pappas' new seafood spot

Pappas pops open upscale new caviar, oyster, and bubbly bar in familiar Inner Loop space

Pappas Restaurants Inner Loop seafood restaurant is going upscale. The space once known as Little Pappas Seafood House will reopen this spring as Little’s Oyster Bar.

Last year, Pappas announced that Little Pappas, which closed in 2020, would reopen as Little Pappas Seafood House Oyster Bar. Instead, the company has pivoted to Little's Oyster Bar, which it describes as a chef-driven concept with a focus on oysters and raw seafood.

Executive chef Jason Ryczek brings an impressive resume to the role, including working as the executive chef at San Francisco seafood restaurant Farallon and as the co-owner and founding chef of Alley & Vine in Alameda.

Ryczek’s passion for caviar will make the luxurious ingredient at focus at Little’s Oyster Bar. The restaurant will serve three varieties of sturgeon caviar — house, Kaluga, Osetra — sourced by Ryczek from the California Caviar Company.

“Since I’m personally involved in making the caviar, we get great value,” Ryczek said in a statement. “We’ll also offer specials on our house caviar and a dozen oysters — our house specialties should be celebrated every day.”

The only Gulf oyster on the menu will be Barrier Beauties sourced from the Bolivar Peninsula. Others will be East Coast varieties. Gulf fish such as snapper, grouper, and tile will be sourced from Pappas’ boats. Ora King salmon, Spanish octopus, and other sustainable seafood will also be included.

“I’m focusing on seasonality and simplicity,” Ryczek said. “I’ll use the best ingredients and let them shine. I want this restaurant to show our guests what seafood can be.”

Adding further shine to the seafood will be a wine list curated by Pappas veteran Robert Smith. Expect a focus on European whites and champagne along with light to medium reds such as Pinot Noir and Burgundy. A tidy list of 10-15 cocktails will also be offered.

The space has received a comprehensive makeover that’s highlighted by new lighting and artwork. Overall, the restaurant will seat 80 inside and 50 on its patio.

Photo by Arturo Olmos

Little's Oyster Bar will served baked Gulf oysters.

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a spoonful of sugar

New Mexican eatery sweetens Houston with 150 spirits and bold flavors

Courtesy of Mexican Sugar

Mexican Sugar is coming to Regent Square in December.

A Dallas-based Mexican restaurant is coming to Houston. Mexican Sugar will open its first Houston location in Montrose this December.

Located next to Georgia James in the Regent Square mixed-use development, Mexican Sugar will occupy a two-story, 13,000-square-foot building. All that room offers seating for 375 as well as two private dining rooms with full audio-visual capabilities. Both the upstairs and downstairs patios will have a view of nearby Buffalo Bayou Park.

Its part of FB Society, the Dallas-based hospitality group behind Whiskey Cake, Sixty Vines, and Haywire, the Texas-inspired comfort food restaurant that opened its first Houston-area location earlier this year. Mexican Sugar has three locations in the Dallas area: Plano, Las Colinas, and Uptown Dallas.

In a release, Mexican Sugar touts its use of seasonal ingredients. It also makes its tortillas by hand. Menu highlights include skirt steak, lobster fundido, and a bone-in pork chop. At brunch, look for options such as cajeta French toast, Benedictos Rancheros, and vanilla-cinnamon pancakes.

Agave fans will find plenty of choices courtesy of more the 150 tequilas and mezcals. They’re available in individual pours as well as in flights that allow customers to compare the flavors of the different spirits.

“Our goal is to create a dining experience that blends bold Mexican flavors with our signature style of hospitality that stays two steps ahead,” Justin Beam, Mexican Sugar’s director of operations, said in a statement. “We’re excited to offer Houstonians an immersive Mexican experience in a fresh, light, and approachable way.”

Courtesy of Mexican Sugar

Mexican Sugar is coming to Regent Square in December.

news-you-can-eat openings mexican sugar