6 things to know

6 things to know in Houston food right now: Openings, Goode news, and a Chef Evelyn showcase

Fusion59 is now open in Southwest Houston.

Photo by Ibrahim Halawa

Editor’s note: Houston’s restaurant scene moves pretty fast. In order to prevent CultureMap readers from missing anything, let’s stop to look around at all the latest news to know.

Openings

Crust Pizza Co. has opened its first Inner Loop location in the Heights. Located in the former Mellow Mushroom space at 1919 N. Shepherd Dr., the restaurant serves Chicago-style thin crust pizza. In addition to serving signature pizzas like the Big Don's Meat & Cheese (Canadian bacon, pepperoni, sausage, salami, beef, and bacon with mozzarella and cheddar) or the Carl's King (Italian sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, mixed bell peppers, red onions, fresh mushrooms, black olives, and mozzarella), the restaurant will offer an extensive beverage selection with 36 beer taps plus wine and a full bar. Other favorites include pepperoni rolls and garlic knots. Crust opens daily at 11 am.

Fusion59 has opened in Southwest Houston at 11786 Wilcrest Dr. Described as a “globally minded restaurant,” the menu covers a wide range of cuisines, including Indian, Italian, and Caribbean. Start with dishes such as samosas or chicken wings. Entree choices include butter chicken, steak, seafood, and lamb bolognese made with braised lamb leg and pappardelle. Cocktails include variations on classics such as the margarita, French 75, and a smoked Old Fashioned. The restaurant opens daily at 3 pm.

Salad chain Salata will open its 44th Houston-area restaurant in Spring Branch this Thursday, August 25. Located at 1014 Wirt Rd., the restaurant serves build-to-order salads made with five salad bases, over 50 toppings, and 11 gluten-free dressings.

The first 100 customers in line will receive a free custom T-shirt designed by Texas artist Alli K. In addition, Salata will donate a portion of Thursday’s proceeds to Houston Children’s Charity, a non-profit organization “dedicated to improving the quality of life for Greater Houston’s underprivileged, abused, and disabled children who have been otherwise left behind.”

Houston-based shawarma food truck, Abu Omar Halal, will celebrate the grand opening of its Spring location at 16350 Stuebner Airline Rd. with specials including 50-percent off all menu items on September 2 and 25-percent off on September 3.

Abu Omar puts a Texas twist on Jordanian-style street food. The restaurant serves chicken, beef, lamb, and falafel in a variety of wraps and plates. Chicken shawarma Arabi, the restaurant’s signature dish, features spit-roasted chicken, pickles, and garlic sauce wrapped in a tortilla and toasted on a griddle. An Italian-style version swaps the tortilla for a sesame seed-covered sandwich bread and adds a healthy dose of gooey, melted cheese.

Other news and notes

Goode Co. Barbeque’s location on Hwy. 290 will resume full operating hours on Labor Day. After closing in 2020, the restaurant reopened for weekend service in April. First opened in 1977, Goode Co. Barbeque is known for dishes such as beef brisket, Czech sausage, Austin baked beans, jalapeño cheese bread, and of course, the company's signature Brazos Bottom Pecan Pie.

Upcoming food event

Asia Society Texas will host a food event curated by Top Chef finalist Evelyn Garcia and her business partner, chef Henry Lu. Titled Homegrown Houston, the event features nine restaurants presenting signature dishes, including CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Restaurant of the Year winner Street to Kitchen, Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year winner Click Virtual Food Hall, Best New Restaurant nominee ChòpnBlọk, and Pastry Chef of the Year nominee Vanarin Kuch of Koffeteria.

The event takes place this Saturday, August 27 from 7-10 pm. Tickets start at $100 for members and $120 for non-members. See the event’s website for details.

Goode Company Barbeque returns to full service in Cypress next month.

Courtesy of Goode Co

Goode Company Barbeque returns to full service in Cypress next month.

barbecue news-you-can-eat openings pizza

One Day Only

Chef of Michelin-starred Texas BBQ joint pops up at Houston crawfish favorite

Photo by Quit Nguyen

Join Lucas McKinney for a crawfish pop-up this Sunday, May 17.

The pitmaster behind one of Texas’ Michelin-starred barbecue joints will be in Houston for a one-day-only crawfish boil. Evan LeRoy, chef and co-owner of Austin’s LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, will be at Josephine’s this Sunday, May 17 from 2-6 pm.

Part of the restaurant’s Backyard Boil pop-up series, LeRoy and Josephine’s executive chef Lucas McKinney have collaborated on a four dishes that will be served at the pop-up, which will take place on Josephine’s patio. They are:

Smoked Crawfish Boil Sausage on a Stick: andouille flavored pork sausage with crawfish, corn, and potatoes
Brisket and Cheddar Croquettes: Chopped brisket and cheddar cheese in a creamy bechamel. Scooped, breaded in panko, and fried til crispy
Oysters on the Half Shell: Pickled Onion Mignonette, Smoked Jalapeno Salsa, Kimchi Elote
Smoked Salsa Macha with Beef Tallow: Guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles, lime, soy, garlic, onion, pepitas, and pecans

The pop-up is part of LeRoy’s tour for his new book, New School Barbecue: Recipes for Next-Level Smoking and Grilling, which he co-wrote with Texas Monthly restaurant critic Paula Forbes. Released this week, the book contains almost 100 recipes for mains, sides, and desserts.

LeRoy & Lewis Evan Leroy ATX Evan LeRoy is coming to Houston this weekend. Photo by Briana Balducci

“Lucas asked me to participate in a crawfish boil this year, and it happened to line up with the release of the book, so I said yes,” LeRoy tells CultureMap. “The event format centers around a crawfish boil, along with some fried items and oysters, so it doesn't necessarily reflect the recipes in the book. Instead, we decided to bring a few dishes we’ve been working on over the past year or so, including the brisket and cheddar croquettes — which will definitely make it into my next cookbook.”

McKinney has already hosted pop-ups with the likes of ChòpnBlọk chef-owner Ope Amosu and Mike Pham of Trill Burgers.

“With these crawfish boils, I want each chef to bring their own perspective and let the menu reflect their personal style of cooking,” McKinney adds. “Events like this are really centered around community, collaboration, and introducing something fresh and exciting to Houston each time.”

LeRoy and Lewis has earned wide acclaim for its “new school” barbecue. In addition to being one of only four Texas barbecue joints to hold a Michelin star, it ranked No. 2 on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s 50 best barbecue joints. McKinney began patronizing the restaurant when his friend, pitmaster Cole Parkman, worked there.

“It’s incredibly good,” McKinney says. “Eating there feels like they’re telling you, ‘I know you think you like brisket, but this is what you should really like.’ I really respect that they’ve planted their feet firmly in the ground and committed to doing things differently. It all makes so much sense — and it’s delicious.”

Reservations (free) are required to attend the Backyard Boil at Josephine’s; both 2 pm and 4 pm seatings are available. Attendees will purchase food and drinks a la carte. Josephine’s regular menu will not be available at the pop-up. Copies of New School Barbecue will also be available for purchase.

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