Blue, Navy Blue
Aaron Bludorn's team makes waves in Rice Village with true blue seafood restaurant
The team behind Bludorn has revealed more details about their plans for Rice Village. Slated to open this fall, the new seafood restaurant will be called Navy Blue.
First announced last year, the new project will occupy the former Politan Row space at 2445 Times Blvd. Chef Aaron Bludorn will partner with his wife, Victoria Pappas Bludorn, and Bludorn general manager Cherif Mbodji on the project.
Bludorn has been a smash hit since it opened in the fall of 2020. Texas Monthly named it to its statewide best new restaurants lists for 2021, and chef Bludorn recently earned a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination in the Best Chef: Texas category.
Opening a seafood restaurant makes a certain amount of sense for the Bludorn team, as fish and shellfish have always been a major component of the restaurant's menu. No meal at Bludorn would be complete without oysters, which it serves raw, roasted, or fried. Sea urchin spaghetti, various salmon preparations, and a Gulf Coast take on cioppino have become diner favorites — to say nothing of the signature lobster pot pie.
Whether any of those exact dishes show up at Navy Blue remains to be seen, of course, but they inspire a certain amount of confidence that the new restaurant will be a welcome addition to an area that's mostly bereft of seafood options other than Gratify Neighborhood and Goode Co. Seafood. Details like design, whether it will be open for lunch, etc. will be revealed as the opening becomes more imminent.
“We look forward to sharing more details about the restaurant and the team behind it as the new concept takes shape in the coming months. We thank you for your interest, as always,” Mbodji said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more excited to be part of the Houston restaurant industry and all who make it so incredibly dynamic, and we are thankful to all who have welcomed us with open arms.”
Find Taste of Gold near gate A8. Courtesy of Houston Airports 