rustika rises

Delightfully diverse Houston bakery rises with new Katy location

Rustika is coming to Katy.

A pioneering Houston bakery will arrive in Katy next year. Rustika Café and Bakery has partnered with a new franchisee who will open the establishment's fifth Houston-area location next summer.

Established in 1994 by pastry chef Francis Reznick, Rustika is known for its hybrid Mexican-Jewish cuisine. The menu covers everything from chilaquiles and chorizo tacos to blintzes and matzo ball soup.

On the bakery side, Rustika offers a full range of cakes and pastries. Signature items include empanadas and elaborately decorated cakes that are a staple at special occasions across the city.

Franchisee Olabode “Victor” Ajayi is a Nigerian-born Katy resident and hospitality industry veteran who has been patronizing Rustika since 2015. Opening the bakery will be his first opportunity to own a restaurant.

"Rustika doesn’t just serve the best handmade food you’ll find – it leaves joy in your heart," Ajayi said in a statement. "Every guest will experience welcoming smiles as they walk in, courteous and professional staff and delicious treats with every visit. I look forward to introducing Rustika Café and Bakery’s unique culinary experience to Katy and to opening more franchises soon.”

"We’re beyond excited to partner with Victor and bring our one-of-a-kind flavors to Katy,” Reznick added. “Victor is one of the hardest working people I have ever met and has an incredibly positive attitude. We know that with his dedicated work ethic, Rustika Café and Bakery will become a staple in the community."

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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.

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