The Hundred-yard Journey

Landmark Rice Village restaurant readies to relocate — but thankfully, not too far

Prego will have a new home in 2024.

Courtesy of Prego

One of Rice Village’s staple restaurants will have a new home in 2024, but it isn’t going far. Prego, an Italian restaurant that’s been in business for more than 40 years, is moving from its current location due to redevelopment plans by Rice Village owner Rice Management Company.

“After 40 years in the village, it was hard to imagine relocating to anywhere else in Houston. We are pleased we were able to work with the university and we won’t be going far,” Prego’s general manager and operating partner David Cook said in a statement. “Our new location is only 100 yards away at 5515 Kelvin Dr., Suite # 130, and we are thrilled that we will continue to be a part of this community. Our roots here are deep, and this is where our customers look for us to be.”

Part of H-Town Restaurant Group with establishments such as Hugo’s and Backstreet Cafe, Prego serves a diverse menu of Italian dishes including appetizers, salads, pizza, pasta, and mains. It’s also known for its extensive wine list.

Prego will remain open at its current location (2520 Amherst) until the new restaurant — currently a Talbots clothing store — is ready to open. Anthony Vu from 2X Studio will design the new space, which will blend elements of the current location with some more contemporary touches.

In the run up to the move, Prego is inviting diners to share their memories of meals at the restaurant. Diners are asked to email photos or memories to pregodavid@yahoo.com. The restaurant will share them on its social media accounts.

Prior to the move, Prego is planning a farewell celebration for the existing space. Details will be shared in the future. The goal is to celebrate the regulars who have supported the restaurant since the beginning.

“We are excited to start this next chapter, but also know that restaurants with rich Houston history like ours are becoming scarce especially after the hard road the hospitality industry has been on the past few years,” Cook added. “We know that our successes and longevity are due to our loyal regular customers. They inspire us to continue to provide a place where families and friends can gather to relax, share a meal, and be there for one another. Our commitment to quality, comfort, reliability, and hospitality has never been stronger.”

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New York Times critic awards Houston restaurant 2 stars in glowing review

Courtesy of ChòpnBlọk

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Let’s just call 2025 the year of ChòpnBlọk. In a review published Tuesday, December 16, the New York Times has awarded the Houston restaurant two stars (“very good”).

Written by chief restaurant critic Tejal Rao, the review touts many of the same qualities that the Times already praised when it included ChòpnBlọk on its list of America’s 50 best restaurants.

Rao writes that she usually avoids restaurants that serve food in bowls, but she’s impressed by the way that chef-owner Ope Amosu has put a West African spin on the concept.

“For inspiration, Ope Amosu looked to the kind of chain restaurants that were built to scale, where flavors are often subdued to appeal to the broadest possible audience, focus-grouped to death. But the delight of ChòpnBlok is in its sure sense of self, its lively, multidimensional cooking and clear, delicious vision for modern food from the Black diaspora,” Rao writes.

She singles out specific dishes, including the Nigerian red stew with short rib, the Black Star bowl with shrimp, and the signature Motherland, made with chicken, greens, and plantains. “It’s utterly simple, but draws you in for more with the mouthwatering twang of not-too-much MSG — an international shortcut to building umami that tends to be used carefully, and layered with other forms,” she writes.

The review also touches on the way Amosu switched the restaurant from counter service to full service — described as “warm, informal, and quick with the jokes” — and his time working at Chipotle to learn the basics of the restaurant operations.

A two-star review is only the latest instance of ChòpnBlọk receiving national attention. In addition to the Times 50 best list, Esquire recently named it one of America’s best new restaurants. The Michelin Guide awarded it a Bib Gourmand designation for 2025. Amosu earned a semifinalist nomination for Best Chef: Texas in the 2025 James Beard Awards.

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