Museum Eats

First Look: New cafe at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston mixes Italian vibe with high-tech flair

Paolo Fronza and Matteo Alessandri have upped the dining game at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) with their latest concept, MFA Cafe. The duo, who previously co-owned Fellini Caffe in Rice Village, have brought Italian-inspired fare and gourmet coffee to the space formerly occupied by Café Express.

While you can still expect counter-service and a casual vibe, the eatery's decor is a far cry from its predecessor’s digs. Your meal here comes with a side of art: Dining takes place amid priceless Italian works and artifacts, all on loan from the MFAH.

The white-walled, 3,000-square-foot space, with bright red columns, seats 100, with lots of room to spread out. For those who seek an outdoor space in the cooler weather, there's a small patio on the Binz Street side of the building.

Three seating areas, dotted with light wooden tables and chairs, line one side of the café. The dining sections are separated by two room dividers, which house more than 20 hand-blown glass pieces made in Murano (a series of islands near northern Italy where glass has been made for more than 700 years) and placed in chronological order by origin date from the 1930s to current.

An eye-catching chandelier, also from Murano, hangs near the interior entry, and a glass case near the center of the restaurant showcases antique serving pieces. Still to come: A selection of Italian artwork for the walls.

Stay connected thanks to free WiFi, with 30 outlets built into several high-top communal tables located in front of the coffee bar.

“We designed MFA Cafe with the idea in mind to have a space where people can come to, grab a bite, study and stick around for awhile,” Alessandri tells CultureMap.

Place your food order and then dig into Northern Italian-inspired fare made with fresh, local ingredients (both Fronza and Alessandri are Italian-born with the latter’s family recipes on the menu). The roster of around 30 items ranges from paninis and Roman-style pizza to soups and salads.

Highlights include the bresaola panini (lean Italian cured beef with slices of Parmigiano-Reggiano, arugula and extra virgin olive oil served on sweet and sour Italian bread), thin-crust prosciuttoo pizza (topped with Parmigiano and arugula) and smoked salmon salad (with cherry tomatoes, Kalamata purple olives and scallions. Satisfy your sweet tooth with pastries, tarts, cannoli and more from the pastry case.

The European-style coffee bar offers espresso, cappuccinos, flat whites, lattes, smoothies and frappès. The bar also boasts four brews (three from Texas, plus Peroni Italian beer), three red wines, five white wines and four prosecco-based drink, including a Bellini.

The cafe is open 10 am - 4 pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 am - 9 pm Thursdays, 10 am - 7 pm Fridays and Saturdays and 11 am - 6 pm Sundays. It is closed on Mondays, except holidays.

Sticking to a formula that works, Fronza and Alessandri plan to launch an Italian eatery and coffee shop, Rossini, in the Hines' San Felipe Place tower in November.

The kitchen at MFA Cafe serves up Roman-style pizza.

Houston, MFACafe, October 2015, prosciutto pizza

Photo by Marcy de Luna

The kitchen at MFA Cafe serves up Roman-style pizza.

lunch openings breakfast pizza coffee wine desserts

Later, Late August

Michelin-recognized Houston restaurant quietly closes after only 2.5 years

Photo by Rebekah Flores

Late August is now open at The Ion.

Houston’s only Black-owned restaurant with a spot in the Michelin Guide has served its last meal. Late August, chef Chris Williams’s restaurant in the Ion mixed-use development, has closed for daily service but will remain open for private events through the end of the year.

Lucille’s Hospitality Group, the company behind Late August, issued the following statement about its closure as a full service restaurant:

Late August, in close partnership with the Ion, is transitioning its restaurant operations in the Ion District to focus on private catering and event services through Lucille's Hospitality Group, and other projects, including the Hospitality Group’s newest upcoming concept The Branch. The restaurant is grateful to the ION team and the Houston community for helping establish the space as a celebrated, Michelin-recommended culinary destination.

Late August will continue to honor previously booked events through the end of the year and remain a partner through catering services in the district. The restaurant space will transition to an event-focused model as part of the Ion's continued commitment to providing a dynamic mix of dining and retail experiences across the district. Lucille’s Hospitality Group is excited for what is next, and can’t wait for our community to check out its other concepts at Lucille’s or The Branch. If you’re interested in booking an event at Late August, you can reach out to catering@lhghouston.com.

Williams tells CultureMap that the decision to close the restaurant was triggered in part by Rice University’s plans to expand the Ion by adding the Arc, a nearly 200,000-square-foot research and technology facility that will replace a parking lot that’s adjacent to the Ion. Williams decided the construction would disrupt diners’ ability to access the building, which made closing it a more practical choice.

“We have 12,000 other restaurants,” Williams says about the number of choices that Houstonians have for where to eat dinner on any given night. “The idea of guests having to cross a major thoroughfare, we all agreed was not a sustainable path for us.”

Opened in 2024 by Williams and executive chef Sergio Hidalgo, Late August served an innovative menu that blended African and Mexican flavors. Last year, the chefs switched Late August from an a la carte menu to a tasting menu that better highlighted Hidalgo’s skills and the restaurant’s ingredients, many of which were sourced from Lucille’s 1913, the restaurant’s affiliated farm in Kendleton, Texas. The creative cooking helped Late August earn a Recommend designation from the Michelin Guide and a Best New Restaurant award from Esquire magazine.

“It was a great opportunity. We have zero regrets,” Williams says. “Just gratitude for the support and recognition we were able to get.”

While Hidalgo is leaving the company, many of the restaurant’s staff, including pastry chef Jennifer Parsons, will be transitioning to The Branch, a health-conscious new restaurant that’s opening soon at Midtown high-rise Forme. Details on that restaurant, including its projected opening date, will be released soon.

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