the countdown is on

Houston's Beard-winning Thai restaurant serves up opening date for highly anticipated new locale

Houstonians are less than a month away from experiencing Street to Kitchen’s new location. The East End Thai restaurant, led by James Beard Award winner Benchawan Jabthong Painter — better known as Chef G to friends and admirers — will open November 11.

Located in the former Cafe Louie space at The Plant, the mixed-use development at the corner of Harrisburg and Sampson, Street to Kitchen’s new location replaces its original location that closed last week. It will seat about 100 diners, up from the original location’s 40. While the restaurant will seat more people, Chef G still wants it to feel intimate.

“I just want to make Houston a little more Thai,” she said in a statement. “You know, we like to party in Thailand and sit a little closer together. Sometimes it’s fun to chat with new people when eating and drinking out.”

Regardless of the setting, Street to Kitchen’s food will follow the same formula that led to its winning Restaurant of the Year in the 2022 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards and Chef G to capture Best Chef: Texas in the 2023 James Beard Awards. The restaurant uses locally-sourced ingredients to create traditional Thai dishes. Highlights include garlic chive pancakes, a fiercely spicy pork larb, and a range of curries. Weekend dinner specials could include Tiger Cry made with Texas wagyu beef, whole fried fish, and Chef G’s signature black truffle crab curry.

Graham Painter, Chef G’s husband and business partner, will expand his wine list and add an all new cocktail program to the restaurant’s offerings.

While the original location in an East End gas station featured a mostly no frills design, the Painters worked with acclaimed local design firm Gin Design Group (Mala Sichuan Heights, Eunice, Nonno’s Family Pizza Tavern) for the new location. Look for pink LED lights along the bar, vintage Thai movie posters, and shades of green throughout the dining room. Here's a sneak peek.

Street to Kitchen interior Street to Kitchen's new dining room features lots of greenery.Photo by Vivian Leba

Graham tells CultureMap that he and Chef G are excited to be collaborating with a few Street to Kitchen regulars to bring the new location to life. That starts with their landlord, Jeff Kaplan, one of the people behind Concept Neighborhood, which is developing the Plant and surrounding area as a walkable neighborhood. Vy and Jack Collett of Limitless Solutions built the new location based on design work by Gin Braverman of Gin Design Group. Ben Baron of HTX Made contributed custom furniture — touted in a press release as “some of the most comfortable bar stools in town.”

“Street to Kitchen celebrates authenticity in how they approach Thai cuisine and embodies the types of creatives we’re looking to attract to The Plant in Second Ward,” Kaplan said. “Graham and Chef G are young but already storied hospitality leaders who are highly respected in Houston. Their decision to operate in The Plant in Second Ward will accelerate the vibrancy and achieve our goal of creating Houston’s first inclusive, walkable corridor.”

Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

The East End sensation Street to Kitchen is opening soon in Second Ward.

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Jonathan's new job

Houston hospitality veteran picked to lead beloved Junior League tea room

Courtesy of the Junior League of Houston

Jonathan Horowitz is the new general manager of the Tea Room at the Junior League.

A Houston hospitality veteran has found a new home at one of the city’s most iconic dining rooms. Jonathan Horowitz is the new general manager of the Tea Room at the Junior League of Houston.

Over the course of his two decade career, Horowitz has held many roles, including being an equity partner in LASCO Enterprises, which operated The Tasting Room and Max’s Wine Dive; spending five years at the CEO of Legacy Restaurants, the company behind The Original Ninfa’s and Antone’s Famous Po’ Boys; serving as the president of the Houston Hospitality Alliance, an organization that fostered relationships across all aspects of Houston's hospitality communities; and operating Convive Hospitality, a consulting firm that helped open several establishments around town.

Most recently, Horowitz has been working in commercial real estate. His responsibilities have included both pleasant aspects such as helping operators find an ideal location to expand their businesses and more negative aspects like helping others sell or close a struggling operation. The highs and lows had him looking for a new opportunity right when the Junior League needed a new general manager.

“I had made contact with a national recruiting firm after their current GM left the job after 41 years,” Horowitz tells CultureMap. “I looked at it from a current life situation and what I wanted to do going forward — the opportunity to get back into operations is very exciting and something I’m familiar with.”

"Jonathan Horowitz stood out from a strong candidate pool for his extensive experience in hospitality, business development, law and leadership, alongside his deep Houston culinary ties and alignment with our mission," the Junior League Tea Room General Manager Search Committee said in a statement. "He respects our traditions while bringing the collaborative leadership needed to enhance staff partnerships and advance our premier food and beverage operations in our newly renovated building. As we enter our next century of service, we are thrilled to welcome Jonathan as the new general manager."

Although he’s only a couple of days into the job, Horowitz already has some ideas how to enhance the Tea Room, which underwent extensive renovations a couple of years ago. Of course, fan favorite dishes such as the taco salad, crepes, and pecan ball aren’t going anywhere, but Horowitz has already heard from members who want more vegetarian options. He’s also gauging interest in themed game nights such as mahjong or bingo.

Behind the scenes, Horowitz is planning on some technological upgrades that will allow the operation to run more smoothly. Knowing his predecessor held the job for more than 40 years has Horowitz feeling optimistic that he’s found a long-term home.

“We’re on day three and you never know what the future hold, but I certainly look at it that way. That’s how I’m approaching it. I ain’t no spring chicken,” he says with a laugh.

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