Make a wish

Mexico City-style bar shakes up Houston with modern sips and Michelin-worthy eats

A Mexico City-inspired bar from two of Houston's most well-regarded nightlife operators will soon open its doors. 1111 will begin its soft opening this Monday, May 4.

Located next to Doc’s Jazz Club at 1111 Westheimer, 1111 is the latest project from Melrose owners Army Sadeghi and Brandon Duliakas. Sadeghi tells CultureMap that where Melrose is built for groups, 1111 is a more immersive experience, with more sophisticated cocktails and an elevated food program by chef Emmanuel Chavez, chef and co-owner of Houston’s Michelin-starred Tatemó.

“I’d choose 1111 for something more elevated, such as a date,” Sadeghi writes in a text. “Melrose is better for a more social night with bigger groups and that indoor-outdoor patio energy.”

To create the cocktail program, Sadeghi and Duliakas collaborated with bartenders who had worked at Handshake Speakeasy, the Mexico City standout that ranked No. 1 in the world in 2024 and remains No. 12 in 2026. By employing modern techniques such as clarification, fat washing, and advanced infusions, 1111 is focused on elevating classic cocktails and delivering a consistent experience from visit to visit.

“We approached 1111 with a clear focus on how the bar program, kitchen, and design work together,” Duliakas said in a statement. “From the precision behind the cocktails to the depth and flexibility of the menu, we wanted every detail to be developed with intention, and the design is meant to bring that same intention into the space. We’re really excited to bring this to Houston and hope guests enjoy it as much as we’ve loved creating it.”

Whereas Chavez created playful bar food for Melrose such as chicken fingers with caviar, tuna over crispy rice, and a cheeseburger, the food at 1111 is more explicitly Mexican. It includes a tuna tostada, empanadas, and guacamole. Entrees include a wagyu carne asada and a whole grilled sea bass with green and red sauces that’s presented in the style of Contramar, Mexico City’s celebrated seafood restaurant that holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide.

In terms of design, the 4,500-square-foot space is decorated in neutral tones with blond wood accents. Diners may sit at the oval-shaped or on custom, lounge-style furniture and banquets. Well-placed lighting enhances the room’s intimate feeling.

1111 is part of Houston developer Radom Capital’s redevelopment of the former Tower Theater property. In addition to Doc’s, it is also home to a location of South African chicken restaurant Nando’s Peri-Peri and Houston Chinese food staple Mala Sichuan.

Photo by Jason Haas

A U-shaped bar is a focal point.

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a martini experience

Posh Houston seafood spot stirs up 2 over-the-top $100 caviar martinis

Courtesy of Truluck's

Diners have the choice of either a gin or vodka martini.

A Houston seafood restaurant has added some extra luxury to its martini offerings. Truluck's Ocean's Finest Seafood & Crab, the Galleria-area restaurant known for its steak and crustaceans, recently added two different $100 martinis to its menu, as well as a significantly less expensive way to zhuzh up its cocktails with caviar-stuffed olives.

Dave Mattern, Truluck’s partner and beverage director, tells CultureMap that he wanted to build an experience around the trend of martinis garnished with caviar-stuffed olives that he’d seen on social media. He began tinkering with two cocktails, a vodka martini made with Belvedere 10 and a gin martini made with Nolet’s Reserve, which retails for around $700 a bottle.

“When someone orders a martini, we hand-stuff four olives with caviar, and then we put them in a cute, little porcelain bathtub. Then we wheel the cart to the table and stir a vodka martini. We have a bottle of Belvedere 10 that lights up. It makes for a really nice experience,” Mattern says.

Similarly, the gin martini is presented with blackberry, a lemon twist, and other garnishes that highlight the different botanicals used in distilling the spirit.

Truluck's martinis Each martini is served with four caviar-stuffed olives.Courtesy of Truluck's

Truluck’s goes all out for its hand-stuffed caviar olives, too. The restaurant uses extra-large Spanish olives that, in Mattern’s words, “soak up a lot of caviar.” So much that Truluck’s uses a full ounce of caviar for every six olives.

“You get a burst of caviar when you bite into the olive,” he says.

Each of the $100 martinis comes with four caviar-stuffed olives. Diners can add an olive or two at an à la carte price of $10 for one olive. “It’s almost a little appetizer when you think about it,” Mattern says about the four olives that come with each martini.

Currently, the offering is only available at Truluck’s location on Westheimer. Since Mattern is the company’s beverage director, he’s hearing from colleagues at other locations who want to add it to their menus.

“I’m trying to figure out how to take it to every location so we do it right and use the freshest of caviar,” he says. “When you waste caviar, an angel cries in heaven. We have to make sure we’re using it all.”

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