down the street

Beard Award-winning East End Thai restaurant makes big move to rising Second Ward development

Houston’s newest James Beard Award winner will soon have a bigger, better space to share her “unapologetically Thai” cuisine with the world. Street to Kitchen will relocate from its current home in an East End gas station to The Plant, a development in the Second Ward.

The acclaimed Thai restaurant is moving two miles west on Harrisburg Boulevard to the former home of Louie’s Italian American. Expected to open in November, the move will allow Street to Kitchen to seat approximately 100 guests — roughly triple its current capacity.

Street to Kitchen will operate at its current location until the new one is ready to open.

When Louie’s Italian American closed in April, chef Angelo Emiliani announced he planed to open Angie’s Pizza in the space. Instead, he’s claiming the space currently occupied by casual bar How to Survive on Land and Sea for a new concept called Neighbors Pizza Bar.

Opened in 2020 by chef Benchawan Painter (known as “Chef G” to friends and fans) and her husband Graham, Street to Kitchen serves a menu of traditional Thai dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. The restaurant has earned wide acclaim, including Best Chef: Texas in the 2023 James Beard Awards and Restaurant of the Year in the 2022 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

“As a big fan of my adopted home, the great city of Houston, and with humble gratitude for the recognition from the James Beard Foundation as ‘Best Chef: Texas, I am thrilled to be able to expand Street to Kitchen, so that we can not only serve more Houstonians, but bring our unapologetically Thai food and our philosophy of fun to the HTX food scene,” chef G said in a statement.

In addition to serving more customers, moving to a larger location will allow Street to Kitchen to expand its beverage program. Plans call for the installation of an outdoor patio and for the space’s walk-up window to serve the Thai omelet that’s currently only available at the Urban Harvest farmers market.

As for Neighbors Pizza Bar, it will serve 18-inch, New York-style pizzas as slices and whole pies. Currently, it’s open Thursday through Monday for lunch and dinner with plans to expand to daily service. Taking over How to Survive brings Emiliani full circle. He first introduced himself to Houstonians by making wood-fired pizzas at the then-wine bar.

“Street to Kitchen and Neighbors Pizza Bar celebrate authenticity in how they approach their respective crafts and truly embody the types of creatives we’re looking to attract to The Plant in Second Ward,” said Jeff Kaplan, managing principal of Concept Neighborhood, the project’s developer. “Graham, Benchawan, and Angelo 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.”

James Beard Award Benchawan Jabthong Painter Street to Kitchen

Chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter won Best Chef: Texas.

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LRW 2025

Two week dining event celebrates Houston's Latin-owned restaurants

Photo by Dylan McEwan

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A two-week celebration of Latin food and culture has begun in Houston. Latin Restaurant Weeks has returned for its seventh year.

Held from Friday, July 11 until July 25, Latin Restaurant Weeks has more than 40 participants that showcase the diversity of Latin American cuisine. It includes everything from all four of James Beard Award winner Hugo Ortega’s restaurants — Mexican staple Hugo’s, seafood restaurant Caracol, Oaxacan restaurant Xochi, and street food favorite Urbe — as well as Brazilian steakhouses, casual taquerias, and bakeries.

Unlike Houston Restaurant Weeks where restaurant serve prix fixe menus at set prices, each participating restaurant in Late Restaurant Weeks determines its own offer. For example, at The Lymbar, David Cordua’s Latin-Mediterranean fusion restaurant in Midtown, diners have the option of a two-course, $25 lunch or a three-course, $39 dinner. Next door at Late August, chef Chris Williams and Sergio Hidalgo’s Michelin-recommended restaurant, the options consist of a two-course lunch and a three-course dinner (pricing information wasn’t available at press time). In contrast, Urbe’s sole offering is a three crispy pork belly taco plate for $17.

Those looking for more of a bar experience should consider Botónica, the recently-opened, Latin-inspired cocktail bar near River Oaks District. Aye Candy, a speakeasy-style bar in Spring Branch, is serving a $35 margarita flight with four variations on the popular cocktail.

Married couple Karinn Chavarria-Luckett and Warren Luckett founded Latin Restaurant Weeks in 2019 to increase awareness of Latin-owned restaurants. Since then, the event has expanded from Houston to Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C.

“Latin Restaurant Weeks was created to spotlight the cultural richness woven into each dish and story,” said Karinn Chavarria-Luckett, co-founder of Latin Restaurant Weeks. “It’s a celebration of identity, of creativity, and of the people behind the flavors who make our communities vibrant and strong.”

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