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    Hugo's next restaurant

    Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught reveal exciting new concept for Uptown Park

    Eric Sandler
    Sep 27, 2019 | 9:31 am
    James Beard Foundation dinner Tracy Vaught Hugo Ortega
    Tracy Vaught and Hugo Ortega are planning a new restaurant.
    Photo by Quy Tran

    Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught are expanding their restaurant empire. Vaught confirmed that the couple's company, H-Town Restaurant Group, will open a new concept at Uptown Park in the recently shuttered Cafe Express space.

    Vaught's statement, posted below, confirms rumors first circulated by the real estate super sleuths on the Houston Architecture Info Forum. It will be the couple's fifth Houston restaurant, joining Backstreet Cafe, Hugo's, Caracol, and Xochi. H-Town also operates Italian restaurant Prego in Rice Village, Third Coast in the Medical Center, and Origen in Oaxaca City.

    Hugo and I are always thinking about new concepts and checking out spaces, and Uptown Park was a possibility for something new, but we didn’t finalize until recently. Like with all our other concepts, we prefer to keep the idea close to our chests, as we like to have the ability to plan, develop, and make changes at-will without being hindered by any previous announcements.

    So, yes, we did sign with Eden to go into Uptown Park. Our plans are still fluid, and the opening is at least a year away. We have no further details at this time.

    Regardless of whether or not the specific restaurant is the "more casual/budget-friendly" restaurant in the rumor or something more elevated that's in line with their other establishments, any new project from the James Beard Award-winning chef and his wife, a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur, is worth getting excited about.

    Adding a new restaurant from H-Town is only the latest change as Uptown Park seeks to update its mix of offerings. Over the last couple of years, the development has added healthy eating restaurant Flower Child and two long time tenants, McCormick & Schmick's (recently rebranded as M&S Seafood, Steaks & Oysters) and Uptown Sushi, have undergone extensive renovations.

    More changes are coming. California-based sandwich shop Mendocino Farms will open its second Houston-area location on October 3. In addition, Merus Grill, a new concept from J. Alexander's, will open this fall, and a second location of The Rustic will open in early 2020.

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    two great tastes

    Collaborative cookie bakery and ice cream shop set Meyerland opening date

    Eric Sandler
    Oct 20, 2026 | 3:41 pm
    Pudgy's Fine Cookies Underground Creamery Meyerland sundae
    Photo by Julie Nong
    The new location offers sundaes made with a Pudgy's cookie and Underground soft serve.

    Good news for residents of Meyerland, Bellaire, Westbury, and other Southwest Houston neighborhoods. The area’s newest destinations for sweet treats is serving up cookies and soft serve.

    Already in a quiet soft open, the second location of Pudgy's Fine Cookies and Underground Creamery (4798 Beechnut St.) will celebrate its grand opening this Sunday, October 25 from 10:30 am-3 pm. First announced in July, the new location serves Pudgy’s signature thick, chewy cookies alongside Underground Creamery’s first-ever soft serve ice cream.


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    A post shared by Abbas Dhanani (@houstoneatz)


    Unlike Underground’s location in the Heights that sells pints of ice cream via weekly drops of different flavors, Underground Softies, as the location is known, will serve vanilla bean soft serve alongside a rotating second flavor and toppings that are similar to those used in Underground’s pints. For the opening, the second flavor will be ube and toppings will include hot fudge, Oreo MSG, and Biscoff grit.

    "Our customers are used to us surprising them with something new every week, and that's something we love and will continue doing with our pints," Underground founder Josh DeLeon said in a statement. "But with Softies, we're excited to create something they can count on, too. They'll know their favorites will be here whenever they visit, and we'll still have plenty of room to get creative. We're excited to hear what the Meyerland community wants to see from us."

    Van Teamer founded Pudgy’s during the pandemic as an outgrowth of her passion for cookie baking. After decided a franchised cookie bakery’s products were too sweet, she developed her own recipes for cookies such as a chocolate chip (The Pudgy), the Bonanza Brulee, a cookie that combines the flavors of creme brulee and bananas Foster, and the Wild Campfire, a s’mores-inspired cookie with toasted marshmallows and chocolate chunks. Like Underground, Pudgy’s frequently serves limited-edition flavors inspired by special ingredients or the time of year.

    Even better, customers will be able to order sundaes that combine Pudgy’s cookies with Underground’s soft serve. The new location has a few tables where customers will be able to sit and enjoy their purchases.

    "We're really excited to be part of Meyerland," Teamer added. "We wanted this location to feel a little different from our other shop, with a space where families can sit, enjoy cookies and soft serve, and spend time together. We've put a lot of thought into creating something special, and I can't wait for everyone to finally experience it."

    The new locations deepens the business relationship that began when the Heights location opened in 2022. Although both Pudgy’s and Underground have separate ownership and operate independently, both have benefitted from the ongoing partnership.

    That success will be on display at Sunday’s grand opening, which will feature a ribbon cutting at 10:30 am followed by a lion dance at 11:30 am. The first 50 people will get a free cookie, and the first 25 customers will receive a free Pudgy’s tote bag.



    Pudgy's Fine Cookies Underground Creamery Meyerland sundae

    Photo by Julie Nong

    The new location offers sundaes made with a Pudgy's cookie and Underground soft serve.

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