8 is great

Doris Metropolitan masterminds serve up new Montrose Mediterranean eatery

Októ aims to have the same lively bar crowd as Doris Metropolitan.

Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

A Houston restaurant group that earned a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Restaurateur is coming to Montrose. Sof Hospitality is opening Októ this summer in the Montrose Collective mixed-use development.

Located in the space that previously housed The Chelsea, Októ represents a new culinary approach for Sof Hospitality. Whereas its three existing concepts — steakhouse Doris Metropolitan, modern Israeli restaurant Hamsa, and Badolina Bakery — draw primarily from the Israeli heritage of owners Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy, Októ will take inspiration from the entire Mediterranean. In addition to Israel and the Levant, diners can expect dishes inspired by Greece, Italy, and Spain.

“This is something, of course, we are really excited about,” Ben Eli said in a statement. “As a restaurant group, we have extensive experience traveling around the world. Right now we’re working on conceptualizing the menu and narrowing it down to our must-haves based on the rich, Mediterranean culture.”

Hamsa chef Yotam Dolev and Doris Metropolitan chef Hai Avnaim will team up on the menu. Specific dishes are still under development, but plans call for a focused offering of only about a dozen items that will rotate seasonally. Like its sister concepts, the menu will be designed for sharing.

They’ll be paired with a cocktail program that aims to replicate the lively bar scenes at both Hamsa and Doris Metropolitan. The drink program is still under development, but the restaurant promises “eclectic spirits” in press materials.

Lindsay Madrigal of LM Designs will take the lead in transforming The Chelsea into Októ. Details include large windows to look into the kitchen, sliding glass doors to access the patio, and dim lighting.

Októ will be open for dinner and later into the evening with the goal of attracting people who patronize Montrose’s thriving nightlife scene. That approach has worked well for Marmo, the Italian-inspired steakhouse in the Montrose Collective, will operates until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

“There's a growing demand for more personal, intimate, and exceptionally executed dining experiences,” Ben Eli said. “Októ is more than a restaurant; it's a culinary destination where quality meets intimacy, and every detail is carefully considered to provide a memorable dining experience in the heart of Houston.”

Created by Dallas-based restaurateurs Shawn Rao and Jonathan Serrano in partnership veteran Houston operator Roveen Abante (Conservatory Galleria, Be More Pacific, Duchess, etc), The Chelsea opened last year with an eclectic menu and a stylish interior. It quietly closed in April. Picnik, an Austin-based healthy eating concept, also closed its Montrose Collective location after less than a year. A new occupant has yet to be announced for that space.

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a CultureMap Exclusive

Houston's 'Chinese takeout bar from the future' touches down in Webster

Courtesy of The Rice Box

A rendering previews The Rice Box's new location in Webster.

Houston’s Chinese takeout bar from the future is coming to the Bay Area. The sixth location of The Rice Box will open in Webster later this summer.

Located at 114 El Dorado Blvd, the new location will be called Rice Box Space Center after NASA’s headquarters at the nearby Johnson Space Center. Founder John Peterson tells CultureMap that it’s a bit of a homecoming for him and his wife/business partner, Jenny Vo, as they grew up in the area. As with every new location, the restaurant created a movie-style poster to announce its opening.

Rice Box Webster movie poster The Rice Box Space Center is expected to open later this summer.Courtesy of The Rice Box

For its first truly suburban location, Peterson plans to offer a more efficient pickup system for to-go orders. Dubbed The Rice Box Pickup Reactors, the system applies Rice Box’s sci-fi aesthetic to curbside ordering. As seen in the rendering above, the building will have six slots that drivers will pull into to get their orders.

“The goal is to have guests in and out with food in hand in around 90 seconds,” Peterson writes in an email. “It’s still pickup, but we’re trying to make that moment feel more intentional and more connected to the digital side of Rice Box instead of treating it like an afterthought. We’re looking at this opening as both a new store and a prototype for how Rice Box can work in more suburban markets without losing the part of the brand that makes it feel like us.”

Bay Area-area diners can expect the same menu as the Rice Box’s other locations. That includes staples such as General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken, beef with broccoli, and orange peel beef. The restaurant also serves traditional Chinese-inspired fare such as Chongqing chicken, cumin beef, mapo tofu, and chow fun noodles.

Recently, Peterson rolled out a new version of Rice Box’s dumplings. Available in chicken, pork, or vegetable, each style of dumpling comes with a different wrapper that enhances the filling’s flavor. They’re also available either steamed or fried.

The Rice Box started as a food truck in the early 2010s. After moving to a permanent location in the Greenway Plaza food court, it has opened brick-and-mortar locations in the Heights, River Oaks, Rice Village, and Memorial.

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