all lobster, all the time

Lobster-obsessed restaurant serving rolls, ceviche, and more opens on Allen Parkway

Allen Parkway’s new mixed-use development welcomes its third restaurant this weekend. MF Lobster & Ceviche opens this Friday, February 16 at Autry Park (3711 Autry Park Dr.).

Photo by Alex Montoya

The restaurant will serve a classic lobster roll.

Chris “Magic Fingers” Kinjo, chef and owner of the Museum District’s acclaimed MF Sushi, worked with his longtime collaborator chef Miguel Alvarez to develop MF Lobster & Ceviche. As its name implies, the crustacean is at the heart of the menu’s offerings.

Chris Kinjo Miguel Alvarez MF Lobster Ceviche Chefs Chris Kinjo and Miguel Alvarez. Photo by Alex Montoya

Not that this publication would ever make an incredibly dated reference to Forrest Gump, but this restaurant serves lobster in a whole bunch of different ways. They include lobster tacos, lobster grilled cheese, lobster mac & cheese, lobster bisque, linguine with lobster, and grilled or steamed whole lobster. Lobster rolls come in two forms — a traditional, Maine-style roll served in a split-top bun and a brown butter lobster bao.

Kinjo will also served other New England-style dishes such as clam chowder, steamed mussels, and sides that include corn on the cob, house made chips, and coleslaw.

The restaurant’s ceviches will use the same Japanese fish purveyors that supply MF Sushi. Look for dishes built around tuna, madai, salmon, halibut, and more. Pairing options include 20 house cocktails, a selection of Japanese whisky, and wine.

“My vision of this restaurant is to provide a casual and fun atmosphere for diners, but with substance and quality,” Kinjo said in a statement. “We’re excited to welcome the community to Autry Park for a new type of dining experience from our team. I’ve always done high-intensity restaurants, but this one is more laid back, with simple and familiar dishes. This is a place where customers can come and enjoy the park and feel comfortable while enjoying a high-quality meal and drink."

As part of that casual atmosphere, the restaurant will not take reservations. Instead, diners will be able to sign up for the restaurant’s waitlist via OpenTable. Initially, the restaurant will be open for dinner nightly beginning at 5:30 pm. Lunch service will be announced soon.

MF Lobster’s setting is as distinctive as its food. Designed by the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (Uchi, Da Gama, il Bracco, etc.), the 2,200-square-foot space is touted as Houston’s only completely round restaurant. It seats 65 people inside with room for an additional 60 on a dog-friendly patio. Details include blue tile floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a 15-foot, tree-shaped steel sculpture that references the development’s oak trees.

The new restaurant joins Annabelle Brasserie, a French restaurant from Berg Hospitality, and globally-inspired Auden as restaurants at Autry Park. Over the next few months, they’ll be joined by Turner’s Cut, a luxurious steakhouse from Berg Hospitality; Doko and Bar Doko, a sushi restaurant and cocktail bar from the hospitality group behind Handies Douzo and CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Best New Restaurant winner Aiko; Austin’s Lick Honest Ice Creams; and Annam, Kinjo’s Vietnamese restaurant that will be MF Lobster’s sister concept on the property.

Developed by local real estate firms Lionstone Investments, Rebees, and Hanover Company, Autry Park occupies 14-acres on the western edge of Buffalo Bayou Park. The project's three-phase masterplan includes five towers encompassing 1,450 residential units, 350,000 square-feet of Class A office space, and 100,000 square-feet of retail.

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Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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