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    Ciao, Montrose!

    New Italian restaurant from owners of River Oaks hot spots heads to buzzy Montrose development

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 1, 2021 | 1:50 pm
    Atlas Restaurant Group Alex Smith Steve Radom Eric Smith
    Atlas Restaurant Group owners Alex and Eric Smith (left and right) with real estate developer Steve Radom (center).
    Courtesy of Atlas Restaurant Group

    A Baltimore-based restaurant has big plans for Montrose. Atlas Restaurant Group, the company behind Ouzo Bay and Loch Bar, will open a new Italian restaurant in the heart of the city's premier dining neighborhood.

    Slated to open spring 2022, the still unnamed restaurant will occupy 5,500 square feet at the Montrose Collective, the mixed-use development currently under construction next to Uchi on lower Westheimer. The restaurant will be a new concept for Atlas that's distinct from Tagliata, the company's Italian-influenced steakhouse. Details are light, but it will feature "handmade pastas, charcuterie, and prime steaks," according to a press release.

    Loch Bar and Ouzo Bay opened at River Oaks District in 2019. The success of the two seafood restaurants — a lively, East Coast-inspired seafood tavern next to a European-influenced, fine dining concept — prompted Atlas to seek more opportunities in Houston.

    “The success of Ouzo and Loch Bar, combined with the city’s business-friendly environment, made the decision to grow here an easy one,” Atlas Restaurant Group co-owner Alex Smith said in a statement. “Frankly, we love Houston and plan to continue creating new brands here under the Atlas umbrella wherever it makes sense. And Montrose Collective made absolute perfect sense.”

    Currently under construction, the Montrose Collective will consist of over 100,000 square feet of office space, more than 50,000 square feet of retail space, and the relocated branch of the Houston Public Library that's currently on Montrose Boulevard. When it opens later this year, the development expects to be home to six new restaurants and 15 retail shops, including an outpost of New York's Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.

    Like other projects from developer Radom Capital (Heights Merchant and M-K-T Heights), Montrose Collective will feature design by Texas architect Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.

    “We couldn’t be more excited that Alex and Eric have selected Montrose Collective for their first Italian concept in Texas,” said Radom Capital Managing Principal Steve Radom. He added, “I was absolutely blown away by their creativity and attention to detail, on a recent visit to Baltimore, and the quality of their concepts speaks for itself, and I’m confident they will create something special for Montrose that will resonate with locals and visitors alike.”

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    arrivederci

    Sophisticated Houston Italian eatery quietly closes after 3 years

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 9, 2026 | 3:30 pm
    Tavola lobster linguine
    Photo by Brian Kennedy
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    An Italian restaurant in Uptown has served its last meal. Tavola has closed, its owner The Bastion Collection announced on social media.

    “To our team, who brought heart to every service, and to our guests, who filled our dining room with connection, laughter, and a shared love of Italian cuisine — grazie for being part of our story,” the statement reads in part. “As we close this chapter, we are excited for what comes next and look forward to sharing more about the future of this space soon.”

    Bastion Collection COO Deleon Pinto tells CultureMap in an email that closing Tavola is part of Bastion’s long term strategy for Houston. The company also operates two concepts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston — Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant Le Jardinier and its casual sibling Cafe Leonelli — as well as Bar Moon and private events space Soleil that are both located above Tavola. All of those concepts remain open and are not affected by Tavola’s closure.

    “As The Bastion Collection continues to evolve in Houston, the next phase centers on creative independence. The transition of the Tavola space has always been part of the long-term vision for the property following the development of Moon and Soleil on the second floor,” Pinto writes. “This next chapter reflects a continued investment in Houston and an opportunity to introduce concepts that further strengthen our presence in the neighborhood.”

    A Bastion representative added that all of Tavola’s employees, including its chef and general manager, are currently working at either Le Jardinier or Cafe Leonelli and will be involved with the new restaurant that’s replacing Tavola when it’s ready to open. Details on the new concept will be released in the coming weeks.

    Tavola opened in December 2023. Originally, Bastion partnered with Berg Hospitality (B&B Butchers, The Annie Cafe, Turner’s, etc) on the concept, but it took full control about a year after opening. The restaurant served upscale Italian fare, including endive salad with tuna, freshly made pastas, and chicken Milanese. It replaced the downstairs portion of La Table, a French fine dining restaurant that closed in 2022.

    While Tavola may be gone, Uptown diners still have plenty of choices for Italian cuisine, including North Italia, Lombardi Cucina Italiana, Grotto, and il Bracco. Élephante, a coastal Italian concept from the Los Angeles-based Wish You Were Here Group, is expected to open in the nearby Central Park Post Oak development in 2028.

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