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    Enter the Warehouse

    Harvey-ravaged Italian restaurant finds new home, and new name, in Spring Branch

    Eric Sandler
    Aug 27, 2018 | 11:27 am

    A flood-ravaged Houston restaurant will rise again in a new location. The owners of Spaghetti Warehouse, the downtown restaurant that shuttered after Hurricane Harvey flooded it with several feet of water, are bringing a new concept to Spring Branch.

    Warehouse 72 (named for the year the restaurant opened its first location in Dallas) will update the familiar concept for a new generation. Slated to debut in late 2018 or early 2019, the new restaurant will occupy approximately 8,600 square feet in the Marq*E Entertainment Center. As the renderings above show, the space will feature exposed brick, high ceilings, and an open kitchen.

    “Exactly one year ago, Spaghetti Warehouse faced a turbulent and uncertain future after the catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey – including the destruction of the longtime Spaghetti Warehouse home in downtown Houston,” Michael Kim, president of Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurants, said in a statement. He added, “It has been a very difficult circumstance in the months that ensued, but we really wanted to come back despite the many challenges associated. Spaghetti Warehouse leadership made a firm commitment that we would return to Houston; Warehouse 72 not only represents that promised homecoming but also an opportunity to re-engage loyal Spaghetti customers while attracting a new generation of fans to the re-imagined concept in the process.”

    Executive chef Don Flores' new menu will mix Spaghetti Warehouse classics with a range of new dishes. Flores, who brings experience from several restaurants in New York as well as the Los Angeles location of acclaimed Japanese restaurant Katsuya, will preserve familiar dishes like the 15-layer lasagna and spinach and mozzarella ravioli while also introducing new tastes like porchetta, Gulf shrimp, and short ribs. To drink, expect an all-new cocktail menu, a focus on Italian wines, and an expanded beer selection.

    Diners who miss the restaurant have the opportunity to get a taste on Monday, August 27. Flores and his crew will host a pop-up at Evelyn's Park in Bellaire starting from 4 pm to 8 pm; for $15, patrons can order a combination plate with one Warehouse 72 entree and one Spaghetti Warehouse entree. Kids (10 and under) portions will be available for $8. The restaurant will donate 15-percent of sales to Evelyn's Park Conservancy.

    Spaghetti Warehouse is coming to the Marq*E Entertainment Center.

    Spaghetti Warehouse rendering new location Marq E Entertainment Center
    Courtesy image
    Spaghetti Warehouse is coming to the Marq*E Entertainment Center.
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    And the winners are...

    Houston restaurants have a historic night with 2 James Beard Award wins

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 15, 2026 | 9:03 pm
    2026 James Beard Awards
    Courtesy of HoustonFirst Corporation
    Houston was well-represented at the 2026 James Beard Awards

    Houston had a historic night at the James Beard Awards. Held on Monday, June 15, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Two of Houston’s six finalists took home prizes for both national awards and Best Chef: Texas.

    They are:

    • Emerging Chef: Adrian Torres, Maximo
    • Best Chef Texas: Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, Jūn

    Houston’s other finalists were: June Rodil (March) for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service; Ope Amosu (ChòpnBlọk) for Best Chef: Texas; Agnes and Sherman for Best New Restaurant, and Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught (H-Town Restaurant Group) for Outstanding Restaurateur.

    Other Texas nominees included: Tavel Bristol-Joseph (Nicosi, San Antonio) and Maggie Huff (Lucia, Dallas) for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker and Mixtli in San Antonio for Outstanding Restaurant.

    The other nominees for Best Chef: Texas were: Scott Girling (Osteria il Muro in Denton), Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, (Cafe Piro in Socorro), and Finn Walter (The Nicolett in Lubbock).

    James Beard Awards Lindsey Brown Chris Shepherd Southern Smoke Foundation Lindsey Brown, center, and Chris Shepherd, right, at the Impact Awards. Photo by Max Flatow

    In addition, the Houston-based Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit that provides emergency assistance and mental health services to hospitality workers, received an Impact Award at a separate ceremony on Sunday, June 14.

    Tonight’s two wins firmly establish Houston as Texas’ premier culinary destination. They follow Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast in Spring winning Best Chef: Texas in 2025 and Benchawan Jabthong Painter (Street to Kitchen) winning the same category in 2023, meaning the city’s chefs have now won three of the last four awards in that category. Torres is only the second Houstonian to win a national award, following Southern-inspired cocktail bar Julep’s win for Outstanding Bar Program in 2022.

    Although he’s only 27 years old, Torres has frequently found himself in the national spotlight since took over as Maximo’s executive chef in 2025. Since then, he’s been named a Rising Star by StarChefs magazine, earned a Bib Gourmand designation for Maximo from the Michelin Guide, and won the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Rising Star Chef of the Year.

    “I am proud to be the son of immigrants. I am proud to be an immigrant. And I am proud to be a DACA recipient,” Torres said to applause from the crowd of culinary professionals.

    “Tonight, the headline is that a brown kid from the Northside, raised by parents who sacrificed everything for the chance at a better life, is standing on this stage accepting one of the highest honors in this industry,” he added.

    James Beard Awards Evelyn Garcia Henry Lu Jun Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu won Best Chef: Texas.Photo by Casey Giltner

    After establishing themselves by serving casual fare at pop-ups and farmers markets, Garcia and Lu opened Jūn in 2023. Billed as a New Asian American restaurant, it features a wide-ranging menu that includes charred cabbage with tofu Caesar dressing, carrots with everything salsa matcha, and the signature fried chicken that’s seasoned with shrimp paste, ginger, and Thai chili. In 2025, they opened Third Place, a daytime concept in the Jūn space that showcases pop-ups from both established and up-and-coming chefs.

    Like Torres, Lu also celebrated his immigrant parents. “I want to thank our immigrant parents who lived the American dream and put us where we are today. They invested so much in us. Everything we are today is because of them,” he said.

    “Houston, I love you so so much,” Garcia said as she and Lu accepted their award. “Our amazing city is made from creatives from first generations like we are. It is a city of dreams and hopes. What has taught me anything with Jun is there’s room for everyone, there’s a space to tell our story, that it’s meant to be heard, and that there’s a reason why we’re here.”

    Considered the Oscars of the food world, the awards recognize excellence by chefs and other culinary professionals in a wide range of categories from Outstanding Chef to Best New Restaurant. In 2025, the James Beard Foundation added three new categories to recognize the beverage side of hospitality: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.

    Winners must also have “demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive,” according to the organization’s website.

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