Welcome back

6 more Houston restaurants reopen for takeout service during COVID-19

Lamb chops are one of many choices available at Ouisie's Table.

Photo courtesy of Ouisie's Table

More Houston restaurants are reopening for to-go service this week. These establishments temporarily closed to protect their employees from COVID-19, but enough time has passed to allow them to serve customers while still following enhanced safety and hygiene protocols.

Filipino restaurant Be More Pacific has reopened its location in the Heights at 506 Yale St. Only open since March, the restaurant closed temporarily but has reopened as of Wednesday, April 22, with a limited menu that includes signature items such as Filipino BBQ, two kinds of lumpia (Filipino-style egg rolls), and fried rice dishes. Family packs for groups of two to three ($38) or four to five ($60) combine popular items at a slight discount and also include non-alcoholic drinks and dessert.

On Saturdays, the restaurant will feature its Filipino-style crawfish — described as mild, garlicky, sweet, and creamy — in 4-pound packs with sides for $35. In addition to food, Be More Pacific will offer cocktails and 6-packs of beer. Hours of operations are 3 - 8 pm Wednesday through Sunday, and diners may order by calling 832-582-5264.

Christian's Tailgate has reopened its Heights location at 2820 White Oak Dr; the Midtown location at 2000 Bagby St. is also open. The restaurant's menu includes its signature burgers — the one topped with fried bacon and an onion ring is particularly decadent — as well as wings, tacos, sandwiches, and more. Margaritas and beer are also available. Call 713-863-1207 to order (online ordering coming soon).

Feges BBQ has reopened with a menu of three composed dishes that include smoked elements: barbacoa with pimento cheese grits, smoked chicken enchiladas with salsa verde, and pulled pork with sweet potato-banana mashers and braised greens. They're served chilled and are designed to be taken home and heated in an oven. The restaurant has setup a curbside pickup point next to the Primrose School in front of 3 Greenway Plaza (watch this video for details). Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 6 pm.

With most of the offices in Greenway Plaza still closed, Feges is not offering its usual menu of smoked meat plates and sandwiches. However, it is selling bulk barbecue to go on Saturdays on the site of its future home in Spring Branch (8217 Long Point Rd.). The menu includes items such as smoked whole chicken, half briskets and turkey breasts, and 2-pound packs of chopped beef or pulled pork. Order online by 3 pm on Friday for pickup between 9 am and 1 pm on Saturday.

After receiving almost 800 orders for its Easter menu, Ouisie's Table owner Wafi Dinari made the decision to reopen full time. The River Oaks restaurant offers many of its Southern favorites either a la carte or as part of three and four-course prix fixe menus. The three-course, $30 menu includes dishes such as crab cakes, prime rib with loaded baked potato, shrimp and grits, and tres leches. The four-course, $45 menu adds choices such as blueberry-spinach salad, red snapper, beef tenderloin, and lamb chops.

Bulk dishes for groups of four, kids meals, and specials on wine and beer round out the offerings. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday from 11 am to 8 pm; call 713-528-2264 to order.

Spanish fine dining restaurants MAD and BCN will also reopen this week, the Houston Business Journal reports. Operating out of MAD, chef Luis Roger will serve a menu that features dishes from both restaurants, including sucking pig empanadas, Spanish cod fritters, chilled tomato soup and grilled lamb rack. Dessert options include almond cake, fruit salad, and chocolate chip cookies.

Wine (at 30-percent off list price), beer, and cocktail kits are also available. Order curbside to-go by calling 281-888-2770 or opt for delivery via DoorDash.

news-you-can-eat

What's Eric Eating Episodes 518 and 519

Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center (2047-A West Gray St).

Monteith shares that he started the restaurant in 2017 in order to fulfill his vision of a restaurant which could serve food that’s fast, fresh, and affordable. A trained chef who operated pioneering Austin restaurant Contigo, Wiseheart joined the group to bring both culinary expertise and operational acumen to the grouping company.

Part of what sets Honest Mary’s apart is that diners can add cooked vegetables to the rice and proteins at the heart of every bowl. The “Market Sides” section includes an array of roasted vegetables — including sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, and Brussels sprouts — as well as black beans, maple-glazed carrots, and green lentils. Bowls can be further enhanced with toppings such as Texas pecans, crispy chickpeas, goat cheese, avocado, and apples as well as sauces such as creamy poblano, cashew lime crema, sesame vinaigrette, spicy peanut, chimichurri and apple cider vinaigrette

Monteith explains that looking at the ingredients on display usually inspires him when he’s deciding what to eat at Honest Mary’s.

“I will almost always look at the line and see what looks fresh and good,” Monteith says. “Today, I got the salted kale with white rice. Then, I got garlic-pepper steak. I added on lentils — they’re my go-to in the winter. They blend everything together, and I love it Then Brussels sprouts looked green. I got some jalapenos. Avocados, cause that’s healthy. Then I got the chimichurri sauce.”

Honest Mary’s is also known for its hearty broths, a classic chicken and a vegetarian option made with seaweed and mushroom. Sandler raves about the chicken broth to Wiseheart, who shares how it’s made.

“We spent six or seven months testing recipes and drinking it ourselves to see if it’s a good idea,” Wiseheart says. “I talk about it as a great complement to the menu. It’s healthy. It’s really simple. Most of the kitchens I came up with were rooted in French cuisine. This is just chicken stock with salt in it.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about Honest Mary’s plans for additional locations in Houston and Dallas. Then Monteith asks a Sandler a few questions about the Houston dining scene.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Home Slice Pizza opening a new location in the Heights; the closures of Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy and Killen’s Barbecue in The Woodlands; and Esquire including ChòpnBlok on its list of America’s best new restaurants.

In the restaurant of the week segment, the two friends discuss their recent meal at Hypsi, the Italian restaurant in the newly-opened Hotel Daphne. Listen to the episode to hear their favorite dishes and other thoughts on the meal.

-----

Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

news-you-can-eat podcasts interview