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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keep rolling

Hot Houston hand roll spot is first restaurant at new EaDo development

Handies Douzo Facebook

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Houstonians with a seemingly unlimited appetite for sushi hand rolls will soon have another destination to satisfy their cravings. Handies Douzo will open its next location in East Blocks, an adaptive reuse project in EaDo.

On track to open in late 2026 or early 2027 at 1107 Hutchins Street, the EaDo location will be Handies Douzo’s fifth, joining the original in the Heights as well as restaurants in Montrose, Spring Branch, and an upcoming outpost in Uptown’s new Central Park Post Oak development. Like those siblings, it will serve Handies’ familiar menu of hand rolls (temaki), crudos, and sashimi that’s overseen by founding chefs and co-owners Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham. The 2,000-square-foot space will feature Handies’ familiar U-shaped counter seating.

Handies is known for wrapping its rolls in crispy seaweed that gives each bite a distinct crunch. The well-executed dishes and affordable prices helped Handies earn a nomination for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

"We've been very intentional about where we grow, and East Blocks immediately stood out," Pham and Lee said in a statement. "There's an authenticity to EaDo and a strong sense of community that aligns with our brand. We're excited to be part of a project focused on creating an energetic, walkable destination."

1107 Hutchins rendering Handies will occupy 2,000 square feet at 1107 Hutchins.Courtesy of Pagewood

1107 Hutchins and the nearby 2202 Dallas — each of which are 15,000 square feet — represent phase one of local real estate firm Pagewood’s plans to East Blocks. First announced in 2023, plans call for renovating warehouses into a walkable district of shops, restaurants, offices, and green space. Gensler is leading architecture and design for the project, with landscape architecture by SWA.

"East Blocks reflects a long-term belief in EaDo and the kind of place it’s becoming," said Mat Volz, Managing Principal of PAGEWOOD. "As the project has evolved, our commitment to that vision has only strengthened. Breaking ground on Phase 1 is an exciting step forward, particularly as this neighborhood prepares to welcome the world. With the FIFA Fan Festival taking place just steps from East Blocks and bringing thousands of visitors daily to EaDo, we see this project playing a meaningful role in that energy and in the long-term evolution of the district."

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