Beloved Restaurateur Checks Out

Beloved Houston restaurateur Frankie B. Mandola a congenial force to be remembered

Signature Chefs, Lorie Elizabeth James, Frankie B. Mandola, Adrian Franka

Frankie B. Mandola, pictured here at a Signature Chefs benefit with Lorie Elizabeth James, left, and Adrian Franka, was a beloved figure in Houston's restaurant community.

One of the most beloved figures in Houston's restaurant community passed away Friday. Frankie B. Mandola, 68, died due to complications from a heart attack, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Mandola's career spanned five decades, beginning in 1974 when he opened a Cajun restaurant called Ray Hay's. Ultimately, Mandola bought out his business partners and changed the name to one that contemporary diners are still familiar with: Ragin Cajun.

In 1992, Mandola and Bubba Butera purchased midtown Italian restaurant Damian's Cucina Italiana from Mandola's cousin Damian Mandola. In addition to Damian's, Mandola also owned Mandola's Catering — two establishments which represent just one part of the Mandola family's indelible mark on Houston restaurants that also includes Tony Mandola's, Ciro's, Carrabba's, Nino's, and Vincent's.

Friends and customers alike will remember Mandola's gracious, friendly demeanor and the warmth of his spirit. "He was definitely a presence walking through a room," Mandola's son Johnny B. told the Chronicle. "He was loud, very loud, and very Italian."

Beyond his contributions to the restaurant community, Mandola also had a distinguished athletic career at both St. Thomas high school and Rice University. The Rice athletics department posted the following tribute to Mandola on Youtube.

Funeral arrangements for Mandola are still pending, but the service will take place Thursday.

Update: Per Mandola's obituary, funeral arrangements are as follows: Family will receive friends on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm with a rosary being recited at 7:00 pm in the Cemo Auditorium at St. Thomas High School, 4500 Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas 77007. Funeral Mass will be Thursday, July 14, 2016 at 10:00 am in the Cemo Auditorium at St. Thomas High School with interment to follow at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery, 6900 Lawndale Avenue, Houston, Texas 77023.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Texas Italian American Sports Foundation Scholarship Fund or P.O. Box 130163, Houston, TX 77019-0163.

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a spoonful of sugar

New Mexican eatery sweetens Houston with 150 spirits and bold flavors

Courtesy of Mexican Sugar

Mexican Sugar is coming to Regent Square in December.

A Dallas-based Mexican restaurant is coming to Houston. Mexican Sugar will open its first Houston location in Montrose this December.

Located next to Georgia James in the Regent Square mixed-use development, Mexican Sugar will occupy a two-story, 13,000-square-foot building. All that room offers seating for 375 as well as two private dining rooms with full audio-visual capabilities. Both the upstairs and downstairs patios will have a view of nearby Buffalo Bayou Park.

Its part of FB Society, the Dallas-based hospitality group behind Whiskey Cake, Sixty Vines, and Haywire, the Texas-inspired comfort food restaurant that opened its first Houston-area location earlier this year. Mexican Sugar has three locations in the Dallas area: Plano, Las Colinas, and Uptown Dallas.

In a release, Mexican Sugar touts its use of seasonal ingredients. It also makes its tortillas by hand. Menu highlights include skirt steak, lobster fundido, and a bone-in pork chop. At brunch, look for options such as cajeta French toast, Benedictos Rancheros, and vanilla-cinnamon pancakes.

Agave fans will find plenty of choices courtesy of more the 150 tequilas and mezcals. They’re available in individual pours as well as in flights that allow customers to compare the flavors of the different spirits.

“Our goal is to create a dining experience that blends bold Mexican flavors with our signature style of hospitality that stays two steps ahead,” Justin Beam, Mexican Sugar’s director of operations, said in a statement. “We’re excited to offer Houstonians an immersive Mexican experience in a fresh, light, and approachable way.”

Courtesy of Mexican Sugar

Mexican Sugar is coming to Regent Square in December.

news-you-can-eat openings mexican sugar