Booze News

New Midtown bar blends craft beer, music, food, art — and light rail

When Margaret Weymer and Bob Tatum decided to open a bar, they looked to iconic pop artist Andy Warhol for inspiration. "We love pop art and he was famous for — well, he liked to go out and have a drink—he was a partier," Tatum said." So we thought it was a good start and honestly, we couldn’t have thought of a better one."

Worhals, a new hangout located at 2016 Main Street in the former Mainstage location, marks the duo's first hospitality collaboration. Their inspiration for this Andy Warhol-ish tribute bar also includes a love for Texas craft beer, music, art — and proximity to the light rail line.

"The light rail was a big spark for us," Weymer said. "We had been looking for a location for a long time. When this came up for sale. It was just perfect."

Tatum envisions the Midtown/downtown crowd taking the light rail to the bar. "You know, stay off the roads, less DUI’s. We’re going to have bicycle tubes and repair kits, I know how to repair bikes. We want people to leave here in a safe way," he said.

Worhals is set to open Thursday, with more than 150 craft beer selections. "We will have all the local beers you can think of (as well as) Texas-made beers, regional beers and so on," Tatum added, listing Karbach, Saint Arnold's, Southern Star, Fort Bend and Buffalo Bayou among the selections.

The menu will include burgers, steaks and wings, along with healthier items, like wraps, salads, paninis, grilled fish and chicken. And the owners plan to showcase local art and music.

"It’s going to be different every night," Tatum said. "We’ll have jazz on Tuesdays, a type of “Texas Music Thursdays” starting with a happy hour, and we’re thinking about doing a rock jam on Sunday nights."

Warhol fans will notice the difference in spelling; Tatum and Weymer say the change was made for legal reasons. "The 'A' and 'O' are switched and the 'S' is obviously different. We actually talked to an attorney, because we wanted to name it after Andy Warhol. You know, art and crafty beer, arts and crafts on the wall — its all art.”

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Croissant-obsessed French cafe sets opening date in downtown Houston park

Photo by Mariela Callaway

Petite Lucie opens this Saturday, May 30.

Downtown Houston will soon welcome a new, all-day French cafe. Petite Lucie, a new restaurant from Love Croissants owner Culinary Matters, will begin its soft opening this Saturday, May 30.

Located in the former Niko Niko’s space at Market Square Park, Petite Lucie offers a covered, outdoor dining pavilion and an indoor-outdoor cocktail bar. Designed by the Houston office of the global architecture giant Gensler, the cafe also includes lighting, greenery, and other details to make it a comfortable place to dine throughout the day.

The restaurant is led by chefs Omar Pereney and Sahira Malherbe. Pereney’s history in Houston goes back more than 10 years, when the then-20-year-old served as executive chef at Peska, an ambitious (but short-lived) seafood restaurant in Uptown’s BLVD Place development. Since then, he’s worked as a consultant who contributed to a number of local restaurants as well as the owner of Love Croissants, which supplies oversized pastries to restaurants, coffee shops, and markets throughout Houston. In January, Pereney and Malherbe took over operations at Weights + Measures in Midtown.

“At its core, Petite Lucie is about creating moments of escape and discovery in the middle of the city,” Pereney said in a statement. “We wanted to build something romantic but approachable — a place where someone can stop in for a croissant and espresso in the morning, meet friends for cocktails in the afternoon or linger over a casual dinner under the stars at night.”

Of course, Petite Lucie’s menu starts with a selection of pastries from Love Croissants, including a butter croissant, almond-cardamom croissant, pain au chocolat, and a coffee bun. Other breakfast options include a breakfast sandwich served on a croissant, lemon blueberry French toast, and avocado toast with smoked salmon.

Lunch and dinner options include jambon croquettes, croque monsieur, chicken salad croissant sandwich, steak frites, and a bowl made with lentils, quinoa, vegetables, and onion jam that can be enhanced with salmon or grilled chicken. Desserts include chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, and what’s described in press materials as a “life-changing” birthday cake.

Petite Lucie birthday cake Share a birthday cake at Petite LucieCourtesy of Petite Lucie

Jaime de Leon, an advanced sommelier and frequent Pereney collaborator, oversees a beverage program that includes spritzes, cocktails, and a French-oriented wine list that includes large format bottles of sparkling wine to power group celebrations. A custom St-Germain cart will serve draft cocktails at busy times and during events.

Located in the oldest part of Houston, Market Square Park is close to attractions such as the Theater District, Daikin Park, Post Houston, and more. In addition to Petite Lucie, the area will soon welcome a second location of modern general store Henderson & Kane in the former Treebards space. On Saturday, downtown will celebrate the opening of the nearby Main Street Promenade with a market, live entertainment, and more.

Petite Lucie is located at 301 Milam Street. It’s open daily from 7 am-9 pm.

Photo by Mariela Callaway

Petite Lucie opens this Saturday, May 30.

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