Brennan's of Houston survived Hurricane Ike and came back stronger than ever. Now, owner Alex Brennan-Martin is navigating around a New Orleans family feud that has some Houston customers worried about the fate of his restaurant.
Brennan-Martin's phone and social media outlets have been jammed since Friday when news came out of New Orleans that the Brennan's location in the Crescent City unexpectedly closed after a fight over control of the French Quarter landmark forced the shutdown. Concerned customers asked if the New Orleans problems are affecting the Houston location.
"The ironic part of all of this is Brennan’s of Houston has never been healthier and business has never been better," Brennan-Martin said.
Nothing could be further from the truth, Brennan-Martin said in an email and follow-up phone conversation. "The ironic part of all of this is Brennan’s of Houston has never been healthier and business has never been better," he said.
Brennan's New Orleans and Brennan's of Houston have been separate businesses since 1973 when the Brennan family split into two factions over restaurant expansion. Brennan-Martin's side of the family owns and operates Commander's Palace and a slew of other restaurants in New Orleans and Houston, but not the original Brennan's in New Orleans.
"It was just two very different philosophies," Brennan-Martin said. "I remember at the time my mother (family matriarch Ella Brennan) said, 'We're not looking back' and that's the way it was."
In 1967, Brennan's of Houston opened on 3300 Smith Street in a Vieux Carré-style building designed by John Staub as a sister restaurant of Commander's Palace in New Orleans. Ella Brennan, now retired, is most closely associated with the success of Commander's Palace as one of New Orleans' finest restaurants.
"I almost changed the name to Commander's Palace Houston 20 years ago because I was worried about Brennan's New Orleans reputation but decided against it. That was then and this is now," Brennan-Martin said.
Brennan's of Houston was destroyed by a Hurricane Ike-related fire in 2008 but Brennan-Martin rebuilt the restaurant, which reopened on Fat Tuesday 2010. It continues to serve such New Orleans specialties as turtle soup and Bananas Foster as well as a creative Texas creole menu using fresh and local ingredients.
Brennan-Martin and several of the Brennan's of Houston chefs over a 40-year-period, including Mark Holley, Jon Hebert, Randy Evans and Danny Trace, were honored at the Sugar Land Wine and Food Festival in April.
Brennan's Houston remains open while its namesake in New Orleans is closed.
