One of this year’s most eagerly anticipated new restaurants is ready to make its debut. Agnes and Sherman will open for dinner service beginning tonight (Thursday, April 17).

Located in the former Alice Blue space at 250 West 19th St in the Heights, Agnes and Sherman describes itself as a diner serving Asian American comfort food. The project unites veteran Houston chef Nick Wong with business partner Lisa Lee, a first-time restaurateur with extensive experience working for technology companies such as DoorDash and Facebook. Wong is best known locally for his time as executive chef at UB Preserv, where he led the globally-inspired restaurant to being named one of Texas Monthly’s Best New Restaurants of 2018.

Photo by Vivian Leba

Agnes and Sherman puts an Asian spin on American diner classics.

“As a uniquely Houston restaurant, we hope to be known as the city’s neighborhood spot that’s expanding the meaning of Americana, telling stories through food and incorporating socially responsible business practices as a way to promote equality and equity in our society,” a message on the restaurant’s website states.

At Agnes and Sherman, Wong has created a menu of dishes that puts his spin on classic comfort fare. One example is the scallion waffle, which brings the flavors of a traditional, Chinese-style scallion pancake to the breakfast favorite and adds heat in the form of sambal butter. Chicken fried steak gets topped with gravy inspired by bo kho, a Vietnamese beef stew. Steak frites is served with fries prepared in the same manner as the salt and pepper seafood that’s a staple of Chinese cooking. Other dishes on the menu include Korean rice cakes with beef ragu, al pastor fried rice, crab rangoon, and a Chinese BBQ club sandwich made with char siu pork and ginger-scallion mayo. Burger Bodega owner Abbas Dhanani offered a sneak peek of some of the restaurant's dishes on Instagram.

General manager Pam Cantu, whose resume includes Uchi, Rosie Cannonball, and Bludorn, has created a wine list with both conventional and natural wine options that are available by the glass or bottle. Bar lead David Perez’s (Lei Low, Maven) cocktail menu infuses Asian flavors into classic drinks such as a pandan colada and a bamboo martini.

“I’ve felt shiftless and antsy in all the places I’ve lived and worked, always having to prove my worth just to survive. So I’m happy to bring this dream to life here in Houston, a city that has welcomed me warmly since day one,” Wong writes on the restaurant’s website. “I’ve been able to find a depth of community and culture here that I’ll never find the bottom of no matter how much I dig. I hope that our little restaurant will be able to add to the identity of this city, but more importantly, I hope that it can be a home for Houstonians in the same way Houston has become a home for me.”

Agnes and Sherman is open Thursday-Monday from 5-10 pm. Reservations are available on OpenTable.