Fully caffeinated

Common Bond's piping-hot On The Go concept rises at bustling Memorial City green space

Visitors to The Lawn in front of the Hotel ZaZa at Memorial City have another option for tasty pastries and coffee-shop fare.

Common Bond, the popular bistro and bakery known for its exquisite croissants, macarons, cookies, and an array of coffee drinks, has opened a second grab-and-go spot there.

The move follows its successful launch of Common Bond On-The-Go at Two Memorial City Plaza, as food editor Eric Sandler reported.

Guests to The Lawn location can expect Common Bond's signature coffee drink, the Frozen Bond, along with a selection croissants, scones, kouign-amann, kugelhopfs, and macarons.

For breakfast grab the mushroom, egg and cheese; bacon, egg and cheese; or egg and cheese croissant. There's also fresh yogurt with granola. Lunch options include salad bowls filled with fresh ingredients; sandwiches such as The Lemongrass Pork, a harmonious blend of savory and zesty flavors, or the Texas Club Croissant, a twist on a classic favorite.

Frosé and mimosas are available by the glass or in a carafe. Common Bond also offers curated box lunches along with custom catering options for in-office gatherings and celebrations.

Memorial City's first On-The-Go opened a few weeks earlier as part of a $25 million renovation to the 18-story office tower at 820 Gessner. These new Common Bond locations are part of a series of transformational changes MetroNational, the real estate and development firm that oversees the area, has planned, designed to encourage Houstonians to live, work, and play at the city within a city.

“The opening of On-The-Go on the Lawn at Memorial City has been much anticipated by our loyal and valued customers," said Jason Gould, executive chef of Common Bond in a press release announcing the move. This unique On-The-Go experience will allow customers visiting The Lawn to cozy up and enjoy events with a dessert and a glass of wine or enjoy a casual dinner paired with their favorite Common Bond signature drink. We love community and this location will create another hub that brings people together to bond over great food and create lasting memories."

-----

Common Bond salad with salmon, feta cheese, pink pickled onions and lettuce

Photo by Andrew Hemingway

Lunch options at the new Common Bond On-the-Go include an array of salads and sandwiches.

Common Bond On-The-Go on The Lawn at Memorial City is located at 9755 Katy Freeway Building C. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 am to 4 pm, Friday and Saturday from 8 am to 9 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.

What's Eric Eating Episodes 516 and 517

Food experts draft the best dishes at Vietnamese restaurants in Houston

Moon Rabbit/Facebook

Two panelists selected dishes from Moon Rabbit in the Heights.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” CultureMap editor Eric Sandler recruited five of his friends and colleagues to select their favorite dishes at Vietnamese restaurants in Houston via a fantasy football-style draft.

The panelists — Stevie Vu of the Chowdown in Chinatown Facebook group and Asia Society, Texas; Chelsea Thomas of Local Foods Group; Heights Grocer and Montrose Grocer owner Mary Clarkson; Have A Nice Day AAPI pop-up market co-founder Isabel Protomartir; Houston BBQ Festival co-founder Michael Fulmer — joined Sandler to draft Vietnamese dishes and restaurants in six categories. They are:

Appetizer/Salad
Entree
Sandwich
Soup
Viet-Cajun
Wildcard

In the first round, Vu kicked things off by selecting the sandwiches from Chinatown institution Nguyen Ngo. Thomas followed with the duck salad at Thien An. Clarkson took the mango-papaya salad from Old Saigon Cafe, and Sandler scored the Beef 7 Ways at Chinatown favorite Saigon Pagolac. Protomartir took the Duck House’s crispy egg rolls, and Fulmer closed round one with the beef rolls at Nam Giao, which holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide.

Sandler shared the full results on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Eric Sandler (@ericsandler)

As he noted, the draft results include some of Houston’s most prominent Vietnamese restaurant as well as a few under-the-radar choices that will give listeners some new options to try. Listen to the full episode on any podcast platform to hear the panelists explain the choices and recommend a few places that they could have drafted instead.

In this week’s second episode, chef Christine Ha and her husband John Suh join Sandler to review the results and pick a winner. Since no one selected their restaurant The Blind Goat, each drafter is on an equal footing.

Listen to the full episode to hear who won. Ha and Suh also share thoughts on their favorite selections by each panelist. They also catch us up on the latest happenings at both The Blind Goat and Stuffed Belly, their sandwich shop, including the recent addition of a gumbo pot pie to The Blind Goat’s menu.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Blind Goat (@theblindgoathtx)

-----

Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

podcasts news-you-can-eat