Fish Market

First-in-the-nation seafood restaurant from Mexico is latest addition to booming Houston scene

A one-of-a-kind seafood restaurant is set to join BLVD Place, the long-awaited mixed-use development currently under construction in the Galleria area. Developer Wulfe & Co. announced that Peska will be the first restaurant in the United States from the Mexico-based Ysita family, known for their La Trainera restaurants in Mexico City and Acapulco.

The Ysita's have maintained a residence in the Uptown area for some time, a fact which led the family to choose Houston as the location for their next restaurant.

The concept behind the contemporary restaurant is unique, even in a city known for taking culinary risks.

“Houston is our second home, and we have been waiting patiently for the ideal location to introduce Peska here," siblings Diego and Maite Ysita said in a statement. "Drawing on the international diversity of this neighborhood and its appeal to both business and leisure travelers from around the world, the menu will focus on the best of globally sourced seafood and cuisine that blends the cooking styles of the Mediterranean, Europe and South America."

The concept behind the contemporary restaurant is unique, even in a city known for taking culinary risks. Upon entering the 6,000-square-foot space, customers will be met with "a 16-foot-long ice case displaying fresh fish from around the world" and "a 'seafood sommelier' [to] take them to the display and guide them through the market catches of the day, helping them pick fish for their meal," according to the Houston Chronicle.

Peska will anchor the highly visible north end of the BLVD Place development, located at the corner of Post Oak Boulevard and San Felipe. The complex is already 80 percent leased and Phase II of the development, which includes a 52,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market and the 55,000 square foot regional headquarters for Frost Bank, is scheduled to open in early fall.

Phase I of the BLVD Place development is a four-level, 70,000 square foot retail and office building that includes tenants such as RDG + Bar Annie, The Table on Post Oak, Hermès and Herman Miller. Hermès plans to leave the development for the competing River Oaks District complex, set to open next year about a mile or so away.

The contemporary interiors of the new restaurant fit with the modern design of BLVD Place.

Peska seafood restaurant BLVD Place interior rendering July 2014

Rendering courtesy of Wulfe & Co.

The contemporary interiors of the new restaurant fit with the modern design of BLVD Place.

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2 staples shuttered

Downtown Italian restaurant and Upper Kirby wine bar suddenly close

Photo by © Chinh Phan/Fotowerk Group

Cru, seen here in happier times.

Inevitably, the end of the year brings a surprise closure or two, and 2024 is no exception. Both a staple downtown Italian restaurant and an Upper Kirby wine bar have quietly closed this week.

Sambuca closed after service on December 16, owner Kim Forsythe shared on Facebook. Open for 22 years in downtown’s The Rice apartment building, the restaurant was well known for its live music and lively atmosphere. While the restaurant had long been a staple for both downtown office workers and residents, it never fully recovered from the lingering economic changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In recent years, we've faced challenges that have tested our resilience,” Forsythe writes. “The changing climate of our city, with rising homelessness and crime, coupled with the lingering impacts of COVID and the resulting empty office spaces, has created a perfect storm that we could not weather. Though we fought with everything we had to keep our doors open, we're choosing to close this chapter with gratitude, carrying countless memories over the past 22 years.”

Crú Food & Wine Bar has closed its location in Upper Kirby’s Shops at Arrive development, according to a post former managing partner Annette Amaya on Instagram. In addition to the post about the closure, it is no longer accepting reservations via Open Table.

First opened in 2011, Crú earned a following for its eclectic wine list and a food menu that focused on familiar fare such as cheese and charcuterie boards and pizzas. Its location in The Woodlands remains open.

The Shops at Arrive have been busy this year with new openings. Staples such as Eddie V’s and Pondicheri have been joined by PostScript, a female-focused restaurant inspired by Dallas’ XOXO Dining Room, and Kira, an intimate hand roll bar from the team behind upscale omakase counter Neo.

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