you picked a fine time, lucille

Generous Museum District restaurant hosts pop-ups for out-of-work bartenders

Lucille's will host pop-ups on its patio.

Courtesy of Lucille's

One Houston restaurant wants to help some of the city's out-of-work bartenders. Every Thursday, Lucille's will host different bartenders on its patio for one night only pop-ups.

After kicking off two weeks ago with a trial run, the program has locked in a weekly schedule that includes live music and established a partnership with global liquor brand Beam Suntory. Participating bartenders will keep 100-percent of sales and tips from their cocktails sold that night. In addition, patrons will vote for their favorite cocktail of the night, which will be added to Lucille's menu for the following week; bartenders will receive the revenue from those sales, too.

"When restaurants and bars were initially forced to shut down during the pandemic, we made sure to support an independently owned restaurant every single day that we were open for to-go service," Lucille's chef-owner Chris Williams said in a statement. "I would feed my entire staff … every single day, with food from Houston restaurants. Now we want to do the same thing for bars. The truth is that everyone is suffering right now, and we all need each other."

Williams' program highlights the degree to which bartenders have suffered economically during the coronavirus pandemic. Hosting a pop-up at Lucille's allows bartenders to earn income at a time when they otherwise wouldn't be able to work. Recently, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered all bars statewide to close for dine-in service in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

First up on Thursday, July 16 will be bartenders David Cedeno (better known as David Daquiri) and Ryan Perry (Foreign Correspondents, Ladybird's). Cedeno tells CultureMap he picked two cocktails that will pair well with Lucille's Southern fare: the Lockwood Hustle (Knob Creek, Basil Hayden, lemon, tamarind, Amaretto, Oloroso sherry) and the 100 Days of Solitude (single barrel Cruzan rum, Oloroso sherry, turbinado, bitters).

Perry will present a variation of the classic Paloma called the Crimson Dawn (Hornitos, hibiscus-infused grapefruit soda, peach-cinnamon cordial) and the Honey Wasp, a spritz made with Roku gin, white port, and a honey-rosemary-citrus gastrique. "Both are refreshingly effervescent summer cocktails designed to pair well with Lucille's dinner menu or as a standalone tipple," he says.

All four cocktails will be available for both dine-in and to-go from 6 - 10 pm. Reservations are required to dine-in, and Lucille's enforces a strict policy that requires customers to wear masks when they're not seated at their tables.

Next week's bartenders will hail from NettBar, a patio bar near Washington Avenue. Future bar teams will be announced on Lucille's Instagram every Tuesday.

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where there's smoke

Houston's only Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant now open in Bellaire

Photo by Duc Hoang

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

It didn’t take Sambrook Hospitality Group long to turn Mandito’s into Candente. First announced in September, the restaurant’s second location officially opens today, Monday, December 22, at 5101 Bellaire Blvd.

Speaking on a November episode of CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast, Sambrooks Hospitality founder Michael Sambrooks explained that, as a Bellaire resident, he saw an opportunity to open a restaurant close to home.

“It was a combination of, this location became available, and we liked the market. I think Bellaire is underserved. As far as Tex-Mex options, I think it’s limited,” he says. “We always struggle with where’s somewhere we can grab a bite that’s five minutes away as opposed to driving to another part of town. I think Candente is that solution. I think it’s going to be pretty well received.”

In terms of design, the restaurant replicates many of the same elements as the original Montrose location that opened in 2019, such as its copper-topped tables and yellow, orange, and maroon accents. Diners will note a mural by local artist Franky Cardona along one wall. Overall, the restaurant seats 125 in its dining room, 10 at its bar, and 24 on an outdoor patio.

While the location is new, the menu is the same. That means the same wood-fired fajitas, brisket enchiladas, nachos, birria tacos, and other fare that helped it achieve a “Recommended” designation in the Michelin Guide for Texas — the only Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston to make the prestigious guide. Pair them with margaritas (both shaken and frozen), as well as agave-based cocktails such as the paloma and ranch water, beers, and non-alcoholic options.

Sambrooks Hospitality also operates The Pit Room, the barbecue joint with locations in Montrose and Memorial City that earned a Bib Gourmand designation.

“It’s a privilege to open in Bellaire and get to know and serve a new clientele,” Sambrooks said in a statement. “We’re excited to introduce our style of authentic, handcrafted Tex-Mex that has made us a Houston dining staple.”

Candente will be open for lunch and dinner during the week beginning at 11 am. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday beginning at 10 am.

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

Photo by Duc Hoang

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

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