Foodie News

Spicing it up: House of Blues gets a celebrity chef makeover from a Food Networkpersonality

Chef Aaron Sanchez is taking over the House of Blues
The House of Blues restaurant will be redubbed Crossroads at House of Bluesstarting in September.

House of Blues: great for concerts, meh for dinner. But a restaurant revamp that includes a new menu, a new name and a new celebrity chef at the helm could change that.

Texas-native Aaron Sanchez is known for bringing a new style of Latin cuisine to New York with Paladar and Centrico, earning acclaim and a James Beard nomination in the process. He's also established himself as a television personality, competing on The Next Iron Chef, judging Food Network show Chopped and co-hosting Chefs vs. City and Heat Seekers.

Now Sanchez is taking the reins at House of Blues. The 13 restaurants will be renamed Crossroads at House of Blues, and a new menu will feature Sanchez's Latin perspective as well as global and American flavors, with dishes including shrimp and grits, short rib meatball sliders, chile-braised short ribs and street tacos.

A few HoB favorites — like jambalaya, cornbread and pulled pork sandwiches — will be kept and updated for the new menu. In addition to the menu, ingredients, and philosophy, the visuals inside the restaurants are changing too, with antique road maps and rusted, vintage road signs on the walls.

Sanchez will be making a trip to Houston on Sept. 26-27 to debut the new concept locally and man the kitchen for a couple days.

"House of Blues is all about music, love, art and spirituality," Sanchez said in a statement. "In many ways, those are the same ingredients for great food and that's exactly what I've tried to capture in the new menu for the Crossroads restaurants."

Are you an Aaron Sanchez fan? What to you think of the new House of Blues?

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street food inspired

Veteran chef opens affordable new Thai restaurant in West Houston

A new restaurant serving Thai street food is opening in the Westchase District. Osha Thai Kitchen will begin serving customers on Tuesday, December 10.

Located in the West on West development (12230 Westheimer Rd.), Osha Thai Kitchen is the latest project from Saranya Danvetnukroh, who owns Nua Thai in downtown Houston. Named for the Thai word that means “delicious,” the restaurant takes inspiration from dishes served in street markets in different regions of Thailand as well as some items for those seeking more familiar flavors.

Meals at Osha could start with items such as crispy spring rolls, crab rangoon, or Thai chicken wings. Three papaya salads — traditional Thai, one with salted egg, and another that’s Lao style with salted crab — join chicken larb in the salads section.

Notably, Osha makes all of its noodles in-house. They’re utilized in dishes such as pad Thai, pad see ew, and pad woo sen. The restaurant also makes its curries in-house. They include red curry, green curry, and panang curry.

Part of Osha’s appeal will be its affordable prices. Only two entrees, crab fried rice and whole fried red snapper, cost more than $20.

Danvetnukroh has recruited sous chef Afridi Zama to lead the kitchen. His resume includes time with Pappas restaurant and at The Nicolette, a restaurant in Lubbock that earned a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination in 2022.

“This project is a culmination of dedication to our craft and creativity to elevate Thai cuisine,”

Danvetnukroh said in a statement. “It’s an homage to our roots and a celebration of our heritage in the modern age.”

West on West is home to number of food-related business. Its anchored by a 99 Ranch grocery store and includes restaurants such as cake bakery Lady M and Tokyo-based ramen shop Tsujita Artisan Noodle.

Photo by Becca Wright

Osha Thai Kitchen opens December 10.

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