Beautiful beer

The ultimate beer lunch is finally here! Inside Saint Arnold's new foodie friendly meals

Saint Arnold Brewing Company is officially part of Houston's foodie scene thanks to the launch of its lunch service on Wednesday, with chef Ryan Savoie working magic in the craft brewery's brand new kitchen.

The initial menu seems to fulfill brewery owner Brock Wagner's earlier promise of "Belgian, French, Alsatian bistro kind of fare" with a sometimes-focus on beer. A spinach salad served with roasted chicken, haricot verts and herbed red potatoes was on Wednesday's white board; Thursday's main dish is a root beer pork loin with braised apples and figs, served with mashed potatoes and a classic Caesar salad; and Friday's offering is Carbonnade Flamande — a Belgian beef and onion stew made with beer — served with frites, crème fraîche and a salad of spring greens.

The two-course lunch, which is available weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., will run you $17.55 (plus tax).

But don't get the wrong idea: As the chef first told Katharine Shilcutt of the Houston Press, the in-house restaurant will eventually offer vegetarian fare at least one day each week. Saint Arnold marketing and events director Lennie Ambrose tells CultureMap to expect a Lent-friendly curry dish on Good Friday.

Menus will be posted to the brewery's website each week, and if you don't like what they're serving, then choose another day — no substitutions or alterations will be offered.

The two-course lunch, which is available weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., will run you $17.55 (plus tax), a daily dessert is an additional $4.62 (plus tax) and iced tea is $.92 (plus tax).

If that seems a little steep, consider this: Brews will be available for free sampling during lunch hours.

Chef Ryan Savoie is at the helm of Saint Arnold Brewing Company's new in-house restaurant.

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2 staples shuttered

Downtown Italian restaurant and Upper Kirby wine bar suddenly close

Photo by © Chinh Phan/Fotowerk Group

Cru, seen here in happier times.

Inevitably, the end of the year brings a surprise closure or two, and 2024 is no exception. Both a staple downtown Italian restaurant and an Upper Kirby wine bar have quietly closed this week.

Sambuca closed after service on December 16, owner Kim Forsythe shared on Facebook. Open for 22 years in downtown’s The Rice apartment building, the restaurant was well known for its live music and lively atmosphere. While the restaurant had long been a staple for both downtown office workers and residents, it never fully recovered from the lingering economic changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In recent years, we've faced challenges that have tested our resilience,” Forsythe writes. “The changing climate of our city, with rising homelessness and crime, coupled with the lingering impacts of COVID and the resulting empty office spaces, has created a perfect storm that we could not weather. Though we fought with everything we had to keep our doors open, we're choosing to close this chapter with gratitude, carrying countless memories over the past 22 years.”

Crú Food & Wine Bar has closed its location in Upper Kirby’s Shops at Arrive development, according to a post former managing partner Annette Amaya on Instagram. In addition to the post about the closure, it is no longer accepting reservations via Open Table.

First opened in 2011, Crú earned a following for its eclectic wine list and a food menu that focused on familiar fare such as cheese and charcuterie boards and pizzas. Its location in The Woodlands remains open.

The Shops at Arrive have been busy this year with new openings. Staples such as Eddie V’s and Pondicheri have been joined by PostScript, a female-focused restaurant inspired by Dallas’ XOXO Dining Room, and Kira, an intimate hand roll bar from the team behind upscale omakase counter Neo.

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