F&T expands

Southern-inspired Heights restaurant opens new private dining lounge

One of the most popular restaurants in the Heights now has even more room for customers.

Field & Tides, the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards winner for Best New Restaurant of 2018, has recently debuted its lounge space. Built in a converted gas station at the corner of 11th and Beverly, the new space, which the restaurant calls The Lounge at Field & Tides, provides an additional 700 square feet that can be used for dining, drinking, and private events. Opening the lounge completes a vision that chef-owner Travis Lenig and his business partner Chico Ramirez have had for the restaurant since before they signed their lease.

"We always wanted to have that space. We weren't willing to take the restaurant unless we had the hard corner," Lenig tells CultureMap. "Nobody in the Heights has a private dining space like that."

Wyndy Ramirez of Wynne Design Works and contributing designer Gino Vian of Merchant to Market preserved the historic building's original brick walls. Inside, design elements include an industrial metal bar and wooden pieces made from 100-year-old oak. An "anchor" mural by the bathroom both pays homage to the "Tides" aspect of the restaurant and provides and Instagrammable selfie spot.

Initially, the space had been intended as a drinks-oriented lounge and waiting area, but Lenig says customer demand prompted him to serve the restaurant's full menu during both brunch and dinner. Doing so has both shortened wait times and boosted revenue at the Southern-inspired restaurant that, as it name implies, serves a mix of seafood, meat, and game dishes.

Still, the focus has been on booking private events, and Lenig says demand has been strong. The lounge can seat up to 28 for a meal or hold up to 50 for a standing/tasting format. Add in the adjacent patio, and the space can accommodate up to 80 people. So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

"It's a nice space to have," the chef says. "We're doing our wine dinners over there now. It's nice for people who pay that kind of money to have that privacy to be able to talk. That's a definite plus."

The Lounge at Field & Tides has retro touches.

Courtesy photo

The Lounge at Field & Tides has retro touches.

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Gourmet Grocer Debuts

Houston entrepreneur serves up Italian-inspired market in Rice Village

Rice Village shoppers have a new option for wine, coffee, and gourmet gifts — with a restaurant to follow soon. Mercato and Company will open this Saturday, December 14.

Located at 3642 University Blvd., founder Arlene Ventura created Mercato as a combination of the New York City bodegas she grew up with and the markets she experiences while living in Milan for eight years. After a trial run in Brownsville, she’s brought Mercato to her adopted hometown of Houston.

“The Brownsville location was our first opportunity to test the Mercato and Company concept, though it was tailored to that market as a convenience store,” Ventura tells CultureMap in an email. “While it carried the same name, it was more of a stepping stone toward realizing our larger vision. About a year ago, we closed that location because we recognized that to bring Mercato and Company to its full potential, it needed to be in Houston, the city we call home. Our new West University location represents the culmination of this journey — a space that combines authentic, gourmet products with a welcoming community atmosphere.”

The store offers a variety of gourmet products, including:

Coffees from Ella Coffee, a Houston-based, Italian-inspired roaster
Pastries, panini, and other food items prepared in-house
Cheese and charcuterie
Italian wines
European grocery items such as olive oil, chocolate, spices, and more

Mercato will host cooking classes, wine tastings, and other events to bolster shoppers' connection to the store.

Ventura recruited chef-partner Tatiana Perna to create Mercato’s menu. Perna, who is the chef at Podere 1384, a resort in Tuscany, is also creating the menu for Osteria di Mercato, an Italian restaurant and wine bar that’s scheduled to open in early 2025.

“An osteria is by definition a place that brings people together over good food and wine,” Perna said. “At Osteria di Mercato, that’s exactly what we intend to do. We’re using high-quality ingredients and traditional Italian recipes and practices to create meals that are simple and authentically delicious, all in an intimate, welcoming space.”

Mercato and Company’s hours of operation are 7 am to 9 pm daily.

Courtesy of Mercato and Company

Shoppers will find a selection of cheese and charcuterie.

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