Food Hall Bonanza

Houston food hall gurus expanding to EaDo, Midtown, The Heights, and Galleria in 2020

Prohibition and Conservatory are coming to EaDo.

Rendering by Loe Ortega Architecture, PLLC

The company behind downtown Houston’s first food hall has an ambitious slate of projects lined up for 2020. The Company of Nomads, the organization behind food halls Conservatory and Bravery Chef Hall, will open three new venues and relocate a fourth.

In a letter to the company’s investors, co-owner Anh Mai outlined the plans he’s developed with his partners, Lian Pham and Shepard Ross, that will give the Company of Nomads a presence in four of Houston’s most popular neighborhoods: downtown, EaDo, near The Heights, and near the Galleria. In chronological order, they are:

Close the current location of Prohibition and Conservatory and relocate both concepts to the space in EaDo currently occupied by Chapman and Kirby
Open Railway Heights Market, a previously-announced project at the northern end of Washington Avenue in Lazybrook/Timbergrove
Open Conservatory 2 in the space once occupied by Galleria-area nightclub The Roxy
Open Hawker Asian Night Market in the former Greensheet building in Midtown

Both Conservatory and Prohibition will close after service on December 31, Mai tells CultureMap, as will Chapman & Kirby. Performances by the Midnight Dolls burlesque troupe will begin in Prohibition’s new home in EaDo within approximately two weeks. Mai estimates that Conservatory will reopen in late March or early April — depending on how long it takes to build the vendor booths — with the “full” version of Prohibition, including an all-new rooftop bar, to follow shortly thereafter.

The decision to relocate Conservatory and Prohibition stems from challenges with the current location — specifically the physical condition of the building and increased competition from other food halls in downtown — as well as the lure of the opportunity to be part of EaDo’s bustling nightlife district, Mai says. He sees an opportunity for Conservatory to become a popular dining destination both before and after people visit other establishments in the area such as Truck Yard, Pitch 25, and 8th Wonder Brewery.

From there, the Company of Nomads will turn its attention to Railway Heights Market. Construction is moving quickly on the 40,000-square-foot venue, which will eventually include a grocery store, a farmers market, a wine bar, a beer garden, a dog park, and 50 vendors selling both retail items and food. While specific vendors for the restaurant and retail spaces haven’t been announced, the grocery store will have sustainable offerings including hydroponic and “ugly” produce.

Conservatory 2 is scheduled to open in September at 5353 West Alabama, which is the same Galleria-area office building that will also be home to a second location of burger-chan and South Korean coffee shop Tom N Toms. The 12,000-square foot space will feature 11 food vendors and three bars.

Finally, the Hawker Asian Night Market is intended to expand the number of Asian-style establishments in Midtown, which is already home to a number of full service restaurants that serve cuisines from different Asian countries, including Jinya Ramen, Pho Saigon, One Dim Sum, Japanese barbecue restaurant Gyu Kaku, and Chinese barbecue restaurant Siu Lap City. The 11 vendors at the Hawker Market will include both “rooftop dim sum” and “a shanty bar alley.”

1-800-Lucky, an Asian food hall from Miami, will also open in the neighborhood at the former site of Celtic Gardens/Irish Cowboy. Mai says he’s aware of that project, but is confident that the Company of Nomad’s experience in the marketplace will allow them to distinguish Hawker Market from its competition.

All of these additions will mean that the Company of Nomads has worked with some of the city's most successful real estate developers, including Hines (Bravery), Ancorian (Conservatory), and Braun Enterprises (Conservatory 2). Inevitably, Houstonians will have to decide for themselves which of the city's food halls become dining staples and which fade away, but the Nomads seem particularly well-positioned to capitalize on the growing trend.

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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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