brasserie 20(23)

Ben Berg dishes details and opening date of his new brasserie in Allen Parkway mixed-use hub

Ben Berg’s big 2023 takes another step forward next week. Fresh off the opening of his Chinese restaurant Benny Chows, the restaurateur and the Berg Hospitality team will unveil Annabelle Brasserie next Wednesday, October 18.

Located in the Autry Park mixed-use development near the intersection of Allen Parkway and Shepherd Drive, Annabelle Brasserie serves French-inspired cuisine for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. It’s the first of at least seven restaurants and bars opening at the 14-acre mixed-use development, including Turner’s Cut, an upscale steakhouse inspired by Turner’s, Berg’s luxurious, Galleria-area supper club.

“For decades, brasseries have been the meeting points for social gatherings throughout the streets of France and other major urban cities,” Berg said in a statement. “My idea of a brasserie is where all walks of life can relish a fantastic meal. It’s a place to talk, have fun, and share a meal together, and the guests are part of the lively atmosphere. My goal is that Annabelle becomes this type of space in the urban oasis that is Autry Park.”

To create a properly Parisian environment for the almost 6,000-square-foot restaurant, Berg worked with Houston designer Gail McCleese of Sensitori. Details include vintage lighting and mirrors, a bronze female sculpture, and marble floors. A flower-covered ceiling is sure to become the next must-photo interior for every influencer in the city, as is the vintage Citroën truck at the entrance.

Other details include a 12-seat bar, a sunroom with its own 6-seat bar, patios that look out onto the bayou, and a private room that can accommodate 20 people.

Berg Hospitality culinary director Brian Sutton developed the menu with executive chef Russell Kirkham, who comes to Annabelle after a lengthy stint as executive chef at French fine dining restaurant Artisans.

Breakfast at Annabelle is served Monday-Friday from 7-10:30 am. Diners have the option to go light with dishes such as an avocado tartine and scrambled eggs with lox or hearty with options such as a croque madam and pain perdue. Weekend brunch gets even more decadent with dishes such as the lobster omelet and duck confit hash.

Both lunch and dinner are anchored by French classics such as escargot, French onion soup, and veal sweetbreads. In the spirit of the tableside service at other Berg establishments, Annabelle’s “Le Grande ‘Berg’er” gets topped with a layer of gooey raclette. Daily specials include dishes such as Chicken Cordon Blue on Tuesday, Braised Rabbit Pappardelle on Wednesday, and Beef Bourguignon on Sunday. As with any concept from the owner of B&B Butchers, prime steaks are available at all times of day.

“With all our concepts, we aim to introduce something unique to Houston that it doesn’t already have,” Berg added. “Just as New York has Central Park, every city deserves its own iconic space. Our proximity to Buffalo Bayou Park is our opportunity to add to the area's growth to truly create a sense of place for our guests.”

Annabelle Brasserie is Berg’s second opening of the year, but it won’t be the last. In the months to come, he plans to open several more restaurants, including:

Buttermilk Baby, a retro-styled soda fountain
Canopy Social, a rooftop bar above Benny Chows
Dune Road, a New England seafood restaurant
La Table, a fine dining French restaurant
Prime 131, a live fire steakhouse
Tavola, a Roman-style Italian restaurant.

Knowing Berg and his team, even more surprises await. For now, Houstonians can look forward to meals built around escargot, bayou views, and free-flowing cocktails.

Photo by Brian Kennedy

The Cote de Boeuf feeds two or more.

openings breakfast lunch dinner cock brunch news-you-can-eat

rumor no more

East Coast-style Austin pizzeria confirms plans to open in the Heights

Home Slice Pizza Heights location rendering

Courtesy of the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

A rendering previews Home Slice Pizza's new location in the Heights.

One of Austin’s pizzerias is expanding its presence in Houston. Home Slice Pizza has claimed the former Mapojeong space in the Heights (602 Studewood) for a new location that will open in the fall of 2026.

Founder Joseph Strickland tells CultureMap that Home Slice wanted to add a second Houston location that would build on the success of its Midtown restaurant that opened in late 2022. Unlike Midtown, which is counter service and offers limited seating, the Heights location will offer full service, an expanded menu, and cocktails, which is in line with Home Slice’s North Austin location.

“We saw a lot of synergy in North Austin and the Heights,” Strickland says. “They have a similar feel, a lot of families, a lot of people looking to get together in big groups. There’s also a robust bar scene on White Oak that we’re happy to be part of.”

Strickland says Home Slice had several requirements for a new location, including a larger dining room than Midtown, a decent-sized parking lot, and enough kitchen capacity to serve both dine-in and larger to-go orders. Not only did they find the right building, but they established a productive relationship with the property’s owner, Revive Development, the Houston-based firm that also owns properties that are home to Loro, Squable, Camaraderie, and the Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks.

“It was hard to believe at first. The more we talked with the Revive folks, there was a lot of alignment and opportunity for us to expand what we’re showing Houston,” Stickland says.

Home Slice is working with the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture to renovate the building. Strickland notes that it will require some extensive changes, including removing the butcher shop that was installed as part of its iteration as Ritual, a steakhouse that closed in 2021. Assuming everything goes according to plan, the restaurant should open sometime in the fall of 2026.

Home Slice Pizza food spread Home Slice serves New York-style pizza.Photo by Garrett Smith

Once open, Home Slice will serve its East Coast-inspired menu of New York-style pizzas (whole or by-the-slice), hot and cold Italian deli sandwiches, salads, and desserts — all of which utilize dough or bread that’s made in-house. In particular, the restaurant is known for its white clam pizza, as well as classics such as pepperoni and mushroom or sausage with ricotta and roasted peppers. In 2024, the Houston Press awarded “Best Sandwich” to the restaurant’s Italian Assorted, which is made with ham, dry salami, capicola, genoa salami, vegetables, provolone, mayo, and oil & vinegar.

Critically, the Heights Home Slice location will add wings to the New York and Sicilian-style pizzas, salads, and sandwiches that the restaurant serves in Midtown. Inspired by the wings served at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, Home Slice keeps its wings simple — medium or hot and served with a house made blue cheese dressing. “It goes with our pizza quite wonderfully,” Stickland says.

He hopes that the the wide-ranging menu, flexible menu, and late night hours will appeal to Heights locals, people patronizing the nearby bars on White Oak, and anyone else looking for a slice and a drink. The larger location and full service should make home slice an option for date nights, office happy hours, any just about any other occasion.

“We hope the neighborhood will be happy to have another offering that’s like ours, where you can bring a first date or your office or go by yourself. We offer all those experiences,” Strickland says.

openings news-you-can-eat pizza home slice pizza

brasserie 20(23)

Ben Berg dishes details and opening date of his new brasserie in Allen Parkway mixed-use hub

rumor no more

East Coast-style Austin pizzeria confirms plans to open in the Heights

Astros and Rockets finally launch streaming service for Houston sports fans

Esquire names Houston's West African eatery to best new restaurants list

2 Houston suburbs named top-10 best Texas cities to move to