Houston’s food news spans the spectrum this week, from a new South African-inspired restaurant to free crepes for kids and real estate experts offering tips over coffee.
This week, we want to note that Traveler’s Table and Traveler’s Cart are open for business after tragedy struck earlier this week. The best way to support the family and staff during this difficult time is by patronizing one or both of the restaurants.
Photo courtesy of The Chef's Table
Fans of Peli Peli will recognize Chef's Table's chicken pendurada.
Openings and Closings
The Chef’s Table has opened a second Houston location in the former Churrascos space at 2055 Westheimer, Suite 180. Helmed by chef Paul Friedman (Peli Peli), the menu draws on his South African roots, featuring dishes like wild game, hanging beef pendurada, and wines from South Africa’s Anura Vineyards. The new location also includes a private dining room, full-service catering, and a patio with a bar. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday and brunch and dinner on Sunday. Reservations are available on OpenTable.
Beloved Philly sandwich shop PrimoHoagies has closed both Houston locations, as reported by Chron. The eatery earned our attention early on after its 2023 opening with its East Coast-style hoagies served on a sesame seed roll. No statement has been released concerning the closures, though the chain has announced plans for a "disciplined national expansion."
May Events
Sunday, May 17
Best Regards, the Heights cocktail lounge, will host its second Crawfish & Noodles pop-up. Diners can dig into bites like crawfish beignets, a crawfish omelet, and crawfish by the pound, tossed in the James Beard-nominated restaurant’s house seasoning. For drinks, there’s a crawfish Bloody Mary, a lemon grass spritz with gin, and a frozen Vietnamese coffee with Ketel One Vodka and Evil Bean Coffee Liqueur. Best Regards is located at 222 W. 11th street. 2 pm. [Update 5/13: After the publication of this article, a representative for Best Regards stated that the bar's new crawfish vendor is Hot and Buttered, which will serve a different menu than what was previously announced. ]
Sunday, May 24
Chef Lena Le (Lena's Asian Kitchen) and nine other alumni of the Art Institute of Houston are teaming up to raise money for to Lena’s Foundation, an organization that provides employment opportunities for survivors of domestic abuse and human trafficking. Participants include Ryan Lachaine (Riel, State of Grace), Darius King (Gatlin's Fins & Feathers, Coarse), Dominick Lee (Poitin, Augustine's), and Lukkaew Srasrisuwan (Kin Dee, Makiin). Tickets, $85, include a glass of sparkling wine, caviar, and a DIY banh mi board. 4 pm.
“This dinner is more than just a culinary event. It is a homecoming,” Le said in a statement. “We are coming together to honor where we started and to show aspiring chefs what is possible through education, community and hard work. ”
Throughout May
Sweet Paris Crêperie & Cafe is offering one complimentary kids' crepe with the purchase of an adult entree on Wednesdays through May 27. Options range from peanut butter and jelly to chicken Alfredo. The restaurant is also celebrating its 14th anniversary with birthday-themed treats throughout the month. The first 100 guests on May 16 will receive a swag bag at each location.
Spring Menus
Mexican steakhouse Toca Madera has launched two new menus: A La Roca and Free-Spirited Elixirs. A La Roca offers the restaurant’s elevated take on fajitas, featuring American wagyu skirt steak, Jidori chicken, and colossal shrimp. The Free-Spirited Elixirs menu includes five zero-proof, no-sugar-added drinks, ranging from the immune-supporting Slow Burn to the coffee-forward Graveyard Shift.
Le Jardinier, the Michelin-starred French restaurant at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has introduced a fresh spring menu. Seasonal offerings begin with starters like burrata with strawberry and rhubarb, followed by entrees such as Spanish rabbit tortellini and a double-crust puff pastry filled with squab and foie gras. Desserts include the Tangerine Vegan Dream, a vanilla chantilly with dark chocolate puffed quinoa crunch.
Other News and Notes
Slowpokes is hosting “The Ritual of Home” with Nan & Company Properties, a monthly meetup series across Houston where patrons can enjoy a free drink while learning about homeownership and investing. The next session takes place at the Canal Street location in EaDo from 7-11:30 am on Monday, June 1. Representatives from Nan & Company will be onsite to offer guidance, and a limited-time secret menu drink inspired by CEO Nancy Almodovar will also be available.
June Rodil — CEO, master sommelier, and partner at Goodnight Hospitality (March, Rosie Cannonball, The Marigold Club) — has joined OpenTable’s U.S. Restaurant Ambassador Council. This inaugural group includes 20 chefs and industry professionals who will advise the company’s executive team.
"Restaurants are complicated, beautiful, deeply human businesses, and the best support for them comes from listening to the people doing the work every day," Rodil said in a statement. I’m excited that OpenTable is creating a space for real operator feedback, big-picture thinking, and practical ideas that can help our teams, our guests, and our businesses thrive. I’m grateful to be part of this conversation and excited for what we can build together.”
Hotel ZaZa has named Chad Blunston as corporate executive chef, where he will oversee culinary operations across all four locations, including Tipping Point in Memorial City and Monarch in the Museum District. His responsibilities include menu development and team training. Blunston previously served as executive chef at the JW Marriott Austin, executive director of culinary at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, and most recently, vice president of culinary at HM Alpha Hotels & Resorts.
