cool bites

10 Houston restaurants to chill out with icy eats and sweet treats this summer

Refreshing treats at Bebidas.

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The heat from the sweltering sun is undeniable as the dog days of summer approach. In lieu of hot bites, fried food and hot pots, chill out with refreshingly raw eats and icy sweet treats.

We've rounded up 10 spots to cool down during the warmest of days with some chill dishes.

1751 Sea and Bar
Escape the heat and cozy up to the raw bar at 1751, where a revolving menu of offerings — including oysters on the half shell — are presented on ice. Starting off with a salad is wise here — the pickled green tomato salad topped with crab is picture-perfect and vibrant in flavor, while the seafood salad offers a generous helping of scallops, meaty lobster, shrimp, and lump crab.

Bebidas
Back by popular demand — and just in time for the sizzling hot long weekend — Bebidas has relaunched its SNOWBALLS x Bebidas pop-up, a grab-and-go snowball stand attached to the restaurant. The menu of shaved ice lists organic syrups which guests can choose from, and the colorful installation set against the natural landscape makes for a pristine photo-op for kids and adults alike.

Flying Fish
Find all of the signature seafood plates at newbie Flying Fish in The Heights. A perfect summer day may include kicking back with a 6 pack bucket and a dozen order of chilled boiled shrimp. Ceviche and shrimp cocktail are also great starters, and if choosing a fried basket — there is catfish, frog legs, crispy chicken, and so much more — opt for a helping of cool coleslaw on the side.

Goode Co. Armadillo Palace
Live music in the backyard at Goode Co. Armadillo Palace can be a festive affair — and a hot one. Start with something cold and classic like Goode’s campechana extra, a heaping serving of chilled seafood mixed with diced avocado, pico and fire-roasted Anaheim chilis before moving on to cocktails and beer. And now, the Goode cocktails are come to you with the launch of Yonderlust, a traveling bar made available for special events and parties.

Julep
Fresh off of her win for one of the best culinary books of 2018 by The International Association of Culinary Professionals, author and mixologist Alba Huerta has shaken things up at Julep, revealing a fun new menu of bites and bevs. East and West Coast oysters on the half shell can still be found here, but think outside the box and opt for the Bordeaux-style sausage and oyster plate, which pairs raw oysters on ice with boudin and a baguette for a next level snack.

Killen’s TMX
Forego a bottomless basket of chips and salsa at Killen’s TMX and opt for a cold starter like the Campechana Acapulco. Chunks of Gulf shrimp, crab, and octopus are tossed with creamy avocado and generously dressed in an orange Fanta cocktail sauce for a refreshing burst of flavor in each bite. Pair with an icy, salt-rimmed marg — TMX offers a frozen swirl! — for optimum enjoyment.

La Lucha
At this Heights hangout helmed by executive chef Bobby Matos, the spotlight is on Gulf Coast gems of all types, specifically raw oysters on the half shell. During happy hour from 5-6 pm, they are on special for just a buck each, and also, on the freshly minted Late Night menu, available Friday and Saturday until 2 am. Cool down with a dozen (or two) and save room for a vanilla and Nutella soft serve.

La Villa
Former Top Chef France finalist Kevin D’Andrea melds international flavors with classic French cuisine at this proper Montrose bistro during lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. In addition to a number of cold plates like the sea bass ceviche made bright with lime and baby watercress radish and tuna niçoise salad dressed in lemon vinaigrette, the young chef impresses with a dessert menu made up of cool sweet treats like decadent chocolate mousse and a chilled rice pudding topped with nuts and a caramel drizzle — a recipe passed down to him by his grandmother.

Squable
You can get ice any old place, but at Justin Yu and Bobby Heugel’s new Heights hot spot, sample the And I Mean Ice, a clay-aged Negroni presented over a rock for a perfectly chilled sip every time. Cold plates are given equal thought, as in the chilled ‘Royal Red’ shrimp, served with the skin and heads on over ice, and paired with a white cocktail sauce.

Milk & Sugar Creamery
This intimate ice cream shop on lower Westheimer has been a smash hit thanks to its creative flavors that typically include a mix-in or two. Consider the City That Never Sleeps, which features coffee and pretzel-flavored ice cream with chocolate chips, or the Cereal Milk that adds toasted Frosted Flakes. Staying open until midnight on Friday and Saturday makes it a great option for an after-dinner treat prior to heading to nearby bars like Camerata, Poison Girl, and Goodnight Charlie's.

The seafood tower at 1751 Sea and bar.

Photo by Shannon O’Hara

The seafood tower at 1751 Sea and bar.

ice-cream news-you-can-eat desserts

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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