join the club

New high-energy restaurant electrifies Washington Avenue with craft cocktails and massive patio

Washington Avenue welcomes a new, high-energy restaurant this week. The Sporting Club opens to the public on Thursday, October 22.

Opening The Sporting Club (5102 Washington Ave.) gives owner SoClutch Group four establishments on Washington. It joins party bar Concrete Cowboy, sports bar Clutch, and cocktail bar the Sugar Room.

“The whole goal when we came to Houston is to take over that block of Washington and bring it back to life,” Brandon Duliakas, SoClutch's director of operations for Houston, tells CultureMap. “Our goal is to create an entertainment district.”

While The Sporting Club has some aspects in common with its siblings, including the availability of bottle service, the focus is on the food. SoClutch hired chef EJ Miller (Riel, International Smoke) to craft a menu that mixes Italian-inspired fare like baked ricotta and frito misto plus pizzas, sandwiches, and cold seafood dishes.

“EJ is truly an artist at what he does,” Duliakas says. “The food here, I would put it against most restaurants in the city.”

The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner daily beginning at 11 am. Weekend brunch service and a late night menu that’s served from 11 pm-2 am round out the offerings.

As at the Sugar Room, SoClutch retained the Ladies of Libation, bartenders Laurie Harvey and Kris Sowell, to create the cocktail menu. A selection of frozens and modified classics anchor the offerings, but the Sporting Club sets itself apart with its party cocktails. Designed for groups, the large format cocktails are served in carbonated mini-kegs that allow each person to pour their own drink. Duliakas cites the Party Pims (gin, Pims, rhubarb, raspberry, ginger, etc.) as an early favorite from the restaurant’s friends and family preview services.

SoClutch has invested in The Sporting Club’s design. The 5,000-square-foot space features a retractable roof as well as antique chandeliers and “topiary wallpaper.” An Airstream trailer painted Veuve Clicquot yellow serves cocktails on the 3,000-square-foot patio.

Owner Dan Wierck explains that the roof is inspired by a similar installation he saw in Chicago. “The weather in Houston is sunny and nice for the most part. We thought we’d take advantage of that.”

Antique chandeliers and a retractable roof set The Sporting Club apart.

Photo by Corine Michel

Antique chandeliers and a retractable roof set The Sporting Club apart.

nightlife cocktails news-you-can-eat openings

flying into Houston

Chopped champion's Indian-spiced fried chicken joint opens in Midtown

One of Houston’s most dynamic chefs has unveiled his take on fried chicken. Pok Pok Po is now open in Midtown.

Located at 3201 Louisiana, the restaurant is the latest concept from chef and Chopped champion Jassi Bindra and business partners Surpreet and Preet Paul Singh, the trio behind Indian fine dining restaurant Amrina in The Woodlands. Bindra’s fried chicken recipe uses a gluten-free flour and starch batter that’s seasoned with Indian Kashmiri red chili powder along with other herbs and spices. It’s pressure cooked to ensure the meat stays both juicy and crispy.

The certified halal chicken is available as strips, sandwiches (made with thigh meat), and chicken breast bites.Those looking for a heartier meal, can get their chicken served on top of sidewinder fries or in the “Rice & Shine,” which includes basmati rice and Bindra’s “Desi kimchi.” Beverage options include Akra, an American-style lager that’s brewed in India, cannabis-infused drinks from 8th Wonder and non-alcoholic options such as sodas and a mango lassi.

“At Pok Pok Po, we’re creating something that’s not just a meal but an experience,” Bindra said in a statement. “We’ve taken everything people love about fried chicken and given it a twist with bold, gluten-free recipes and flavors that truly speak to the diversity of Houston.”

While most counter service restaurants are designed primarily for to-go, Pok Pok Po’s 55-seat dining room caters to those who want to enjoy their meals. It features banquette seating and a white-and-black motif that will also be present at Bol, the restaurant’s sister concept that’s opening soon.

The two restaurants occupy part of the former Artisans space. Medium Rare, an affordable steak frites restaurant from Washington, D.C., recently opened next to Bol and Pok Pok Po.

Courtesy of Pok Pok Po

Pok Pok Po is now open in Midtown.

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