wowing in waco

Chic boutique hotel fashioned from shipping containers to debut in Waco

The Hotel Herringbone will open in March 2024.

Rendering courtesy of Federica Cortabarria at CoveArch

A cool new hotel is checking into downtown Waco, and this time, it's not from Fixer Upper's Chip and Joanna Gaines.

The modern, art-deco-inspired Hotel Herringbone, at 319 South 4th St., is set to open in March 2024. Converted from a former shipping container development, the hotel will offer 21 boutique rooms for guests, along with four restaurants, including a rooftop bar.

The rooms, ranging from 230-square-foot single rooms to a 1,300-square-foot multi-bedroom suite, are inspired by art-deco and mid-century modern design. Taylor Leage, the hotel's lead interior designer, says in a press release that he wanted to highlight the pre-existing exterior architecture of the space while completely transforming the interior to elicit design aesthetics from all areas of history.

“We aimed to showcase layered elements stemming from the wide-ranging regions and history through the lens of a 20th-century world traveler and her husband – evoking the feeling of your grandmother's attic filled to the brim and brought to life as if it were brand new," Leage says in the release. "Art Nouveau detailing is balanced out with modern futuristic forms, and a bright, bold, modern color palette to bring in a light sense of humor and new life."

In addition to the classic boutique hotel amenities, the hotel will offer luxurious extras, including hotel-branded refillable bottles, MovieBeam entertainment and fitness programming, morning craft coffee services, and a daily happy hour in the evening.

Hotel Herringbone, Waco hotel The hotel is opening in a former shipping container development.Rendering courtesy of Federica Cortabarria at CoveArch

The Hotel Herringbone site was previously home to The Containery, a brightly-colored shipping container development that foreclosed in 2021, and has since sat vacant. Lucky Find Hospitality acquired the development – which spans across an entire city block – and partnered with San Diego-based design firm Rad Lab, FreeForm Development, and acclaimed Waco chef and restaurateur Corey McEntyre to bring the hotel to life.

Lucky Find Hospitality and McEntyre developed four restaurant concepts at the Hotel Herringbone:

Red Herring, a 6,000-square foot warehouse-turned-Mediterranean-inspired fine dining establishment
Lucky Buck's, a fourth-story rooftop lounge and sports bar
Song Bird, an international wine and charcuterie bar and al fresco dining concept, with a goods market and live music space
Nightlight Donuts and Coffee, a ground-floor craft coffee and doughnut bar with indoor and outdoor seating

Hotel Herringbone, Waco hotel The Red Herring spans 6,000-square feet.Rendering courtesy of Federica Cortabarria at CoveArch

There are several more projects in the works to transform the hotel and existing development into spaces for gatherings, events, and experiences.

Event spaces inside and outside the Herringbone Hotel include:

A second-floor hotel ballroom that can fit 150 people
A 500-square-foot boardroom and bridal suite adjacent to the hotel ballroom, overlooking the plaza
A 1,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor vinyl record listening studio and lounge
30,000 square feet of space for restaurants, music and event venues
A 15,000-square-foot public plaza that displays 12 retail spaces
A shaded outdoor play space for children
A large stage for live music performances

The hotel is near popular touristy shops and stops, such as the Dr Pepper Museum, Fabled Bookshop and Cafe, the Waco Downtown Farmers Market, and (of course) the Silos at Magnolia.

"When we began spending significant time in the market, our team quickly fell in love with the community, the people, and the blossoming food, music and art scenes," says Lucky Find Hospitality CEO Rigel Bitterman in the release.

Hotel Herringbone reservations are now open for stays beginning March 15, 2024, with room rates beginning at $233 per night. More information about the hotel can be found at hotelherringbone.com.

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8 miles high

United and Chef's Table recruit top Houston chef for premium inflight meal

Courtesy of Thorough Fare

Chef Justin Yu will represent Houston on United flights.

United Airlines has a new initiative to lure travelers to fly its premium Polaris business class seating. Beginning August 1, travelers departing from 11 cities around the world — United hubs along with London, Tokyo, and São Paulo — may opt for meals created by some of the best chefs in the world through a new partnership with Chef’s Table, the acclaimed Netflix documentary series.

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 Bobby Heugel own Houston hospitality group Thorough Fare, which operates bars and restaurants including Anvil, Better Luck Tomorrow, Squable, and a new, still-unnamed restaurant in Montrose that’s slated to open this summer. A frequent traveler, Yu tells CultureMap that he jumped at the opportunity to work with United and Chef’s Table to create a premium meal that showcases Houston’s food scene.

“There’s always something slightly unexpected about Houston and its food,” Yu explains. “The choice of asking me to be the chef very much represents that. As a native Houstonian, I am very rooted in the city, but always with something slightly unexpected with our food.”

While the specific dishes won’t be revealed until closer to launch, Yu shared the creative direction that inspired his menu, which will include an appetizer, a salad, and an entree. Specifically, diners can expect to see Asian ingredients that reflect Houston’s diversity, just as they would on Theodore Rex’s menu.

“I wanted that slightly Texan touch. 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,” he says.

Part of the consideration was creating flavors that would hold up well when served at 30,000 feet. The meal also needs to match the level of luxury that Polaris offers.

“That use of ingredients that’s maybe something you don’t expect in an in-flight meal is something I thought about quite a bit. How do you introduce a deeper level of umami to the flavors, the possibility for a few local ingredients that are unique to the region.”

Being included in the project puts Yu in some pretty prestigious company. The roster includes Michelin star holders such as Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles), Jenner Tomaska (Esmé in Chicago), David Barzelay (two-star Lazy Bear in San Francisco), and Tomos Parry, whose London restaurant Mountain Yu cites as the one he’s most personally excited to visit.

“Getting to know the other chefs has been really fantastic. I feel very blessed to be part of this project,” he says.

Travelers who fly in the Polaris class enjoy a number of amenities, including all-aisle-access seating, lie-flat beds, and premium bedding by Saks Fifth Avenue. Since last year, United has been updating the seats with larger entertainment screens, sliding privacy doors, and tech upgrades like Bluetooth, wireless charging, and USB-C power outlets.

"United's network spans many of the culinary capitals of the world, allowing us to authentically bring together acclaimed chefs from around the globe," said Andrew Nocella, chief commercial officer, United Airlines, in a statement. "Our collaboration with Chef's Table shows how we're leveraging our unique position as the world's largest airline* to deliver restaurant-quality moments in the sky. Our United Polaris international business class travelers are going to love the new dishes coming later this year."

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