Cafe Express, 1422 W. Gray, reopens October 4 with a brand new look and some new menu items. Calling its service "craft-casual", the upscale cafe has been completely renovated with a vibrant interior that is a blend of European elegance and relaxed American eatery. Taking its inspiration from the art house cafes in Europe, it is an homage of sorts to Cafe Express founders, friends and restaurateurs Lonnie Schiller and Robert Del Grande who first conceived the brand while on a trip to Europe. The first Cafe Express opened in 1984 on Post Oak Lane. Its restaurant at River Oaks Plaza first opened in 1991 as the third location for Cafe Express.
The renovations to the River Oaks spot also include curbside pickup and shelving for fast, contactless retrieval of online orders. While the takeout experience has been streamlined for convenience, the dine-in experience has been elevated with orders now being delivered to tables.

The menu still includes many longtime favorites such as Tuscan Amore Pasta, Mediterranean Grilled Salmon and Basil Pesto Chicken but there are new European-inspired dishes such as Amalfi Chicken, Tuna Nicoise Salad, Steak Bavette and Spanish Romesco Chicken. Its signature condiment bar includes imported goodies like mixed olives, capers, cornichons and Italian grissini breadsticks.
There is a beer and wine menu and its happy hour will draw the cafe crowds in for its $5 glasses of wine. For now the happy hour is available daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with plans to expand the program.

Cafe Express is also making renovations to its Town & Country and Meyerland locations while preparing to open a new restaurant in The Woodlands at 9595 Six Pines this fall. The expansion is part of the company's plans to open 30 more locations by 2030. Houston will be home to 15 of the future restaurants while another 15 are planned for the Dallas area.

Sarah McAloon, President at Cafe Express, said in a press release, "We are thrilled to breathe new energy into this pioneering restaurant concept and introduce it to a whole new generation of future Cafe Express lovers all while honoring our past, by keeping the fresh, flavorful and delicious food at affordable prices longtime fans know and love."

Kirby Ice House, 1700 Lake Robbins, opened September 27 in The Woodlands. It makes the third location for the bar and neighborhood hangout which has two other locations on Upper Kirby and in Memorial City.. The new outpost was done in partnership with The Howard Hughes Corporation and is situated just northeast of Six Pines Drive in the center of the Waterway District, putting it in easy reach of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion, Market Street and The Woodlands Mall.

The huge space includes 10,000 square feet of indoor space with an additional are of 18,000 square feet for outdoors, plenty of room for bringing canine companions on a leash. A massive live oak tree provides a shaded area and there will be games and outdoor activities in addition to the 300-inch jumbo screen for watching sports. There are 61 oversized HDTVS throughout the venue.
With all of this space, The Woodlands location is setting itself apart with the longest bar in Texas at 141 feet. There are 51 beer taps with rotating brews and  a menu of cocktails such as Blood Orange Palomas, Coconut Lime Mojitos and Cucumber Lime Moscow Mules. There are wines by the glass plus two frozen drinks - the Skinny Frozen Rose and Kirby Frozen Tea. There is also a full bar with daily drink specials and The Woodlands' Best Happy Hour.


There isn't a food menu, but true to its ice house roots, there will be a calendar of popular food trucks such as Mr. Sizzles, Boot Shooters BBQ, Satellite Pizza and Hearsay on the Go.


Navy Blue, 2445 Times Boulevard, is shooting to open in November. The new American seafood concept comes from Victoria Pappas Bludorn and her chef husband, Aaron Bludorn of the acclaimed Bludorn restaurant.  Partnering with the couple in the new endeavor is partner and general manager Cherif Mbodji.

This week, the team announced that Jerrod Zifchak would be the executive chef for Navy Blue when it debuts. Like Aaron Bludorn, Zifchak worked at Cafe Boulud, Chef Daniel Boulud's now shuttered New York City restaurant. The two collaborated together in the kitchen at Cafe Boulud with their tenures overlapping at the esteemed French fine dining hotspot, under the careful eye of Boulud himself.
The French techniques learned under Boulud has led Bludorn and Zifchak to create a menu that is heavy on Gulf Coast seafood with a touch of French culinary sophistication. Zifchak graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, where his father was an instructor. He then found himself working with Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin in NYC. He met Bludorn at a food festival which led to a position at Cafe Boulud. It would become a turning point in his career as he worked his way up the ranks, eventually taking over the executive chef role from Bludorn, who left Cafe Boulud in 2019 to open his own eponymous restaurant in Houston.
Unfortunately, the pandemic took its toll on the NYC dining scene and Cafe Boulud never reopened after closing at the beginning of the restaurant shutdowns. Bludorn and Zifchak continued talking and ultimately, Bludorn offered his friend and former kitchen collaborator the position of executive chef at his upcoming second Houston restaurant.

The new restaurant will showcase a plethora of seafood preparations using a variety of cooking techniques with playfulness and accessibility. The food menu will be accompanied by a Sommelier-curated wine list that emphasizes old world white wine varietals among its global offerings.

Nando's PERI-PERI, 1717 Post Oak Boulevard, is expected to open in spring 2023 at the Post Oak Plaza, a Levcor lifestyle center currently under redevelopment and also home to the recently opened (and relocated) Kenny and Ziggy's New York Delicatessen and Restaurant. Its flagship Texas location will be located at the southeast corner of Post Oak Boulevard and San Felipe.
Nando's is a South African import first opened in Johannesburg in 1987. Its Peri-Peri chicken is marinated for 24 hours before being flame-grilled and basted to the preferred flavor and spice of its guests. It use of the spicy Peri-Peri pepper has garnered legions of loyal diners and it has since expanded to 24 countries across five continents, making its debut in the U.S. in Washington D.C. in 2008.

While the Post Oak Plaza restaurant will be the flagship for Nando's Texas enterprise, there will be another location in spring 2023 at 23601 Cinco Ranch Boulevard in Katy, at La Centerra.
Katz's, 5930 Westheimer, had its grand opening September 23. It had fours days of a soft opening and training before opening for its normal 24 hours a day.  The eatery's slogan is "Katz's Never Kloses" meaning diners get to order its Yankee Pot Roast or Grilled Pastrami Hero at anytime of the day or night. Even breakfast is served 24/7 with omelettes, pancakes, eggs Benedict and, being that we are in Texas, breakfast tacos.

Owner Barry Katz brought in the team at Michael Hsu Office of Architecture for the design, the same design firm behind Katz's Heights location. In fact, much of the Heights design is seen at the new location with white subway tiles on the walls and smaller tiles of black and white creating an abstract floor design. Photographs of New York add to the ambiance, while the large bar with comfy, upholstered bar stools lets you know that this is way more than a late-nite deli joint. There are cold craft beers on tap, a dozen or so wines by the glass or bottle, a menu of margaritas, classic cocktails and even micheladas. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with 50 percent off all booze. That will leave a few extra dollars to order one of the Texas-sized bar appetizers like the NOSH Basket ($12.99) with fried potato pancake wedges, fire dog wedges, fried zucchini and cheese balls with NOSH sauce. Hey, winter's coming. We need to bulk up.

Speaking of bulking up, Katz's sells a number of its sandwiches in three sizes: Skinny, Klassic and New York. Guests have options such as The Reuben, The Three Stooges and The Philly Cheesesteak. The Monte Kristo gets a twist by being made with challah. For late night partiers, it's good for soaking up what ails you. There are also tasty open-faced sandwiches such as the Meatloaf Mania and the Tuna Melt.

Fancier fare includes a Pan-Seared Australian Sea Bass or Herb Grilled Atlantic Salmon. However, there are still deli items for comfort fare like Matzo Ball Soup, Potato Knish and Noodle Kugel. The bagels and bread are baked fresh daily.

Chick N Max, 12312 Interstate 45, is expected to open within the next 18 to 24 months. The lease was signed for the Willis Shopping Center and the Willis location is the first of three expected to open in the next two years from Aaron Johnson, who has signed a deal with Chick N Max to open 25 restaurants in Houston.

Johnson has nearly 30 years of franchise experience having worked with such brands as Bennigan's, Smashburger and MOD Pizza. He is currently seeking franchise partners to develop the remaining Chick N Max restaurants in the metro area.
The chicken concept was founded in 2017 and began franchising in 2021. Its menu offers 10 flavors of chef-crafted sandwiches made with almond wood-smoked pulled chicken or crispy chicken tenders. The sandwiches include its Maple Bacon with pulled smoked chicken, chopped bacon, maple syrup drizzle, cheddar cheese and mayonnaise on a potato bun. There's also the Sweet & Spicy Sandwich with lightly breaded tenders, fried jalapeno pepper strips, cucumber, tomato and sweet & spicy sauce, all served on a brioche bun.

In addition to its sandwiches, the restaurant has wings, leg quarters, breast quarters and half chickens that are almond wood-smoked plus sides such as fries, onion rings, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and smoked white beans. Guests have a choice of 11 sauces for their chicken.
Kolache Shoppe, 4521 Kingwood, hopes to open in mid-October and Kingwood residents are anticipating its opening as well. This is the third location for the longtime Houston business which has been around since 1970. It was first founded by Erwin Ahrens and in 2006 a young man, Randy Hines, began working with Ahrens to learn the magic of the soft, slightly sweet dough.  In 2014, the mantle was passed to Hines and his wife Lucy who have continued its legacy with a modern revival by expanding the menu and working with local chefs and vendors to create collaboration kolaches for limited time specials. Some local products include its kolache made with Pinkerton's barbecue brisket and another with Blue Heron cajeta cheese.

Currently, Kolache Shoppe has locations in the Heights and at Greenway Plaza. The Kingwood spot is the first franchise for the company, owned and operated by franchisees Kristy and Jordan Armendinger.
Trill Burgers is hosting another pop-up and this time it's at NRG Stadium for the Houston Texans' home game against the Los Angeles Chargers October 2. The smashburger phenomenon from rap artist Bun B, Andy Nguyen and Nick Scurfield will begin selling its OG Trill Burger, Grilled Onion Burger, Vegan Burger and fries at 9:30 a.m. between the East Club and the Astrodome. Bun B ( Bernard Freeman) and chef Mike Pham  will be on hand to get the smash bash going.

We're still waiting for Trill Burgers to pop up in a permanent home.
Bosscat Kitchen & Libations, 9595 Six Pines, is shooting to open this fall in The Woodlands. As the team prepares to open a second restaurant,  the location at 4310 Westheimer is launching a new lunch menu. For budget-minded diners, there is a 2 for $22 special for a two-course lunch and a $16 Soup & Salad Combo.

New lunch dishes include Bacon Ranch Buffalo Chicken Sliders, Blackened Ahi Tuna bowl, Grilled Skirt Steak Chimichurri, Salmon Pesto Pasta and a Spicy Chicken Wrap. The soup and salad choices include Kale Goddess, Power Spinach, Avocado Farm Chop and Heirloom Tomato Bisque. The lunch menu and specials are available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Taste Bar + Kitchen, 3015 Bagby, will open very soon, according to its Facebook post September 28. With the closure of its Midtown location last month and the immediate opening of its Missouri City location right after (which is called the Sugar Land location for some reason), our heads are spinning with confusion. Owner/Chef Don Bowie is currently facing a number of lawsuits and some legal trouble but Taste seems to keep on ticking, sort of like a bomb that has yet to go off.

Zanti Cucina Italiana, 1958 W. Gray is expected to open in November, according to Community Impact. This is the second location for the restaurant which first opened in The Woodlands in 2019. Located in the River Oaks Shopping Center, it offers fresh, from-scratch Italian fare from chef Stefano Ferrero who was raised in Italy. He will be joined by executive chef Hilario Zamora at the new location. Zamora's resume includes stints with global brands like Grupo Pasta and JW Marriott and restaurants such as Alfredo di Roma in Mexico City.

Openings reported for September 2022:

Adair Kitchen, 5176 Buffalo Speedway, opened August 16
Aya Sushi, 5407 Bellaire, opened September 1
Cherry Block Smokehouse, 1223 W. 34th, opened September 7
Chicken Salad Chick, 5310 Weslayan, opened September
Georgia James Rooftop Terrace, 3503 W. Dallas, opened September 16
Honest Eats, 600 N. Shepherd, opened September 17
Lotus Seafood, 2903 S. Main, opened September 21
Mila Sichuan, 600 N. Shepherd, opened September 9
Numero28, 3974 Westheimer, opened early July
Raising Cane's 2473 Bay Area Boulevard, opened September 20
Real Agave, 1100 Louisiana, opened September 14
Saltgrass Steakhouse, 8506 Syms, opened September 2
Second Draught, 4201 Main, opened September 12
7Pie, 6405 Telephone Road, opened August 23
7Pie, 12350 Westheimer, had a grand opening September 9
Taste Bar + Kitchen, 3424 FM 1092, opened late August
Tim Horton's, 21811 Clay, opened August 29
The Toasted Yolk, 8408 Katy Freeway, opened September 12
Wild Montrose1609 Westheimer, opened September 19

Closings reported for September 2022:

Bellaire Broiler Burger, 5216 Bellaire Boulevard, closed September 5
Love Shack, 3801 Eastside, closed late August
Side Dough, 3801 Eastside, closed late August
Taste Bar + Kitchen, 3015 Bagby, closed late August
The Woodshed Smokehouse, 3728 Wakeforest, closed late August
Yelo, 23119 Colonial Parkway, closed September 4