10 things to know

10 things to know in Houston food right now: Openings, closings, and steakhouse love

Editor’s note: Houston’s restaurant scene moves pretty fast. In order to prevent CultureMap readers from missing anything, let’s stop to look around at all the latest news to know.

Openings, closings, and coming attractions

One of Houston's most well-regarded French restaurants has served its last foie gras torchon. Energy Corridor favorite Le Mistral closed on Saturday December 21, Houston Food Finder reports. “After 18 years, we had a good run,” chef-owner David Denis tells the website.

Houston’s newest Texadelphia has opened in Katy at 1321 N. Westgreen Blvd. This location features a second floor “sky bar” as well as a sports bar component that includes plenty of TVs for taking in all the games. Franchisee Summit Interests I, LP will also open another restaurant next year in the Memorial area as part of Moody National Development’s new project on the site of a former Toys R Us.

Moku Bar has opened its location in The Heights at 2914 White Oak Dr. Formerly a vendor in the Conservatory food hall, the restaurant serves poke, tempura, udon, and musubi. Having its own space allows Moku Bar to offer sake as well.

The Woodlands has a new option for fajitas and margaritas. El Tiempo Cocina, a franchised version of El Tiempo Cantina, is now open in the Indian Springs Center at 10777 Kuykendahl Rd.

Owned by father and son Roland and Dominic Laurenzo, son and grandson of legendary Houston restaurant Ninfa Laurenzo, the restaurant serves an extensive menu of upscale Tex-Mex dishes. Judging by the raves in the Woodlands Area Foodies Facebook group for Sunday night’s soft opening, the restaurant is upholding the standards of its nine Houston-area siblings.

Hubcap Grill will be coming to Pearland. Owner Ricky Craig has leased the former Big Humphrey Pizza space at 5627 Broadway for his sixth Houston-area location. Known for its creative combinations like the Muffaletta Burger and the Philly Cheesesteak Burger, the new Hubcap will open in early spring 2020, according to Craig’s Facebook post.

A popular Dallas-based restaurant has selected Katy for its next Houston-area location. Gloria's Latin Cuisine will join the Katy Grand development in fall 2020, real estate developer NewQuest Properties announced. Known for its lively atmosphere with DJs on the weekend, Gloria's operates 20 locations across Texas.

Upcoming events

The sixth annual Truffle Masters event will feature over two dozen chefs serving decadent dishes. This year, the event will be held at downtown C. Baldwin hotel. Participants include Aaron Bludorn (formerly of Cafe Boulud), Austin Simmons (Tris), Drake Leonards (Eunice), Kiran Verma (Kiran’s), Luis Roger (BCN/MAD), and more. Tickets are discounted through January 2 — general admission, $155 (regularly $195); VIP, $255 (regularly $295); and patron VIP, $355 (regularly $395). A portion of the proceeds will benefit local non-profit Second Servings of Houston.

Chef Fest returns for its fourth year on March 29, 2020. The event, which is devoted to spotlighting local ingredients, will feature 10 chefs, including Christine Ha (The Blind Goat), Brandon Silva (The Kirby Group), Erin Smith (Feges BBQ), and Sasha Grumman (Rosalie Italian Soul). Billed by organizers as “a full day of eating, drinking, dancing, farm tours, and hands-on experiences,” future attendees can take 25-perfect off tickets ($100) by using code CHEFFESTHOLIDAY through December 31.

Off the map

Houston remains one of the country’s top destinations for steak, according to two national publications. The Daily Meal ranks Pappas Bros. fourth on its list of America’s top 50 steakhouse, and Killen’s Steakhouse comes in eighth. The Robb Report includes both of those restaurants, as well as Georgia James, B&B Butchers, and the Denver location of Guard & Grace (its new Houston outpost just opened last month) on its list of the country’s top 25 steakhouses.

Pappas Bros is among America's top steakhouses.

Courtesy of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse

Pappas Bros is among America's top steakhouses.

tex-mex news-you-can-eat the-heights openings

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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