In Washington, D.C., the Friday news dump covers any piece of unpleasant information that a politician would prefer the public ignore: for example, the resignation of scandal-plagued staffer or the termination of a popular program. But the idea isn’t limited to District denizens; Houston restaurants can dump with the best of them.

On this Friday, July 20, it’s Vallone’s — Tony Vallone’s upscale steakhouse in the Gateway Memorial City complex. The restaurant will close on today after three and a half years in business, general manager Scott Sulma tells Eater Houston.

Vallone’s opened with great fanfare at the end of 2013. Originally pitched as a revival of a restaurant Vallone operated in the '90s for the growing west Houston and Energy Corridor markets, the restaurant featured the culinary talents of rising star chef Grant Gordon, who intended to cook all of the steaks on cast iron.

When the chef departed two months later, the restaurant lost part of what made it special. A remodel in 2017 attempted to give Vallone’s a more intimate feel, but it must not have been enough to lure diners from nearby competitors like Capital Grille, Taste of Texas, and Brenner’s. West Houston also suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Harvey, which is another factor that likely contributed to the Vallone’s struggles.

Of course, diners who want a steak cooked to Vallone’s famously exacting standards can still get it at his flagship restaurant, Tony’s. Or, the more adventurous can try chef de cuisine Austin Waiter's prized and inventive duck press dish.