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    mimo sings

    Respected hospitality insiders reveal soaring story of their East End Italian restaurant every serious food fan should know

    Eric Sandler
    May 2, 2023 | 2:04 pm

    For the past few weeks, restaurant-obsessed Houstonians have been making their way to the East End to try Mimo. Quietly open for lunch only (for now), the new Italian restaurant has been earning raves for its commitment to serving well executed dishes in a clean, comfortable space.

    Led by chef Fernando Rios and beverage specialist Mike Sammons, Mimo has been years in the making. Taking its name from the Italian word for “Mockingbird,” the restaurant aims to serve classic Italian dishes that aren’t regularly prepared in America.

    Rios and Sammons have known each other for years. They first worked together at Italian fine dining restaurant Da Marco and Dolce Vita, its more casual sister concept. From there, they worked together at Weights + Measures, where Sammons was a founding partner and Rios worked alongside executive chef Richard Kaplan before taking over the kitchen when Kaplan retired in 2020.

    “We go way back,” Rios tells CultureMap. “We always talked about opening something together. We never knew when.”

    Mockingbird takes wing

    “We met at Da Marco. I was working the bar,” Sammons adds. “He and I met and immediately clicked. We see eye-to-eye with food. Everytime we come with a dish together, we have the same aesthetic.”

    Eventually, Rios began looking for a space for his own restaurant. Ultimately, he found the former Kanomwan space in the East End’s Tlacquepaque Market complex. The chef explains that he has history with the area, including attending high school nearby. Sammons also lives in the neighborhood.

    Together, they saw an opportunity to bring the project they’d been talking about to fruition. They ripped out the carpet to reveal the concrete floor and installed a small bar near the entrance. The restaurant has wooden tables and chairs and a minimal amount of decor.

    “One of the things that I was attracted to is the space is a rectangle. It’s a blank canvas,” Sammons says. “To take a space that’s as minimal as can be and say, everything is going to be comfortable and clean, but the focus is on what comes out of the kitchen.”

    Rios takes a similarly minimal approach to his food. Following Italian traditions, he aims to serve dishes that use only a few ingredients and present them in a way that allows each one to shine.

    "F-ing fantastic" fare

    “We’re trying to bring something that’s traditionally made in Italy but isn’t in the United States,” Rios says. Later, he adds, “I want to do the classics, along with some influences from us. Instead of using the traditional ingredient, let’s try something and see how it tastes. That’s where we’re trying to be a little bit different.”

    One way that Mimo has defined its cuisine is through sandwiches. Using bread that’s made for the restaurant by local bakery Cake & Bacon, Rios serves sandwiches such as Sicilian beef with vegetables, mortadella with mozzarella and mostarda, and chicken parm with crispy cabbage and lemon-chive aioli.

    “We wanted to do sandwiches first, because that exemplifies a lot of what we’re doing,” Sammons explains. “There’s a lot going on between two pieces of bread when you’re messing with texture and acidity and all the components that make a delicious sandwich. When you’re taking a bite of it, you experience all those things at the same time — that’s something beautiful.”

    The mortadella sandwich illustrates the approach. To make the mostarda, Rios grinds toasted pistachios and blends it with lemon zest and cheese. The result achieves his goal of capturing a richer, more adult take on peanut butter that ties the whole sandwich together. For another sandwich, he pairs prosciutto with mozzarella and roasted cherry tomatoes.

    “It’s f—ing delicious,” Rios says. “The bread is right. The ingredients are right. The olive oil we use is f—ing fantastic.”

    Rios has created pastas, too, which use fresh or dried pasta depending on the application. Recent dishes have included gnocchi with marinara and basil and spaghetti amatriciana. For Easter, he served pappardelle with braised lamb.

    A taste of Sicily, Tuscan wines, and Sunday Supppers

    Dinner, expected to begin May 11, will feature more pastas. The Easter menu offer a couple of other previews in the form of a seared lamb chop with polenta and broccolini friti and a mozzarella in carrozza — a Sicilian-style dish fried cheese that gets a boost of umami from anchovies. They’re also planning to roll out a weekly Sunday supper special that will feature family-style dishes.

    Sammons is contributing a tidy wine list. For now, he’s serving several wines by-the-glass from Tuscany, the region where he first learned to appreciate Italian wine. Each month, he plans to add one new region. The bottle list will add a few French favorites, too.

    After working with and for other people for some long, both Rios and Sammons recognize that Mimo is a special opportunity to do their own thing. With positive word of mouth building, they’re ready to start serving more diners.

    “The most important thing is that I’m the happiest I’ve been in my career,” Rios says. “After COVID and all this other s— that happened, I’m very comfortable trying to experiment with Italian cuisine that’s not done in Houston as much. Once we open at night, I think we’re going to go further with this food than we’ve done before in our careers.”

    “I think we’re both confident in what we’re doing,” Sammons adds. “We have the same goal, which is to make a beautiful and exciting experience that we feel good about it. It’s not rocket science, but there’s something really satisfying about doing it this way. It feels right.”

      

    Courtesy of Mimo

    Mimo serves classic Italian food.

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    Drop it like it's hot

    Houston farmers market adds new indoor pickleball court with food and cocktails

    Brianna Griff
    Jun 18, 2025 | 1:00 pm
    Drop Shots HTX indoor pickleball courts
    Photo by Abante Photography
    Drop Shots HTX celebrates its grand opening this Saturday, June 21.

    Pickleball isn’t going anywhere — the racquet sport continues to score with Houstonians. The newest player on the city’s crowded court, Drop Shots HTX, stands out for one big reason: it’s entirely indoors.

    Drop Shots HTX indoor pickleball courts
      

    Photo by Abante Photography

    Drop Shots HTX celebrates its grand opening this Saturday, June 21.

    Opening June 21, Drop Shots HTX is the brainchild of hospitality veterans Roveen Abante (Conservatory Galleria, Duchess), Chase Lovullo (Conservatory Galleria), and Shawn Outlaw.

    “We didn’t just want to open a bar,” co-founder Roveen Abante said in a statement. “We built a space where people connect, whether they’re playing or not. There’s something for everyone here.”

    Drop Shots HTX is marking its grand opening on June 21 from 12-11 pm, offering all-day open play for $5 along with $5 food and drink specials. Live DJs and giveaways will add to the experience.

    Patrons can soak up the A/C while slapping balls across one of the six professional-grade indoor courts. Off the court, guests can engage in friendly competitions of skee-ball, ping pong, arcade basketball, and cornhole in the second-floor lounge. Nine screens make up one wall in the mezzanine, ideal for catching the latest game, or can be expanded into one 195-inch television.

    Clutch City Kitchen will keep the players' appetite at bay with pizzas, sandwiches, and acai bowls. For hydration, an indoor/outdoor full bar will have 10 signature pickleball-themed cocktails, mocktails, and fresh juices crafted from local fruits and veggies.

    “Some venues lean into serious competition, we lean into fun,” added co-founder Shawn Outlaw. “We’re the only indoor pickleball facility inside the Loop with a full bar, kitchen, lounge, and patio. But more than that, we’re the only one that feels like your new favorite neighborhood hangout, even if you never touch a paddle.”

    Events like Glow-in-the-Dark Fridays, Tacos and Tequila Saturdays, and Pancakes and Pickball mornings add a twist to the typical pickleball match. Bring the kids—the venue is family-friendly until 10pm.

    “We created Drop Shots HTX because we fell in love with a game that brings generations together,” Outlaw said. “From our 10-year-olds to our 65-year-old parents, pickleball is for everyone. And so is this space.”

    Drop Shots HTX is located at 2520 Airline Drive, Building A, Suite 100. It’s open Monday through Thursday from 12-11pm, Friday from 12 pm-12 am, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 am-11 pm.

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