heights ice cream switcheroo

Crafty Montrose ice cream shop makes sweet move to the Heights

Craft Creamery has come to the Heights.

Photo by Stephanie Lam

One of Houston’s most creative ice cream shops is on the move. Craft Creamery is closing its Montrose location and heading to the Heights.

Effective immediately, Craft Creamery is now operating at Sweet Bribery, the retro-styled ice cream and sweet shop that opened in 2018. Now known as Sweet Bribery by Craft Creamery, the shop serves Craft Creamery’s signature flavors paired with Sweet Bribery’s baked goods, classic ice cream flavors, and its full selection of wine and beer.

"We have dreamed of being on a busy corner in the Heights since we started the business and knew that this was the perfect opportunity to make it come true," Craft Creamery chef and founder Steve Marques said in a statement. "We have always been a fan of Sweet Bribery and look forward to a great partnership."

The move means that Craft Creamery's original location in Montrose (1338 Westheimer Rd.) will close on Sunday, September 10.

Marques opened Craft Creamery in late 2020 after working at a number of Houston restaurants including The Burger Guys and Eunice. Using his classic French training, he’s developed a range of both traditional and more unusual flavors such as Smokey BBQ Brisket, Cacio e Pepe, Jalapeno Cornbread, and Tomato Tarragon. That creativity has also fueled a thriving wholesale business that supplies restaurants such as Potente, Local Foods, and Roost.

Craft Creamery Kim Kaase Steve Marques Chef Steve Marques with his wife and co-founder Kim Kaase.Photo by Addison Hall

At his new location, Marques will serve both Craft Creamery’s flavors as well as Sweet Bribery’s favorites such as Tahitian Vanilla, Salted Chocolate, Cookies N’ Cream, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch along with its cookies, brownies, and other sweet treats. In addition, he’ll add a selection of sorbets that can be paired with Sweet Bribery's champagne selections.

In an interview on CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast, Marques explained the texture he’s trying to achieve with Craft Creamery's flavors.

"Like a great piece of chocolate, you never have to chew it. The Swiss say all you should have to do is put it on your tongue, because the chocolate does the rest of the work," Marques said. "It allows it to fill your palate the appropriate way. For me, the texture has to be silky. Even in small amounts, it fills your palate, because it's not icy . . . our stuff because of the fat content just coats."

While her time making ice cream has come to an end, Sweet Bribery’s founding chef Sharon Leonard has started a cookie business. Follow her on Instagram at sharebearbakes for ordering information.

This summer has been a busy time for new ice cream shops in the Heights. Montrose favorite Milk & Sugar opened its second location there in July, and Austin favorite Amy's Ice Creams recently opened in the former Fat Cat Creamery space on 19th St. They join a number of existing options such as Cloud 10 Creamery, Honeychild's Sweet Creams, and Dolce Neve.

openings closings ice-cream the-heights news-you-can-eat

What's Eric Eating Episodes 518 and 519

Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center (2047-A West Gray St).

Monteith shares that he started the restaurant in 2017 in order to fulfill his vision of a restaurant which could serve food that’s fast, fresh, and affordable. A trained chef who operated pioneering Austin restaurant Contigo, Wiseheart joined the group to bring both culinary expertise and operational acumen to the grouping company.

Part of what sets Honest Mary’s apart is that diners can add cooked vegetables to the rice and proteins at the heart of every bowl. The “Market Sides” section includes an array of roasted vegetables — including sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, and Brussels sprouts — as well as black beans, maple-glazed carrots, and green lentils. Bowls can be further enhanced with toppings such as Texas pecans, crispy chickpeas, goat cheese, avocado, and apples as well as sauces such as creamy poblano, cashew lime crema, sesame vinaigrette, spicy peanut, chimichurri and apple cider vinaigrette

Monteith explains that looking at the ingredients on display usually inspires him when he’s deciding what to eat at Honest Mary’s.

“I will almost always look at the line and see what looks fresh and good,” Monteith says. “Today, I got the salted kale with white rice. Then, I got garlic-pepper steak. I added on lentils — they’re my go-to in the winter. They blend everything together, and I love it Then Brussels sprouts looked green. I got some jalapenos. Avocados, cause that’s healthy. Then I got the chimichurri sauce.”

Honest Mary’s is also known for its hearty broths, a classic chicken and a vegetarian option made with seaweed and mushroom. Sandler raves about the chicken broth to Wiseheart, who shares how it’s made.

“We spent six or seven months testing recipes and drinking it ourselves to see if it’s a good idea,” Wiseheart says. “I talk about it as a great complement to the menu. It’s healthy. It’s really simple. Most of the kitchens I came up with were rooted in French cuisine. This is just chicken stock with salt in it.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about Honest Mary’s plans for additional locations in Houston and Dallas. Then Monteith asks a Sandler a few questions about the Houston dining scene.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Home Slice Pizza opening a new location in the Heights; the closures of Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy and Killen’s Barbecue in The Woodlands; and Esquire including ChòpnBlok on its list of America’s best new restaurants.

In the restaurant of the week segment, the two friends discuss their recent meal at Hypsi, the Italian restaurant in the newly-opened Hotel Daphne. Listen to the episode to hear their favorite dishes and other thoughts on the meal.

-----

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.

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

news-you-can-eat podcasts interview