a winner in our hearts

Blooming Bellaire cafe gets edged out by Philly eatery on Good Morning America's big breakfast battle finale

A Bellaire restaurant came up a little short in its quest to serve America’s best breakfast. Although Good Morning America did not select Dandelion Cafe’s chicken and waffle as the winner of its United States of Breakfast competition, the restaurant stood tall on the national stage.

A panel of celebrity judges — consisting of lifestyle expert Carson Kressley, Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran, chef Leah Cohen, and TV food personality Adam Richman — awarded the title, and a check for $10,000, to the pastrami, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich prepared by Philadelphia restaurant Middle Child.

Represented by its owners, husband-and-wife chef JC Ricks and founder Sarah Lieberman, Dandelion earned a vote from Corcoran. Richman waffled (sorry) between Dandelion and Middle Child before siding with Kressley and voting for the pastrami sandwich.

“I’m a Brooklyn guy. I practice the Jew-craft. I’m telling you, the pastrami — for me to give Philly love on pastrami, it’s remarkable,” Richman said during the segment.

Boston’s North Street Grill earned Cohen’s vote for its Banana Bourbon French Toast. Cleveland’s Grumpy’s Cafe served a breakfast hash.

As a reminder, Dandelion advanced to the competition’s finals by besting Midtown favorite The Breakfast Klub in a chicken and waffle battle. Chef Ricks tells CultureMap that he created his recipe — a cornbread-buttermilk waffle that’s topped with a spicy maple butter and paired with a 24-hour marinated chicken that’s breaded in a mix of rice and all-purpose flour — specifically for the show. Dandelion has been serving (and selling out of) its chicken and waffle all week.

"We may not have taken home the grand prize, but we still consider this journey and surreal experience to be a huge win for us," Ricks said in a statement "We are extremely proud to represent our city in front of the country and hold the title of best breakfast in Houston, and it's absolutely a win in our book to be in the top four breakfast spots in America. We can't wait to get back to Houston to serve you all."

Dandelion is poised to build on the momentum of this week's media attention. The restaurant has identified a location in the Heights that will allow it to expand to a second location. Details on the address and timing will be released in the coming weeks.

Photo by Pop Studios PR

Owners JC Ricks and Sarah Lieberman represented Dandelion Cafe.

Watch the whole segment in the clip below:

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ps, we're closed

Houston's most pretty-in-pink restaurant quietly closes in Upper Kirby

Photo by Jenn Duncan

You'll see a lot of pink at PostScript.

PostScript, Upper Kirby’ posh pink restaurant, has quietly closed, CultureMap has learned.

Although the restaurant is still accepting reservations on OpenTable — and is, as of this article’s publication, listed as open on both Yelp and Google — reports circulated on social media this weekend that it had abruptly canceled diners’ Mother’s Day reservations. In addition, its dining room in the Shops at Arrive mixed-use development has been emptied of furniture.

[Update: After the publication of this article, PostScript's management provided CultureMap with the following statement:

We are saddened to announce the closure of PostScript HTX.

We sincerely thank our patrons for their loyalty and support. It has been an honor to serve you and be part of your special moments. The people and culture in Houston are first class. We wish you all the best and hope our paths cross again in the future.]

PostScript opened with considerable fanfare in February 2024. Owners Veeral Rathod and Obi Ibeto, brought their experiences as partners in the Dallas-based GAP Hospitality to the project, which operates establishments such as XOXO Dining Room, Lyla, and Drai’s Dallas. Particularly inspired by XOXO Dining Room, they created an ode to pink that included pink exterior and interior walls, a pink quartz bar, and a pink grand piano. “Push for Champagne” buttons added to the lively spirit.

Chef Bryan Caswell created the menu. Best known for his pioneering Gulf Coast seafood restaurant Reef that closed in 2019, Caswell’s menu included fried chicken with hummus, oysters three ways (raw, roasted, and fried), a sushi roll, and the double smoked pork chop that was a Reef staple. A doughnut topped with caviar became a customer favorite.

Since Caswell was only consulting on the project, he left a couple of months after opening. Latuli, Caswell’s new Gulf Coast-inspired restaurant in the Memorial area, is expected to open soon.

CultureMap has reached out to PostScript via email, phone, and Instagram message for comment on the decision to close the restaurant. We will update this article if they reply.

PostScript’s closure follows that of Cru, which ended a 13-year run in December 2024. On the other hand, Kira, a sushi hand roll concept from Houston’s Comma Hospitality that’s also located in the development, is thriving, having earned the No. 4 spot on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s best new restaurants. The development is also home to beloved Indian restaurant Pondicheri, an outpost of the steakhouse chain Eddie V’s, and top tier Houston shopping destination Tootsie’s.

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