Talespin Pizza, 11300 Katy Freeway, debuted September 27 in the Sherwood Oaks shopping center. The pizza concept is the brainchild of two chefs and brothers, Devan and Eddie Gernert. Chef Devan was previously a corporate chef for restaurateur and Food Network star, Guy Fieri, while Chef Eddie is a former corporate chef at Fajita Pete’s.
Now, they are the founders and operators of a new and unique pizza joint that blends Neapolitan-style pizzas with Texas inspiration for a concept they dub “NeoTexan”. In an email to the Houston Press, Chef Eddie said, “It’s truly refreshing to launch our own concept, where we can create the dishes we’re passionate about, using fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from local farms. Our goal is to expand across Texas, with the long term vision of franchising.”
And of course, being in Texas, beef is one of the high quality ingredients that makes its way onto several signature pies. One of those Texas treats is the Coffee Cowboy. Its lightly charred crust is topped with 100 percent halal coffee-crusted Hereford flank steak, smoked onion bianco sauce, mozzarella, white cheddar and truffled arugula. The Texas Primetime uses prime oak-smoked brisket, tomatillo-basil salsa verde, fresh mozzarella, cotija, rainbow carrot escabeche and cilantro for a true blend of Mexican and Texas flavors. There are also rotating flavors like the 44 Farms Cheeseburger Pizza made with 44 Farms wagyu ground beef, caramelized onion fancy sauce, American cheese, Talespin pickles, shredded lettuce and sesame seeds.
Beef isn’t the only protein that shines. There’s also its HTX Hawaiian which showcases honey-chipotle-cured Berkshire pork shoulder along with smoked tomato, pickled pineapple salsa and cilantro. There’s even a chicken pizza called Buff or BBQ. Using flavorful oak-smoked chicken thigh as its protein base, it’s then topped with mozzarella, blue cheese, pickled red onion and Fresno chilis, Really Good Ranch and cilantro for a pie that’s truly one-of-a-kind.
Guests can also create their own pizzas and there are plenty of other options as well like small or large salads, chicken thigh meatballs, wings, and a stellar mac and cheese that is made with homemade cavatelli.
For now, the business is takeaway and delivery, though there are a few stand up tables outside if you can’t wait to get home and have a slice.
Saigon Hustle, 1223 Witte, opens October 11 in Spring Branch. It’s the second location for the modern Vietnamese restaurant which was first founded in 2020 by friends Cassie Ghaffar and Sandy Nguyen in the Garden Oaks area. The expansion is in partnership with Savory Fund, a private equity firm out of Utah. In 2021, Saigon Hustle won the “Million Dollar Restaurant Launch’ competition held by Savory Fund, beating out almost 250 other applicants. With a grand prize of one million dollars, Ghaffar and Nguyen partnered with Savory Fund to build the second location, though the teams both say that there are plans for more.
Andrew K. Smith, managing director of Savory Fund, says Saigon Hustle is a winning concept in every way. In a press release he added, “They were the clear champion of the Million-Dollar Launch and we have since loved every moment of our partnership and friendship with Cassie and Sandy…This will be a fun one to grow across the country.”
Saigon Hustle has been referred to as “the Chipotle of Vietnamese food” with its fast-casual and contemporary approach to Vietnamese cuisine. Some of its most popular menu items are its banh mi sandwiches, rolls, bowls and salads. With the larger kitchen at the Spring Branch restaurant, it is adding another Vietnamese staple, pho, to the menu.
The larger footprint means more capacity with the 2,000 square-foot space offering plenty of seating, indoor and out. The colorful decor from its original restaurant will be familiar and customers at the Spring Branch location will also be able to use the convenient drive-thru for takeaway.
Co-founder Nguyen says it’s satisfying to see all the hard work pay off after hustling hard for years. “We’re grateful to do what we love and to do it together as friends and partners. And the best part? The hustling is just getting started.”
Blacksmith, 820 Gessner, opened October 8 at Two Memorial City Plaza. It’s the second location for the locally-owned and operated coffee shop which occupies 1,752 square feet in the lobby of the 18-story office tower, one of three which underwent a 25 million dollar renovation by MetroNational. The Memorial City campus overhaul was completed in 2022.
Danna Diamond, Vice President of Retail Leasing, said in a press release, “Blacksmith’s decision to open a location in Memorial City speaks to MetroNational’s commitment to positioning Memorial City as one of Houston’s top food and beverage destinations.” Recently, the area has seen a number of new dining hotspots open including Haywire, The Pit Room and Credence and Sidebar.
David Buehrer, co-founder of Blacksmith said that his company’s commitment to hospitality and quality make a perfect fit with MetroNational adding, “We are excited to bring our specialty coffee, breakfast and lunch items to the greater Memorial community through 820 Gessner.”
In addition to an array of coffee-based drinks and teas, guests will find freshly-baked kolaches and biscuits as well as breakfast tacos, bagels, grab and go sandwiches, salads and bowls.
PS-21, 2712 Richmond, has a notice to vacate by its landlord due to unpaid rent posted upon its door, according to EaterHouston. The notice was dated September 26 and the tenants were required to leave the premises by October 10. EaterHouston also reported that the restaurant was still closed as of October 9. We reached out to the restaurant by phone for more information, so its voicemail is still in operation.
Tejas Brewery and Taproom, 2102 Summer, opened September 12, after a month-long soft opening, according to Houstonia. The space was the former home of Buffalo Bayou Brewing but the Sawyer Yards space was acquired by Gulf Coast Distillers this past May. Gulf Coast bought the Tejas Beer brand from Big Bend Brewing Company in 2019 after Big Bend Brewing filed for bankruptcy.
Now Tejas Beer has a taproom in which to feature its line up of brews which includes Texas Clara, Negra, IPA and Hefeweizen. The taproom also offers cocktails made with its distillery’s vodka, whiskey and gin such as The Space City Margarita (vodka), Blackberry Smash (bourbon) and Lavender Bliss (gin). Wine is available by half-bottles.
Like its predecessor, it serves a food menu teeming with beer-friendly appetizers like Loaded Nachos, Jumbo Wings, Fried Pickles and Elote Mac and Cheese Balls. There is a selection of pizzas, tacos, burgers and sandwiches, too. Guests will also find some Tex-Mex favorites such as enchiladas, fajitas and quesadillas.
Via 313, 1541 N. Shepherd, had its grand opening in the Heights September 23. It’s the third Greater Houston area location for the Austin import, founded in 2011 by brothers Brandon and Zane Hunt. Originally from Detroit, the duo saw an opportunity to introduce Texans to the Detroit-style pizza known for its rectangular shape in which the toppings go straight to the outer edges. Originally started as a food trailer, it expanded to several brick and mortar locations in Austin before expanding to Houston in March 2024 with its location in Memorial. It opened a store in Webster this past August. There are also locations in San Antonio, Colorado and Utah.
Via 313 offers the Detroit-style pizza in a number of ways from Classic Cheese and The Original Pepperoni to a veggie lover’s pie like The Herbivore or a spicy pizza called The Bobo Brazil topped with hot Calabrese salami, sausage, red pepper flakes and Mike’s Hot Honey. There are also thin crust round pizzas called Bar-Style which can be basic cheese or the Funkadelic Chicken loaded with chicken, Gorgonzola, bacon, red onion, and a drizzle of ranch.
There are several salad options plus apps like cheese Bread, roasted artichokes, Brussels sprouts and meatballs with marinara. In addition to soft drinks there are cocktails, beer and wine.
Five Guys, 9620 Fry, is opening in Cypress this November according to its website but a definite date has not been set for the fast casual burger joint that first opened in Washington D.C. in 1986. Founded by Jerry and Janie Murrell and their four sons (and eventually a fifth), it has grown to more than 1,700 locations throughout the world with many more in the works due to its successful franchise model.
Pho Guru, 6191 Highway Boulevard, opened September 10 and had its grand opening September 21 and September 22. The Vietnamese restaurant is located in Old Katy and has an extensive menu featuring a variety of rolls, pho, vermicelli, noodles and banh mi. There are rice dishes as well plus a selection of seafood plates like Pan Seared Salmon and Grilled King Prawn.
The beverage menu offers Vietnamese Coffee, Strawberry Limeade and several smoothies including Oreo Monster.
Tostada Regia, 19724 Texas 249, is coming to the Cypress area soon but we have no definitive date as of yet. The locally-owned company, founded in October 2003, operates 8 locations currently across the city. Its menu serves authentic Mexican food based on the cuisine of Northern Mexico, primarily the Monterey region.
The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. For breakfast, there are a couple of sandwiches made with bolillo bread, Mexican homestyle oatmeal, Hot Cakes and a variety of breakfast tacos. There’s also a selection of breakfast plates including migas, huevos revueltos and chilaquiles.
For lunch and dinner, there are options such as its house tostadas, quesadillas, burritos, tacos and enchiladas. Its Nortenos section of the menu offers dishes like Picadillo Regio, Milanesa, Bistec Ranchero and Pollo en Mole plus there is an array of tortas, burgers, salads and soups.
Seven Brew, 13353 FM 1488, will have a soft opening in Magnolia with its regular menu and quick service from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Then, it will celebrate its grand opening October 26 with Swag Day. Guests who purchase a large drink that day will receive a limited-edition Magnolia-themed t-shirt.
This will be the fourth Greater Houston area location for the stand-alone coffee drive-thru. It serves espresso-based coffee, teas, infused energy drinks, sodas and its signature Chillers.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
