welcome to acadian

Exciting new Gulf Coast-inspired seafood restaurant casts off in Second Ward

The Second Ward’s new seafood destination debuts next week. Acadian Coast will begin its soft opening this Saturday, November 7, with a full opening to follow on Friday, November 13.

Announced this summer, Acadian Coast unites restaurateur Bruce Gingrich with consultant John Avila (El Burro & the Bull, Henderson & Kane) and executive chef Philippe Gaston (Izakaya, Cove Cold Bar). Originally intended to be a location of Corky’s BBQ, Gingrich recruited Avila to help him develop a Cajun restaurant that would be a better fit for the neighborhood.

“I didn’t want to be another red-and-white sign Cajun concept,” Avila said in August. “I wanted something a little nicer and to reach a slightly higher price point on some of the things we’re doing.”

Enter Gaston, a native of Mexico who grew up in France and has traveled extensively across Europe, South America, and Asian. He researched the history of the Acadians and worked with Avila to create a menu that reflects their journey from Canada to Louisiana.

While the menu is still being finalized, some dishes include a variation on poutine made with potato dumplings, elk Diane, and steak tartare. Acadian Coast will also serve traditional Gulf Coast fare such as grilled oysters, BBQ shrimp, and shrimp and crawfish etouffee. Oysters will be available in both raw and grilled preparations.

In the morning, diners will be able to stop by for coffee and beignets, both traditional and filled with flavors like chicory-chocolate, smoked-salted caramel and apple, and bananas.

Diners will be able to sit inside in luxurious, leather-wrapped booths or outdoors on the spacious patio. Eventually, the patio will feature a large screen for watching games and a stage for live music.

Steak tartare.

Photo by Content Haus

Steak tartare.

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a spoonful of sugar

New Mexican eatery sweetens Houston with 150 spirits and bold flavors

Courtesy of Mexican Sugar

Mexican Sugar is coming to Regent Square in December.

A Dallas-based Mexican restaurant is coming to Houston. Mexican Sugar will open its first Houston location in Montrose this December.

Located next to Georgia James in the Regent Square mixed-use development, Mexican Sugar will occupy a two-story, 13,000-square-foot building. All that room offers seating for 375 as well as two private dining rooms with full audio-visual capabilities. Both the upstairs and downstairs patios will have a view of nearby Buffalo Bayou Park.

Its part of FB Society, the Dallas-based hospitality group behind Whiskey Cake, Sixty Vines, and Haywire, the Texas-inspired comfort food restaurant that opened its first Houston-area location earlier this year. Mexican Sugar has three locations in the Dallas area: Plano, Las Colinas, and Uptown Dallas.

In a release, Mexican Sugar touts its use of seasonal ingredients. It also makes its tortillas by hand. Menu highlights include skirt steak, lobster fundido, and a bone-in pork chop. At brunch, look for options such as cajeta French toast, Benedictos Rancheros, and vanilla-cinnamon pancakes.

Agave fans will find plenty of choices courtesy of more the 150 tequilas and mezcals. They’re available in individual pours as well as in flights that allow customers to compare the flavors of the different spirits.

“Our goal is to create a dining experience that blends bold Mexican flavors with our signature style of hospitality that stays two steps ahead,” Justin Beam, Mexican Sugar’s director of operations, said in a statement. “We’re excited to offer Houstonians an immersive Mexican experience in a fresh, light, and approachable way.”

Courtesy of Mexican Sugar

Mexican Sugar is coming to Regent Square in December.

news-you-can-eat openings mexican sugar