Pasta Party

Popular local chef plots pasta party for new downtown food hall

The Bravery Chef Hall is starting to take shape. The new downtown food hall, a project that unites Prohibition owners Ahn Mai and Lian Nguyen with partner Shepard Ross, will feature five stands operated by local chefs.

Already announced are Nuna Nikkei Bar, a Peruvian concept from Andes Cafe owner David Guerrero, Blind Goat, a Vietnamese restaurant from Masterchef winner Christine Ha, and Cherry Block Craft Butcher and Seasonal Kitchen, a steakhouse from Black Hill Meats owner Felix Florez. Next up is BOH Pasta, an Italian concept from local chef Ben McPherson.

Although McPherson is known for his work at Batanga, Prohibition Supper Club, and, most recently, Krisp Bird & Batter, he's always had a passion for Italian cooking. Childhood trips to Italy cemented a love for the country's cuisine.

“I was in college by the time my dad moved to Italy," McPherson said in a statement. "My love for food had already started. Everyone in culinary school wanted to cook Southern and I had this thing for Italian I couldn’t shake.”

Named after both the industry term for kitchen workers (back of the house) as well as an Italian phrase meaning "I don't know," BOH will serve handmade pastas as well as Italian charcuterie and cheeses. A wood-burning Marra Forni oven will produce both Neapolitan-style pizzas and wood-roasted entrees.

McPherson has always had a commitment to sourcing great ingredients, and BOH is no exception. Pasta doughs will be made with heirloom flours from Texas' Barton Springs Mill, Hayden Flour Mills or Southern legend Anson Mills. Farm fresh eggs and seasonal produce are also on the agenda. Of course, Ross will contribute wine pairings for the various dishes.

Diners can get a preview of what the chef is working on at a special pop-up on April 10. The meal will include appetizers like artichokes alla Romana and bruschetta, two pastas, pizza, and porchetta with salsa verde. Tickets are on sale now for $50.

McPherson tells CultureMap that he'll spend most of April and early May in Romagna, Tuscany, Rome, and Piedmont conducting additional "research" in the form of eating and drinking. Tough work to be sure, but one that Houston diners will benefit from when Bravery arrives this summer.

Spaghetti alla chitarra made from ancient emmer semolina flour.

Ben McPherson BOH Pasta lasagna bolognese

Courtesy photo

Spaghetti alla chitarra made from ancient emmer semolina flour.

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Goodbye, Nadine's

Lively Houston neighborhood bar will shutter after only 1 year

ood Photo by Becca Wright

A Houston bar is closing its doors after only a year. Good God, Nadine’s will close on May 31 due to its property being sold, the bar announced on Instagram.

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A post shared by Good God, Nadine’s | Food. Drink. Mild Cursing. (@goodgodnadines)

“It’s last call at Nadine’s, y’all,” the post reads in part. “The building has been sold, and May 31st will be our last night of service. We had hoped it would go on longer, but in this life, well, one never knows.”

Partners Billy Trainor and Kyle Wiebe opened Good God, Nadine’s in May 2025. They named the bar after “everyone’s favorite eccentric aunt.” Working with Houston’s Gin Design Group, they created a space with an outdoor patio, a covered, air-conditioned patio, and an indoor bar area with brass accents.

The bar’s menu draws upon Southern, Creole, Mexican, and Vietnamese influences. It includes po’ boys, a smash burger, raw oysters, and more. The bar serves a range of frozen, shaken, and stirred cocktails, including The Houstonian (a gin and tonic riff with an herbal kick from cinnamon, star anise, juniper, and thyme), the Mango Sticky Rice (a clarified cocktail with vodka, coconut milk, mango, and pandan leaf), and the frozen Serrano Pineapple T&T, which is made with tequila, tonic, pineapple, lime, and pineapple-serrano syrup.

“If you’ve been meaning to come in, now’s the time. If you haven’t been in a while, we’d love to see you again. What are you doing at home,” the post concludes.

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