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.

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What's Eric Eating Episode 584

Beard Award-winning Latin chef dishes on big Houston move and menu overhaul

Courtesy of Exilio Latin Flair

James Beard Award winner Douglas Rodriguez is the executive chef of Exilio Latin Flair.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” chef Douglas Rodriguez and Bari Hospitality Group co-owner Pedro Teyuca join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss Exilio Latin Flair, the company’s pan-Latin restaurant in Montrose.

Opened in April in the former Verde Garden space, Exilio recently recruited Rodriguez to serve as executive chef and revamp its menu. Known as the “Godfather of Nuevo Latino Cuisine,” the chef brings an impressive resume to his role, including winning Rising Star Chef in the 1996 James Beard Awards, competing on season one of Top Chef Masters, and earning a Recommended designation in the Michelin Guide for Nikos, a Greek restaurant in Durham, NC. As he explains in the episode, he and Bari co-owner Tommy Nally first developed the idea for Exilio when they worked together in Vegas, so he jumped at the opportunity to bring the restaurant to life.

Rodriguez just rolled out a new menu for Exilio that includes a total revamp of the restaurant’s ceviches and entrees. Specific dishes include tuna watermelon ceviche, mixto seafood ceviche with leche de tigre, Colombian-style chicken empanadas, snapper Veracruz, and a smoked ribeye.

“The sauce is made with panca peppers (Peruvian red pepper), watermelon juice, yuzu juice. Then it’s slices of tuna and slices of watermelon. I kind of single them,” Rodriguez says about the tuna watermelon ceviche. “The sauce has red onion, Thai basil, tarragon, a herb you don’t usually find in a ceviche. It’s very light, refreshing, herbaceous — hits a lot of different areas in the palate for a simple, two ingredient dish.”

The chef adds that he’s been getting to know Houston through its restaurants. He cites Mala Sichuan and Hugo’s as two places that have impressed him. He also hails Love Croissants, whose owner, chef Omar Pereney, worked for Rodriguez prior to moving to Houston.

“I have a long list of places to explore, and I’m excited that this is a big food city,” Rodriguez adds. “I haven’t been to Maximo yet. That’s at the top of my list. I’m excited to be here and get people into the restaurant to try the food.”

For his part, Teyuca provides an update on Bari’s plans to open a second location in The Woodlands later in September. He also shares exciting news about the company’s plans to add a sushi bar to the lounge above Georgia James, the Montrose steakhouse it purchased from Underbelly Hospitality in 2024.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 8 am on ESPN 97.5.

Courtesy of Exilio Latin Flair

James Beard Award winner Douglas Rodriguez is the executive chef of Exilio Latin Flair.

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