building a bigger table

Local Mediterranean restaurant beefs up presence with new Katy flagship

Ahi tuna poke bowl.

Photo by Jenn Duncan

A popular Katy restaurant will soon occupy a much larger building. Local Table has claimed the former Luby's/Fuddruckers space at 24033 Cinco Ranch Blvd. for a flagship location that will open this fall.

First opened in 2016, the restaurant builds on the legacy of Hungry's, the popular Mediterranean cafe that has two Houston-area locations. Hungry's co-owner Ashkan Nowamooz started the concept with his brothers Arash and Alex and his cousins Shervin Sharifi and Neima Sharifi, who are nephews of Hungry's founder Fred Sharifi. Additionally, Sue Nowamooz, Ashkan's wife, serves as executive chef for both Hungry's and Local Table.

As one would expect from the Hungry's crew, many dishes include Mediterranean-inspired elements such as a gyro pita, a kebab plate, and hummus. Other selections — including chicken fried chicken, short rib tacos, and a bacon jab club sandwich — takes their inspiration from traditional Southern or Texan fare. Gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan items appear throughout the menu.

Having over 14,000-square-feet of space will provide the new Katy location with lots of amenities, including a large patio and a 60-person private dining room. It will also offer Local Bar, a dedicated space for people 21-and-up that offers an expanded selection of cocktails and a larger wine list.

“It was important for us to take a step back to evaluate what’s most important to us," Neima and Shervin Sharifi said in a statement. "As we began to prioritize, we realized we wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of our Cinco Ranch neighbors. They’ve really laid the foundation for us to create a fresh and sustainable brand."

Local Table has been successful throughout its six-year history, adding locations in Cypress, Fulshear, and Garden Oaks. Local Table will open a Woodlands location later this year.

A selection of dishes from Local Table.

Photo by Jenn Duncan

A selection of dishes from Local Table.

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New York Times critic awards Houston restaurant 2 stars in glowing review

Courtesy of ChòpnBlọk

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Let’s just call 2025 the year of ChòpnBlọk. In a review published Tuesday, December 16, the New York Times has awarded the Houston restaurant two stars (“very good”).

Written by chief restaurant critic Tejal Rao, the review touts many of the same qualities that the Times already praised when it included ChòpnBlọk on its list of America’s 50 best restaurants.

Rao writes that she usually avoids restaurants that serve food in bowls, but she’s impressed by the way that chef-owner Ope Amosu has put a West African spin on the concept.

“For inspiration, Ope Amosu looked to the kind of chain restaurants that were built to scale, where flavors are often subdued to appeal to the broadest possible audience, focus-grouped to death. But the delight of ChòpnBlok is in its sure sense of self, its lively, multidimensional cooking and clear, delicious vision for modern food from the Black diaspora,” Rao writes.

She singles out specific dishes, including the Nigerian red stew with short rib, the Black Star bowl with shrimp, and the signature Motherland, made with chicken, greens, and plantains. “It’s utterly simple, but draws you in for more with the mouthwatering twang of not-too-much MSG — an international shortcut to building umami that tends to be used carefully, and layered with other forms,” she writes.

The review also touches on the way Amosu switched the restaurant from counter service to full service — described as “warm, informal, and quick with the jokes” — and his time working at Chipotle to learn the basics of the restaurant operations.

A two-star review is only the latest instance of ChòpnBlọk receiving national attention. In addition to the Times 50 best list, Esquire recently named it one of America’s best new restaurants. The Michelin Guide awarded it a Bib Gourmand designation for 2025. Amosu earned a semifinalist nomination for Best Chef: Texas in the 2025 James Beard Awards.

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