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    now boarding for flavor...

    3 Houston-area favorites open at Hobby Airport to launch big restaurant rollout

    Steven Devadanam
    Feb 20, 2024 | 4:48 pm

    Just in time for Spring Break and summer travel, Hobby Airport has unveiled the first phase of its 20 planned restaurants and dining options for busy travelers passing through the only 5-Star Skytrax airport in North America.

    This week, the airport officially opened The Spot/The Spot Bar, Velvet Taco, Fat Cat Creamery, and Dunkin Donuts. This mix of familiar local favorites and national, go-to names represents a desire to “celebrate Houston,” per a Houston Airports announcement.

    Opening this first phase of restaurants also marks the beginning of Phase 2 of a four-phase food and beverage transition at Hobby. The four phases, which will roll out Summer 2024 through Spring 2025, will include instantly recognizable names such as Common Bond, Dish Society, Killen’s Barbeque, Landry’s Seafood, Pink’s Pizza, SpindleTap, The Rustic, and Throughgood Coffee.

    The first phase of openings follow the plans laid out in two separate food and beverage concessions contracts between Houston Airports and Areas HOU JV and LaTrelle’s Management that Houston City Council approved early last year. The contracts mark a Houston Airports initiative to create a sense of community for local travelers, showcase Houston as a world-class dining destination to visitors, and create a five-star experience overall, per press materials.

    Not that many locals will need a description of these local and national mainstays, but here’s a quick refresher on the newly opened destinations.

    Velvet Taco
    As CultureMap’s Eric Sandler notes, Velvet Taco serves up a variety of globally inspired fillings such as tikka masala chicken tenders with cilantro basmati rice, falafel with tahini crema, and shrimp and grits with Cajun remoulade.

    Fat Cat Creamery
    A Heights and Houston favorite, the shop scoops out artisanal, made-from-scratch ice cream in signature brown butter waffle cones. Look for shakes, sundaes, and other sweet escapes on the menu.

    The Spot/The Spot Bar
    Galveston’s “island famous” Seawall landmark has grown to other areas, dishing out comfort food faves, burgers, and more, with a fully stocked bar.

    Dunkin' Donuts
    Early-morning flyers who need a host of sweet, iced, and savory offerings and a massive hot or iced coffee can look for this iconic coffee-and-doughnut beacon.

    The Spot burger

    The Spot/Facebook

    The Spot will serve up its famous burgers.

    As for the restaurant phase rollout, plans call for the following schedule (with local denotations):

    Phase 2 (Summer 2024)

    • The Rustic (local)
    • Starbucks
    • Throughgood Coffee (local)
    • Chick-fil-A
    • Pei Wei
    • Starbucks

    Phase 3 (Fall 2024)

    • Killen’s Barbeque (local)
    • Common Bond Café (local)
    • Yard House
    • SpindleTap Brewery (local)

    Phase 4 (Spring 2025)

    • Pink’s Pizza (local)
    • Wendy’s
      Jersey Mike’s
    • Dish Society (local)
    • Landry’s Seafood House (local)
    Hobby Airport’s restaurant journey has not been without controversy. Last year, as CultureMap reported, the beloved and mainstay Pappas Restaurants was forced to exit Hobby Airport after operating there for some 20 years, as part of the Areas agreement. At the time, Pappas Restaurant Group launched a social media campaign to encourage Houston City Council to reject the contract garnered more than 50,000 signatures. Pappas CEO Chris Pappas eventually issued a lengthy statement criticizing the vote and saying that the company will “explore legal options” related to the decision.
    For now, Houston Airports looks to clear skies ahead as it rolls out the 20 dining destinations for locals and visitors. “Houston Airports is relentless in our quest to make our passengers happy,” noted Francisco Cuellar, chief commercial development officer for Houston Airports, in a statement. “I am confident these new concessions will elevate the already incredible experience guests of Hobby Airport have come to expect from the first and only 5-Star airport in North America.”

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    8 miles high

    Houston chef's menu takes off on United's premium business class offering

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 10, 2026 | 4:59 pm
    United Chef's Table chefs
    Courtesy of United
    Justin Yu, far left, is one of 11 participating chefs.

    United Airlines has shared more details about its new partnership with Chef’s Table, the acclaimed Netflix documentary series, including the menus created by the 11 participating chefs for travelers flying its premium Polaris business class seating.

    For flights departing from Houston, United and Chef’s Table recruited Justin Yu, the James Beard Award-winning chef behind Theodore Rex, a fine dining restaurant in downtown that holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide. In addition, Yu and his business partner Bobby Heugel own Houston hospitality group Thorough Fare, which operates bars and restaurants including Anvil, Better Luck Tomorrow, Squable, Donna’s, and a new, still-unnamed restaurant in Montrose that’s slated to open later this year.

    Beginning August 1, people departing from George Bush Intercontinental Airport will be able to dine on Yu’s three-course menu that consists of:

    • Appetizer: Deviled eggs with white soy, aged cheddar, and chives
    • Salad: Chicory salad with spiced bacon, chickpeas, cucumber, onion, and oregano mustard vinaigrette
    • Entrée: Braised Texas short rib with ragout of mushrooms, red miso, and black eyed peas

    “I wanted that slightly Texan touch,” Yu told CultureMap in March. “To me, the Houston part of it is the most important. There’s such a level of diversity. Introducing light touches of that to the meal was something I considered.”

    Other participating chefs include Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles), whose menu includes an appetizer of burrata with braised leeks, shaved Brussels sprouts salad, and beef brasato with garlic mashed potatoes; Jenner Tomaska (Esmé, Petite Edith, and The Alston in Chicago), who has created a braised leeks appetizer, an arugula salad, and halibut with sauce matelote; Tomos Parry (Mountain and Brat in London), whose menu includes an appetizer of grilled beef filet, lobster salad with grilled peach, and slow-roasted lamb with smoked potatoes.

    Chefs representing United’s destinations in Newark, Denver, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., São Paulo, and Tokyo are also participating. The menus will be available through September 2026. They’ll be updated with new seasonal items beginning in October. Customers may opt for the Chef's Table meals beginning five days and up to 24 hours prior to departure.

    "At its core, this collaboration with Chef's Table is rooted in a shared ambition to redefine what inflight dining can be," said Aaron McMillan, United's Managing Director of Hospitality Programs, in a statement. "Because our leading global network reaches into the world's greatest food cities, we're able to work hand-in-hand with world-class chefs and translate their points of view into dishes intentionally designed for the realities of travel and inspired by destinations we serve."

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