TS Nicholas closures

These Houston bars and restaurants have temporarily closed due to Tropical Storm Nicholas

Saint Arnold will be closed today and tomorrow.

Photo courtesy of Saint Arnold's Brewery

UPDATE: This article has been updated as of 8 am Tuesday, September 14 with the latest information on restaurants that are closed today.

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As Tropical Storm Nicholas prepares to make landfall on the Texas coast, a number of Houston restaurants and bars are suspending service for Monday, September 13 and/or Tuesday, September 14.

The establishments listed below have either contacted CultureMap directly or shared their plans on social media. We will update this list as throughout the day. To be added, please email eric@culturemap.com.

Those who do venture out this evening should remain weather aware and avoid dangerous situations.

Agnes Cafe (closed Tuesday)

Amsterdam Company (closing at 1 pm)

Angel Share

The Annie Cafe (closing at 2 pm)

Anvil Bar & Refuge (both Monday and Tuesday)

Axelrad

Backstreet Cafe (closed Tuesday)

Batanga (closed Tuesday)

B&B Butchers (closing at 2 pm)

B.B. Lemon (closing at 2 pm)

Better Luck Tomorrow (both Monday and Tuesday)

Blacksmith (closed Tuesday)

Bludorn

Brasil (closed Monday and Tuesday morning)

The Brisket House (all locations closing at 3 pm and closed Tuesday)

Cane Rosso (closed Tuesday)

Caracol (closed Tuesday)

Christie’s Seafood (closed Tuesday)

Churrascos

City Cellars HTX

Cloud 10 Creamery (all locations closing at 5 pm)

Common Bond (opening Tuesday at 11am)

Crave Cupcakes (closing at 5 pm; closed Tuesday)

Crawfish Cafe (closing at 8 pm Monday; closed Tuesday)

Crisp (closed Tuesday)

Dolce Neve (closing at 5 pm)

8th Wonder Brewery, Distillery, and Eatsie Boys (closed Tuesday)

El Topo (closed Tuesday)

Ember & Greens (closing at 4 pm; reopen Tuesday at 4 pm)

Etoile Cuisine et Bar (closing at 4 pm; closed Tuesday)

Eunice (closed Monday for dinner and Tuesday for lunch)

Fajitas Pete’s Woodlands (closing at 6 pm; closed Tuesday)

Fegen’s (closed Tuesday)

Feges BBQ Greenway Plaza (closed Tuesday)

Feges BBQ Spring Branch (opening Tuesday at 3 pm)

Field & Tides (closed Monday for dinner; closed Tuesday for lunch)

Flower & Cream (closing at 8 pm and closed Tuesday)

Flying Biscuit Cafe (closed Tuesday)

FM Kitchen & Bar (both locations closing at 4 pm)

Frank’s Americana Revival (closed Tuesday for lunch, open for dinner)

Golden Bagels & Coffee (closed Tuesday)

Grand Prize

Harold’s in the Heights (closing at 2:30 pm)

Himalaya (closed Tuesday)

Homestead Kitchen and Bar (closed Tuesday)

Hubcap Grill (closed Tuesday)

Hugo’s (closed Tuesday)

Hungry Like the Wolf (closed Tuesday)

Ixím (closed Tuesday)

Jax Grill (closing at 4 pm Monday; plan to reopen Tuesday at 4 pm)

Johnny’s Gold Brick

Julep

Just GRK (closing at 7 pm)

Kin Dee Thai Cuisine (closing at 6:30 pm)

Kiran's (closed Tuesday)

Ladybirds

La Grange (closed Tuesday)

Le Colonial (closing at 8 pm)

Liberty Kitchen (closing at 4 pm)

Love Shack (closed Monday and Tuesday)

Magnol French baking (closed Tuesday)

Mastrantos

Merus Grill (closed Tuesday)

Mo Better Brews (closed Tuesday)

Monkey's Tail (opening Tuesday at 4 pm)

Monument Inn (closing at 3 pm and closed Tuesday and Wednesday)

Moon Tower Inn

Mutiny Wine Room (closed Tuesday)

The Nash

Neil’s Bahr

Night Shift

93 ‘Til (closed Tuesday)

Ninja Ramen (closed Tuesday)

Nopo Cafe, Market & Bar (closing at 2 pm)

The Original Ninfa’s (opening Tuesday at 4 pm)

Ostia (closed Tuesday)

Ouisie’s Table (Closed Monday for dinner; closed Tuesday)

Palace Social

Pappas Restaurants (closing at 3 pm; closed Tuesday)

Penny Whistle Pub

Pizaro’s Pizza (Montrose opening Tuesday 4 pm; Memorial closed Tuesday)

Potente

Relish Restaurant and Bar (closing at 3 pm; closed Tuesday for breakfast and lunch)

Riel

River Oaks Donuts

Rodeo Goat (closing at 7 pm)

Roegels BBQ (closed Tuesday)

Roost

Saint Arnold Brewing Company (closing at 2 pm and closed Tuesday)

Shoot the Moon

Squable (closed Tuesday)

Stanton’s City Bites (closed Tuesday)

State Fair Kitchen & Bar (closing at 4 pm)

Street to Kitchen (closed Tuesday)

Studewood Cantine (closing at 4 pm)

Sweet Bribery

Thirteen (closed Tuesday)

13 Celsius

The Toasted Coconut (closed Tuesday)

Tom N Toms Coffee Galleria (closed Tuesday)

Traveler’s Table

Tres Amigos (closed Tuesday)

Uchi

The Union Kitchen (closing at 4 pm Monday; plan to reopen Tuesday at 4 pm)

Urbe (closed Tuesday for breakfast and lunch)

Verdine (closed Tuesday)

Watershed

Woodshed Smokehouse (closed Monday and Tuesday)

Xin Chao (closed Tuesday)

Xochi (closed Tuesday)

Yelo (closed Tuesday)

weather news-you-can-eat

What's eric eating episodes 513 and 514

Beard Award-winning chef and family dish on their new Houston restaurant

Zaranda restaurant Tracy Vaught Hugo Ortega Sophia Ortega

Photo by Nick de la Torre

Zaranda owners Tracy Vaught, Hugo Ortega, and Sophia Ortega are this week's guests.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega, his wife and business partner Tracy Vaught, and their daughter Sophia Ortega join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss H-Town Restaurant Group. The company operates a number of local concepts, including interior Mexican restaurant Hugo’s, Backstreet Cafe, Mexican street food eatery Urbe, and Zaranda, the company’s newly opened restaurant in downtown that’s inspired by California.

After a brief discussion of the early days of Hugo’s, the trio dives into the process of opening Zaranda. Vaught explains how she became aware of the space in the Norton Rose Fulbright Tower and why it’s proximity to Discovery Green made it particularly appealing. Chef Ortega shares how a three-week road trip throughout Mexico provided some of the inspiration for both Zaranda and Caracol, his Galleria-area seafood restaurant.

From there, chef Ortega describes how the zaranda — a wire metal basket used to cook seafood over an open flame — anchors much of the menu. He also recommends some dishes diners should try when they visit Zaranda.

Sandler asks Sophia Ortega what it’s like working with her parents. “I get that comment a lot. It is very different. A lot of people can’t imagine working with family,” she says.

“For me, I’m an only child. We’re a very close family unit. The restaurants have been a huge part of my growing up. For us, it comes very naturally to work together. It’s all we know. I’ve only ever worked for my restaurants. A lot of the employees have seen me grow up. I think we all have our own lane, but at the same time we overlap. We’re always open to hearing different opinions. That’s when the best decisions are made. I love it.”

“Sophia is very intuitive. The way she communicates is very thoughtful and sensitive. I think that’s so valuable for our staff. Everybody loves her,” Vaught adds.

Listen to the full episode for an update on Backstreet Cafe. Its original building was torn down last year to make way for an all-new structure that’s on track to open next year — hopefully in time for its legendary Mother’s Day brunch. Sandler also asks about the restaurant group’s conspicuous omission from the Michelin Guide.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson, the proprietor of newly-open wine shop Montrose Grocer, discuss the news out of the week. They begin with a discussion about the Houston Chronicle’s list of the city’s top 100 restaurants, including a discussion of Aga’s as the No.1 selection, some of the new entries on the list, and restaurants that dropped off the list entirely, such as Himalaya, Kata Robata, and Killen’s Barbecue. They also talk about Bari Ristorante opening a new location in The Woodlands and restaurateur Brian Doke’s plans to open Lazy Lane restaurant in Garden Oaks.

In the restaurant of the week segment, Clarkson and Sandler share thoughts on their recent meal at Maison Chinoise. Located next to Brasserie 19 in the River Oaks Shopping center, the new Chinese restaurant is the latest project from Dallas-based Lombardi Family Concepts, known locally for Toulouse Cafe and Bar, its French restaurant in River Oaks District, and Lombardi Cucina Italiana in Uptown Park.

Listen to the episode to hear which dishes they liked best, as well as the one that missed the mark. They also discuss its decor and how it will fit with the other luxurious restaurants in the shopping center.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

Zaranda owners Tracy Vaught, Hugo Ortega, and Sophia Ortega.

Photo by Nick de la Torre

Zaranda owners Tracy Vaught, Hugo Ortega, and Sophia Ortega are this week's guests.

podcast interview news-you-can-eat chefs