Mark Holley is back. The acclaimed chef has been absent from Houston's restaurant world since he shuttered his eponymous Midtown seafood restaurant in 2017, but he'll soon have a new post.
Holley will be the new executive chef of Davis St. at Hermann Park. When the restaurant reopens this fall — it's been closed since February 2017 — the menu will blend Holley's innovative, Southern-inspired fare with Davis St. classics like its award-winning crispy Thai shrimp and signature sliders. In addition, the revival of Holley's signature Sunday suppers and a lively brunch are also in the restaurant's plans.
“I'm excited to get back in the game," Holley said in a statement. "This is what I'm meant to do in life — provide stellar hospitality and feed people. I still enjoy it to this day as much as I ever have.”
For those unfamiliar with his work, Holley has been a major force in Houston's culinary landscape for a long time. After a successful stint at Brennan's, he opened a seafood restaurant called Pesce in Upper Kirby. Known for its innovative preparations and extensive raw selections, Pesce operated for 12 years before it closed in 2012. The chef went out on his own in 2014 at Holley's, but the post-Harvey economic slowdown proved too difficult a burden for it to overcome.
In addition to bringing on a new chef, Davis St. will also sport a new look when it reopens. Renovations to the restaurant's patio are designed to make it "a prime Instagram-able scene," according to a release.
“I love what I do, and I’m extremely excited about this endeavor,” Holley added. “Davis St. at Herman Park will satisfy my regulars from Holley’s, and we hope to entice new patrons to become regulars at Davis St.”
Porterhouse steak for two.
