2014, Stone’s Throw offered a more adult vibe than Boondocks, its next door neighbor; the bar offered an extensive selection of cocktails, including sharable punch bowls.

Maclane’s Cafe, the casual, family-friendly restaurant from Masraff’s owners Russell and Tony Masraff, closed on January 16, according to a post to the restaurant’s Facebook page. The restaurant opened in the summer of 2017.

Galleria-area diners don’t need to travel to the Third Ward to satisfy a craving for the Turkey Leg Hut’s signature turkey legs and Cajun bowls. The restaurant has opened a new food trailer at the Galleria Food Truck Park (2829 Chimney Rock Rd.). Find the trailer operating beginning at 11 am Thursday through Sunday.

People on the move

General manager Scott Sulma has left Tony’s. Sulma tells CultureMap that he’s ready for a new challenge after 15 years with Vallone Restaurant Group and is exploring opportunities both in and outside of the restaurant world. As Sulma notes, he leaves Tony’s after an incredible 2019 that saw it receive a James Beard semi-finalist nomination for Outstanding Service and a fifth place ranking in Houston Chronicle critic Alison Cook’s list of Houston’s top 100 restaurants.

Brasserie 19 has a new chef. Steven Chou comes to the River Oaks staple after stints at The Modern, a two-star Michelin restaurant in New York City, as well as restaurants in Hong Kong and Malaysia. The restaurant will introduce Chou at a special dinner on Wednesday, January 29. Tickets are $125.

Guard and Grace has parted ways with executive chef Daniel Virola and general manager Andrew Ojeda. Chef-owner Troy Guard tells CultureMap that he made the decision after consulting with the restaurant's other employees and the management team of his Denver-based TAG Restaurant Group. Currently, Guard says he's spending three to four days a week at the downtown steakhouse, and that the restaurant is meeting his expectations for service, quality, and revenue. Guard and Grace is the process of interviewing for a new executive chef and general manager.

Other news and notes

Montrose barbecue favorite The Pit Room has begun selling breakfast tacos. Available Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 10 am, varieties include brisket, jalepeno-cheddar sausage, bacon and other; all tacos come with egg, refried beans, and choice of flour or corn (gluten-free) tortillas. Prices start at $3.50, and cheddar cheese is an additional $0.50. Salsas, pickled jalapeno, and other condiments are included.

Ocean Palace, one of Chinatown’s top dim sum destinations, recently suspended dinner service. The restaurant is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm. In a Facebook post announcing the change, the restaurant states that it will reopen for dinner with a new concept sometime in the future.

Shopper will have an easier time finding their favorite Bread Man Baking Co. loaves. In addition to its weekly stand at the Urban Harvest Farmers Market, the company now offers its breads at 10 Houston-area Whole Foods Markets. The newest additions, as of January 27, are Katy and Westchase. Other Whole Foods locations include Post Oak, Midtown, Kirby, and The Woodlands.

Off the map

Briargrove Mediterranean restaurant Craft Pita is the only Houston establishment on Yelp’s list of the Top 100 Places to Eat in 2020. The review website compiles its list based on the number of reviews an establishment receives and its rating. Although its only been open since August, Craft Pita has a perfect five-star rating across 149 reviews (as of January 23).

Scott Sulma, right, has left Tony's.

Tony Vallone Austin Waiters Scott Sulma Tony's

Photo by Emily Jaschke

Scott Sulma, right, has left Tony's.

news-you-can-eat closings openings chefs

the more things change

Houston's essential Jewish diner looks better than ever after refresh

Photo by Sergio Trevino

The dining room has more light than ever.

It’s tricky to renovate a restaurant that’s as essential to its community as New York Deli. A staple of Houston’s Jewish community for almost 50 years, the tiny restaurant near Meyerland will serve as many as 400 people during a busy Sunday brunch.

Still, the time had come, as the tape on the deteriorating banquettes and peeling wallpaper illustrated. With the restaurant’s lease up for renewal, co-owner Michael Saghian saw an opportunity for some updates.

“I couldn’t be the new guy who ruined the place by moving it,” he tells CultureMap. “We worked out a deal with the landlord [to stay] and did a big refresh.”

The most noticeable change is the removal of the restaurant’s front door and vestibule. Instead, diners enter through the restaurant’s companion bagel shop. Separate entrances made sense when the bagel shop was certified kosher by local religious authorities, but now that designation only applies to the Bellaire location that opened in 2020. Not only is the new setup easier for people with mobility issues to navigate, it allows more light into the dining room, brightening the place considerably..

Saghian and co-owner Riana Sherman worked with interior designer Erin Hicks on the refresh. Tables, chairs, and banquettes are all new, but the color scheme remains the same. The process yielded 10 more seats, and the furniture is a little more durable, too.

“People have flipped chairs because they’re so lightweight,” Sherman says. “We got a sturdier chair.”

Behind the scenes, an expanded kitchen allows for the restaurant’s cooks to work faster and more efficiently. An additional egg cooker should cut down the amount of time people wait for their food to arrive.

“The kitchen had one of everything. Now we have two of everything. We can pump out a lot more food,” Saghian says.

Photographs on the walls honor longtime customers such as the “bagel girls,” a group of woman who’ve eaten breakfast at the restaurant since the ‘80s. A piece of old wallpaper has been framed and hung on the wall, too, as a nod to the space’s history.

New York Deli interior changes Photographs on the walls honor longtime customers.Photo by Sergio Trevino

Photo by Sergio Trevino

The dining room has more light than ever.

Saghian says he suffered from sleepless nights as he worried about people’s reactions to the changes, but so far his customers have been effusive.

“It still feels like an old school diner,” Saghian says. “It has pieces you remember. Even the new stuff is old school.”

While the physical environment is new, the staff remains the same. To ensure he kept the same team of cooks and servers, Saghian paid their wages for the two weeks the restaurant was closed for renovations.

Even more importantly, the prices are the same. That’s something that will make even the oldest regulars happy.

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