I forget what 8 was for

Houston's sophisticated new Mediterranean restaurant surfaces this week

This week is a busy one for new Montrose restaurants. Fresh off the news that Drake’s Hollywood is opening on Thursday, August 29 comes word that Sof Hospitality will unveil Októ, its new Mediterranean concept, beginning Saturday, August 31.

Announced in May, Októ occupies the former The Chelsea space at the Montrose Collective, the mixed-use development that’s also home to Marmo, Uchi, and recently opened cocktail bar The Sophie. Its the fourth concept from Sof Hospitality, joining luxurious steakhouse Doris Metropolitan, Israeli-inspired restaurant Hamsa, and Badolina Bakery.

Named for the Greek word for “eight” — a nod to the building’s address at 888 Westheimer Road — Októ takes inspiration from Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Italy, and Spain. Created by chefs Yotam Dolev (Hamsa) and Hai Avnaim (Doris Metropolitan), the restaurant serves a tidy menu of fewer than 20 starters, entrees, and sides that’s designed to be shared.

Meals at Októ could begin with a Greek salad, eggplant carpaccio, or a green salad with crispy buckwheat and pickled peppers and onions. From there, diners may opt for a raw seafood dish such as tuna crudo or sea bass carpaccio.

Entrees include squid ink linguini with crab and and sambal butter sauce, branzino en papillote, or lamb chops with cauliflower and sunchoke skordalia (a Greek garlic dip). The restaurant is put its spin on the French classic filet Rossini, which is steak topped with foie gras, mushrooms, and a peppercorn sauce.

Okto restuarant steak Steak Rossini is topped with foie gras and peppercorn sauce.Photo by Becca Wright

Co-owner Itai Ben Eli and chef Dolev spoke about the restaurant on a recent episode of CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast. They explained the ways in which Októ’s food is intended to be more elevated than what they serve at Hamsa.

“The dishes at Októ are going to be more detailed and more layered than the ones we have at Hamsa, which is based more on traditional cooking. Októ is going to be a little more modern with layers and elevations that we’ll do daily,” Ben Eli said.

“We’re really trying to change the rules when it comes to the culinary scene and Okto,” Dolev added. “I just came back from Israel a couple of weeks ago. The scene there is amazing. I thought, I need to bring a touch of this, a touch of Italy, a touch of Greece.”

Okto restaurant frena bread Frena is a Moroccan bread with a crispy exterior and a fluffy interior.Photo by Becca Wright

Of course, just as Doris Metropolitan is widely celebrated for its bread and Hamsa has become known for its pita, no meal at Októ will be complete without its frena bread. Served with a housemade pistachio butter, the traditional Moroccan bread is baked upside down on rocks.

“The rocks give it a nice shape. They crisp up the edges and give you a fluffy inside,” Dolev explained.

Currently, Októ will be open until 10 pm during the week and 11 pm on the weekends, but it could stay open later in the future. A DJ booth in the dining room hints at the kind of lively late night atmosphere that Ben Eli and business partner Itamar Levy intend to offer. Other design details include windows that offer a view into the kitchen and a plant-filled patio.

“All of our concepts have evolved from one another, influenced by our deep cultural roots, and come to life by our talented players,” Ben Eli added in a statement. “Októ really emphasizes the boutique nature of our brand and the intimate feel of the Mediterranean dining scene. It is the product of the dream team we have at Sof Hospitality - with extensive collaboration on everything from the design of the space to the finishes on our cocktails."

Photo by Becca Wright

Meals at Októ could start with dishes such as eggplant carpaccio or Greek salad.

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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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