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    What's Eric Eating Episode 220

    Inside CityCentre's eclectic new gathering spot, plus high-style Italian in The Heights

    CultureMap Staff
    Dec 9, 2021 | 1:05 pm

    On this week's episode of "What's Eric Eating," Aaron Lyons and chef Brandi Key join CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss Daily Gather. Scheduled to open in late December or early January in CityCentre, Daily Gather will be an eclectic restaurant designed to service a diverse array of needs.

    The conversation begins with Key discussing her decision to join Five 12 Restaurant Concepts, the company behind Daily Gather and Dish Society. Lyons, Five 12's founder and CEO, explains why Key was the right fit for the job.

    From there, Lyons and Key dive into all aspects of Daily Gather, including the overall concept, menu format, and design details. Slotting between a fast casual restaurant like Dish Society and some of CityCentre's more fine dining options like Capital Grille, Daily Gather aims to be flexible enough to serve as a lunch and happy hour for area office workers as well as a family-friendly option that will include a kid's menu.

    Lyons also provides an update on his plans to grow Dish Society beyond its six Houston-area outposts. Revealing that he recently returned from a trip to Austin to scout for locations, he predicts it will debut in a new Texas city sometime in 2022.

    Finally, Sandler asks Key about the current state of the restaurant industry. The chef, who will need to hire Daily Gather's staff, sees opportunity coming out of the pandemic.

    One of the things I keep reminding myself is that people who are applying for jobs who want to come into the industry, all of these people have a true desire to be in this spot. Maybe their perspective isn't what I've looked for in the past. I've had people come in, maybe they don't have the experience to be an amazing line cook, but they have a skillset from another job. We'll teach you how to be a line cook. I think there's a lot of potential in how we treat out staff, how we develop people, and how we gain passion back. The people who are in it right now, I just find it so refreshing.

    Prior to the interview, Sandler and co-host Linda Salinas discuss the news of the week. Their topics include the two exciting restaurants coming to the Blossom Hotel in the Medical Center; Mala Sichuan opening a new location in the M-K-T mixed-use development; and Goode Company's plans to swap barbecue for seafood in The Woodlands.

    In the restaurant of the week segment, they discuss a recent meal at Trattoria Sofia. Tune in to hear their thoughts ono Ben Berg's high-style Italian restaurant that just opened in The Heights.

    -----

    Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify. Listen to it Saturday at 1 pm on ESPN 97.5.

    Aaron Lyons, second from left, and Brandi Key are this week's guests.

    Daily Gather Trent Patterson Aaron Lyons Brandi Key
    Photo by Kimberly Park
    Aaron Lyons, second from left, and Brandi Key are this week's guests.
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    seven nation army

    Chinatown's AYCE sushi spot rolls into Midtown with late night DJs

    Eric Sandler
    Sep 23, 2026 | 2:00 pm
    Seven Sushi and Robata
    Photo by Jenn Duncan
    Seven Sushi and Robata serves an extensive selection of sushi, skewers, and more.

    Midtown diners will soon have a new option for all-you-can-eat sushi. Seven Sushi & Robata has claimed the former Beer Market/D’Alba Cafe space (3304 Milam) for a new location that will open later this year.

    Like the original in Chinatown’s Dun Huang Plaza that opened in November 2025, the new Seven Sushi & Robata will be open for lunch and dinner daily with a tiered pricing structure of $22 at lunch, along with two choices at dinner — a $37 “core” offering and a $57 premium menu that adds items such as bluefin tuna, salmon belly, Korean galbi, Hawaiian ribeye, and an otoro hand roll. Supplementing the sushi, Seven’s robata offerings will include teriyaki chicken thigh, chicken gizzards chicken hearts,grilled miso beef, pork belly, chicken wings, and seasonal vegetables.

    Where the Midtown location will set itself apart is in its design. Pitched to Midtown residents and revelers, husband-and-wife owners Grace and Leo Xia have initiated a comprehensive renovation that’s centered around an indoor-outdoor bar that will serve both the dining room and a covered patio.

    The Midtown location will also stay open later than the original — until midnight Sunday through Thursday and 2 am on Friday and Saturday. Weekends will also feature “Seven After Dark,” with DJs and a late-night menu of shareable dishes, skewers, and Japanese-inspired bar bites.

    “Midtown has a completely different energy, especially at night,” Leo Xia said in a statement. “We didn’t want to simply build another all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant. We wanted to create a place where the food is strong enough to be the reason you come, but the cocktails, music and energetic setting give you a reason to stay. It’s designed to move naturally from lunch and dinner into a more livelier late-night experience.”

    Seven builds on the Xias' success with their Chinese concept Duck & Bao and Hongdae 33, an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue that’s also in Dun Huang Plaza.

    “Building a new restaurant isn’t as intimidating as it once was, because I’ve learned how to communicate the vision more clearly to our teams and our guests,” Leo Xia added. “We never stop learning or thinking about how we can offer guests more unique experiences. At Seven, quality sushi is the foundation, but the service, drinks, atmosphere and location all come together to create the full effect.”


    Seven Sushi and Robata

    Photo by Jenn Duncan

    Seven Sushi and Robata serves an extensive selection of sushi, skewers, and more.

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