Barcelona Wine Bar, 1731 Westheimer, is now open. It's the 20th location for the tapas and wine bar brand and the first for Houston. It offers an array of Old World varietals but it also boasts one of the largest Spanish wine programs in the country along with a number of South American selections as well. There's also a variety of cocktails and mocktails.
The executive chef for the Houston location is Thomas Laczynski who some Houstonians may recognize from his days at Atlas Restaurant Group. A U.S. Army veteran, Laczynski attended Le Cordon Bleu in New England before working in well-known restaurants across South Carolina and Texas.

The menu starts with a multitude of cheese and charcuterie items from around the world with a special focus on Spain. The tapas menu includes traditional plates like pan con tomate, albondigas, patatas bravas and chicken pintxo plus bites such as hamachi crudo, octopus arancini and eggplant caponata.

There are larger plates like whole branzino and a trio of different paellas from which to choose, along with several salads and desserts.

The 5,000 square-foot space invites guests in for a Spanish experience with a mix of tables in the dining room and seating at the bar. An outdoor courtyard patio provides a European ambiance for intimate dinners or celebratory gatherings.
Mandito's Tex-Mex, 9910 Gaston, will open in Katy in early 2024. It's the second location for the newest concept from Palacios Murphy Hospitality Group which also owns and operates the legendary Houston restaurant, Armandos, along with Lulu's, Popi Burger and the Hotel Lulu in Roundtop, Texas.

Owners Armando Palacios and Cinda Murphy de Palacios opened the first Mandito's in the small Texas town of Round Top in 2017. Meaning "Little Armando", it delivered some of the same Tex-Mex fare that its older brother eatery was known for in Houston. In April 2023, the Palacios Murphy Group opened a second Mandito's in Bellaire.
The Katy location will have a similar feel as the Bellaire restaurant with an expansive patio which will seat 50 diners. Facing the Stableside green space at Falcon Landing, it will allow parents to enjoy a meal while being able to keep an eye out as their children play on the lawn.

The upcoming Mandito's will also feature a dedicated to-go station as part of the floorplan which will streamline pick-up operations. A separate entrance is available for guests picking up its popular Fiesta Packs for take-away.

The same Mandito's items will be on the Katy menu including its "World Famous Burrito Bowl", Tres Hombres Enchiladas, Fajitas and Baja Fish Tacos. And there will be margaritas, both classic and top shelf.

The Library, 8510 Long Point, opened softly in early September and is now open daily from 4 p.m. until midnight. The Spring Branch wine bar offers an elegant destination for wine sipping and comfortable, cozy booths for conversation and tipples. There's also a snack menu of charcuterie, cheeses, bar bites, salads, bouquerones and flatbreads.

In the upcoming months, The Library will be adding wine tastings, educational programs and special menus along with merchandise. The venue is also a great place to host private events including bridal showers, birthday parties and corporate meetings.
RAKKAN Ramen, 2550 Citywest Boulevard, opens October 7 in Westchase. Brought to Houston by franchisee Chris Lav, it's the fourth location around the city. Lav has plans for a fifth in the Galleria area later this year. Currently, RAKKAN Ramen, which was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 2011, has 13 stores in the United States.
The ramen brand distinguishes itself from other traditional noodle shops by using a 100 percent plant-based broth as a building block for its soups, making it a great choice for both vegans and meat-eaters alike. The options begin with a choice of ramen base: Amber (soy sauce), Pearl (salt), Garnet (miso), Spicy Garnet (spicy miso) and Quartz (creamy).

Diners can then choose their noodle preference. Its Rakkan original noodles are vegan and whole wheat but the restaurant also offers gluten-free noodles as well as vegetable noodles made of kale. The meat bowls come with grilled pork, seasoned egg and bamboo shoots while the vegan ramen is topped with sauteed mushrooms, tofu and corn.
In addition to the ramen, there are appetizers like takoyaki (octopus balls), gyozas (fried dumplings) and RAKKAN buns with a choice of pork, chicken or vegan fillings.

For its grand opening October 7, the restaurant will offer buy one, get one free ramen bowls all day long.

Cork It Wine Bar, 6845 Peek Road, is set to Open December 1, according to Community Impact. Located in the Elyson retail and dining development, the wine bar will offer an extensive and global wine list and a menu of light bites and charcuterie boards.
Crazy Pita, 2587 Town Center Boulevard N., opens October 24 in Sugar Land. Serving Moroccan-inspired cuisine, the fast-casual brand was founded in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2006 by Mehdi Zarhloul. The menu is a dive into a Mediterranean experience with dishes like Rotisserie chicken, Half Chicken with rice and its popular Chicken Skewer Plate. There are pita sandwiches such as the Chicken Shawarma, Wagyu Kefta, Lamb, Shrimp, Falafel and Vegetarian. There are also rice bowls and salads and a variety of protein options for topping.
Urban Bird Hot Chicken, 6325 Garth, will have its grand opening October 2 in Baytown. Known for its jumbo fried chicken tenders, it offers diners a choice of spice level from No Spice to Fire in the Hole. We recommend sticking with Nashville Hot for a kick that's not a killer.

The tenders are available in baskets or on sandwiches. There is also its version of Chicken & Waffles.  Sides include crinkle-cut fries, sweet potato fries and seasoned street corn. Urban Bird also launched its Chronic Fries as part of its menu at most locations which offers a variety of loaded fries such as its signature Urban Fries, Buffalo Mac, Thai Fighter and Flaming Hot Cheeto Fry. There are soft drinks and yummy milkshakes, too.

The Baytown location will be the 11th for the Houston-based and veteran-owned company. There are two more restaurants in the works at 3011 W. Grand Parkway in Katy and 25250 Northwest Freeway in Cypress.
Code 49 Burger, 734 Crabb River, will close December 2,  according to its Facebook post. Formerly known as The Sauer Kraut Grill, or still referred to as such by its regular customers, the food truck concept opened its brick and mortar a month before the COVID pandemic shutdown. Though the restaurant will close, the owner, Eric Morse, will continue with The Sauer Kraut Grill food truck after the restaurant shutters. And The Sauer Kraut Grill may emerge once more in a different location in the future.

The restaurant will continue with both the burger and German menus through November 4. It will switch to just burgers November 8 through December 2, when it closes.

For those who want to experience its final Oktoberfest, the restaurant will host its Oktoberfest 2023 (Round 2) September 30. There will be specials like $1 off all Oktoberfest beers, $5 Jaeger Fries and $6 Brats with house-made kraut and spicy mustard. Karaoke begins at noon, followed by Stein Hoisting at 2 p.m. then a costume contest at 3 p.m.
Ambrosia, 2003 Lexington, closed September 5, after finishing out Houston Restaurant Weeks. One of the owners, Alana Kandu, told the Press in an email that the patronage never went back to what it was prior to the COVID pandemic and that the restaurant also lost much of its staff and regular suppliers due to the pandemic as well. Feedback from customers showed the persistent road construction on Highway 59 near Shepherd to be a big inconvenience when trying to get to the restaurant.

Kandu said "We have been fortunate enough to be open this long and we have loved serving all our customers. I want to give a big shout out to our regulars and thank them for their support." She added, "We are hopeful that we will be able to open Ambrosia or something similar in a different location in the future."
Coffee Fellows, 3329 W. Grand Parkway N., is coming to Katy this fall. Meanwhile, the Munich, Germany-based coffee brand has launched its exclusive fall drinks at the Bellaire location, 4900 Bissonnet, which opened this past June as the first Houston-area spot for the company.

Some of the autumn drinks include Pumpkin Spice Latte and Maple Oat Latte, both of which can be ordered hot or iced. There's also a Spiced Apple Cider with a hint of cinnamon, pumpkin spice and caramel or the Campfire Cookie Frappiato with the s'mores flavors of marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers blended with whole milk and frappiato powder.
Layne's Chicken Fingers, 2359 S. Shepherd, is shooting to open in December 2023. It's the first franchised location for Masroor Fatany, owner of AYG Food Services. Fatany, also opened and now operates seven locations of The Halal Guys in the Houston area. He plans to eventually open five Layne's in total throughout the area. Currently, there is one in Houston and another in Katy.  Prior to the upcoming Montrose location, Fatany will also open a Layne's Chicken Fingers in Beaumont, 3635 College Street, October 21, taking over the former home of Rex's Chicken.

First founded in College Station in 1994 by Mike Layne, the fried chicken finger restaurant earned a loyal following from Texas A&M college students and faculty as well as local residents. The team behind the brand like to boast that it preceded its competitor Raising Cane's to the market by two years. Raising Cane's was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1996.

The chicken tenders at Layne's are marinated and breaded on site and can be ordered singly or as The Sandwich, which has three chicken fingers on Texas Toast spread with Layne's Secret Sauce. The Club Sandwich adds crispy smoked bacon and American cheese to the mix while the Grilled Cheese has no chicken, just cheese.

Sides include Crinkle-Cut Crispy Fries and Potato Salad. Besides its secret sauce, there are other dippers like buttermilk ranch and barbecue sauce.

Gold Tooth Tony's Detroit Pizza, 1901 N. Shepherd, opened softly September 11 to huge success, as we reported here in the Houston Press. In a follow-up phone call, owner Anthony Calleo told the Press that he's already scouting out locations for another location, maybe even two.

Saint Arnold Brewing Company, 2000 Lyons, won Brewery of the Year 2023 at the Great American Beer Festival, a title they previously earned in 2017. In addition, Saint Arnold won two gold medals for its Lawnmower, in The Golden or Blonde Ale category, and the other for its Elissa IPA, an English Ale.
Uchiba, 601 W. 2nd, opens October 6 in Austin and is now taking reservations. This is the second location of the concept from Hai Hospitality which also owns and operates Uchi, Uchiko and Loro Asian Steakhouse with locations in Houston, Austin and Dallas.

Owner and chef Tyson Cole said about the new concept, "The core of Uchiba is inspired by Izakayas that our team visited when traveling through Japan. Like Uchi and Uchiko, we have a sushi bar, cool and hot tastings, but we really lean into items like Bao, Buns, Skewers and Dumplings as part of the intimate bar experience and we are pushing the boundaries of cocktails beyond their role as a complement to food."

Will Uchiba make its way to Houston as the other Hai Hospitality concepts have done? We have asked the question and will let readers know when we receive an answer.

Salata Salad Kitchen has launched a line of its bottled salad dressings in partnership with Grow Food Packing. The five dressings are now available at select H-E-B locations across Texas and include its popular Buttermilk Ranch, Chipotle Ranch, Fresh Herb Vinaigrette, Balsamic Vinaigrette and Ginger Lime Vinaigrette.

The 12.5-ounce bottles retail for $6.48.

Restaurants Reported Open September 2023:

Aburi Sushi, 3800 Southwest Freeway, opened early August
Best Regards, 222 W. 11th, opened late August
Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, 4500 Montrose Boulevard, opened September 1
Chapman & Kirby, 2118 Lamar, reopened September 14
Cinnaholic, 19320 W. Bellfort Boulevard, opened September 1
Coastline Artisan Pizza, 1720 opened September 13
Crumbl Cookies, 2036 Westheimer, opened September 22
Dolce Niente, 3784 Rayford, opened August 16
Gaspachos Mexican Bites, 3801 Eastside, opened September 14
Gold Tooth Tony's Detroit Pizza, 1901 N. Shepherd, opened September 11
Hidden Bar, 2715 Bissonnet, opened September 21
Jersey Mike's Subs, 12645 Tomball Parkway, opened September 6
JuiceLand, 1121 Uptown Park Boulevard, opened September 6
Kolache Shoppe, 11940 Broadway, had its grand opening October 3
Norigami, 2715 Bissonnet, opened September 21
Ocean 12, 1212 Waugh, opened September 1
Private Client, 2118 Lamar, opened September 14
Russo's New York Pizzeria, 22811 Morton Ranch, opened early September
Samurai Noodle, 411 Smith, opened September 6
The Spot Island Famous, 2502 Gulf Freeway S., opened September 5
Stick Talk Cajun Hibachi, 502 Elgin, opened September 1
The Sunrise House, 1830 W. Alabama, opened early August
Sweet Bribery by Craft Creamery, 250 W. 19th, opened early September
Tumble 22, 1017 Houston, opened September 12

Restaurants Reported Closed September 2023:

Kim Son Stafford, 12750 Southwest Freeway, closed September 24
Lagniappe Kitchen and Bar, 550 Heights Boulevard, closed in June
Pho Binh By Night, 12148 Bellaire Boulevard, closes October 1
Ubberrito Fresh Mex, 1609 Durham, closed temporarily due to fire August 24