Introducing Coterie

Stylish all-day cafe now open in luxurious downtown apartment tower

Downtown workers and residents have a new option for breakfast, lunch, and dinner courtesy of a coffee shop veteran and a self-described "serial entrepreneur."

Located on the first floor of Market Square Tower — that's the one with the pool on the 42nd story — Coterie united Southside Espresso owner Sean Marshall with Charles "Chaz" Lusk, a healthcare executive who brings experience from the world of startups to the cafe's operations. Although small, Coterie offers a lot that should appeal to more people than just those fortunate enough to live above it.

That starts with the design. Lusk and Marshall worked with Italian design firm Costa Group, also responsible for Eataly in New York, to create a space that's stylish and modern looking. The design takes advantage of the room's 25-foot ceilings with a walk-in wine tower that showcases an extensive selection of vintages. Diners may opt to sit at the long bar or at the few tables.

“The visual features of [Coterie] were designed to serve as both a morning respite and evening retreat,” Lusk said in a statement. “With our unique décor, we can purposefully change the energy of Coterie with our lighting and music to match the way downtown Houston changes its ambiance preferences as the day and week progresses.”

Like the design, the menu offers lots of options. At breakfast, diners can opt for grab-and-go pastries (scone, cinnamon roll, two kinds of kolaches, etc.) or a heartier entree like a riff on eggs Benedict that features chive biscuits and crispy pancetta matched up with the same locally roasted Fusion Beans coffee that power Southside. At lunch and dinner, the options include a burger, a couple of pizzas, and a cacio e pepe pasta that Marshall tells CultureMap has emerged as an early favorite.

The kitchen is led by chef Chris Wesley, who comes to Coterie after working at places like the Eatsie Boys and Oxheart. Although the menu is limited for now, it will grow over time.

Whatever dish patrons choose for their meals may be paired with any number of beverage options. In addition to coffee, Coterie features an extensive wine list — both Lusk and Marshall are studying different training programs — as well as a full range of cocktails. Michelle Dinh, most recently of Dish Society, will serve as bar manager.

With the transformation earlier this year of The Honeymoon into Boomtown Coffee Main Street, the area around Market Square already had one solid coffee option. Just as Southside Espresso has found a niche in Montrose's crowded array of coffee shops, expect Coterie's modern decor and Italian-inspired menu to help it find a place in diners' routines.

People are flocking to Coterie.

Courtesy photo

People are flocking to Coterie.

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a CultureMap Exclusive

Houston's 'Chinese takeout bar from the future' touches down in Webster

Courtesy of The Rice Box

A rendering previews The Rice Box's new location in Webster.

Houston’s Chinese takeout bar from the future is coming to the Bay Area. The sixth location of The Rice Box will open in Webster later this summer.

Located at 114 El Dorado Blvd, the new location will be called Rice Box Space Center after NASA’s headquarters at the nearby Johnson Space Center. Founder John Peterson tells CultureMap that it’s a bit of a homecoming for him and his wife/business partner, Jenny Vo, as they grew up in the area. As with every new location, the restaurant created a movie-style poster to announce its opening.

Rice Box Webster movie poster The Rice Box Space Center is expected to open later this summer.Courtesy of The Rice Box

For its first truly suburban location, Peterson plans to offer a more efficient pickup system for to-go orders. Dubbed The Rice Box Pickup Reactors, the system applies Rice Box’s sci-fi aesthetic to curbside ordering. As seen in the rendering above, the building will have six slots that drivers will pull into to get their orders.

“The goal is to have guests in and out with food in hand in around 90 seconds,” Peterson writes in an email. “It’s still pickup, but we’re trying to make that moment feel more intentional and more connected to the digital side of Rice Box instead of treating it like an afterthought. We’re looking at this opening as both a new store and a prototype for how Rice Box can work in more suburban markets without losing the part of the brand that makes it feel like us.”

Bay Area-area diners can expect the same menu as the Rice Box’s other locations. That includes staples such as General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken, beef with broccoli, and orange peel beef. The restaurant also serves traditional Chinese-inspired fare such as Chongqing chicken, cumin beef, mapo tofu, and chow fun noodles.

Recently, Peterson rolled out a new version of Rice Box’s dumplings. Available in chicken, pork, or vegetable, each style of dumpling comes with a different wrapper that enhances the filling’s flavor. They’re also available either steamed or fried.

The Rice Box started as a food truck in the early 2010s. After moving to a permanent location in the Greenway Plaza food court, it has opened brick-and-mortar locations in the Heights, River Oaks, Rice Village, and Memorial.

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