eat like the G.O.A.T.

Simone Biles vaults into the restaurant business with new airport eatery

Simone Biles is getting into the restaurant business.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

By any measure, Simone Biles ranks among the greatest Houston athletes of all time. Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals make her the most decorated gymnast of all time.

So it should come as no surprise that she’ll be the face of a new restaurant coming to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Called Taste of Gold, it’s expected to open near gate A8 in the first quarter of 2025.

To bring the restaurant to life, Biles has partnered with The Playmakers Group, a Dallas-based company that operates athlete-themed restaurants in airports, such as one created in partnership with Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). Dallas restaurateur Mark Brezinski — who contributed to the development of concepts such as Pei Wei, Velvet Taco, and Banh Shop, is curating the menu, according to a release.

“I am very excited to partner with The Playmakers Group and their dedicated team to help bring a new restaurant to my hometown airport,” Biles said in a statement. “I am a foodie at heart, and our hope with Taste of Gold is to offer a beautiful dining experience that features award-winning, signature menu items with some of my favorite flavors sprinkled in for our guests.”

At this time, it’s not quite clear how Biles’ “favorite flavors” will be reflected in the restaurant’s dishes. The only hint is that Taste of Gold “will celebrate Biles’s remarkable global achievements.” Perhaps since Biles is known as The G.O.A.T., the restaurant will serve cabrito.

Adding Taste of Gold should further enhance IAH’s reputation as offering compelling dining options. It placed in the top 10 for Best Airport Dining Experiences in the prestigious 2024 Skytrax World Airport Awards.

“Bush Airport is proud to offer one of the top airport culinary experiences in the world and it’s only going to get better,” said Francisco Cuellar, chief commercial development officer for Houston Airports. “We join the millions of people around the world who find inspiration in Simone Biles, an athlete who continues to raise the bar while achieving success and defying expectations. Houston Airports is on the same history-making trajectory as we redefine what it means to dine inside an airport.”

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free soft serve for all

Johnny Carrabba now serving Southern comfort food at new Bellaire locale

Mia's Table/Facebook

Mia's Table is now open in Bellaire.

A fast casual, family-friendly Houston restaurant has arrived in Bellaire. After a two-week soft opening, Mia’s Table is now open full time in the Bellaire triangle.

Located in the former CounterCommon space at 5413 Bellaire Blvd, the new restaurant is Houston’s seventh Mia Table, joining the original on Kirby Dr. as well as stores in Memorial City, Shenandoah, Katy, and more. An eighth location will open in Sugar Land later this year. Beginning this Saturday, February 14, the restaurant will be open its regular hours of 11 am-9 pm daily.

Houston restaurant legend Johnny Carrabba opened the first Mia’s Table in 2012. Unlike his pioneering Italian restaurant Carrabba’s that offers full service and an upscale environment, Mia Table is a family friendly, counter service restaurant that serves classic, Southern-inspired fare. Diners know it for dishes such as burgers, salads, chicken fried steak, and chicken tenders. In addition to the relatively affordable prices, families appreciate the free soft serve ice cream.

“At Mia's Table Bellaire, our focus is simple: serving great comfort food with genuine Southern hospitality in a welcoming, family-friendly environment,” managing partner John Cahill writes in a note on the restaurant’s website. “While this location already holds a special place in the neighborhood, we're proud to bring the consistency, care, and heart that guests have come to expect from every Mia's Table.”

Cahill adds that he grew up in Bellaire and has been with Mia’s Table since June 2014. Prior to opening the Bellaire location, he served as managing partner of the restaurant’s Bay Area location in Webster.

In addition to Mia’s Table, Bellaire recently welcomed the second location of Candente, Houston’s only Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant.

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