Bluestone lane debuts

Australian-inspired, NYC-based coffee shop sets opening date for first Houston location

Flat whites and avocado toast are coming to The Heights.

Courtesy of Bluestone Lane

The countdown is on for the debut of Bluestone Lane's first Houston location. The Australian-inspired, New York City-based coffee shop and cafe will open its doors on Wednesday, March 30.

First announced last year, Bluestone Lane takes its inspiration from coffee shops and cafes in founder and CEO Nicholas Stone’s hometown of Melbourne, Australia. Among other innovations, it takes credit for being one of the first coffee shops in America to introduce two Australian staples: smashed avocado toast and the flat white. It also roasts coffee and offers an array of lifestyle products.

The cafe aims to build an audience of "locals" who make Bluestone Lane a part of their daily routine. Its target demographic is adults, aged 25-32, who are health conscious and appreciate quality coffee, according to a release.

Located at 115 W. 19th St., Bluestone Lane replaces a Becks Prime location that closed last year. The expansive, 4,400-square-foot space features an outdoor patio.

Bluestone Lane's extensive food menu includes breakfast items served all day plus lunch offerings of bowls, salads, and wraps. Beverage options include a full range of hot and cold coffee drinks along with juices, smoothies, and teas.

"We are extremely excited to bring Bluestone Lane to Houston! Locals will love our signature, premium coffee along with our entire cafe menu of deliciously healthy all-day fare, served in a relaxed setting unlike anywhere else,” Stone said in a statement. “We are expanding into Houston and other metropolitan areas to serve the droves of people moving into these lively, diverse communities. We look forward to greeting our new locals in Houston Heights!”

As Stone indicates, Bluestone Lane plans to open additional locations in Houston. Currently, the company has more than 55 locations in cities such as Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

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a spoonful of sugar

New Mexican eatery sweetens Houston with 150 spirits and bold flavors

Courtesy of Mexican Sugar

Mexican Sugar is coming to Regent Square in December.

A Dallas-based Mexican restaurant is coming to Houston. Mexican Sugar will open its first Houston location in Montrose this December.

Located next to Georgia James in the Regent Square mixed-use development, Mexican Sugar will occupy a two-story, 13,000-square-foot building. All that room offers seating for 375 as well as two private dining rooms with full audio-visual capabilities. Both the upstairs and downstairs patios will have a view of nearby Buffalo Bayou Park.

Its part of FB Society, the Dallas-based hospitality group behind Whiskey Cake, Sixty Vines, and Haywire, the Texas-inspired comfort food restaurant that opened its first Houston-area location earlier this year. Mexican Sugar has three locations in the Dallas area: Plano, Las Colinas, and Uptown Dallas.

In a release, Mexican Sugar touts its use of seasonal ingredients. It also makes its tortillas by hand. Menu highlights include skirt steak, lobster fundido, and a bone-in pork chop. At brunch, look for options such as cajeta French toast, Benedictos Rancheros, and vanilla-cinnamon pancakes.

Agave fans will find plenty of choices courtesy of more the 150 tequilas and mezcals. They’re available in individual pours as well as in flights that allow customers to compare the flavors of the different spirits.

“Our goal is to create a dining experience that blends bold Mexican flavors with our signature style of hospitality that stays two steps ahead,” Justin Beam, Mexican Sugar’s director of operations, said in a statement. “We’re excited to offer Houstonians an immersive Mexican experience in a fresh, light, and approachable way.”

Courtesy of Mexican Sugar

Mexican Sugar is coming to Regent Square in December.

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