A Paris Bar For Houston

New Washington Ave bar aims to channel Paris' night club scene — miniature Eiffel Tower included

A bartender at Anvil once told me that you can tell a customer’s personality by where they stand at the bar. If they stand near the entrance, they’re most likely an alpha male, trying to impress their colleagues and the ladies. If you’re towards the back of the bar, you’re probably more of an introvert.

The front part Anvil's bar is usually not very crowded because that clientele can usually be found on the Washington Avenue strip . . . which makes the constant closings of establishments like Sawyer Park (reopened as Social Junkie) and Hollister on Washington disorienting. In the midst of these shut-downs, it’s nice to see that one business is not only remaining open, it's adding a second location.

At night, the bar will be enclosed to try and channel Paris club nightlife.

Owner Bien Tran tells CultureMap that Hughes Hangar will be opening a second bar and club a mere 50 feet from Hughes' 2811 Washington Avenue location. Juan Cao, who designed the atmosphere Tran largely attributes Hughes’ success to, will create an old world Parisian atmosphere complete with a miniature Eiffel Tower for the new bar which will be named The de Gaulle.

Yes, it's a nod to Paris' legendary airport. One side of the building can be completely opened to create a bistro/cafe atmosphere during the day. At night, the bar will be enclosed to try and channel Paris club nightlife.

Day patrons will enjoy jazzy, bossa nova hits such as "The Girl from Ipanema," while creatures of the night will dance to international DJs and European house music. Rare French wines and European cocktails will dominate the menu, which will not include food (for now), but 50 feet isn’t exactly a far walk for the delicious grub of Hughes Hanger (which has one of the best steak nights in town on Wednesdays).

The de Gaulle is shooting for a Halloween grand opening. There will be Edgar Allen Poe novel themed party, “Murders in the Rue Morgue” held closer to the date. A VIP soft opening event is expected to happen one week earlier.

The de Gaulle promises a striking atmosphere.

Courtesy rendering

The de Gaulle promises a striking atmosphere.

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Farewell, ElRo

Creative Montrose pizzeria will shutter after only a year-and-a-half

Photo by Julie Soefer

ElRo Pizza & Crudo

An acclaimed Houston pizzeria will soon serve its final pies. ElRo Pizza & Crudo will close after service on December 31.

In a post on Instagram, chef-owner Terrence Gallivan thanks his staff for their dedication and his customers for their support. “We hope to see you all over the next couple weeks. Come celebrate with us,” he writes.

Open since June 2023, ElRo intrigued diners who enjoyed Gallivan’s work at pioneering Houston restaurant The Pass & Provisions. At ElRo, the chef served a modified version of the Provisions pizza recipe alongside crudos and shareable small plates such as arancini and housemade sausage. It earned four nominations in this year’s CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, including Best New Restaurant and Chef of the Year.

Sadly, Gallivan tells CultureMap that business has seen “a steady decline in business for many months.” Recently, the restaurant had tried a number of initiatives to draw in diners, such as steak night on Tuesday and fried chicken on Saturday.

The early announcement gives diners two weeks to make one more visit (or two) to the restaurant before it closes. Customers may want to time their visit for happy hour, which takes places from 3-6 pm Tuesday-Friday. It includes half-off glasses of wine, $4 draft beers, $9 select cocktails, and food specials.

Gallivan adds that he doesn’t know yet what his next move will be. Hopefully, he’s got one more comeback in him. Houston is a more fun town to dine in when Gallivan is cooking in it.

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