light my fire

Sizzling new live-fire steakhouse serving best beef from around the globe opens on Allen Parkway

One of this year’s most eagerly anticipated new restaurants will make its debut this week. Andiron opens for dinner this Wednesday, April 19.

Located next to Clarkwood in the historic Star Engraving Company building at 3201 Allen Pkwy, Andiron is a luxurious, live fire steakhouse from Sambrooks Management Company, the local restaurant group behind two popular Montrose restaurants — Texas barbecue joint The Pit Room and Candente, a Tex-Mex restaurant known for its grilled meats.

Executive chef Louis Maldonado leads the kitchen. A contestant on Top Chef New Orleans who People magazine named the Sexiest Chef Alive in 2018, Maldonado earned one Michelin star in 2008 as the executive chef at Cortez restaurant in San Francisco. He’s joined in the kitchen by chef de cuisine Mario Da Silva and pastry chef Katie O’Hara. Advanced sommelier Renato Bringas and maître d’ Jose Montufar oversee the dining room.

Andiron Louis Maldonado Executive chef Louis Maldonado.Photo by Jenn Duncan

In an interview for CultureMap’s What’s Eric Eating podcast, Maldonado discussed his approach to steakhouse classics like the wedge salad and how he thinks Andiron can put a spin on them to set itself apart from other steakhouses.

“There are those classics. What’s going to be different between us and everybody else? Product is Number One. Then again, it’s how can we tweak and modify it to get the most flavor out of everything,” he said. “It’s one thing to do a wedge or a Cobb and change the ingredient. It’s another thing to dig into the original idea and really try to pull the most blue cheese flavor out of a wedge, look at different pieces of pork belly and figure out what’s the best way to eat it. With the classics, it’s how do we stick to tradition but also, when you eat it, it’s, like, there’s nothing better than this.”

Andiron takes its use of live fire seriously. It isn’t just charring steaks on a grill. Seafood can be steamed over fire, vegetables might be grilled or roasted, and other proteins might be lightly smoked.

Andiron further distinguishes itself from other steakhouses in its use of ingredients, including USDA Prime and wagyu beef sourced from Australia, and Japan. Instead of offering different sized cuts of the same steak, Andiron’s permanent menu only has one filet, one ribeye, and one strip. That allows it to offer additional cuts in the former of picanha, the sirloin that’s a favorite of Brazilian steakhouses, and beef rib au poivre.

In addition to single person-sized entrees, diners will also find large format options that include whole roasted turbot, two pound lobster, and a 34-ounce, bone-in ribeye that’s dry aged for 28 days. Sides include pommes Anna, creamed spinach, wood-roasted maitake mushrooms, and a caramelized onion tart.

Andiron pommes anna Andiron's Pommes Anna.Photo by Jenn Duncan

Similar to 1751 Sea & Bar, Sambrooks’ Heights-area seafood restaurant that closed in March, meals at Andiron begin with a series of small plates and shareable items. That include raw items such as oysters and beef tartare, salads that include a wedge and coal-roasted beets, and a section labeled “tastings” that includes grilled Dungeness crab (that restaurant’s spin on a crab cake), caviar-topped gougere, and clams casino. The restaurant’s robata grill contributes grilled items such as wagyu beef, chicken wings, foie gras, and an artichoke.

In addition to the permanent menu, Andiron presents diners with daily specials on a “reserve” menu. At opening, they include those day’s oysters, two ounce portions of wagyu beef, and more premium tasting items such as a wagyu sando, eclairs filled with foie gras mousse, and roasted blue foot mushrooms. The reserve menu also offers a rotating selection of premium beef entrees such as a porterhouse for two (or more) and an American wagyu ribeye cap.

As with any steakhouse, beverage options include a selection of craft cocktails and an extensive wine list that draws broadly from around the world. The list has the most depth in Burgundy, Bordeaux, Spain, and California.

Andiron cocktail ice Select cocktails are served with branded ice.Photo by Jenn Duncan

Design firm AvroKO took inspiration from fire — appropriate for a restaurant named for the metal supports in a fireplace — as well as the historic, Mission Revival building. Elements include a custom, 28-foot chandelier over the bar area, a ceiling with inlaid panels, marble and wood block tables, and an open kitchen. The restaurant seats 110 inside and will add a 70-seat patio in the weeks to come.

Andiron bar lounge The bar area features a 28-foot chandelier.Photo by Julie Soefer

Photo by Jenn Duncan

Every Andiron dish is made with fire.

“Although we are only now opening to the public, we have been in the kitchen since last December which has allowed Chef Louis and his team a lot of time to perfect an amazing menu,” Sambrooks Management founder Michael Sambrooks said in a statement. “We are very excited to open the doors and let everyone in to see the stunning room and experience our world class offerings.”

Andiron’s bar opens daily at 4 pm with dinner service beginning at 5 pm. Reservations are available via Resy.

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Oh, Donna

New Houston cocktail bar serves up a house party fueled by music and martinis

Courtesy of Donna's

People are flocking to Donna's.

It hasn’t taken long for Houston cocktail fans to discover Donna’s. Ever since it opened Thanksgiving weekend, the new cocktail bar in the Heights has been packed with people eager to check out the new project from Anvil owner Bobby Heugel and veteran Houston bartender Jacki Schromm.

Named for Schromm’s grandmother, both partners use the word “house party” to describe the kind of atmosphere they want to create at Donna’s. That party can be very energetic on busy weekend nights and a little quieter and more intimate during the week — allowing patrons to choose what kind of experience they want to have.

Heugel and Schromm worked with collaborators on the design, music, and art for Donna’s. So far, people seem to be enjoying themselves.

“It’s really f---ing awesome,” Schromm tells CultureMap. “It has been really remarkable to have people in this building. To see the room full is a rewarding experience. The feedback we’ve received has just been really positive.”

To transform the former Ready Room into Donna’s, the partners collaborated with Brittany Vaughn of Garnish Design. Known for her work at establishments such as Tiny Champions, Maximo, and Milton’s, Vaughn helped divide the retro-styled cocktail bar into two distinct interior spaces. The main bar area is defined by high-top, organically-shaped tables that allow large groups to congregate or smaller groups to share without being on top of each other. The more intimate living room section features a large couch and a spacious booth.

“There’s a lot of smart utility in the space,” Heugel explains. “We kept talking about how it’s a small space. We want to find a seat for everybody as much as possible.”

To honor the space’s history of hosting live music, the partners worked with Chicago-based firm Uncanned on a powerful vintage stereo that includes both a reel-to-reel tape deck and a turntable. Known locally for their work at restaurants such as Nancy’s Hustle and Nobie’s, the Uncanned team gave Donna’s the ability to kick out the jams with ultra-clear sound while not being so loud that people can’t talk to each other. It also opens up the possibility of people playing their favorite albums on select nights.

“Jacki and I both had the bold opinion when we started talking about Donna’s that cocktail bars were boring. We wanted to add more layers to the onion,” Heugel says. “Having music be here as an additional component to the bar makes the room feel really good. That’s important to us, and we’ll have some programming related to that.”

Keli Hogsett of Austin’s CoCollect helped Schromm and Heugel select the room’s distinctive art on its walls. Heugel describes the works as museum-quality, contemporary pieces from regional artists that are a cut above what’s usually seen in bars. Hogsett will also source the art for the new restaurant Heugel and chef Justin Yu are opening next year in the former Vibrant space.

Schromm, who partnered with Heugel after working at Anvil and Reserve 101, created the opening cocktail menu herself. One highlight is the Jacki’s Martini, a nod to the “Bobby’s Martini” served at Refuge and the “Terry’s Martini” served at Squable. It’s a 50-50 mix of gin with Cocchi Americano and Dolin Blanc vermouth. She describes it as more “sessionable” than a traditional martini.

“I think this cocktail menu has a lot of personality,” she says. “Some of my flair, whether it’s a spirit I chose or a flavor I like.”

Although parking on the property is limited, Heugel notes that street parking on White Oak is relatively plentiful. A nearby pay lot is available, or people can skip the issue altogether by using their favorite rideshare service.

Of course, the adjacent restaurant space won’t stay empty for long. As CultureMap has previously reported, Austin-based pizzeria Home Slice has claimed the building for its second Houston location that will open in fall 2026.

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Donna's, 2626 White Oak Drive. Open daily from 2 pm-2 am

Courtesy of Donna's

People are flocking to Donna's.

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