Local Foods Market, 6100 Main, opened November 20 at Rice University’s Brochstein Pavilion. Open to the public, the new location is the second for Local Food Group’s market and restaurant concept. The first opened in Rice Village in 2021.
This newest location offers some of the same sandwiches and salads that its customers crave but there are some new additions as well that are taken from some of Local Foods Group’s other concepts. Guests can try personal-sized pizzas plus pasta from another Local Foods restaurant, Milton’s. The menu also offers Maximo’s breakfast tacos.
Leading the kitchen is chef/partner Dylan Murray and executive chef Geoff Hundt, supported by Local Foods culinary and creative director Seth Siegel-Gardner. Owner and restaurateur Benjy Levit says of the Rice University location, “This feels like a homecoming for me. I’ve spent a lot of time at Rice with my family, enjoying the tree-lined pathways, attending football games and even taking some special courses there as a middle schooler.”
In addition to the expanded menu, there will also be a curated beer and wine program plus a wine collaboration with William Chris Vineyards for a custom Cabernet-forward wine blend which will arrive this fall. The wine will eventually be served at other Local Foods group concepts as well.
The 6,000 square-foot Brochstein Pavilion structure has been updated by Ben Rosenblum Studio to make it more welcoming and warm. Museum-like lighting has been incorporated into the space in conjunction with the natural light of the floor-to ceiling windows that offer a view of the landscape around the building.
Another Local Foods Group concept, Lee’s Den, is expected to reopen later this year.
Camaraderie, 1045 Ashland, is slated to open in early 2025. Located in the Houston Heights neighborhood, it’s the first Houston restaurant for Chef Shawn Gawle, an award-winning chef who many Houstonians will recognize from his years as executive pastry chef for Goodnight Hospitality. Gawle has not only experience with GH’s concepts such as March, Rosie Cannonball and Montrose Cheese and Wine but also prior stints at kitchens across the country in cities such as Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and New York, many of them at Michelin-starred restaurants.
The culinary journey began for Gawle in his father’s restaurant and deli in Boston’s South Shore neighborhood. Gawle says that’s where he learned the value of independence. “Witnessing the culture he created at his restaurant, I’ve known that for a fulfilling career, I need to be in an environment that brings me joy. As I’ve navigated my career from city to city, I’ve gained valuable experiences and formed meaningful connections. These relationships have fueled my passion and happiness in the industry.”
Those relationships are also what inspires Gawle in this new venture of opening a fine-casual neighborhood restaurant with both a strong team and a convivial dining experience for guests. The restaurant’s design is being led by Troy Schaum and Andrea Brennan of Schaum Architects with an eye to keeping the modern, clean design warm and familial with the open kitchen serving as the heart of the restaurant.
Gawle’s vision for Camaraderie extends beyond creating a hospitable experience for guests. He also believes “Everything Matters” and plans on incorporating the ideas of One Fair Wage, a restaurant movement aimed at paying servers a livable wage, plus sourcing sustainable, organic and local products when possible. He added, My goal is to make people happy, not just through great food, but by fostering genuine connections within a vibrant community.”
Kim Son, 2001 Jefferson, will close early next year but a definitive date has yet to be announced, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. It’s a sad day for the many Houstonians who have celebrated special occasions and weddings at the flagship location for more than three decades. The reason cited for the eventual closure was the Interstate 45 expansion which has already claimed a number of other East Downtown businesses and restaurants.
The family-owned restaurant group has quite a story behind it. Kim Son began in Vinh Long, Vietnam when Kim La opened her first restaurant. However, La, her husband Son and their seven children fled the communist regime of Vietnam in 1980. Eventually landing here in Houston, the family quickly began their path to success with the opening of the Houston Kim Son restaurant in 1982. Kim Son EaDo moved to its Jefferson location in 1993 when it built the current large pagoda-topped structure that has become iconic in the Houston landscape.
Over the decades, the La family has opened, and shuttered, a number of restaurant concepts including its Sugar Land Kim Son which closed in September 2023. In addition to the East Downtown restaurant, there is a Kim Son in Bellaire, popular for its buffet. The La family has also built a large catering business as well.
Tenfold, 1550 Lamar, opened November 19 in the Norton Rose Fulbright Tower, formerly known as 1550 On the Green. it’s the second location for the coffeeshop and roastery founded in 2020 by Jacob Ibarra. It’s flagship location is at 101 Aurora in the Heights.
Coffee is more than a beverage at Tenfold; it’s a culture. Ibarra, who spent his gap year in Costa Rica, became enthralled with the coffee traditions of the culture and made his way to Seattle to hone his skills at Caffe Vita. That experience led to a gig as the first Director of Coffee at a large Australian coffee roaster, Five Senses. Now his mission is to provide guests with a welcoming space to enjoy a deeper understanding of coffee and its international sources.
The new location is perfect for Discovery Green park-goers, visiting tourists and business travelers at the surrounding hotels, not to mention the tens of thousands of convention attendees at the George R. Brown. The bright and airy coffeehouse overlooks the park from its street level space at the recently completed Skanska development. Ibarra utilized the talents of gin design group for the European-inspired all-day cafe.
With an exceptional array of high-quality, responsibly-sourced coffees and teas patrons will find it hard to make a decision. The baristas on hand can guide guests through the process. Tenfold has also incorporated innovative equipment into its coffee experience with the Swan, a new Italian espresso grinder from La Marzocco, and the Mod Bar, a deconstructed espresso machine that places most of the machine under the counter allowing for a more face-to-face connection between the client and the barista.
Tenfold will also offer a curated cocktail program from beverage manager Andrea Fernandez and Justin Ware of Johnny’s Gold Brick and Winnie’s. The duo have created sips like a boozy chai, a matcha highball and a Spanish-inspired calimocho, a blend of cola and red wine. And, keeping up with the current trends, there’s a coffee-forward carajillo.
For eats, there are grab and go items from local chefs. Guests can indulge in nosh from critically acclaimed restaurants like Jun and Omar Pereney’s Love Croissants. There will soon be Mexican pastries from Casa Grace.
The Annie Cafe & Bar opened at George Bush Intercontinental Airport November 21. Located at the new Terminal D-West Pier, the outpost of the longtime Houston institution is part of the Berg Hospitality Group’s restaurant portfolio and both Benjamin Berg, owner of Berg Hospitality, and chef/restaurateur Robert Del Grande were on hand for the ribbon cutting.
Cafe Annie first opened in 1980 with Del Grande joining the kitchen in 1981. Over the years his talents earned him numerous accolades including a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest. Over the years, Cafe Annie changed locations and names, but in 2018, Del Grande was brought together with Berg and the duo opened The Annie Cafe & Bar in September 2019.
Del Grande, who is chef emeritus and partner in the concept, oversaw the outpost project in an effort to bring more luxury dining to the airport that reflects Houston’s culinary point of view. With Del Grande having been a pioneer in Southwestern cuisine, the new airport location offers a platform to expose a wide range of visitors to Houston flavors and Gulf Coast ingredients.
The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner offering items such as Crab Tostadas, Seafood Campechana and a new take on The Annie’s Bacon-Wrapped Quail. There are new dishes like Cochinita Pibil-Style Wings and Texas Redfish cooked in banana leaves. The breakfast menu will wake up weary fliers with its Huevos Rancheros, Breakfast Tacos and Green Chile Omelet while the lunch menu offers a Cobb Salad, Fried Chicken Sandwich and Chicken-Fried Chicken Breast.
The sophisticated space offers seating for approximately 80 guests and includes a center bar area.
The Burger Joint and The Taco Stand, 1016 Gessner, are shooting to open in the spring or summer of 2025. The side-by-side locations of the sister restaurants are currently under construction in the Memorial area. Both structures are ground-up builds from Cisneros Design Studio Architects. The Burger Joint will be a 4,300 square-foot eatery including its 1,500 square-foot patio. The Taco Stand will be 2,000 square feet with an 1,100 square-foot patio and a drive-thru.
The concepts come from chef Matthew Pak and restaurateur Shawn Bermudez and have been steadily expanding across the Greater Houston area, most recently into the University of Houston’s RAD Center. The Burger Joint began in April 2015 as a food truck before quickly becoming a brick and mortar restaurant in November 2015. The Taco Stand debuted in the Heights in 2020. It also has a location planned next to The Burger Joint Montrose at 1503 Westheimer later this year.
When the Memorial locations open, it will be the sixth for The Burger Joint and the fifth for The Taco Stand. Pak said of the rapid expansions, “It is amazing to think of how far we have come in just nine years. We are so grateful to our Houston fans for embracing our concepts.”
Honest Mary’s, 2047 W. Gray, is expected to debut in Houston’s River Oaks in fall 2025. The healthy eating concept may have been established in Austin but its founder, Nelson Monteith, is a native Houstonian, born and raised. He says of the expansion to his hometown, “It’s a joy and an honor to bring a brand we’ve worked hard to create in Austin and finally be able to share that concept with family and friends in Houston.”
Monteith began his vision when he and his wife Mary were both dealing with health issues. With the use of a trusty Venn diagram, they discovered that there was a sweet spot for healthy, fresh and fast food. With a focus on mindful eating, the couple opened their first Honest Mary’s in Austin’s Arboretum neighborhood in 2017, followed three years later by a location in Rosedale. In 2022, Monteith partnered with local Austin restaurateur and chef Andrew Wiseheart (Contigo, Ladybird Taco) and the duo opened an Honest Mary’s in Cedar Park in 2023 and more recently, a location in Mueller this past October.
At the center of the menu at Honest Mary’s is five chef-crafted Signature Bowls which includes Smoky Poblano, Aloha Poke, Golden Ponzu, Sedona Lime and Mediterranean Harissa. Wiseheart, who also leads the kitchen, creates seasonal bowls as well.
For those who like to create their own, there are multiple ways to customize with a variety of bases, proteins, sides, toppings and sauces. The menu is completely gluten-free and there are vegetarian, vegan and dairy-free options with a sparing use of seed oils and a prioritization of local and organic ingredients when possible. Vegetables and fruits that are on the so-called “Dirty Dozen” list of having the highest pesticide residue are always sourced organically.
Construction begins May 2025 with the Mark Odom Studio in charge of the architecture and design. It will reflect the Art Deco style of the River Oaks Shopping Center and will offer dining indoors and out. The counter-service restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner and will offer takeaway and online ordering for pickup and delivery.
Hopdoddy, 4936 Waterview Center, is shooting to open in January 2025 followed a month later by a location in Stafford at 12333 Southwest Freeway in February. Located in the south of Houston neighborhoods of Aliana and Stafford, these new stores will bring the Houston area number to 10.
The chain was founded in Austin in 2010 and has quickly built a burger empire with 47 restaurants across Texas and 7 other states. Its popularity stems not only from its use of regeneratively-raised and ethically-sourced proteins but also the offerings of craft beers and cocktails, including a selection of frozen margaritas and boozy milkshakes.
PJ’s Coffee, 5822 Sienna Parkway, opens November 22 in Missouri City. The grand opening celebration begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs through 12:30 p.m. During that time guests can indulge in a free small coffee, hot or iced. There will also be pastry samples and a prize drawing for free coffee for a year.
PJ’s Coffee serves a variety of coffee drinks, teas, energy drinks and frozen blends. There are plenty of things to eat as well. There are breakfast and lunch sandwiches, grab and go items, muffins, scones, croissants and more. And, in keeping with its New Orleans heritage, there are sugar-dusted beignets.
Currently, there are limited time seasonal drinks such as Peppermint Bark Velvet Ice or lattes in flavors like Butter Rum and Cookie Butter.
The new location will be open 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
