hello aunt etta

Favorite Houston chocolate shop unwraps new Galleria-area store

It’s a little easier to get a slice of Aunt Etta’s cake or a box of Texas Frito Brittle. Winfield’s Chocolate Bar is now open in the Galleria area.

Located at 2621 Augusta Drive, the new Winfield’s occupies a former dry cleaner next to the Becks Prime at Westheimer and Augusta. The store had been scheduled to open July 9 but got pushed back due to power outages after Hurricane Beryl. Finally, everything is ready to go.

“We’re excited and the store looks gorgeous,” Molly Voorhees, president of both Becks Prime and Winfield’s Chocolate Bar, tells CultureMap. “The patio overlooking the 500-plus-year-old Becks Prime oak trees makes for a pretty perfect place for a slice of cake.”

Courtesy of Winfield's Chocolate Bar

Winfield's Chocolate Bar has opened its third location.

Similar to its sister locations in Upper Kirby and Rice Village, Winfield’s Chocolate Bar sell just about any chocolate dessert a person could reasonably be craving, including sky high layer cakes, ice cream, chocolate bars and bonbons, and the signature chocolate-dipped strawberries. The shop recently debuted its Space City Truffle Box with flavors such as raspberry pop rocks, ice cream cone, potato chip, and Frito brittle.

“Our Space City truffles pay homage to Houston’s legacy as a hub of space exploration,” executive chocolatier Rachel McKinley said in a statement. “Each piece is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, blending out of this world flavors with cosmic inspiration to create a truly unique culinary experience. Whether it’s a thoughtful souvenir for tourists or a cherished treat for locals, these chocolates promise to delight taste buds and ignite imaginations.”

Winfield's Chocolate Bar Space City box The Space City truffles pay homage to Houston.Courtesy of Winfield's Chocolate Bar

In 2022, Voorhees rebranded The Chocolate Bar as Winfield’s Chocolate Bar. The new name ties the chocolate sho to her family’s history in the food business by paying homage to her father, Becks Prime co-founder Win Campbell, and his great-uncle Winfield, who owned a bakery during the Great Depression.

Since then, the company has further expanded its reach through a partnership with Kroger. First begun for the holidays last year, Winfield’s chocolate-covered Oreos and Rice Krispie, caramels, handmade truffles, s’mores made with Winfield’s housemade marshmallow, and more are available in 29 stores across the greater Houston area, including Alvin, Atascosita, College Station, Kingwood, Tomball, and Katy.

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two years in the making

Woodlands favorites fire up a fresh new restaurant in River Oaks

Courtesy of Fielding's

Fielding's River Oaks will open on Sunday, December 8.

One of The Woodlands’ most successful hospitality groups will soon make its inner loop debut. Fielding’s River Oaks will open this Sunday, December 8.

Located on the first floor of the Novel River Oaks luxury apartment development, Fielding’s River Oaks builds on the success of Fielding’s Culinary Group’s two popular restaurants — Fielding’s Local Kitchen & Bar and Fielding’s Wood Grill. CEO Cary Attar and executive chef Edel Goncalves will lead the new establishment.

The approximately 6,000-square-foot restaurant will seat about 200 people, divided between a dedicated bar/lounge area, a spacious dining room, and a private dining room. Two patios, including one with cabanas, will add more seats at some point after the opening. As shown in the photos above, the restaurant has been decorated for the holiday season with wreaths, poinsettias, and garlands.

Initially, the restaurant will only open for dinner with a social hour from 3-6 pm daily. Lunch will follow a week after opening on Tuesday, December 17. In January, Fielding’s will add brunch and a daily continental-style breakfast built around coffee and grab-and-go pastries such as croissants that will be made in-house.

At dinner, Goncalves will put his French training to create an eclectic, globally-inspired menu that utilizes the restaurant’s wood-fired grill and oven as well as an extensive program of breads and pastries that are baked in-house. Meals at Fielding’s will begin with bites such as yellowtail crudo, a wagyu sando, or foie gras with curry apple butter. Starters include karaage-style fried quail with Thai peanut sauce, a potato pancake with smoked salmon tartare, risotto with clams, fried okra, and French onion soup.

For entrées, diners have options such as pizzas, pastas — including radiatori with beef cheek bourguignon; spaghetti with cheese, lemon zest, and caviar; and bucatini with piri piri shrimp — or seafood entrees that include salmon, branzino, and cod. Meat lovers will find an Iberico pork chop, dry-aged duck, and steaks from Texas-based 44 Farms such as a filet or dry-aged New York strip.

Lunch will feature many of the options from the dinner menu along with an expanded selection of salads and sandwiches. They include a smash burger, shrimp banh mi, croque monsieur, and crispy chicken sandwich.

Beverage options start with a 1,400-bottle wine inventory, many of which are displayed in temperature-controlled cases at the restaurant’s entrance. As at Fielding’s Local, the restaurant will use a lower markup to entice oenophiles to discover new favorites. Similarly, the cocktail program uses quality spirits paired with freshly squeezed juices. Non-alcoholic cocktails will also be available.

“Fielding’s River Oaks is a concept nearly two years in the making,” Attar said in a statement. “We’re excited for lunch, social hour and dinner service to begin in December, and we’re confident it will add a distinctive layer of upscale offerings to the Houston restaurant scene, just in time for the holiday season.”

Courtesy of Fielding's

Fielding's River Oaks will open on Sunday, December 8.

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