Openings & Closings: Welcome Peli Peli to Cinco Ranch

The wait is near over for Peli Peli fans who live in Cinco Ranch. Co-founder Thomas Nguyen told the Houston Press that we can expect a July 24 opening date.

It’s been in the making for over a year; the group secured a lease in the former Kenzo Sushi Bistro space in May 2016. The LaCenterra location will mark Peli Peli’s third “full-fledged” restaurant, the original restaurant is in Vintage Park and the second can be found inside of the Galleria. Peli Peli Kitchen (a fast-casual version) can be found off Interstate-10 and Campbell and Peli Deli, an even smaller outpost is located downtown in the Esperson Building.

Nguyen (who writes on occasion for the Houston Press) told the Press that Katy was a natural move because it’s where he calls home.

The South African-inspired menu is diverse and diners will be happy to see Chef Paul Friedman in and out of the kitchen at the new location. Doors will open in a couple of weeks at 23501 Cinco Ranch, suite R140.

Is it a brewery or winery? We aren’t sure, but Braman Brewery/ Running Walker Beer celebrated its grand opening on July 1. A reader’s tip said the party included live music and grub by local food trucks, Wylie St Tacos and Renegade Food Truck.

A post in the Houston Let’s Talk Craft Beer Facebook group explained that Braman Brewery will operate under Running Walker Beer and that it will be a brewery/winery combo with Braman Wineries. The new space includes an outdoor beer garden and can be found at 3421 FM 359, suite B in Richmond.
A new pho place, Pho Hoa & Jazen Tea, is opening in Northwest Houston at 13280 Northwest Freeway, suite A. Owner Phin Dinh told the Press that she expects to grand open in two to three weeks following a soft opening on July 14. The Vietnamese noodle soup shop will offer the typical pho menu along with a line of real fruit juice teas and smoothies.

A couple of months shy of a year’s run, late-night Asian eatery Jimmy Chew’s has shuttered, but it may not be down for the count. On The Cleverley Show last week, owner Irwin Palchick shared the news publicly that he had decided to close because of “some problems in the kitchen with some employees that we needed to change.”

Palchick mentioned that he’s found a new chef “who’s ready to step in” with a new menu. He added that if the right investor came along to breathe new financial air into the project, “we could open in five (days),” as CultureMap Houston also reported.
Critically acclaimed Truth BBQ announced last Friday that it will it bring its signature Central Texas barbecue inside the Loop this fall. The restaurant was ranked No. 10 on Texas Monthly’s Top 50 Barbecue Joints and owner Leonard Botello IV, a Houston native, said in a press release that “finding the perfect spot has been in the works for several months.” He added that it’s been a personal goal for years to “take Truth back to my hometown.”

From June 30 to July 9, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, 5061 Westheimer (inside the Galleria), will be closed for remodeling. A press release announced that renovations, including new carpeting, ceiling tiles and lighting, are expected to be completed by mid-September. The dining area will have new chairs and re-upholstered booths. The first and second floor bars and restrooms will get makeovers in the process as well.

On June 29, a brief statement was issued by owner Roland Laurenzo that Laurenzo’s Bar & Grill at 1910 Bagby was no more. The announcement read:

“Laurenzo’s Bar and Grill closed. Regrettably it never generated sufficient sales to be viable. That's all.”

Rancho Mexican Restaurant announced that it will relocate from 146 West Parkwood to 2131 West Parkwood in Friendswood. Plans are to break ground in August and complete the move by early 2018.
On July 6, Southern Goods, 632 West 19th, started its whole hog program with Yonder Way Farm, located 84 miles west of Houston in Fayetteville. Chef de cuisine JD Woodward explains that “it’s about showcasing the quality of the animal and honoring it.” For diners, this means an opportunity to have locally farm-sourced pork in a variety of dishes wherein chefs utilize every part of the hog, from nose to tail.

East End Hardware, a new bar with 20 beer taps, mixed drinks, boozy New Orleans-style sno-balls, and a dog-friendly patio, is now open at 3005 in Leeland. As first reported by Swamplot, the bar's location formerly housed a business with the very same name, though that was an actual hardware store. "It's a bar now," reads East End Hardware's Instagram.

Dessert spot Pie Town Café has plans to relocate in early September from its Portofino Shopping Center home to 19285 David Memorial in Shenandoah. The current location at 19075 Interstate 45 South closed on July 8.

Mustard Seed Kitchen opened at 214 West Main, in the former space of The Lunch Ladies Café & Catering on June 20 in Tomball. Lunch is served Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A popular Korean fried chicken chain is expanding to Sugar Land at 1525 Lake Pointe Parkway, suite 160. Bonchon first opened in the Houston Market late May at 24437 Katy Freeway. According to Community Impact, there is no opening date set and the restaurant is awaiting an approval for a liquor license.

The Missouri City/Stafford area will see a new Dairy Queen on Highway 90 between Murphy and Dulles soon.

Fast-casual burger shop, Burgerim, will open the second of ten planned locations in the Houston metro area. The second store is slated for 9101 Sienna Christus, suite 800, in Missouri City. In addition to mini burgers, the chain offers sandwiches, salads, sides, appetizers and desserts.

The location at The Boardwalk on Towne Lake is a popular spot in Cypress. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; opened until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and until 8 p.m. on Sunday evenings.

A new coffee spot, Choice Coffee by Gloria, set up shop in Spring last month at 25115 Gosling in the former location of Creative Grounds Coffee. The menu offers coffee, smoothies, breakfast sandwiches, frappés and more.
Killen’s STQ has a new bar menu and happy hour that includes pork rillette toast, duck confit quesadillas and tandoori beef skewers, and lots of refreshing cocktails in the $7 to $12 range. Available in the bar and on the patio between 4 and 6 p.m.

A new Mexican restaurant opens in August in Spring. Mirrey Tacos y Discada, at 727 East Louetta, suite 120, will serve authentic Monterrey-inspired street tacos and discada, which is a mixed meat dish prepared in a “disk.”
A new Schlotzsky’s at 18230 Highway 59 will celebrate its grand opening on Thursday, July 13, with a special offer. The first 100 guests who purchase a CinnaPack of six Cinnabon Classic rolls will receive free Schlotzsky’s for a year.

A new location of Five Guys is set to open in Summerwood, a suburb northeast of the Beltway 8 near the south end of Lake Houston. The 2,480-square-foot space at 14303 East Sam Houston Parkway North will be a part of the Westlake Marketplace retail center.

In early 2018, RC’s NYC Pizza & Pasta plans to open in the Valley Ranch Town Center at 21550 Market Place, suite 100. The New Caney location will offer a menu similar to its other locations in Kingwood and The Woodlands.

That's it for this week's restaurant openings and closings! Leave us a comment or send us an email to let us know if we missed something.