8 things to know

8 things to know in Houston food right now: Openings, closings, and gluten-free pizza

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

A second location of Greenway Plaza-area favorite Kolache Shoppe is now open in The Heights. Located at 1031 Heights Blvd., the cafe features 30 flavors of kolaches, both traditional fruit-topped and meat-filled varieties, along with a full range of brewed and espresso coffees from Boomtown Coffee. Best of all, a drive-thru makes ordering extra convenient. Currently, the shop is open from 7 am to 2 pm Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays).

Speaking of the Heights, Lee’s Fried Chicken and Donuts is now Sam’s Fried Chicken and Donuts. The change reflects the restaurant’s acquisition by Sambrooks Management Company, which purchased the concept along with Star Fish and Pi Pizza from Cherry Pie Hospitality back in September. Along with a new name, Sam’s features new menu items from culinary director Lyle Bento, including chicken and waffle wings, collard greens, and the pork cracklins’ Bento served at Southern Goods.

The changes at Sam's are only the first manifestation of the Sambrooks takeover. Coming up, Star Fish will close for some mild renovations after which it will reopen with a new name. Diners can get a sneak peek by visiting the restaurant and trying the new menu created by Bento and executive chef J.D. Woodward.

The Westchase location of better burger joint BuffBurger has begun a quiet soft opening of its third location (10550 Westheimer Rd.). Named because it serves its burger “in the buff,” i.e., without unnecessary adornments, the better burger concept features 44 Farms beef, scratch-made sauces, and locally sourced products. In addition to its burgers, all three locations now feature a new cocktail menu created by star bartender Laurie Harvey (Triniti, State Fare).

Now open in the Galleria area, Pacific Poke brings the popular Hawaiian dish to a new neighborhood. In addition to all the usual combinations of the raw fish salad, the restaurant features hot dishes such as grilled shrimp, blackened honey-ginger salmon, and a Hawaiian burger topped with a slice of grilled pineapple. Located at 5549 Richmond Ave., Pacific Poke is open beginning at 11 am Wednesday through Monday.

Is Sterling House closed for good? Swamplot reports that the bar has been shuttered since early December. General manager Tate Drennen tells PaperCity the bar will reopen next month, but the odds of that actually happening seem slim. If it were going to reopen, why would real estate website LoopNet list the property as available for sale or lease?

Popular Mediterranean restaurant Island Grill will open its fifth Houston-area location in the CityPlace mixed-use development that’s part of Springwoods Village. When it opens in mid-2019, Island Grill will occupy an approximately 3,600-square-foot space in CityPlace 2. The fast casual restaurant is known for serving a wide array of dishes that includes both classic American fare and dishes created with a nod towards owners Maria and Faysal Haddad’s native Syria.

Other news and notes

B.B. Lemon has a new executive chef. Emily Trusler replaces original executive chef Eric Johnson, who has parted ways with Berg Hospitality. Trusler brings lots of experience to the role, including time as executive sous chef at Fleming’s Steakhouse and chef de cuisine at Emmaline. Open since November, the casual restaurant and patio bar has become known for its straightforward cheeseburger, blue crab beignets, and fish and chips.

Cane Rosso now has a gluten-friendly dough option. Made with gluten-free flour and prepared on separate sheets to avoid cross-contamination, the new pizza is topped with hot soppressata, bacon marmalade, and hot honey. While the pizzeria probably has too much regular flour around for the pizza to be a viable option for those with a serious allergy, it is available for people with a more mild gluten sensitivity or who are just looking to cut out the protein as part of a diet.

Kolache Shoppe is now open in the Heights.

Kolache Shoppe heights kolaches and coffee

Photo by Carla Gomez

Kolache Shoppe is now open in the Heights.

openings news-you-can-eat closings

service switcheroo

Street food-inspired Houston restaurant swaps counter service for servers

Photo by Andrew Hemingway

Traveler's Cart is add new dishes to its menu, including steak frites and chicken parm.

A globally-inspired Houston restaurant is making a big change to its service model. Traveler’s Cart will switch from counter service to full service beginning this Monday, November 17.

When owners Thy and Matthew Mitchell opened Traveler’s Cart last year as a more casual sister concept to Traveler’s Table, their globally-inspired Montrose restaurant, they decided counter service would match the restaurant’s street food-inspired menu and lower price point. With a year of experience, they’ve decided full service — where diners sit down and order from a server — will improve the customer experience in a number of ways.

First, they noticed that some of their online reviews go to great lengths to explain the ordering process. Moving to traditional table service will elimination that confusion.

“We want to be like a great brasserie or izakaya where people come and enjoy food and drinks at a reasonable price,” Matthew Mitchell tells CultureMap. “There’s a lack of intuitiveness about the process right now. Almost a year in, we’re still having to explain where you go and how you order. That tells you we probably missed the mark.”

He also recognizes that the inherent uncertainty of counter service — people are concerned about how long they’ll have to wait to order and whether a table will be available once they do — limits the restaurant’s appeal as a date night option or for larger groups who want the certainty of having a place to sit.

Even though the restaurant has been a financial success, according to Mitchell, he thinks Traveler’s Cart is missing out on revenue with its counter service model. “I think people order less at the counter. You may not order a cocktail, and you certainly won’t get back up and order more drinks,” he says.

Switching to full service will also help the restaurant’s perceived value. With entrees mostly priced between $15 and $25, the restaurant may feel expensive relative to other fast casual restaurants. Once servers are added, Mitchell thinks diners will appreciate the value, particularly since its prices are about half of sister concept Traveler’s Table.

“I feel like the food quality is outstanding for the price, but when it crosses that $20 or $30 threshold, people perceive it as pricey,” he says.

Traveler’s Cart has other ways to enhance the value of its offering, such as its $18, three-course lunch that includes iced tea or a fountain drink. Happy hour, available Monday through Friday from 3-6 pm, includes $8 cocktails, $3 drafts, $8 small plates, and more.

Along with the new service model, Travelers Cart is updating its menu with a number of new dishes. They include Thai chili queso, Baja shrimp tacos, salmon donburi bowl, chicken parmesan, and steak frites. The cocktail menu has also been refreshed with a Mexican espresso martini and a Tuk Tuk Old Fashioned, named for the vehicle that now sits in front of the restaurant’s entrance.

Recently recognized by the Texas Restaurant Association as Restaurateurs of the Year for the Houston region, the Mitchells hope that these changes will lead to even more success. With the service style refined and the menu dialed in, they’re already looking for another location.

Photo by Andrew Hemingway

Traveler's Cart is add new dishes to its menu, including steak frites and chicken parm.

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