Changes at Brasserie Max & Julie

Longtime French brasserie will shutter and reopen with a new Provençal focus

Brasserie Max & Julie will close after service Sunday night.

Photo by Shannon O'Hara/Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

Montrose may be Houston's premier dining neighborhood, but its mix of restaurants changes constantly. In the last few weeks alone, established restaurants Pepino's, Au Petit Paris and Byzantio have closed while newcomer Snooze is already making a splash. On Sunday, another longtime favorite will end its nine-year run.

Brasserie Max & Julie will close after dinner service on Sunday, but a new French restaurant will take its place in approximately six weeks. Owner Christophe Paul tells CultureMap that he's brought on a new partner named Sydney Degain, who will replace Max & Julie's classic bistro fare with a new focus on Provençal cuisine with Northern Italian touches. The partners are still deciding on a name for the concept. Diners who are looking for steak frites and bouillabaisse after Sunday will likely turn to L'Olivier, where former Tony's chef Olivier Ciesielski still turns out classic French fare.

According to Paul, Degain is a native Frenchman who has spent the past 10 years operating restaurants in Brazil. After deciding to move to Houston, Degain approached Paul about purchasing his restaurant. After some negotiating, they came to a deal that will allow Degain to serve his food while also giving Paul a presence at the restaurant.

"I have a good vibe about this," Paul says. "I think it’s going to be a cool spot. Montrose is exploding really. He’s coming at the right time. I’ll stay with him in the back. Being as discreet as possible, because I want him to be the guy there."

During Max & Julie's remodeling, Paul says he intends to take some time off and also return his focus to his other restaurant, Cafe Rabelais in Rice Village. Look for those changes to come soon.

Chef Michael Nutt will also be leaving the restaurant and tells CultureMap he's also working with new partners to open another restaurant. "Mike is a fantastic guy. I really hope he explodes on the scene," Paul says.

On Sunday night, Paul and Nutt will celebrate the restaurant with a special, $30, buffet-style menu of some of the restaurants most popular dishes. Patrons are invited to remember the good times they spent there and enjoy 30-percent off wine.

"Sunday will be more of a party than anything else," Paul concludes.

closings

steakhouse switcheroo

River Oaks restaurant fields a new menu devoted to prime and wagyu steaks

Courtesy of Fielding's Steak

The new menu includes steak and sides such as onion rings.

A River Oaks restaurant is switching things up. After a year of operations, Fielding’s River Oaks has rebranded as Fielding’s Steak with an all-new menu that will launch on Tuesday, January 27.

While the restaurant has always served steaks from Texas ranch 44 Farms, Fielding’s Steak leans more heavily into beef with more cuts and more kinds of beefs, including both American and Japanese wagyu. Similarly, diners can pair their steaks with steakhouse sides such as lobster mac and cheese, creamed spinach, and onion rings.

The new menu starts with four prime steaks — filet, ribeye, NY strip, and bavette — along with a dry-aged cuts including a 35-ounce cowboy ribeye, a porterhouse, a 12-ounce bone-in ribeye, and a 22-ounce bone-in ribeye. Those seeking the most luxurious experience may opt for a wagyu tasting that features four ounces each of Japanese, Australian, and American striploin.

Appetizers and salads include a number of familiar dishes, such as lobster bisque, wedge salad, fried calamari, shrimp cocktail, and an imperial crabcake. Non-steak entrees include maple-brined salmon, lobster risotto, lamb chops, and a grilled Kurobata pork chop with apple mostarda.

Fielding’s River Oaks opened in December 2024. Part of Fielding’s Culinary Group, The Woodlands-based hospitality company behind Fielding’s Local Kitchen & Bar and Fielding’s Wood Grill, the restaurant served a European-inspired menu that included pizzas, pastas, steaks, and seafood.

“Fielding’s Steak represents the natural evolution of who we are and where we’re going,” said CEO Cary Attar said in a statement. “We wanted to create a true steakhouse experience — one that’s chef-driven, ingredient-focused, and worthy of the River Oaks dining scene — while still feeling warm, welcoming, and unmistakably Fielding’s. This new menu allows us to showcase exceptional proteins, refined flavors, and a level of execution that reflects our passion for hospitality and culinary excellence.”

Fielding’s Steak will be open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch from 11:30 am-3 pm and dinner beginning at 5 pm. Reservations are available on OpenTable.

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