Gourmet Grocer Debuts

Houston entrepreneur serves up Italian-inspired market near Rice Village

Rice Village and West University shoppers have a new option for wine, coffee, and gourmet gifts — with a restaurant to follow soon. Mercato and Company will open this Saturday, December 14.

Located at 3642 University Blvd., founder Arlene Ventura created Mercato as a combination of the New York City bodegas she grew up with and the markets she experiences while living in Milan for eight years. After a trial run in Brownsville, she’s brought Mercato to her adopted hometown of Houston.

“The Brownsville location was our first opportunity to test the Mercato and Company concept, though it was tailored to that market as a convenience store,” Ventura tells CultureMap in an email. “While it carried the same name, it was more of a stepping stone toward realizing our larger vision. About a year ago, we closed that location because we recognized that to bring Mercato and Company to its full potential, it needed to be in Houston, the city we call home. Our new West University location represents the culmination of this journey — a space that combines authentic, gourmet products with a welcoming community atmosphere.”

The store offers a variety of gourmet products, including:

Coffees from Ella Coffee, a Houston-based, Italian-inspired roaster
Pastries, panini, and other food items prepared in-house
Cheese and charcuterie
Italian wines
European grocery items such as olive oil, chocolate, spices, and more

Mercato will host cooking classes, wine tastings, and other events to bolster shoppers' connection to the store.

Ventura recruited chef-partner Tatiana Perna to create Mercato’s menu. Perna, who is the chef at Podere 1384, a resort in Tuscany, is also creating the menu for Osteria di Mercato, an Italian restaurant and wine bar that’s scheduled to open in early 2025.

“An osteria is by definition a place that brings people together over good food and wine,” Perna said. “At Osteria di Mercato, that’s exactly what we intend to do. We’re using high-quality ingredients and traditional Italian recipes and practices to create meals that are simple and authentically delicious, all in an intimate, welcoming space.”

Mercato and Company’s hours of operation are 7 am to 9 pm daily.

Courtesy of Mercato and Company

Shoppers will find a selection of cheese and charcuterie.

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G'day, Bay Area Citizens

All-day Montrose cafe pours Aussie culture into new Webster pub

Courtesy of Citizen Rec.

Citizen Rec. will serve dishes such as fish and chips and steak and Guinness pie.

The owners of a Montrose coffee shop and cafe are bringing a taste of Australia to Houston’s Bay Area. Citizen Rec is an all-day concept that blends a daytime coffee shop with an evening pub.

Slated to open this fall, Citizen Rec will be located in Webster near the intersection of I-45 and W. Bay Area Blvd. (19403 Gulf Freeway). The concept is an evolution of Citizen, the Australian-inspired, New York-based restaurant that’s been open in Montrose since 2023.

By day, Citizen Rec will serve the dishes that Citizen is already known for, such as avocado toast, miso-butterscotch banana bread toast, and the Australian big breakfast, a platter that includes two poached eggs, sourdough toast, bacon, chicken sausage, smashed avocado, and hash browns. They’ll be paired with coffee, juices, cocktails, and other sips.

At night, the restaurant will become “a moody gastropub” that serves dishes such as steak and Guinness pie, fish and chips, and shrimp on the barbie cooked over live fire. A “secret” Vegemite menu will match the controversial ingredient with savory dishes. Beer and cocktails will enhance the experience. The pub menu will come to the Montrose location after the Webster location opens.

The restaurant’s decor will further transport diners to Australia with details such as wood paneling, stained-glass lights, and retro Australian artifacts. TVs will play cricket and horse racing, while a wall will pay tribute to various famous Australians.

Diners will also have the opportunity to play two-up, a popular Australian pub game, to win $100 off their bills. Sundays will feature live music, food specials, and other details designed to encourage relaxation.

Australia natives Andrew Geisel and Justin Giuffrida founded Citizen in New York. From there, the concept grew to include an additional New York outpost, plus locations in Houston and Austin.

"Aussie cafes have become a phenomenon globally, and we've loved bringing that to life here in the U.S.," Geisel said in a statement. "We want to further immerse our locals in Aussie culture with our version of a pub, bringing playfulness and adventure to what we hope will become their new favorite spot."

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