Restaurant Closings

Two longtime international restaurants in prime Montrose locations quietly close

Houston, Au Petit Paris, July 2015, interior

Au Petit Paris closed in June.

Au Petit Paris/Facebook

As exciting as 2016 has been for new restaurants, this year has been rough on long-standing places. Already, venerable institutions like Mark's American Cuisine and Sparrow Bar + Cookshop (the successor to t'afia) have closed. Recently, two more longtime Montrose establishments have shuttered.

French restaurant Au Petit Paris quietly closed in June after nine years in business. Located in a converted bungalow just off Shepherd, the restaurant was known for the artful, architectural presentation of its dishes.

"Thanks to all of you for the wonderful messages. Closing was a choice, not an obligation," chef Eric Legros wrote on Facebook. "So we do not want you to be sorry. I have yet to decide on my next step, but will let you know if I open another restaurant or take a position as an executive chef. Again, many thanks for all the well wishes and your patronage throughout the years. It was my pleasure serving all of you."

In addition to losing a destination for classic French fare, Italian restaurant Pepino's has also closed. Food writer Nick Hall spotted a for lease sign in front of the restaurant, which is located on Richmond near Mandell. Despite the prime location, the 10-plus year old restaurant mostly flew under the radar, but it did have a couple of semi-recent moments in the media spotlight.

In 2013, John Nova Lomax wrote that he had the worst dining experience of his life there: "The service was comically bad—wrong orders, eternal waits.The food was terrible once it finally arrived. I’ve never seen a group of diners come closer to a full-on customer revolt as I did that night, nor a closer true-life resemblance to the dining room in Fawlty Towers."

On the other hand, My Table recently published an ode to Pepino's by a patron who called it "the best date spot in the neighborhood." The restaurant's day-to-day reality probably lay somewhere in the middle, of course.

Second-generation restaurant spaces in desirable locations don't stay empty for long. Whatever the future holds for both spaces, here's hoping they enjoy tenures of success that are as long as their predecessors.

closings

More than 70 taps

New York-style pizzeria slices into Sugar Land with lots of craft beer

Photo courtesy of Parry's Pizza & Taphouse

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A Denver-based pizzeria is expanding its presence in Greater Houston. Parry’s Pizzeria & Taphouse opened its third Bayou City outpost in Sugar Land on Monday, November 18.

Located at 7310 Cotesworth Ave., the new Parry’s joins stores in Webster and Kingwood. Parry’s entered the Texas market in 2020 with a store in the Dallas area.

Founded in 2007 by New York native David Parry, the restaurant serves New York-style pizza, wings, sandwiches, and salads. The expansive menu also includes fare not typically seen at a pizzeria such as wraps, burgers, and pasta. Desserts include fried dough, cheesecake, and cannoli.

True to its name, Parry's pairs its pizzas with an extensive selection of craft beer. is also heavily into craft beer, with lots of fun beer events. At The Colony location, they'll feature more than 70 taps, including numerous brews from Houston-based breweries such as Saint Arnold, Brash, and True Anomaly.

The restaurant keeps things affordable with a number of specials, including a $10.99 lunch combo that includes choices of entree — 9-inch pizza, half sandwich, burger, etc. — paired with a side such as a salad, wings, or fries. Other features include $12.99 large cheese pizzas on Mondays, and The Family Special of a large, one-topping pizza and a medium cheese pizza for $29.99. Happy hour specials are available from 3-6 pm Monday-Friday and all day on Sunday.

news-you-can-eat openings pizza