it's just my type

Crafty Houston Lebanese restaurant opens second locale in West U with patio dining and expanded menu

An acclaimed Houston Lebanese restaurant will soon open its second location. Craft Pita’s restaurant in West University Place opens this Saturday, November 19 at Plaza in the Park, the Kroger-anchored shopping center at the corner of Buffalo Speedway and Westpark.

First opened in Briargove in 2019 by chef-owner Rafael Nasr and his mother Claudia, Craft Pita has earned a devoted following for its flavorful Lebanese-inspired dishes. The menu includes pita sandwiches, bowls, and salads paired with proteins such as rotisserie chicken, beef kafta patties, and falafel, many of which are made with locally sourced ingredients such as Naked Truth chicken and akaushi beef from HeartBrand Beef. Cafe Pita’s olive oil comes from a family-owned orchard in Lebanon.

“West University is the perfect place to expand on what we have built with the Craft Pita community,” Nasr said in a statement. “We are a family-owned restaurant and look forward to serving the families of West University. The proximity to areas like Greenway Plaza and the Medical Center will also allow us to expand our catering and delivery opportunities.”

Nasr has stepped up the food offerings at the new location with some menu items that aren’t available in Briargrove. They include chicken and beef kebabs, a chicken shawarma pita, and a beef gyro pita. A mezze dinner for two — appetizers, entrees, and desserts for $60 — pairs well with the new location’s expanded selection of Lebanese wines.

"Kebabs are definitely popular now. It's also the average person's first exposure to Mediterranean food," Nasr said on a recent episode of CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast. "I think that and hummus and number one and two on the list. The nice thing about kebabs is when you use lean proteins it's a healthy option. Our akaushi kafta, when it has that kiss of a flame, it will take it up a few notches for sure."

Craft Pita has developed a significant following for both its quality food and friendly service. Yelp named it one of America’s top 100 places to eat in 2020, and the Houston Chronicle recently included it on its list of the city’s top 100 restaurants.

At 2,500 square feet, the new restaurant is considerably larger than the original. It also features a larger patio for outdoor dining. It joins a second location of Adair Kitchen as a new addition to Plaza in the Park.

Photo by Rebekah Flores

Craft Pita's Lebanese cuisine has arrived in West U.

Craft Pita will celebrate its grand opening at 11 am Saturday, November 19. The first 25 customers will receive a free pita, and the first 50 will receive a golden ticket that enters them into a raffle.

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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.

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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.

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