Deshaun to the rescue

Texans star's donation helps Montrose restaurant feed unemployed workers

Ryan Lachaine, owner of Riel, applauds the contribution by the Houston Texans superstar.

Courtesy of Riel

Montrose restaurant Riel is participating in the Restaurant Workers Relief Program, a national campaign to provide meals and other supplies to unemployed hospitality workers. Organized by James Beard Award-winning author and chef Edward Lee and his charity the Lee Initiative, the program aims to serve hundreds of meals per day to people who've lost their jobs due to restaurants being closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Eligible hospitality workers can visit Riel daily between 4 and 6 pm to collect one meal per person. Each participating restaurant also has a limited supply of other essential items such as groceries, diapers, and toiletries.

Those efforts received a boost last week courtesy of the Deshaun Watson Foundation, which made a donation that will allow Riel to continue the program beyond its original 10 day timeline. Any additional funds raised in Houston for the program will also go towards Riel's efforts.

"Every dollar counts, and we're extremely grateful for Deshaun's donation," Riel chef-owner Ryan Lachaine said in a statement. "We could all use something to smile about right now. He's putting food on the table for a lot of people in Houston who need it."

Being a part of the Restaurant Workers Relief Program puts Riel in prestigious company. In addition to chef Lee's restaurants 610 Magnolia in Louisville and Succotash in Washington, D.C., the program includes Beard Award winners such as Donald Link (Cochon in New Orleans), Edouardo Jordan (Salare in Seattle), and Nancy Silverton (Chi Spacca in Los Angeles).

Those combined efforts have created over 25,000 meals since the program started last week, according to a post on social media.

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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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