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Veteran Houston chef claims Menil restaurant for new all-day cafe

Claire Smith is opening Chrôma in the former Bistro Menil space.

Courtesy of Claire Smith

The Menil Collection has found a new operator for its campus restaurant. Veteran Houston chef and restaurateur Claire Smith will open a new concept called Chrôma in early 2026.

Located in the former Bistro Menil space (1512 Sul Ross), Chrôma (styled as the all-lowercase “chrôma” in press materials) will serve the global comfort fare that Smith prepared at her Houston restaurants Shade, Canopy, and Alice Blue. Smith will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch at Chrôma, which is located steps from the Menil Collection, Houston's world-renowned art museum.

The menu will feature dishes such as Indian-spiced chicken and waffles with tamarind maple syrup and cilantro butter, ratatouille with crispy polenta, and a Greek Caesar salad. Smith is also reviving dishes from her former concepts, such as soup trip from Shade, Canopy’s crab remoulade, and Alice Blue’s chicken flautas.

Considered one of Houston’s earliest advocates for using local ingredients on her menu, Smith opened Daily Review Cafe, her first restaurant, in 1994. She followed it with Southern-inspired Shade, which debuted in the mid-aughts 19th Street in the Heights. It earned a devoted following for its Southern-inspired comfort food such as the signature shrimp and grits. In 2017, she transformed Shade into the European-inspired Alice Blue, with an assist from chef Jason Vaughan and beverage expert Sean Jensen — the duo who would go on to national acclaim for Nancy’s Hustle. She also operated all-day concept Canopy on Montrose Boulevard from 2009-2019.

When Smith chose to close both Canopy and Alice Blue as their leases expired, some assumed she might be headed for retirement. That was never the case, she tells CultureMap.

“Over the last year and a half I have been exploring options for a new space. When the opportunity arose to open a project on the Menil campus, I jumped on it,” she explains.

“The Menil is a unique world renowned destination in Houston, in the Montrose that I have always loved. I am looking forward to Chrôma becoming a part of daily fabric of the neighborhood,” she adds.

Houston architect Dillon Kyle is working with Smith on renovations to the Bistro Menil space. Plans include expanding the bar area to facilitate easier to-go service for both neighborhood diners and museum visitors who want to enjoy a meal on the Menil lawn.

Chef Greg Martin opened Bistro Menil in 2014 with a menu of European-inspired comfort fare. The restaurant closed in June after more than 10 years in business.

“I’m honored by the trust the Menil Collection has placed in me,” Smith said in a statement. “Chrôma will be a space that reflects the creativity and warmth of the Menil community — a place where visitors, neighbors, and art lovers can gather, dine, and connect.”

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Anthony's song

Prolific Houston pizza chef fires up a new Italian restaurant in River Oaks

Courtesy of Anthony's New York Italian

Anthony's New York Italian is now open near Central Market.

One of Houston’s most prolific pizzaiolos has quietly opened a new restaurant in River Oaks. Anthony Russo, founder of Russo’s New York Pizzeria, has opened Anthony’s New York Italian in the former Pie Tap Pizza space at 3748 Westheimer.

While Russo is known primarily for his fast casual restaurants that sling New York-style pies, Anthony’s New York Italian is both more personal and more upscale. It takes inspiration from his Italian heritage — his father grew up in Naples and his mother grew up in Sicily — as well as Russo’s Italian Restaurant, the Galveston eatery his parents operated for almost 20 years.

“We had veal, lobster, Gulf snapper, a lot of nice, classic dishes. There’s where I grew up in the kitchen,” Russo tells CultureMap. “I was always around fine dining restaurants. My mom and dad used to bring in chefs from Italy. They were excellent chefs. That’s what we had in Galveston for 18 years.”

With Russo’s at more than 50 locations, the time felt right to open a more upscale concept. Partially inspired by New York restaurants such as Carbone and Quality Italian, Russo thinks Houstonians will appreciate his high-end take on Italian American fare.

The menu includes lobster fra diavolo, a 24-ounce prime porterhouse, bone-in veal parmesan, frutti di mare (shellfish with tomato sauce over pappardelle), and more. In addition, the dish utilize Italian olive oil that’s pressed by one of the chef’s friends. Anthony’s also makes all of its doughs, sauces, and sausage in house.

Of course, Russo is making pizza, too. They’re baked in imported Italian ovens using slightly different dough and sauce recipes — along with imported mozzarella and burrata — than his more casual restaurants.

And, no, Russo isn’t concerned that a pizzeria lasted less than a year in the space.

“I feel confident this location is going to be a killer for us. We make homemade pasta on site here, fresh from scratch.” he says. “We're bringing fresh lobster. We're bringing fresh clams. We got a nice veal chop. I mean, these are all chef-selected ingredients. I don't think anybody's doing that in town right now.”

The restaurant is still in such early days that it doesn’t have its own website or social media pages yet. For now, diners can follow Russo on Instagram for updates.

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Anthony's New York Italian is open for dinner Monday-Thursday beginning at 4 pm. It’s open for lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday beginning at 11 am. Reservations are available on OpenTable.

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