There's awful news for Houston dog owners. As initially noted by Syd Kearney at the Houston Chronicle, pup-friendly bar Boneyard Drinkery announced on its Facebook page that it is closing on November 30. It was Houston's first combination bar and dog park. It's another sad chapter in a story we're hearing far too often these days: bars and restaurants closing due to owners selling the land to capitalize on higher property values.
Boneyard is not expecting to reopen, saying "Due to the size of property needed for this concept, and the outrageous increase of property value in Houston over the last few years, we will not be relocating."
They're doing good deeds until the very end. There's one last Boneyard Bash scheduled for November 16 from 1 to 7 p.m. It's the 25th and final fundraiser event for animal rescue organizations. The beneficiary will be Great Dane Rescue of Southeast Texas. Microchipping services will be available on-site and there will be vendors, a food truck and a raffle. Bring your furry friend for one last romp in the play yard.
Swanky cocktail bar Sanctuari debuted inside of Triniti restaurant last Thursday to a packed house. The plush lounge is decorated in sexy black and gold and has a distinct identity from Triniti's elegant, cream-colored setting accented by natural woods. There are plenty of sofas and chairs to luxuriate on like royals while sipping the masterful cocktails of lady mixologists Leslie Ross and Laurie Sheddan. Read all about it here.
In yet more cocktail bar news, The Nightingale Room opened its doors last night. It's still in its soft opening phase, as there's a little more interior decorating and construction work left to be done. Once that's completed, the bar will feature jazz bands and a nifty drink hoist so that guests in the loft can get their drinks without having to traipse downstairs. We recommend the Cognac Old Fashioned. Check out our in-depth First Look article as well.
Over at Culturemap Houston, Eric Sandler reports that the former Little Bigs location at 2703 Montrose will become The Burger Joint next spring. It's a joint venture from Shawn Bermudez (of Royal Oak and Pistolero's, among others) and chef Matthew Pak (chef for the Koagie Hots and Golden Grill food trucks). Bermudez, in a text message to Sandler, promises that the new place will be a classic burger joint, but there will also be dipping sauces and "sides with a twist."
As for Little Bigs, chef Bryan Caswell's burger joint, they've moved down the street to a bigger spot. You can now find them at 4621 Montrose in the Chelsea Market building.
We're happy to report that Spanky's Pizza is reopening in December in a bigger, better location next door to the old one. The old building was destroyed by a fire back on September 23. The new shop will be at 4659 Telephone Road and the company has already posted a "help wanted" ad on their Facebook page.
Prohibition Supperclub & Bar, located downtown at 1008 Prairie, has started offering lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is in addition to dinner service, which has been running from 5 to 10 p.m. since November 2. Chef Ben McPherson, formerly of Batanga, is heading up the kitchen and serving what they're calling "coastal, nostalgic fare."
Eater Houston got the lowdown on a new place called The Del, which is set to open at 6565 Del Monte Drive near San Felipe. It's a new project by restaurateur Shepard Ross and his partners at Studewood Hospitality Group and is opening in the space formerly known as Taste of Lebanon. Ross' other establishments are Pax Americana, Glass Wall and Brooklyn Athletic Club. It's slated to open next spring.
Doc's Motorworks Bar & Grill opens on Thursday, November 20. It's located just across Westheimer from Royal Oak Bar and seats up to 150 inside and 100 on the patio. Doc's is a casual bar and grill that originated in Austin. They specialize in burgers, salads and comfort food fare like fish and chips and chicken fried chicken. The Montrose location is the company's first foray into Houston.
The people behind Rick's Cabaret have got you covered (if not its servers) for beer and live music at its third location of Bombshells. the Houston Chronicle reports that this latest "breastaurant" is located at 12810 Gulf Freeway. Sorry, unlike at Rick's, the ladies here actually do wear tops, but they are awfully cute.
McAlister's Deli has decided to invest in Houston in a big way. The kid-friendly, casual chain is opening 10 more locations, with the first two slated for 2015. On the menu are sandwiches, soups, spuds and sweet tea. This is in addition to the six existing locations in the area that include The Woodlands, Cypress and the University of Houston. We'll post an update when the specific locations are announced.
Tandoory Taco in The Woodlands left us "to focus on its Dallas market," as posted on its Facebook page and reported by the Houston Chronicle. The short-lived restaurant served Indian-inspired tacos and had opened in The Woodlands in the summer of 2013. We're not sure why anyone would want to focus on Dallas, though.
What did we miss? As always, leave it in the comments section and we may include your mention in next week's post!
