layer cake

Crave-worthy crepe cake maker from New York rises with first permanent Texas location in Galleria

After years of pop-ups and a temporary location, Lady M has opened a permanent cake boutique at The Galleria. Shoppers will find it near the Apple store at space B3650.

The New York-based cake bakery selected Houston for its first Texas outpost due to the successful pop-ups and strong online sales from Houstonians. From there, the company had to choose whether to stay in The Galleria or open somewhere else.

“We leaned towards Galleria due to the offering that was presented to us,” Lady M CEO Ken Romaniszyn tells CultureMap.”We liked the tenant mix. We feel like we have a prime location near the elevator banks where there’s a lot of foot traffic.”

That prime location will sell Lady M’s signature Mille Crêpe Cake (made with 20 layers of crepes) as both whole cakes and slices. Flavors include classics like the Signature Mille Crêpes and Green Tea Mille Crêpes as well as chocolate, pistachio, tiramisu, and mango. Lady M also offers other sweets such as a strawberry shortcake cake, passionfruit cheesecake, and a berry tart.

Shoppers may pre-order whole cakes (two days advance notice required) or walk-in and purchase based on the available selection. Regardless of what they purchase, they can expect cakes with delicate flavors and light textures.

“One of the biggest compliments we get is ‘I don't like desserts, but I like Lady M.’ We really focus on the ingredients,” Romaniszyn says. “We don’t have to put a lot of sugar into our cakes to mask any bad stuff. We’re using really high end ingredients to bring out the flavor profile. I think that’s why we’re able to reach a broad base of dessert lovers and non-desserts.”

Having a permanent location means that Houstonians will get to experience Lady M’s full lineup, including new flavors like the Guava Mille Crêpes as well as bonbons, which are designed to travel better than a cake that needs to be refrigerated. Since the store has a couple of outdoor tables, it will also sell coffee and tea to people who want something to drink while they have their cake (and eat it, too).

To prepare for the store opening, Lady M established a central production facility in Houston. Not only will it ensure consistency, the bakery has enough capacity to support more boutiques in other parts of the city and state.

“We’re starting to look down the road to the suburbs,” Romaniszyn says. “We’re definitely looking to expand.”

Dallas, another city where Lady M has popped up in the past, is also on his radar. “I’ve made that drive and looked at some places in Dallas, Fort Worth, Carrollton, Frisco, some of those areas. It’s interesting up there, and it’s really growing. We’ll definitely look for something up there,” he says.

Lady M’s hours of operation are Monday-Thursday 11 am - 7 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am - 9 pm, and Sunday 12-7 pm.

Courtesy of Lady M

Find Lady M near the Apple store.

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service switcheroo

Street food-inspired Houston restaurant swaps counter service for servers

Photo by Andrew Hemingway

Traveler's Cart is add new dishes to its menu, including steak frites and chicken parm.

A globally-inspired Houston restaurant is making a big change to its service model. Traveler’s Cart will switch from counter service to full service beginning this Monday, November 17.

When owners Thy and Matthew Mitchell opened Traveler’s Cart last year as a more casual sister concept to Traveler’s Table, their globally-inspired Montrose restaurant, they decided counter service would match the restaurant’s street food-inspired menu and lower price point. With a year of experience, they’ve decided full service — where diners sit down and order from a server — will improve the customer experience in a number of ways.

First, they noticed that some of their online reviews go to great lengths to explain the ordering process. Moving to traditional table service will elimination that confusion.

“We want to be like a great brasserie or izakaya where people come and enjoy food and drinks at a reasonable price,” Matthew Mitchell tells CultureMap. “There’s a lack of intuitiveness about the process right now. Almost a year in, we’re still having to explain where you go and how you order. That tells you we probably missed the mark.”

He also recognizes that the inherent uncertainty of counter service — people are concerned about how long they’ll have to wait to order and whether a table will be available once they do — limits the restaurant’s appeal as a date night option or for larger groups who want the certainty of having a place to sit.

Even though the restaurant has been a financial success, according to Mitchell, he thinks Traveler’s Cart is missing out on revenue with its counter service model. “I think people order less at the counter. You may not order a cocktail, and you certainly won’t get back up and order more drinks,” he says.

Switching to full service will also help the restaurant’s perceived value. With entrees mostly priced between $15 and $25, the restaurant may feel expensive relative to other fast casual restaurants. Once servers are added, Mitchell thinks diners will appreciate the value, particularly since its prices are about half of sister concept Traveler’s Table.

“I feel like the food quality is outstanding for the price, but when it crosses that $20 or $30 threshold, people perceive it as pricey,” he says.

Traveler’s Cart has other ways to enhance the value of its offering, such as its $18, three-course lunch that includes iced tea or a fountain drink. Happy hour, available Monday through Friday from 3-6 pm, includes $8 cocktails, $3 drafts, $8 small plates, and more.

Along with the new service model, Travelers Cart is updating its menu with a number of new dishes. They include Thai chili queso, Baja shrimp tacos, salmon donburi bowl, chicken parmesan, and steak frites. The cocktail menu has also been refreshed with a Mexican espresso martini and a Tuk Tuk Old Fashioned, named for the vehicle that now sits in front of the restaurant’s entrance.

Recently recognized by the Texas Restaurant Association as Restaurateurs of the Year for the Houston region, the Mitchells hope that these changes will lead to even more success. With the service style refined and the menu dialed in, they’re already looking for another location.

Photo by Andrew Hemingway

Traveler's Cart is add new dishes to its menu, including steak frites and chicken parm.

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