Comfort Foodies, 8731 Highway 6, opened softly this week in Missouri City. For the soft opening, the restaurant will be open Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. An official grand opening is in the works.
Founded by Elsa and Jeff Matthews in 2020 as a food truck, Comfort Foodies opened a brick and mortar off Sam Houston Parkway in 2022. This past April, the Matthews closed that location to focus on the Missouri City opening.
The new eatery is located in the Sienna area, offering room for 50 to 60 guests in the 3,000 square-foot space. The larger footprint allows for more dine-in business as well as expanded opportunities for takeout, delivery and catering. The restaurant will also build on its line of frozen empanadas.
The menu will feature many of the brand’s best-loved dishes like oxtails with rice and beans and yams. The cuisine is a blend of the couple’s heritages, combining Latin-Caribbean flavors and Southern soul food. Other main dishes include Dominican-style brown stew chicken, smothered pork chops and Southern-fried catfish. For sides, guests can choose from tostones, collard greens, Caribbean rice and beans and more.
The new spot will also have a full bar with seating, eventually offering happy hour.
Late August, 4201 Main, has closed for dining service. The Michelin-recommended restaurant from chef and restaurateur Chris Williams is transitioning to private events and catering services in partnership with The Ion, the development in which it is located. It will remain under the umbrella of Williams’ Lucille’s Hospitality Group. Late August will honor all previously booked events through the end of the year.
Named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America, Late August finally made its debut in March 2024, after a change in chefs and concepts. Williams, a two-time James Beard Award nominee, pegged executive chef Sergio Hidalgo to lead the kitchen. The two chefs combined their culinary cultures for a menu that celebrated both Latin and Southern flavors. It impressed the Michelin Guide, earning a recommendation for 2024 and 2025.
Williams says that Late August was an incredibly meaningful chapter for the team and that the transition will allow them to put energy in the next chapter for Lucille’s Hospitality Group. “We are grateful for our team that will also be coming with us to The Branch and our other concepts.”
Later this summer, Williams plans to open The Branch at The Forme to the public.
Press & Pour, 1100 Texas, opened softly last month at the Magnolia Hotel at the corner of Texas and Fannin. The all-day coffeeshop and cafe features a coffee and espresso bar that offers a multitude of options, plus a cocktail menu, fresh-baked pastries and shareable bites.
Beginning at 6 a.m., guests can pop in for a barista-crafted coffee drink and a Colossal Cinnamon Roll. Starting at 3 p.m., the bar begins serving handcrafted cocktails such as a smoked old fashioned or Hill Country margarita. There are mocktails as well, plus shareable bites like a trio of deviled eggs and short rib sliders. The menu also offers items such as crab avocado salad, ceviche and a decadent tiramisu French toast.
The debut comes as Magnolia Hotel Houston celebrates its 100th anniversary. The building was once home to the Houston Post-Dispatch, hence the “press” part of the new concept’s name. Other elements pay homage to the building’s history including a 1920s typewriter, photographs of 1920s downtown Houston and a copper moonshine still.
There is accommodation for 52 guests indoors, with booths and bar-height window seating, plus 10 more seats out on the covered, pooch-friendly patio. Five televisions are tuned to sports and other programming while Wi-Fi and a multitude of outlets makes the space convenient for remote workers. There is also a communal table that provides room for informal meetings.
Bludorn Hospitality Group has announced that it will be the culinary partner for the Houston Texans at the members-only BMW Lone Star Ballroom and BMW M Blue Club at Reliant Stadium. Chef Aaron Bludorn, known for his restaurants Bludorn, Navy Blue and Perseid, will feature his French-inspired Texas Gulf Coast cuisine in dishes like potato grouper sando, Bludorn’s signature short rib ravioli and an elevated hot dog made with RC Ranch wagyu. There will also be a dessert station with treats such as Baharat-spiced doughnuts with creme anglaise, raspberry tartlets and chocolate chip cookies.
Kamp Houston, 6025 Westheimer, announced its closure on social media and the buzz about the shuttering of the celebrity hotspot is mixed. Known for its high-priced exclusivity and visits from Canadian rapper Drake, the concept was part of ALife Hospitality, which also operated The Address, another recent closure.
The announcement read in part: “Thank you to our amazing team, every Kamp Counselor, every team member who helped bring this vision to life, and every guest who walked through our doors from right here in Houston to visitors from all across the world. Thank you to every celebrity, artist, DJ, promoter, and partner who helped us create some truly unforgettable moments and memories. Unfortunately, we weren’t unable to come to terms for our lease extension, along with ongoing sound and parking challenges with our neighbors. “
The sound and parking challenges were due to noise complaints from nearby residents and the parking itself was difficult for locals and patrons alike. While the venue often touted its celebrity clientele, some nightclub-goers felt the “section culture” was elitist and ridiculously-priced, according to Chron.com.
Despite the shuttering of Kamp, ALife Hospitality has hinted that there is something new in the works. We contacted a spokesperson who said they are currently waiting on a reply.
EMA Japanese Cuisine, 6700 Woodlands Parkway, opened back in June but it is having its official grand opening August 16. Its offers both a la carte and all-you-can-eat sushi, sashimi and Japanese fare. What sets this new AYCE restaurant from others is its focus on high-quality sushi and premium ingredients and The Woodlands community is eating it up, literally and figuratively.
Owner Henry Zhu says that people often associate all-you-can-eat with quality over quantity, but he wants to change their perceptions. He added. “At EMA, guests can enjoy an unlimited dining experience without compromising freshness, craftsmanship, or hospitality. Every plate that leaves our kitchen is prepared with the same attention to detail as an a la carte restaurant.”
For the grand opening day, there will be a bluefin tuna cutting show at 3 p.m., with Zhu and his team breaking down the huge fish. All day there will be a one-day-only omakase tasting experience for $49.99. Diners will find such yummies as handcrafted sushi rolls, premium nigiri, appetizers, hot dishes and other Japanese specialties.
Through September 7, the restaurant is also participating in Houston Restaurant Weeks for both lunch and dinner.
Goode Co. Barbecue has a new pitmaster and he’s a familiar face to ‘cue lovers around Texas. Drew Lindsey has taken on the role of multi-unit pitmaster for the local brand. He will oversee standard operations, plus research and development for the Goode Co. Barbecue menu across multiple locations.
His style of traditional Texas barbecue comes from stints at well-known and respected barbecue joints like Terry Black’s BBQ, Hurtado Barbecue and Dayne’s Craft BBQ, but his love for smoked meats began with cooking in the backyard with his father. Those moments guided his barbecue philosophy of bringing people together and creating special memories. He says, “There’s nothing more rewarding to me than seeing guests enjoy great barbecue and knowing I was part of the team that helped deliver it with pride.”
TDECU Stadium, 3700 Cullen Boulevard, has two new concessions. Located at the University of Houston main campus, the stadium has upped its concessions game over the past few years. Bun B’s Trill Burgers, unfortunately, has departed the stadium, to focus on its expansion of restaurants. However, in its place will be Absurd Bird, offering the same juicy chicken tenders that it serves at UH’s RAD.
Cougar Eats Co., powered by Chartwells, has transformed one of its Cougar East stands into a specialty hot dog stand. Though game attendees can still get a regular hot dog, the new menu features wagyu beef franks meant to represent “the four corners of Texas.” There is the Steakhouse, a hot dog topped with burgundy mushrooms, fried onions and steak sauce, or the Rodeo with pollo asado, pico de gallo, guacamole and tortilla strips. Other Texas-inspired hot dogs include the Smokehouse with pulled pork and the H-Town, a college student’s dream of pepper jack macaroni, Hot Cheeto dust and fresh jalapeno. Non-Texas dogs include the All-American chili cheese, Cajun crawfish etouffee and Nonna’s, with marinara and mozzarella.
