Creative Cooking

Openings and Closings: Chef Hori's Katami Opens, Auden Autry Park

Openings and Closings: Chef Hori's Katami Opens, Auden Autry Park

Openings and Closings: Izakaya Will Make Way for Josephine's

Openings and Closings: Izakaya Will Make Way for Josephine's

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Openings and Closings: The Blind Goat Softly Opens, Philippe Schmit's PS21 Soon

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Mar 3, 2023

The Blind Goat, 8145 Long Point, opened softly February 23. The modern Vietnamese restaurant comes from Chef Christine Ha and husband/business partner John Suh. The new Spring Branch location is an expansion of her first restaurant, The Blind Goat, which she opened at Bravery Chef Hall in 2019. It has...
Openings and Closings: Money Cat is Open, Gatsby's Grill Sneaks In

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Jan 6, 2023

Money Cat, 2925 Richmond, opened softly this year and will have its grand opening January 7. The new restaurant from the team at Tobiuo Sushi & Bar will celebrate with Lion Dancers, sake tastings and more. The much anticipated venture has chef-owner Sherman Yeung and his leadership team creating a...
Openings and Closings: Lyric Market Has Opened, Gatsby's Seafood Debuts

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Oct 14, 2022

Lyric Market, 411 Smith, opened in downtown Houston October 13. The new food hall takes its place among other downtown multi-concept food destinations like The POST, Bravery Chef Hall and Finn Hall. Some of the existing food halls saw a downtick in business during the COVID pandemic restaurant restrictions, losing...
Openings and Closings: Uchiko Hits Houston, Aiko is Open

By Lorretta Ruggiero
May 20, 2022

Uchiko, 1801 Post Oak Boulevard, will open May 23 at Zadok's Post Oak Place. It's the second location for Uchiko, the sister concept to Hai Hospitality's upscale Japanese concept, Uchi. The first Uchiko opened in Austin in 2010 as a more casual companion to Tyson Cole's Uchi which became a...
Openings and Closings: Flora Blooms, Patton's Debuts

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Mar 11, 2022

Patton's, 1344 Yale, opens March 11. Located within the space that houses its sister restaurant, Savoir, the new steakhouse concept is a 38-seat hideaway behind the bar with an additional six seats at the bar itself. Its speakeasy vibe comes from the dimly-lit atmosphere with glamorous touches such as plush...
The Truffle Masters 2022 Returns to In Person

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Mar 9, 2022

I could smell the earthy aroma of truffles before even walking into the rooms that held the tables and work stations of the 27 chefs competing for the title of Truffle Master 2022. Located in the C. Baldwin Hotel in downtown Houston, The Truffle Masters returned in person March 7, ...
First Look: Krazy Dog Korean Corn Dogs

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Jan 4, 2022

I have never been a fan of hot dogs but corn dogs are another matter. The deep-fried cornmeal batter transforms the humble weenie into something sublime and I usually enjoy mine with more yellow mustard than a person should eat in one sitting. So, when I saw that Krazy Dog...
Openings and Closings: Casa Nomad Heights, Rosalie Returns

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Sep 17, 2021

Casa Nomad, 600 N. Shepherd, will open September 23 at M-K-T in the Heights. The Tulum-inspired lounge and restaurant will bring coastal Mexican flavors and a tropical oasis to an area that is teeming with new dining, bar and retail businesses despite the pandemic. It comes from the team behind...
Openings and Closings: URBE Opens, Chivos Will Replace Calle Onze

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Sep 3, 2021

URBE, 1101 Uptown Park, opened August 27 for breakfast and lunch. The Mexican street food concept comes from James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega and restaurateur Tracy Vaught of H Town Restaurant Group. It's the fifth concept for the married couple and their restaurant group. Urbe means 'city' in Spanish...
Openings and Closings: Hello Yelo, James Harden's Thirteen Opens

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Mar 5, 2021

Yelo Banh Mi Artisans, 23119 Colonial Parkway, softly opened last week before celebrating its grand opening March 3. The banh mi-centric restaurant is a collaboration between Phat Eatery owner and chef Alex Au-Yeung and chef Cuc Lam. Located next to Phat, the buildout was delayed by the pandemic. In the...
Openings and Closings: Lefty's Cheesesteak Debuts, Texas City Livens Up

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Dec 18, 2020

Lefty's Famous Cheesesteaks, Hoagies and Grill, 8057 Kirby, opened December 15 with Houston Texans Chester Pitts, Roderick Johnson, Laremy Tunsil, Duke Johnson and Brandin Cooks in attendance to lend support to their teammate, Texans quarterback, Deshaun Watson. Watson, who became an owner of the brand in August this year, plans...
Openings and Closings: Ostia Debuts, Xochi Returns

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Sep 25, 2020

Ostia, 2032 Dunlavy, opens for dinner September 25 with its lunch service set to launch October 1. The New American restaurant is a highly anticipated venture from executive chef/owner Travis McShane, a Houston native who has spent more than a decade earning his stripes with renowned chef and restaurateur, Jonathan...
Openings and Closings: Good News and Good Deals

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Apr 24, 2020

Right now, many of us are working at our home computers, trying to figure out how to teach our children algebra and what to make for dinner from the supplies that we have left. Others are pulling double shifts at hospitals or fending off complaints from shoppers who are pissed...
Openings and Closings Take-out for the Long Haul

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Apr 17, 2020

As you may have noticed, the Openings and Closings column has been focused on restaurants around Houston that have turned to take-out and delivery to make it through the current coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions on dining in. However, we actually have a recently opened food truck and a restaurant...
Coronavirus Food Tips: Don't Waste the Goods

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Mar 25, 2020

You've done all your shopping. You and the people you love are hunkered down, working from home and ready for the long haul. It might be a while. It's time to make the most of what is in your house and at your disposal. Houston is not on a mandatory...
YELO Will Hello This Summer, Sam's Fried Chicken and Donuts Closes

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Mar 13, 2020

YELO, 231119 Colonial Parkway, will open in late summer. Cuc Lam and Alex Au-Yeung will open the collaborative banh mi restaurant in Katy Asian Town in the spot next to Au- Yeung's Malaysian restaurant, Phat Eatery. The all day concept will specialize in craft banh mi and specialty coffee and...
Openings and Closings: Be More Pacific Comes to Houston, III Forks Downtown Closes

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Mar 6, 2020

Be More Pacific, 506 Yale, softly opened March 2. The first brunch service will be Sunday March 8.The Filipino restaurant began as a food truck in Austin in 2011 from founders Mark Pascual and Giovan Cuchapin. They opened a brick and mortar at 7858 Shoal Creek in Austin in 2017...
Kitchen Gear Essentials: The Chef's Knife

By Jeff Balke
Mar 3, 2020

Brand new to the kitchen? Trying to figure out what gear you need to get the job done? Or maybe you're getting married and want to add to the registry. We've got you covered with basic kitchen essentials for the home cook. There is perhaps no more critical cooking instrument...
Openings and Closings: Eighteen36 Debuts, Local Group Brewing Opens Soon

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Feb 14, 2020

Local Group Brewing, 1504 Chapman, is set to open softly February 28 with a full food menu and abbreviated beer menu. A grand opening will follow within a few weeks. The 7,500 square foot brewpub comes from veteran brewer James "Huggy Bear" Wolfe, Michael Steeves and Todd Donewar. The trio...
Star Chefs Rising Stars Gala 2019: A Chef-Studded Night

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Dec 20, 2019

Houstonians might have witnessed some shooting stars in last weekend's meteor shower, but StarChefs, the Brooklyn, New York-based resource and platform for restaurant professionals, was in town last week to fete some of Houston's rising culinary and mixology stars, some very familiar and others just starting to emerge on the...

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