There’s a new way to get fresh baked breads including French country bread, Kalamata olive, jalapeno cheddar and whole-grain sourdough in Houston. Owner Tasos Katsaounis, told the Houston Press he officially opened The Bread Man Baking Company as an online pick-up/delivery service in April, shipping service to come soon.

Katsaounis is married to local radio celebrity Roula from the 104.1 KRBE Roula and Ryan show. Roula’s family has owned and operated restaurants in the Houston/Galveston area since 1917 and Christie’s Seafood, her family’s namesake restaurant, has been located at 6029 Westheimer since 1979.

“I was feeling nostalgic one day, reminiscing about my childhood and the days I would help my mother bake bread at home,” Katsaounis wrote on his website. It’s a “labor of love and I was (and still am) obsessed with each piece that comes out of the oven,” he added. Looks like their tradition of cooking and baking lives on.

You can currently find his breads at the Westin Hotel Downtown and all of the locations of The Old Hickory Barbecue Inn.

Cousins Maine Lobster is closing up shop at Deacon Baldy’s Food Truck Park in Magnolia and hitching its truck to a new post at 403 EATS Food Truck Park in Tomball. The new digs include space for air-conditioned indoor seating with wifi and televisions, as well as a 1,000-square-foot porch. Expect the truck to be open on June 1.

Tomball is home to the latest empanada eatery, Che Gaucho. The shop opened on April 29 at 611 West Main and offers a wide selection of crispy, fried sweet and savory empanadas, Argentine pizzas, hot and cold sandwiches and daily specials.

Cypress Food lover Robert Platz thinks they’re pretty tasty and early Yelp reviews are positive.

A post announced the grand opening date for Two Bowls Bun Bo Hue. The Chinatown restaurant serving up a popular Vietnamese spicy beef noodle soup at 13080 Bellaire, suite A, is opening doors on June 1.


A new performance and event space celebrated its grand opening on May 18 in the space above Henke & Pillot. Studio 809 is Henke’s owner Marcus Lam’s labor of love. He and his team have been working on developing the space since last summer. Inspired by the days of Studio 54, the premier venue is set up to host lavish parties and special occasions.

The grand opening event was decorated by local group Rexberry Luxury Weddings & Events and catered by the Cordua Catering Group. “We are very proud of what we’ve created, the 809 stands for our address at 809 Congress,” said Lam. “Like Henke & Pillot, honoring Houston’s historical roots was important in the design of this space.”

Nano-brewery Vallenson’s Brewing Company will grand open at 4081 Rice Drier in Pearland on May 27 at noon. Being a nanobrewery allows for the creation of small batches of lots of different beer.

Owner Valle Kauniste’s beer journey started over 17 years ago when he first crafted his first brew in his garage. Valleson’s beers can be enjoyed in the taproom, in to-go growlers, or at local restaurants and bars.

A post in Katy Foodies introduced Cane Island Bar & Grill. The restaurant grand opened on May 19 at 4747 FM 1463, suite 100. The menu offers a wide variety of American bar fare, including wings, burgers, steaks and a few vegan items.

Hours of operation are Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (limited food menu available after 10 p.m.) and Sunday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Brunch will be available soon.

Looks like chef Omar Pereney, formerly of Peska Seafood Culture (now rebranded as Peska Seafood & Prime Steaks) has found a new gig. A recent Facebook post congratulated the chef phenom on his new project, Pereney Catering Co.

The chef abruptly left Peska earlier this year in February. A press release sent to the Houston Press on Tuesday announced Pereney’s plans to sue Peska. The Venezuelan-born chef is internationally recognized as a gifted young talent who was tapped to helm the upscale Galleria area seafood restaurant at the age of 20.

Pearland’s Dionisio Winery at 2635 Miller Ranch closed quietly in April. The shop offered tours and a wide variety of wines. Dionisio wines can still be purchased at Pearland area H-E-B’s and the winery will continue to host the annual Pearland Wine & Food Fest which will take place on August 26 this year.


Simit and Poacha, a new Turkish bakery opened at 12315 Westheimer, suite D, near Shadow Briar on May 19. Owner Isil Lemet told the Press that they offer an Eastern European breakfast and lunch menu, with an emphasis on Turkish baked goods. Try the simit, which is a circular bread with a texture and taste that falls somewhere between a pretzel and a bagel. “In Turkey, simit is sold on the street and eaten with cheese, nutella or jam,” said Lemet.

Hours are Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday,7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Our eagle-eyed reader Gregory Lin tipped us about a few more new signs going up in the H-Mart shopping center at 9896 Bellaire near Beltway 8. Signage for Kome Don hangs next to the Parisian Bakery at 9938 Bellaire, suite B1. A quick search did not reveal additional information about the possible donburi restaurant.

A new eatery called Tian Lu Chuaner opened earlier this month at 9888 Bellaire, suite 102. Judging by photos on Yelp, the menu offers a variety of Asian skewers like tofu skin, fish balls, chicken and sesame seed sweet pastries.

Taiwanese boba shop, T4 Tea For U is grand opening between May 26 and May 28 at 9888 Bellaire, suite 126 according to its Facebook page.

The Houston Chronicle reported that new restaurant, Benjamin, which is named for Benjamin Berg of B&B Butchers has leased a space inside The Star, a redeveloped apartment building in Downtown.

The space, located at 1111 Rusk and San Jacinto has an 11,023-square-foot downstairs dining room and a 5,700-square-foot mezzanine.

Crafthouse Grill is scheduled for an early June debut at 12910 Malcomson, the former space of Kilburn’s Tavern in Cypress. Owners Robert Gazdek and Rick Cantu plan to pay homage to Houston and Cypress with interior decorations that include historical photographs of the two cities.

This summer, Brewingz is opening a brand new location in the H-E-B shopping center in Fairfield at 2850 Highway 290 in Cypress. Along with a variety of sauced wings, the menu offers burgers, sandwiches, salads and kid’s menu.

Cali Sandwich reopened this past Monday after closing in at the end of March to relocate to a bigger space. The popular Midtown banh mi shop moved from 2020 Travis to 2900 Travis, formerly the space of Crave Sushi.

Chipotle opened in Deer Park on May 11 at 8035 Spencer Highway. The Chronicle reported that the people of Deer Park were very excited about a recent post about the fast-casual chain’s opening in their neck of the woods.

Community Impact reported that the second location of Coffeeshop Company will open under a new name, The Hub Bistro. Expect doors to open mid-June at 8540 Creekside Forest, suite C100 in Tomball.

The restaurant will have outdoor seating, a full bar and a drive-through window. The menu features American fare and weekend brunch will be available.


The Ivy & James opened last week at 4400 Bellaire on the grounds of the Evelyn’s Park Conservancy. Owners, Jamie and Dalia Zelko, along with Edgardo de la Garza have created a New American comfort menu that will be available to park-goers all day.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday, with happy hour on Tuesday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.

Prix Fixe Chef Menu with wine pairings are available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday inside the café and on the Pavilion. Picnic basket lunches are available Tuesday through Sunday and family meals can be ordered for pick-up.

A new pizzeria is opening in the second quarter of 2017 in Cypress. Pizza Cucinova is making its Texas debut in Bridgeland’s Lakeland Village Center near Fry Road. The menu offers a selection of 10-inch personal Neapolitan pizzas, traditional Italian-style pasta dishes, and fresh salads.

Salata will open at 4523 Kingwood Drive on June 20. The national chain is known for its large selection of healthy options on its salad bar. The Kingwood location will be located in new mixed-use development, Main Street Kingwood near West Lake Houston Parkway.


Meal-prep catering outfit The Upper Crust opened its first brick and mortar at 6061 West Broadway in Pearland. The menu features a long list of entrees and desserts. Dine-in is not available, meals are grab-and go only.

Private chef and owner Gary La Fave started the small business specializing in take ‘n bake casseroles and deliveries nearly seven years ago. Visit the website for more information regarding customized meal plans and nutritional consultations.

Whatever Bar & Grill has a sister bar called Whenever. The new bar and grill opened in early April at 8670 Highway 6 and offers a selection of high-end cocktails and rotating beer options. The food menu includes burgers, wings, nachos and specialty grilled cheese sandwiches.

Whenever Bar & Grill is open to families before 7 p.m. and features brunch on Sundays.

Relish Restaurant & Bar at 2810 Westheimer now offers expanded service all day with lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner. A weekend brunch is coming soon. Formerly known as Relish Fine Foods, the River Oaks/Upper Kirby District eatery opened in a larger space with a gorgeous outdoor patio in mid-October of last year.

Co-owner and executive chef Dustin Teague has created a new seasonal menu that includes dishes like grilled quail with okra and seared scallops with porchetta.

Happy hour specials are available Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. Choose from half-priced $6 classic and signature specially cocktails and $5 craft beers, pairing them with a $10 burger and fries, popular $1 Deviled Eggs or the $10 Kale Salad.

There’s new signage for N² Ice Cream Cafe at 9788 Bellaire, suite C, next to long-time Chinatown favorite, Sinh Sinh. The latest trend in frozen treats utilizes liquid nitrogen to freeze ice cream.

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.