Los Tios, 5192 Buffalo Speedway, will debut June 5 in a massive 6,000 square-foot space in the newly refreshed Plaza in the Park shopping center. Located within steps of the recently opened Adair Kitchen, the longtime Mexican restaurant has been in the Adair Concepts portfolio since the Adair family acquired it in 2000. In addition to the upcoming Los Tios, there are five other locations across the Greater Houston area. Adair Concepts also owns and operates Skeeter's Mesquite Grill, Eloise Nichols Grills & Liquors, Bebidas and Betsy's at Evelyn Park.

The new West U location will pay homage to the Los Tios brand's 1970s emergence with vintage memorabilia and commissioned elements like the original iron front door handles from the first Los Tios restaurant. Saltillo floors, Talavera wall tile and hand-painted sconces add to the ambience along with Mexican oil cloths used a design features. The star-studded chandelier lighting the entrance was designed by Gary Adair and fabricated near San Miguel de Allende. Native plants and cacti add a touch of Mexico to the atmosphere. A bubbling fountain welcomes guests into the multilevel space.
Katie Barnhart, co-founder and Creative Director at Adair Concepts said of the design, "We're especially eager to reveal the interiors to guests. The design reflects our family's love of Mexican art and culture and incorporates numerous finds from San Miguel de Allende, a colonial-era city brimming with creativity."

Los Tios lays claim to having served the first frozen margarita in Houston. It's also famous for its Original Puffy Queso; a puffed, fried tortilla covered in chile con queso. Other faves include Katie's T-Sip Dip, a queso topped with guacamole and ground taco beef, and the Tex Mex Platos Especial, a platter of tacos al carbon topped with chile con queso accompanied by a crispy beef taco and a cheese enchilada. Queso is a major player at Los Tios.
The restaurant will also serve breakfast from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and there is a lunch special combo ($10.95) Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  A generous happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. with $5 house margaritas, $6 gold margaritas and $1 off beers. We like to see a happy hour that lasts more than two hours.
Azumi, 4444 Westheimer, will open in winter 2023 according to Atlas Restaurant Group, the company behind the new Japanese dining concept. It will take the place of Ouzo Bay, another of the restaurant group's concepts which it closed this past April in order to make way for Azumi. It will be the second location for the Japanese restaurant which first debuted at Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore in 2014.

Located next to another Atlas concept, Loch Bar, the upscale and immersive Japanese dining experience will take its place among a number of sophisticated and chic restaurants and retail businesses in River Oaks District. Azumi is a feminine name that translates to "safe harbor' in Japanese.
Atlas Restaurant Group is relocating its executive concept chef Alisher Yallalev from the east coast to Houston to oversee menu development and operations. For the culinary experience, guests can expect a wide range of items from sushi rolls and rock shrimp to the ever-trendy  A5 Wagyu beef. Fans of soft shell crab will be thrilled by its flash-fried Sawagani. Much of the seafood at Azumi will be flown in from the famous fish markets in Tokyo, Japan.
The bar program at Azumi will utilize exotic flavors and ingredients for its signature cocktails and there will be a strong list of Japanese whiskies and sake. The dining and bar areas will also pay homage to the Japanese aesthetic with Patrick Sutton in charge of transforming the former Ouzo Bay space into an elegant and tranquil destination for guests. In addition to the main dining room, sushi bar and omakase tasting room, there will be an indoor/outdoor bar that opens to a terrace which will seat 78.
Avanti Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar is rebranding, according to its parent company Orioli Restaurant Group. In what is being called an "unfortunate trademark dispute", the group has decided to embrace the chance to rebrand both locations of the Italian concept. The rebranding is slated for completion by the end of 2023. Meanwhile, both restaurants remain open for business.

Co-owner Enrique Orioli said of the changes, " This actually couldn't have come at a better time, as we recently noted a definite distinction of preferences within each of the micro communities our restaurants cater to."

Marcoza Trattoria, 8540 Creekside Forest, will take over the Avanti space at Creekside Park in Tomball with a modern Tuscan-inspired dining room laid out with white tablecloths. There will classic seafood and Italian dishes plus popular crowd favorites. To complement the culinary offerings, the wine program will offer more than 250 labels.

Terra Vino Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, 2520 Research Forest, will open in the former Avanti space in The Woodlands area. It will serve contemporary Italian cuisine including a selection of Neapolitan pizzas in an elegant and intimate space. Handcrafted cocktails and an approachable wine list are part of the bar program along with wine flights.

Reel Luxury Cinemas, 9595 Six Pines, is expected to open this July at Market Street in The Woodlands. It's one of two new concepts to open at the retail and dining development from local hospitality group Culinary Khancepts. The company operates Houston restaurants and businesses such as State Fare Kitchen + Bar, Liberty Kitchen, Star Cinema Grill and Hollywood Palms Cinema. They are also currently in charge of the revitalization of Houston's River Oaks Theater.

The new Woodlands cinema will be a unique dine-in movie theater with five screens. It will offer state-of-the-art laser projection technology and Dolby sound systems. The cinema's auditoriums will feature luxury recliners and front row loveseat-style chaise lounges along with privacy pods, plush blankets and heated seats. Movie goers will also be able to order food and drink seat-side. The boutique cinema is an affiliate of Star Cinema Grill.
The second concept, The Audrey Restaurant & Bar, is slated top open in July as well. The stylish and modern restaurant will be located on the second floor of Market Street. It will serve contemporary American cuisine that includes an extensive menu of favorites such as seafood towers, fresh pasta dishes and butcher-cut steaks plus sandwiches and salads. It will also introduce its Breakfast at Tiffany's-inspired weekend brunch.

The Audrey's curated bar program will offer craft cocktails and an exceptional wine list.
Duckstache Hospitality, the group behind Handies Douzo, Aiko, Himari and Kokoro, announced two new concepts that will open at Autry Park later this year. Both will be located on the ground floor of the Hanover Parkview, a residential mid-rise. The team at Doko includes co-owners and co-chefs Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee plus co-founders at Duckstache Hospitality, Andrew Lin and C.J. Short.

Doko, 3737 Cogdell, will be a Japanese-focused sushi concept while its companion project, Bar Doko, will be an intimate 600 square-foot bar serving a carefully curated menu of Japanese-inspired specialty cocktails.

Doko will draw on the team's current restaurants for a mix of fan favorites along with new offerings. Guests will still find the Maguro Crudo plus a daily selection of nigiri created around the freshly acquired ingredients flown in from the famous Toyosu Market in Japan.

JT ARC Studio, a Houston-based architecture firm, and JAW Collective, out of Los Angeles, will lead the design and interiors for both concepts.
Cici's Pizza, 10086 Long Point, is hosting a grand reopening June 2 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. To welcome back the community the restaurant is offering the first 100 customers in line a free adult buffet or a large one-topping pizza card. The first 100 kids in line will receive a five-dollar game card.

The pizza buffet brand, founded in Irving, Texas in 1983, is known for hosting large groups for kids birthday parties and after-game sports teams but also for being a budget-friendly family restaurant. It offers dine-in, takeout and delivery options. In addition to its all-you-can-eat buffet, there are pizzas with either traditional or deep dish crusts, flatbreads, pastas, salads, wings, poppers and desserts, including the popular cinnamon rolls.
Marmo, 888 Westheimer, has launched both a new summer menu and a cocktail menu plus new wines by the glass. Some of the new dishes include luxurious raw selections of Bluefin Tuna with Osetra caviar ($36) and Hamachi Crudo ($21). For a new main dish there's the Texas Redfish ($38) with pesto alla Trapanese, lemon, Calbrian chili and basil. Other summery delights include Burrata with roasted strawberries, beets, toasted pistachios, mint oil and aged balsamic vinegar or Smoked Ricotta Gnocchi with confit rabbit.

The new cocktails lean Italian with drinks like the Saronno Spritz and the Foglia di Basilico. The Andiamo is a refreshing concoction of tequila, Amaro Nino and passion fruit. 
PS-21, 2712 Richmond, debuted its new Social Hour June 1. It runs Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Chef Philippe Schmit has created a menu of new dishes such as the Petite Mediterranean Tart ($10) made with lamb meatballs, harissa sauce, cucumbers, pickled onion, tomato, mint and cilantro. There's also his version of Chicken Wings ($9). The deboned chicken is served with mini toast and Philippe's BBQ Sauce. Other items include Burgundy Escargots, Caesar Salad Pincho and Crab Bomb.

Schmit's business partner at PS-21, Sebastien Laval, has designed a Social Hour seasonal cocktail menu with his take on a Gin & Tonic, made with Sipsmith London Dry, Indian tonic and citrus, plus a Coffee Old Fashioned, French Margarita, Improved Bees Knees and White Cosmo which are all $12 during Social Hour.

Restaurants Reported Open May 2023:

Albi, 1947 W. Gray, opened May 4
Bari Ristorante, 4444 Westheimer, opened May 15
Big City Wings, 3815 W. Grand Parkway, opened May 10
Brooklyn Pizzeria, 8020 Fry, opened May 16
Chick N Max, 12312 Interstate 45, opened May 8
Dante's River Oaks, 4340 Westheimer, opened May 16
FRNDS Restaurant & Lounge, 2441 University Boulevard, opened April 21
Jinya Ramen Bar, 8139 Long Point, opened May 10
Lady M Confections, 5085 Westheimer, Level 2, Suite B6350, opened May 25
Lankford's, 5208 Bissonet, opened May 13
Little's Oyster Bar, 3001 S. Shepherd, opened May 17
Ojo de Agua, 4444 Westheimer, opened May 17
Passerella Italiano, 6011 Washington, opened May 9
Philly Flats, 24025 Katy Freeway, opened April 19
Raising Cane's, 109 Eagles Run, opened May 16
Raising Cane's, 1331 Gessner, opened May 23
Roswell's Saloon, 1417 Westheimer, opened mid-May
Sonoma at Garden Oaks, 1227 W. 34th, opened May 2
SOSH Coffees + Cocktails, 2221 W. Dallas, opened late May
Street Churros, 1041 Blalock, opened early May
Th Prsrv, 709 Harris, opened May 4
Thai Way 6, 8574 Highway 6 N., opened early May
Tic Tac Thai, 3416 FM 2920, opened early May
The Wacked Out Weiner, 4730 Louetta, opened late April
Twisted grilled Cheese, 303 Memorial City Way, opened April 24
Urban Bird Hot Chicken, 14303 E. Sam Houston Parkway N., opened early May
Waygood Coffee, 2175 Old Max Court, opened May 13

Restaurants reported Closed May 2023:

Bayview Duck, 3131 Highway 146, closed late April
Blake's BBQ & Burgers, 2916 Jeanetta, closed May 20
Concura Italian Bites, 4340 Westheimer, closed May 6
New York Eatery, 5422 Bellaire Boulevard, closed May 14
Ouzo Bay, 4444 Westheimer, closed April 30