Food for Thought

Restaurants buck the Alabama Theater interior demolition trend and hold ontoHouston history

Hugo’s is housed in a 1926 building that was the Imperial Plumbing Supply andthe fact that you’re dining on fabulous food in a piece of historical Houstonjust adds to the total event.
Photo by Paula Murphy
“A lot of people don’t realize all the history of this building,” FrancieMendenhall said of El Real. “Universal Pictures turned the theater into a livevenue in 1979 for the first off-Broadway run of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."I played the role of Amber, renamed Angel because they said I sang like anangel. It ran here for a year.”
Photo by Marene Gustin
I watched a worker carting the remnants of the old Alabama Theater out todumpsters in the shared parking lot and sighed.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
“When my parents opened the restaurant 15 years ago the door was still there,”Laikan Hoang said of Mo Mong. “And the backstage dressing rooms had a door outto the patio.”
Photo by Marene Gustin
And if you have any personal memories of the Tower Theater, I’d love to hearabout them.
Photo by Clifford Pugh

Walking into PetSmart the other day I watched a worker carting the remnants of the old Alabama Theater out to dumpsters in the shared parking lot and sighed.

It’s one of the givens in Houston: It will be hot. There will be traffic jams and mosquito hordes. And we will destroy our history.

Clearly, sometimes buildings do outlive their usefulness, and sometimes they are weren’t built to stand the test of time or sometimes owners just let them go to pot, beyond the point of repair.

It’s one of the givens in Houston: It will be hot. There will be traffic jams and mosquito hordes. And we will destroy our history.

But it’s nice — from both and environmental and emotional standpoints — to find a building that whispers about its past, its memories and history. Particularly if that building houses a restaurant.

Clearly, James Beard Award-nominated Hugo Ortega’s food would taste just as wonderful served in some new, boring building. But eating is about more than just the taste, it’s about the total experience and that includes the ambiance of where you eat. Hugo’s is housed in a 1926 building that was the Imperial Plumbing Supply and the fact that you’re dining on fabulous food in a piece of historical Houston just adds to the total event.

And it’s nice to know that history.

There are several city restaurants housed in old homes. Phil & Derek’s Restaurant and Wine Bar is housed in the circa-1880 De Chaumes family home that was moved to its current location in the Gardens of Bammel Lane in 1984. I don’t know much about the family’s history, what their life was like in the home and what meals were served there, but I do know that chef/owner Phillip Mitchell grew up down the street from the house in its original location in the Third Ward.

And it’s little details like that that make for an interesting meal.

Everyone pretty much knows that Mark’s American Cuisine was once a church and then a head shop, and we all know the new, cool Underbelly and The Hay Merchant were once the legendary lesbian bar Chances. But before that the space was also a burger joint.

“We did our best to preserve the building,” said Collaborative Projects’ Jim Herd, who did the redesign of the building and remembers going there for hamburgers when it was Charlie’s Coffee Shop in the 1970s.

Right across the street is the Tower Theater, a 1936 movie house that now is home to El Real Tex-Mex. The last tenant was a Hollywood Video store (back when people actually left their homes to rent movies) but there’s more to the history of this building that I wasn’t aware of.

I recently sat down to lunch there with longtime friend Francie Mendenhall. It was her first time to eat at El Real and she was excited, telling me how she’d seen movies there when she was growing up in Houston.

“We did our best to preserve the building,” says Collaborative Projects’ Jim Herd, who did the redesign of the building and remembers going there for hamburgers.

Now there’s a lot I know about Mendenhall. She’s a great person, a good friend and really talented. And when I say talented I mean she has a wonderful singing voice and is a wonderful actor. She started performing in her father’s old Playhouse Theater, did a stint on KHOU-TV’s kiddie show Looney Auctions and, most famously, was one of the original Dean Martin Golddiggers from 1970 to 1973.

She also dated the late Davy Jones, but that’s another story.

So it was cool listening to her talk about watching movies in the venue where we were eating chili con queso and sipping margaritas but it was when she said she’d actually performed here that I really sat up and took notice.

“A lot of people don’t realize all the history of this building,” she said. “Universal Pictures turned the theater into a live venue in 1979 for the first off-Broadway run of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. I played the role of Amber, renamed Angel because they said I sang like an angel. It ran here for a year.”

Of course it makes sense that Whorehouse would come to Houston after its Broadway success in 1978. It’s based on the true story of the Chicken Ranch that was brought down by Houston’s Marvin Zindler. The book was written by Texans Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and directed by Masterson and Texan Tommy Tune, who also did the choreography.

After lunch Mendenhall and I strolled around the building to where an empty space sits between El Real and Mo Mong Vietnamese Restaurant.

‘This is where the stage was,” she pointed out. “And the backstage was in there.”

We popped into Mo Mong to look at the sidewall where the stage exit had been and when we explained to Laikan Hoang what we were looking at she chimed in with her knowledge.

“When my parents opened the restaurant 15 years ago the door was still there,” Hoang said. “And the backstage dressing rooms had a door out to the patio.”

“That’s were we’d step out to smoke,” Mendenhall added.

Hoang also added that after the theater closed it became Decadance and Clubland discos before becoming the video store.

So kudos to the two restaurants that saved this bit of Houston history and next time you dine at either one think of all the memories that live in this building.

And if you have any personal memories of the Tower Theater, I’d love to hear about them.

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no screaming required

15 Houston restaurants crafting nostalgic and decadent ice cream sundaes

Alex Montoya

The Pit Room in Memorial has a build-your-own dessert bar where patrons can craft sundaes with cookies and toppings.

There’s no need to scream for ice cream when dining at the Houston restaurants listed below as they all scoop out ice cream sundaes for patrons to enjoy. The timeless frozen treat has made a delicious comeback on dessert menus, with variations — like decadent build-your-own bars — appearing all over Houston.

This list takes a broad view of what constitutes a sundae — in line with its dictionary definition of “a dish consisting of ice cream served with toppings.” With that description in mind, sundae fans will discover several iterations of the classic dessert at these local eateries.

The miso caramel sundae at Balboa Surf ClubCourtesy of Western Addition

Balboa Surf Club
Balboa Surf Club emphasizes details in its food, from the sushi rice prepared fresh every 45 minutes to the elegantly crafted miso caramel sundae. A rich housemade miso caramel sauce is drizzled on three scoops of ice cream before being crowned with shaved chocolate, whipped cream, and crushed macadamia nuts.

Buttermilk Baby
The charming burger joint in the Heights could be a Candyland palace stand-in, so it’s only right that diners can order a Carvel’s sundae dasher with Reese’s or Oreo’s (12oz/$7.50, 16oz/$8.50) with layer upon layer of ice cream, whipped cream, and crunchy candy or cookies.

The buttermilk sundae at CredenceCourtesy of Credence

Credence
The buttermilk sundae at Credence aligns with the restaurant’s dedication to preparing ingredients over an open flame in a nod to South Texas’ rugged landscape. The cold treat is served with caramel cooked in embers and toasted pecans, a fitting tribute to Texas.

Pistachio soft serve at ElRo Pizzeria and CrudoCourtesy of ElRo Pizzeria and Crudo

ElRo Pizza & Crudo
This pizzeria is based in a bungalow tucked into a spot where Montrose and Midtown converge, and its soft serve sundae is just as approachable as the locale. The pistachio soft serve ($10) is made in-house at ElRo before being covered in crumbled cannoli shells that have been dipped in chocolate.

il Braco's Italian sundae with olive oilCourtesy of Western Addition

il Bracco
The Italian sundae at il Braco is a luxurious dish with olive oil, chopped pistachios, and three scoops of vanilla ice cream resulting in a smooth, creamy dessert. Flaky sea salt adds texture while enhancing the sundae’s sweetness.

Katami's sundae is made with Japanese shaved iceCourtesy of Katami

Katami
The American dessert receives an international spin at Katami, where the restaurant substitutes ice cream with kakigori, Japanese shaved ice. The green tea ($15) is made with white chocolate cream, caramel, and condensed milk. The strawberry Nutella ($16) combines chocolate ice cream with mascarpone cream, Nutella, and strawberry compote.

La Lucha's soft serve sundaeCourtesy of La Lucha

La Lucha
After slurping down oysters at this stylish spot on Shepherd, it’s time for soft serve. Diners can build their own soft serve sundae ($7) with Nutella or vanilla ice cream. Then come the toppings and there are plenty to choose from, with pecans, Maldon sea salt, Fruity Pebbles, and mini M&Ms, to name a few.

Little Rey
Houston native Ford Fry brought his Atlanta-based chain, Little Rey, to the city this summer with street tacos and other northern Mexico-inspired fare. The eatery’s soft serve machine is getting lots of love from patrons, with a range of flavors and toppings. The newest soft serve “sundae” is a Mexican spiced chocolate concoction with peppermint bark and sea salt.

The Marigold Club's sundae cartPhoto by Zach Horst

The Marigold Club
The classic sundae experience is elevated with the upscale restaurant's sundae cart ($22). A server navigates the elegant walnut cart through the Marigold Club's dining room, laden with housemade chai tea, clotted cream, and chocolate ice creams. Patrons can craft their ideal sundae without leaving their seats thanks to an array of toppings from sprinkles and candied hazelnuts to rum-infused banana jam and vanilla chantilly.

Medium Rare's hot fudge sundaePhoto by Alex Staniloff

Medium Rare
Dessert isn’t included in Medium Rare’s, two-course, $33 dinner of steak frites and salad, but the hot fudge sundae ($12) is worth the order. Also known as le sundae maison with sauce au chocolat chaud, the classic creation’s vanilla ice cream is smothered in hot fudge, with sprinkles scattered over a tower of whipped cream with a cherry on top.

Relish Restaurant & Bar
Relish's Town & Country location may have only recently opened its doors, but it's already dishing out a housemade vanilla soft serve sundae ($6). Relish's take on the dessert is adorned with Luxardo cherries, candied pistachios, and shaved dark chocolate. At the original River Heights address, diners will find the sundae with sweet cream ice cream.

the annie cafe's sundae The Annie sundae at The Annie Cafe and BarPhoto Kirsten Gilliam

The Annie Cafe and Bar
This Uptown cafe delivers a sophisticated interpretation of Texas-American cuisine and the Lone Star State inspiration is evident with the Annie sundae ($12). Vanilla and chocolate ice cream are smothered in chewy brownie bites, pralines, and marshmallow fluff, before being stacked with churros.

The Pit Room has a dessert bar for guests to create sundaes. The Pit Room's Memorial location has a dessert bar to create sundaes. Photo by Alex Montoya

The Pit Room
Diners can step up to The Pit Room’s dessert bar at its Memorial location to customize a sundae by mixing and matching ice cream flavors, such as sweet cream, pistachio, and birthday cake, with fresh baked cookies like chocolate chip and red velvet white chocolate. Garnishments such as sprinkles, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream are on hand to complete the masterpiece.

The coffee ice cream sundae at Tiny ChampionsCourtesy of Tiny Champions

Tiny Champions
The coffee ice cream sundae ($12) is the perfect way to end a meal at this pizzeria from the team behind Nancy's Hustle. At Tiny Champions, coffee beans are cold-steeped in housemade ice cream for 48 hours, infusing it with rich flavor. The sundae is then topped with hot fudge and pillowy, freshly fried donut holes.

The turtle brownie sundae at Turner'sPhoto by Brian Kennedy

Turner's
The fine dining establishment’s turtle brownie sundae ($17) is a recent addition to the menu. “We wanted to create an elevated take on the beloved, classic dessert by adding refined ingredients, including candied pecans and bourbon whipped cream,” restaurateur Ben Berg told CultureMap. “It’s the sundae you loved as a child, with the elegance you expect when dining at Turner’s.”

ice cream desserts lists news-you-can-eat ice cream sundae

Food for Thought

Restaurants buck the Alabama Theater interior demolition trend and hold ontoHouston history

no screaming required

15 Houston restaurants crafting nostalgic and decadent ice cream sundaes

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