Fortunate Son

2 new Memorial restaurants open with fire-roasted fare and classic cocktails

The wait is almost over for the restaurants Levi Goode describes as his first solo album. Best known as the president of Goode Company Restaurants, the veteran Houston chef and restaurateur will unveil Credence and Sidebar, the first two establishments under his own name, on Tuesday, August 20.

Briefly, the two restaurants are described as follows:

Credence: a South Texas ranch-inspired upscale restaurant devoted to regional American fare prepared with live fire
Sidebar: a reservation-only, retro-inspired cocktail bar and restaurant that will serve steaks, caviar, and other classic American fare.

Photo by Brian Kennedy

Credence's design features arches, brass inlays, and penny tile.

At Credence, diners may look for dishes such as a fire-roasted seafood tower and Gulf snapper with trout roe that’s cooked on the restaurant’s hearth. An extensive raw bar will feature dishes such as crab claws and tuna tartare. At brunch, look for Southern classics like shrimp and grits.

Credence restaurant crab claws Gulf crab claws will be on the menu at Credence.Photo by Brian Kennedy

Sidebar will feature classic cocktails such as a martini with a sidecar (naturally), multiple variations on the Old Fashioned, and a seasonal Pimm’s Cup. It will pair those drinks with steak, caviar, oysters, and other luxurious bites.

Both restaurants will feature tableside service for salads, entrees, and desserts, joining a new trend that’s on display at establishments such as Toca Madera, Turner’s Cut, and The Marigold Club.

Credence restaurant food Tableside duck, anyone?Photo by Brian Kennedy

Located at The McKinley at Memorial City luxury high-rise, the two new establishments are a step up in luxury, refinement, and price from the mostly family friendly offerings Goode Co is known for with concepts such as Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina, Goode Co. Barbeque, and Goode Co. Seafood — all of which have Memorial-area locations. Press materials go into extensive detail about each restaurant’s design, which was led by the Houston office of global architecture and design firm Gensler.

For example, Credence is defined by the arches that form its double barrel-vaulted ceiling. Details include penny tile, brass inlays, wood floors, antique rugs, and locally made table tops. Sidebar is described as “edgy yet intimate” (seriously) with artwork from photographer Patty Carroll’s “Anonymous Woman” series.

Sidebar restaurant dining room The "edgy yet intimate" dining room of Sidebar.Photo by Brian Kennedy

“The design of Credence and Sidebar is inspired by Levi Goode’s storytelling abilities,” Gensler’s Doug Detiveaux said in a statement. “As we listened to him recount his experiences, we intentionally crafted each space with a specific purpose and personality that is reflective of Levi’s refined tastes and adventurous spirit. The spaces showcase his desire to create a comfortable and down-to-earth experience accented by high design and luxurious materials.”

When Goode announced the concepts last year, he explained the difference between his personal brand and the restaurants established by his father, legendary Houston restaurateur Jim Goode.

“The key difference is the Levi Goode brand is filtered through my personal tastes, travels, experiences, memories — as a fifth-generation Texan, an outdoorsman, a chef, a lover of people coming together around good food, drink and music,” he wrote in an email. “It’s a way for me to flex my creative muscle and take the Goode Co. mission and values into the wild and off the beaten path. We’re both headed the same direction, but if Goode Co.’s route is a paved highway, mine’s a dirt road — expect a few more bumps, turns, and surprises along the way.”

While the idea of a dirt road seems somewhat incongruous as the inspiration for a restaurant that touts its selection of allocated champagnes, Credence and Sidebar should be a welcome addition to the Memorial area’s recent boom of new restaurants. In the last several months, the area has welcomed a wide array of new concepts, including a second location of Montrose barbecue favorite The Pit Room, Texas comfort food restaurant Haywire, an outpost of Austin-based pizzeria Via 313, and, most prominently, Aaron Bludorn’s tavern-inspired restaurant Bar Bludorn.

Reservations for both establishments will go live on Thursday, August 8 via Open Table.

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Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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