Getting wild in Montrose

Budding Houston CBD bar and restaurant gets wild in Montrose with cool cocktails and global eats

A popular Heights coffee shop, cafe, and bar has arrived in Montrose. Wild is now open in the former UB Preserv space at 1609 Westheimer Rd.

In addition to coffee, cocktail, and CBD offerings that are similar to the original location that opened in the spring, the new restaurant features an all new food program from chef German Mosquera, the veteran Houston chef who has worked at restaurants such as La Colombe d'Or and Verdine. Mosquera's new menu utilizes a range of local ingredients to create globally-inspired dishes for both daily brunch and dinner.

At brunch, look for dishes such as migas con chorizo; chamoy salad with pepitas, satsuma, and pickled dragon fruit; and a breakfast sandwich with crispy pork belly, eggs, and Cheddar. Enhance them with sides such avocado salad, plantain chips, and grilled ginger-sesame chicken.

Dinner begins with shareable plates that include tuna tiradito, agua chile with snapper and king crab, stuffed chicken wings, and seared salt water prawns with chimichuri. Shareable entrees include Thai-style whole fried snapper, ribeye with broccolini and fennel salad, and Japanese-inspired octopus with fried rice.

All of Wild's dishes can be infused with CBD or hemp-derived THC in the former of add-ons such as butter, avocado oil, chili crisp, or honey.

Beverage options start with a full range of coffees and teas, including seasonal coffees like a pumpkin spice latte. Other coffee drinks are infused with a customer's choice of CBD or THC. Cocktail options include coffee-based drinks such as an espresso martini and riffs on classic cocktails such as the margarita and Old Fashioned.

1Those practicing a "California sober" lifestyle will find a selection of non-alcoholic drinks designed to be infused with CBD or THC. Beer and wine are also available.

Wild stocks a range of hemp-derived products, including its own branded gummies, flowers, and pre-rolls, along with a large selection of Texas-based brands such as Texarkana, Hometown Hero, Bayou City Hemp Co., and others.

Owners and cousins Adyson and Andrew Alvis have given the space a makeover to match the tropical-inspired look of the original. The restaurant is open daily from 8 am to midnight.

“We want this concept to be a one-of-a-kind immersive experience that will take our customers on a culinary roller coaster,” Andrew Alvis added in a statement.

Photo by Steven Cromer

Breakfast migas.

elevated dining

Luxurious downtown hotel elevates with new rooftop restaurant

The Perch restaurant JW Marriott Houston Downtown

Courtesy of JW Marriott Houston Downtown

A rendering previews The Perch at the JW Marriott Houston Downtown.

The next step in a downtown hotel’s renovation and expansion is taking shape. A new rooftop restaurant called The Perch will open next year at the JW Marriott Houston Downtown.

Open for lunch, happy hour, and dinner, The Perch will serve as a complement to the hotel’s new rooftop pool. Details on the menu are light, but diners can expect “a range of thoughtful dishes that highlight Houston’s diverse culinary influences,” according to a release.

Chef Rafael Gonzalez will lead the kitchen. His resume includes a stint as executive chef at Quattro, the Italian restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston that closed in 2020 and was replaced by pan-Latin steakhouse Toro Toro.

Earlier this year, the hotel announced that it is adding the adjacent Battelstein’s Building at 812 Main to its existing footprint. In addition to adding the Perch and a rooftop pool, the expanded hotel will have more meeting rooms and a new restaurant on the ground floor. When the expansion is complete, the JW Marriott will have a total of 384 guest rooms (an increase of 56), including 89 suites.

Currently, the JW Marriott occupies the historic, 22-story Samuel F. Carter Building at 806 Main. The hotel opened in 2014.

news-you-can-eat openings