pitch-perfect dining

Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. opens new all-day cafe in Houston

A growing Houston restaurant group is ready to unveil its latest creation. Maven at Sawyer Yards will open this Friday, October 18.

Located in a former commercial trucking station on the Sawyer Yards campus (1501 Silver St.), the new restaurant is an evolution of Maven Coffee + Cocktails, the beverage-focused concept created by Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and his business partners, local entrepreneur Juan Carlos de Aldecoa and attorney Jimmy Doan as part of the Rex Hospitality Group.

Currently, Maven operates coffee shops and cocktail bars at Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center, and the Thompson Hotel, but the new Sawyer Yards location is an all-day restaurant that opens at 7 am daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The 2,400-square-foot space has been divided into a main dining room, bar, and an outdoor patio.

“The opening of Maven at Sawyer Yards — the brand’s fourth outpost in less than 16 months — is a testament to the demand for quality-driven, handcrafted food and beverage experiences,” Nina Quincy, president of Rex Hospitality Group said in a statement. “We envision our Sawyer Yards location as a neighborhood destination that lends itself to both daytime and nighttime experiences. Maven at Sawyer Yards differs from our other concepts in that it offers a complete dining experience, rooted in quality, chef-driven cuisine.”

To deliver “chef-driven cuisine,” de Aldecoa recruited his cousin, chef Nicolás “Nico” Baizan de Aldecoa, to serve as the COO for Rex Hospitality Group. Baizan brings a range of experience to his role, including a lengthy stint working for superstar chef Jose Andres, as he discussed on an episode of CultureMap’s What’s Eric Eating podcast.

“I really strive for, like Lance said, it’s more than a coffee shop,” he said about the menu at Maven’s Thompson Hotel location. “It really is a place we want people to enjoy a good dinner and create memories that you’re not able to get otherwise. One of my favorite spots in Chicago is Kasama. It started off as a pastry shop with amazing breakfast, now it’s the first Filipino restaurant to have a Michelin star.”

Baizan’s Spanish-influenced menu includes smoked fish dip, beef tartare, octopus with fingerling potatoes, and deviled eggs topped with caviar. Entree choices include steak au poivre, roasted chicken, and a take on the trendy spicy rigatoni pasta. Morning options include breakfast tacos and avocado toast, while lunch features sandwiches such as a Cuban — a nod to McCullers’ Cuban heritage — a truffle grilled cheese, and a smoked grouper melt with American cheese, which sounds like a very adult version of a fast food fish sandwich.

Maven Sawyer Yards cocktails The cocktail menu features a carajillo, shakerato, Old Fashioned, espresso martini, and the "Perfect Martini."Photo by Becca Wright

For drinks, the partners turned to Chicago-based cocktail consultant Paul McGee, whose resume includes legendary Chicago tiki bars Lost Lake and Three Dots and a Dash. Of course, the restaurant will serve coffee-based cocktails such as the espresso martini and carajillo as well as takes on the Old Fashioned, margarita, daiquiri, and caipirinha. Non-alcoholic cocktails will also be available as well Maven’s full lineup of coffee drinks.

Photo by Becca Wright

The menu includes dishes such as steak au poivre and deviled eggs topped with caviar.

“We’re looking forward to Silver Street being an expanded Maven,” McCullers said during the podcast. “Very welcoming, approachable food. A place where people don’t really know why, but they feel like that’s their spot.”

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Fans of Houston sports and Houston food can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm November 11 at 8th Wonder. Find out more about it here.

news-you-can-eat openings sawyer yards astros sports

there's the rub

Restaurant known for 'new Houston cuisine' now open in Cypress

Courtesy of Jonathan's the Rub

Jonathan's the Rub serves steaks and other dishes.

A restaurant known for its eclectic “new Houston cuisine” has opened in Cypress. The fourth location of Jonathan’s the Rub is now open for dinner in Bridgeland (20215 Bridgeland Creek Parkway).

First announced last year, the new Jonathan’s is located in Village Green, a 70-acre mixed-use development within the 925-acre Bridgeland Central district. The 5,500-square-foot restaurant includes two patios totaling 2,600 square feet, giving the restaurant plenty of room for private dining rooms, a bar area, and indoor-outdoor areas with fire pits and greenery.

“We were looking for the next frontier — a community with a booming population and a clear vision for growth that aligns with our brand,” chef-owner Jonathan Levine said in a statement. “When we discovered Bridgeland and learned it was a Howard Hughes development, we were immediately impressed. With their reputation for developing generational communities, we felt confident that Bridgeland was the right place for our family and for Jonathan’s the Rub.”

Like Jonathan’s three other locations, the menu at Bridgeland is built around Levine’s signature “new Houston cuisine,” a kicked-up take on comfort food that includes everything from lobster tacos and blackened shrimp and grits to Italian American classics and steakhouse fare.

Village Green is also home to H-E-B and restaurants such as Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café and Crust Pizza Co. Austin-based burger joint P. Terry’s will open there next year.

“Jonathan’s the Rub’s arrival in Bridgeland Central brings a distinguished addition to the culinary scene in both the community and northwest Houston,” said Jim Carman, president of the Texas region, for Bridgeland developer Howard Hughes Communities. “We’re proud to partner with exceptional restaurateurs like Chef Jonathan Levine to bring elevated dining experiences that enhance the lifestyle offerings for our residents and neighbors.”

Courtesy of Jonathan's the Rub

Jonathan's the Rub serves steaks and other dishes.