it's fry time

State of Grace owner's highly anticipated Heights Tex-Mex and seafood spots set opening date

Two of this year's most eagerly anticipated restaurants finally have their opening date. Superica and La Lucha, the new concepts from State of Grace owner Ford Fry, will debut on September 10 (Update: The opening has been rescheduled to September 17).

Superica will be the fourth location of the Tex-Mex concept Fry launched in Atlanta in 2015. The menu runs the full gamut of Tex-Mex history, from vintage tacos and enchiladas to fajitas and mixta plates; interior Mexican dishes like menudo and pozole are also included. Kevin Maxey, a native Texan and Fry's "vice president of Tex-Mex," will lead the kitchen while former Bernadine's general manager Glenn Johnson will return to the space in the same role.

Open for lunch, brunch, and dinner seven days a week, Superica also offers a full spectrum of wine, beer, and cocktails. Specifically, margaritas are available in "frozen, slushie, and shaken varieties," which should suit Houstonians just fine.

Whereas Superica is tried-and-true, La Lucha is a new concept that takes its inspiration from Fry's childhood visits to the legendary San Jacinto Inn. The menu features burgers, fried chicken, and a wide range of seafood that includes raw, fried, and grilled oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp, and a decadent crawfish toast. As at Superica, beverage options will be extensive, with special attention paid to sparkling wines, craft beers, and agave spirits — apparently, mezcal pairs well with oysters.

State of Grace executive chef Bobby Matos and general manager Matt Crawford will fill the same roles at La Lucha, which will be open for dinner during the week and brunch and dinner on the weekends.

To convert the former Hunky Dory and Bernadine's spaces into La Lucha and Superica, Fry turned to Austin's Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, the company that originally designed the spaces. At Superica, that means channeling a little bit of Austin with vintage schoolhouse chairs, painted brick walls, and limestone accents. At La Lucha, the design will feature antique church pew banquettes, '70s-inspired elements, and an outdoor gaming area with lawn bowling.

With a restaurant mini-empire in Atlanta and the success of State of Grace, Fry has certainly proved he knows how to create food people want to eat. Given Houstonians' seemingly limitless appetites for Tex-Mex and oysters, both Superica and La Lucha seem poised to continue that winning streak.

Fried chicken and biscuits will be on the menu at La Lucha.

Photo by Jessica Matos

Fried chicken and biscuits will be on the menu at La Lucha.

news-you-can-eat the-heights openings tex-mex

they're back

2 treasured Houston Mexican restaurants reopen after brief closures

Courtesy of Picos

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Two staple Houston-area Mexican restaurants are making comebacks after brief closures. Picos has already returned to service, while El Tiempo Cantina’s Webster location isn’t far behind.

After closing its Upper Kirby location on August 30, Picos reopened Saturday, September 12 in the former Cyclone Anaya’s space in River Oaks (3736 Westheimer Rd.). The move is only about two miles from Picos’ former home at Kirby and Richmond.

Chef-owner Arnaldo Richards partnered with Cyclone Anaya’s owners The Dhanani Group to transform the space into Picos. It allows Richards to preserve Picos, which opened on Bellaire Blvd. in 1984 and operated on Kirby Dr. for 12 years. Last year, Richards announced Picos would close due to declining sales but later stated his intentions to find a new, slightly smaller home for the restaurant. That dream was realized via a “last-minute agreement” with Cyclone Anaya’s owners The Dhanani Group according to press materials.

“After spending the past year searching for a new home, it truly feels like the stars aligned,” Richards said in a statement. “We were willing to do anything we could to keep Picos, and we finally found the right space for this next-generation evolution of Picos.”

Picos Westheimer River Oaks interior The new Picos features an indoor-outdoor bar.Photo by Becca Wright

At over 6,000 square feet, the new Picos still offers a spacious environment that includes an indoor-outdoor bar. It will serve the same menu as the prior locations, including fan favorites such as moles from all seven regions on Mexico, enchiladas, and the signature shaker margaritas.

“As native Houstonians, we understand what Picos means to this city and the generations of Houstonians who have supported the restaurant for more than 40 years,” said Usman Dhanani of The Dhanani Group, which still operates five other locations of Cyclone Anaya’s across Houston. “We’re excited to partner with Arnaldo and his family to carry the Picos tradition forward and ensure that a restaurant so deeply rooted in Houston remains part of the city’s dining community for years to come.”

The Houston Chronicle was first to report that Picos had reopened.

El Tiempo Cantina Post Houston El Tiempo is returning to Webster. Courtesy of El Tiempo Cantina

As for El Tiempo, franchisee Liquid Gold Hospitality surprised Bay Area diners when it abruptly closed the location at 20237 Gulf Fwy at the end of August. In a Facebook post, El Tiempo announced the location will reopen under direct management of the Laurenzo family, which founded El Tiempo and operates most of its other locations.

Notably, the post did not specify an opening date, merely that the restaurant is “reopening soon.”

El Tiempo’s Webster location opened at the end of 2017 after significant delays, including a lawsuit between the Laurenzo family and Liquid Gold. Overall, Houston is home to 18 locations of El Tiempo, with its outpost at The Post in downtown Houston being the most recent to open.

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