What's Eric Eating Episode 159

The rise of Houston's tastiest bakery, plus a first taste of hot Killen's Inner Loop spot

On this week's episode of "What's Eric Eating," Common Bond CEO George Joseph and executive savory chef Jason Gould join CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss the rapidly expanding bistro and bakery. Since Joseph acquired sole ownership of the restaurant in early 2019, the restaurant has added locations near the Medical Center, in The Heights, and in Spring, plus an all-new drive-thru concept called Common Bond On the Go.

The conversation begins with Joseph explaining how an introduction to Common Bond founder Roy Shvartzapel ultimately led to him investing in the business in partnership with veteran Houston restaurateur Johnny Carrabba. After a mutual decision to part ways, Joseph set out to grow the business by recruiting a number of talented people, including president Chris Fannin and Gould. For the chef, joining Common Bond allowed him to blend the knowledge of French-style cooking he displayed during his tenure at Gravitas with the multi-unit experience he gained during his time with Cyclone Anaya's.

Gould explains that he found the restaurant's recipes to be "very good," but he's made some minor changes to improve efficiency and consistency across the different locations. In addition, he's developed a bar menu for the Spring location — the first Common Bond with a full liquor license — and a brasserie menu for the upcoming downtown location that will open once that market picks back up.

Sandler asks Joseph about the possibility of expanding Common Bond to other cities across Texas. He acknowledges it's a possibility but still sees plenty of opportunity in Houston, particularly with the On The Go concept.

"We think Houston is such a big area to cover, it's going to be awhile . . . I think our current commissary has a lot of capacity to add hopefully 10 more On The Gos and hopefully another bistro or two on the west side of town: Katy, Clear Lake, Sugar Land," Joseph says. "That's the thing about Houston, it's got so many pockets of great residential areas that people love Common Bond. They drive in from Katy, but they'd love to have it more convenient for them."

Prior to the interview, Fluff Bake Bar chef-owner Rebecca Masson joins Sandler to discuss the news of the week. Their topics include: the GoFundMe campaign that raised over $25,000 to help Masson recovered from the unexpected expenses of construction necessary to receive certain City of Houston permits, the James Beard Awards deciding not to name winners in 2020 or 2021, and the Taco Stand, a new concept from Burger Joint partners Shawn Bermudez and chef Matt Pak.

In the restaurants of the week segment, Masson and Sandler share some first impressions of Killen's, chef Ronnie Killen's Inner Loop restaurant that's inspired by his grandmother's cooking. Masson rates Killen's German chocolate cake as "legit."

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Common Bond's signature pistachio croissant.

Photo by J. Thomas Ford

Common Bond's signature pistachio croissant.

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ps, we're closed

Houston's most pretty-in-pink restaurant quietly closes in Upper Kirby

Photo by Jenn Duncan

You'll see a lot of pink at PostScript.

PostScript, Upper Kirby’ posh pink restaurant, has quietly closed, CultureMap has learned.

Although the restaurant is still accepting reservations on OpenTable — and is, as of this article’s publication, listed as open on both Yelp and Google — reports circulated on social media this weekend that it had abruptly canceled diners’ Mother’s Day reservations. In addition, its dining room in the Shops at Arrive mixed-use development has been emptied of furniture.

[Update: After the publication of this article, PostScript's management provided CultureMap with the following statement:

We are saddened to announce the closure of PostScript HTX.

We sincerely thank our patrons for their loyalty and support. It has been an honor to serve you and be part of your special moments. The people and culture in Houston are first class. We wish you all the best and hope our paths cross again in the future.]

PostScript opened with considerable fanfare in February 2024. Owners Veeral Rathod and Obi Ibeto, brought their experiences as partners in the Dallas-based GAP Hospitality to the project, which operates establishments such as XOXO Dining Room, Lyla, and Drai’s Dallas. Particularly inspired by XOXO Dining Room, they created an ode to pink that included pink exterior and interior walls, a pink quartz bar, and a pink grand piano. “Push for Champagne” buttons added to the lively spirit.

Chef Bryan Caswell created the menu. Best known for his pioneering Gulf Coast seafood restaurant Reef that closed in 2019, Caswell’s menu included fried chicken with hummus, oysters three ways (raw, roasted, and fried), a sushi roll, and the double smoked pork chop that was a Reef staple. A doughnut topped with caviar became a customer favorite.

Since Caswell was only consulting on the project, he left a couple of months after opening. Latuli, Caswell’s new Gulf Coast-inspired restaurant in the Memorial area, is expected to open soon.

CultureMap has reached out to PostScript via email, phone, and Instagram message for comment on the decision to close the restaurant. We will update this article if they reply.

PostScript’s closure follows that of Cru, which ended a 13-year run in December 2024. On the other hand, Kira, a sushi hand roll concept from Houston’s Comma Hospitality that’s also located in the development, is thriving, having earned the No. 4 spot on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s best new restaurants. The development is also home to beloved Indian restaurant Pondicheri, an outpost of the steakhouse chain Eddie V’s, and top tier Houston shopping destination Tootsie’s.

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