Seafood, eat food

Houston restaurant royalty serves up Goode news for The Woodlands dining scene

Goode Co Kitchen and Cantina campechana extra

Goode Co. has long been known for compelling seafood dishes.

Courtesy of Goode Co

Goode Co. has good news for The Woodlands. The popular restaurant group will replace its shuttered Goode Co. Barbeque location with an all-new seafood concept.

Slated to open in the spring, Goode Co. Fish Camp & Oyster Bar will occupy the barbecue restaurant's former space at 8865 Six Pines Dr. Details on the design have yet to be revealed, but the renovations will include the addition of an outdoor patio.

While most of the details are yet to be revealed, Fish Camp appears to be a more casual concept than Goode Co. Seafood, the company's Cajun/Creole-inspired restaurant that's a little more refined in terms of service and presentation than siblings like Goode Co. Barbeque and Goode Co. Taqueria. As Goode Co. chef and president Levi Goode explains, the restaurant takes some of its inspiration from the dishes he cooked with his father, legendary Houston restaurateur Jim Goode, at the family's fishing cabin near San Luis Pass.

"We would spend the mornings at the break of dawn wading the sandy shorelines. Many of the nights were spent gigging for flounder or fishing for speckled trout under the lights on our deck," Goode said in a statement. "Over time, these long days deepened into an appreciation for all aspects of the process: the excitement of the catch, the satisfaction of harvesting and cooking the fresh catch, and the ritual of coming together to enjoy a homemade, hard-earned meal."

In that spirit, the restaurant will serve seasonal fish dishes alongside an extensive selection of oysters. Diners will be able to pair their meals with well-executed cocktails.

“Goode Co. Fish Camp & Oyster Bar will be another snapshot in our Goode Company photo album,” says Goode. “This means fun, fresh-shucked oysters, and great music in a lively and vibrant environment.”

Fish Camp isn't the company's only project under development. This summer Goode Co. announced that it will open a new restaurant in the former Down House space in the Heights. A representative was unable to provide CultureMap with any new information about when that restaurant might open or what kind of food it will serve.

Founded more than 40 years ago, Goode Co. is known for its Texas-inspired fare. Its restaurants include Goode Co. Seafood, Goode Co. Barbeque, Tex-Mex restaurant Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina, and Armadillo Palace, a comfort food restaurant and live music venue.

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What's Eric Eating Episodes 518 and 519

Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center (2047-A West Gray St).

Monteith shares that he started the restaurant in 2017 in order to fulfill his vision of a restaurant which could serve food that’s fast, fresh, and affordable. A trained chef who operated pioneering Austin restaurant Contigo, Wiseheart joined the group to bring both culinary expertise and operational acumen to the grouping company.

Part of what sets Honest Mary’s apart is that diners can add cooked vegetables to the rice and proteins at the heart of every bowl. The “Market Sides” section includes an array of roasted vegetables — including sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, and Brussels sprouts — as well as black beans, maple-glazed carrots, and green lentils. Bowls can be further enhanced with toppings such as Texas pecans, crispy chickpeas, goat cheese, avocado, and apples as well as sauces such as creamy poblano, cashew lime crema, sesame vinaigrette, spicy peanut, chimichurri and apple cider vinaigrette

Monteith explains that looking at the ingredients on display usually inspires him when he’s deciding what to eat at Honest Mary’s.

“I will almost always look at the line and see what looks fresh and good,” Monteith says. “Today, I got the salted kale with white rice. Then, I got garlic-pepper steak. I added on lentils — they’re my go-to in the winter. They blend everything together, and I love it Then Brussels sprouts looked green. I got some jalapenos. Avocados, cause that’s healthy. Then I got the chimichurri sauce.”

Honest Mary’s is also known for its hearty broths, a classic chicken and a vegetarian option made with seaweed and mushroom. Sandler raves about the chicken broth to Wiseheart, who shares how it’s made.

“We spent six or seven months testing recipes and drinking it ourselves to see if it’s a good idea,” Wiseheart says. “I talk about it as a great complement to the menu. It’s healthy. It’s really simple. Most of the kitchens I came up with were rooted in French cuisine. This is just chicken stock with salt in it.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about Honest Mary’s plans for additional locations in Houston and Dallas. Then Monteith asks a Sandler a few questions about the Houston dining scene.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Home Slice Pizza opening a new location in the Heights; the closures of Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy and Killen’s Barbecue in The Woodlands; and Esquire including ChòpnBlok on its list of America’s best new restaurants.

In the restaurant of the week segment, the two friends discuss their recent meal at Hypsi, the Italian restaurant in the newly-opened Hotel Daphne. Listen to the episode to hear their favorite dishes and other thoughts on the meal.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

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