On this week’s interview episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Thorough Fare Hospitality co-founder Bobby Heugel joins CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss his latest projects. It’s been five years since the veteran restaurant and bar owner made his last appearance on the show, so the duo have much to discuss.

The conversation begins a discussion about Catbirds. Earlier this month, Heugel announced he had acquired the assets and name of the iconic Montrose dive from former owner Shelly Wilburn. At the time, he hadn’t made a decision about whether to reopen the space with a new name, but he confirms to Sandler the bar will reopen as Catbirds — hopefully in mid-November. He also shares that his friend and collaborator Peter Jahnke will be a co-owner of the bar.

“The two of us have been in there personally cleaning up Catbirds . . . We’ve been getting rid of some clutter. Other than that, we don’t plan to change very much,” Heugel says about his plans for the casual, neighborhood spot.

“I think when people come back to the bar. They will go, this is Catbirds, and they’ll be able to point out a few things we changed. I think for the most part it will be the bar they’ve known for a very long time,” he says.

The conversation covers a range of other topics, including the decision to open Refuge last year as a companion to Anvil, the evolution of Better Luck Tomorrow as Heugel and Yu make plans for a second location, and the ways Montrose has changed over the years. They also discuss the current state of cocktail prices in Houston. All of Heugel’s bars offer generous happy hours. It’s a topic he feels strongly about.

“A double digit happy hour is ridiculous to me,” Heugel says. “I’m sorry if any of my friends are running bars with double digit happy hours. $10 is not a happy hour price, and I see it all the time. There’s nothing happy about that. It’s a sad hour. $10? That’s ridiculous. It’s not a happy hour.”

On this week’s first episode, Sandler and co-host Michael Fulmer discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s 25 best new barbecue joints; Pho Binh Trailer closing after 40 years; and Granger’s, an elevated neighborhood restaurant coming to the Museum District next year.

In the restaurants of the week segment, they discuss two restaurants where they recently ate brunch. First, they praise Dante’s River Oaks, a new Italian restaurant, for its porchetta sandwich, octopus salad, and polish service. Then, they rave about the huevos rancheros, barbacoa taco, and breakfast margarita at Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina’s location in the Heights.

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