Avondale relocating
Montrose restaurant and wine shop will relocate after 10 years on Westheimer
A Montrose restaurant and wine shop will be leaving its home on lower Westheimer at the end of the month. Avondale Food & Wine's last day at 240 Westheimer Rd. will be Wednesday, July 28, owner Mary Clarkson announced (Full disclosure: Clarkson is a regular guest on CultureMap's What's Eric Eating podcast).
Avondale has opted not to renew its lease, according to a press release. Instead, it will relocate to a smaller footprint in a new location. The specific location and exact timing of the opening will be revealed in the weeks to come.
"We’ve achieved a lot over the years and Covid taught us many valuable lessons," Clarkson writes. "Mainly, that we can take the best parts of what we do and deliver this in a smaller, more efficient space."
Originally opened as L’Olivier in 2012, Clarkson and her business partner, chef Olivier Ciesielski, rebranded as Avondale in 2018. The changes included swapping Ciesielski's French fare for a more approachable, market-driven menu and adding a retail wine shop that offers over 600 selections.
Avondale earned considerable acclaim, including nominations for Best Wine Program in the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards in 2019 and 2020, a Best Wine Shop award from the Houston Press in 2020, and, more recently, an A-plus from Houston Chronicle critic Alison Cook in her popular "Burger Friday" column.
Between now and July 28, Avondale will discount purchases of at least six bottles of wine by 10 percent and 12 or more bottles by 15 percent. In addition, it will host collaboration dinners with chef William Wright, formerly of Helen Greek Food & Wine, on Sunday, July 25 and chef Angelo Emiliani of the Angie's Pizza pop-up and forthcoming Cafe Louie on Monday, July 26.
Between the closure and the reopening, Ciesielski will be available for catering events as well as private cooking classes. Stay tuned to Avondale's social media for updates.
