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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return of the mack

Houston restaurateur steps up with massive River Oaks-area steakhouse

Courtesy of Mack Allen's

A rendering previews the Champagne Room, one of three private dining spaces.

A massive new steakhouse is coming to the River Oaks area this summer. Meet Mack Allen’s, a new project from Rouxpour owner Mack McDonald that’s scheduled to open in July.

While McDonald is primarily known for his casual dining concepts, Mack Allen’s is a step up in terms of design, experience, and quality. To bring the vision to life, McDonald has assembled a team of hospitality veterans, including executive chef Carlos Andrade (The Rouxpour. Brennan’s of Houston, etc.) and general manager Shaun Stockton (Turner’s, Vic & Anthony’s, etc.).

Located in the 5POP office tower at 4400 Post Oak Pkwy, Mack Allen’s will occupy 16,000 square feet on the 28-story building’s first floor. Led by Montgomery Roth Architecture & Interior Design, the space has been divided into a main dining room, a fully landscaped patio with fire and water features, and three private dining rooms

The Boardroom, designed for business meetings with full A/V capabilities
The Champagne Room, designed for luncheons, bridal showers, and other celebrations
The Estate Room, a 60-seat room with its own bar.

Once seated, customers will dine on a menu created by Andrade and regional chef Manuel “Manny” Viveros. It includes prime beef, raw and chargrilled oysters, sushi, seafood, and luxury add-ons such as caviar and truffles. More information about specific dishes and preparations will be shared closer to opening.

“At Mack Allen’s we’ll embrace a guest-first philosophy of always saying yes — yes to anything we can do to make our guests feel welcome and valued,” Stockton said in a statement. “This isn’t just about exceptional food. It’s about creating a place where hospitality leads everything and guests feel a true sense of belonging.”

Courtesy of Mack Allen's

A rendering previews the Champagne Room, one of three private dining spaces.

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