IntheKnowHouston

A photo of the coming soon sign for Wild at 1609 Westheimer Rd. The photo was included in an article this week on Chron.com about the coffee shop, cocktail bar, and dispensary. https://www.chron.com/food/article/wild-cbd-replacing-ub-preserv-westheimer-montrose-17209635.php

Some time last year, the Kirby Group changed the name of their beer garden and bar concept from Buffalo Heights Bier Garten to Bayou Heights Bier Garten. This is located at 3905 Washington Avenue. It's possible this could open this summer or in early fall. Kirby Group recently posted job listings pertaining to Bayou Heights Bier Garten.

Berg Hospitality's Benny Chow seems as if it is moving forwardat 1818 Washington Ave. A few weeks ago, an architectural barriers project filing was filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for the restaurant. The build out is estimated for completion towards the end of the year.

I agree. When I noticed the entity for XOXO Houston in February, I also assumed this would probably land in Montrose, Midtown, the Heights, River Oaks District, the East End, or the East River development (ruled out Autry Park since it's sort of similar to thr RH Rooftop & Restaurant planned there). Shops at the Arrive didn't cross my mind. Aside from Pondicheri, it's been tough for other dining and nightlife concepts. But I hope Gap Concepts' XOXO Houston can fill the void long left by Saint Genevieve's departure when the development was named West Ave.

Saint Dane's successor, Joe's Place, closed some time this year. I think it finally opened in late fall of 2021. Moving into the bar space at 502 Elgin St is Stick Talk. It's a food truck from Alife Hospitality (Lost & Found, Kamp, Prospect Park) serving Japanese and Cajun fusion fare cooked on hibachi grills. This will be the food truck's first brick-and-mortar location.

Ha! It's such a niche concept that I'm skeptical if it will last more than a year. But hopefully the shop will be a fixture in that community for years to come.

An update on Luloo's, an all-day cafe and Bodega opening in Garden Oaks' Stomping Grounds development at 1223 W 34th St - 1225 W 34th St. From CultureMap yesterday: Luloo’s Day & Night ( 1223 W 34th St, Ste C-400) - The owners of Blood Bros. BBQ — James Beard Award finalist and pitmaster Quy Hoang along with brothers Robin and Terry Wong — have teamed up with pastry chef Alyssa Dole (Agricole Hospitality, The Kirby Group) on this sandwich shop and bakery that will open this summer at the Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks. https://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/06-07-22-upcoming-restaurant-bar-list-andiron-georgia-james-navy-blue-aya-sushi-elro-pizza-late-august-lymbar

An update on il Braco, the Italian restaurant opening soon in the Post Oak Plaza shopping center. From CultureMap yesterday: il Bracco - Two veterans of the Houston's/Hillstone restaurant group will bring this Dallas-based Italian restaurant to the Galleria area this July. https://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/06-07-22-upcoming-restaurant-bar-list-andiron-georgia-james-navy-blue-aya-sushi-elro-pizza-late-august-lymbar

CultureMap provided an update regarding Dinette yesterday. It's the only mention of it from any of the local news publications so far (and yes, all the other publications covering Houston's dining culture has known about this place for months, yet no reporting): Dinette - The team behind Hando is working on this Vietnamese restaurant that will open in the same Heights shopping center as Crawfish Cafe later this summer. https://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/06-07-22-upcoming-restaurant-bar-list-andiron-georgia-james-navy-blue-aya-sushi-elro-pizza-late-august-lymbar

PapaBubble, a confectionery specializing in artisan caramels, will be a tenant at Heights Central. The candy shop based out of Spain leased the ground floor retail unit, 927 Studewood St, Suite 120. I spotted an entity filing for this earlier in the year and assumed this would likely end up opening in either Asiatown or the Uptown area. But according to an April filing with Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations, the shop will operate in the Greater Heights. https://papabubble.com

Back in December, the Leader reported a Thai restaurant out of California is slated for Stomping Grounds: A San Francisco-based Thai restaurant is making its Texas debut at the Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks next fall...Rooster & Rice, 1223 W. 34th St. Ste. C-400... https://www.theleadernews.com/food_drink/nibbles-sips-local-table-opens-this-week/article_9421d7ae-5daa-11ec-bb08-738d02240a41.html Last week, the Leader provided an update: California-based Rooster and Rice is shooting to have a soft opening in the development this weekend, according to operator Bryan Lew, though he said that could potentially change. https://www.theleadernews.com/food_drink/nibbles-sips-gatlin-s-bbq-owner-opening-comfort-food-restaurant/article_d4eae3f4-e1e2-11ec-a000-53b057a52efe.html

Yes, it's confirmed by Houston Chronicle's paywall-free site Chron.com. Although majority of their restaurant and bar "reporting" is inaccurate (*reporting places or very out-of-date dining trends as new, consistently wrong information on places or legal situations (i.e. recently reported a Third Ward lounge/bar named Faces as new when it's been open for well over a decade; same article reported Turkey Leg Hut owners are still in a legal battle with one another when the case was dismissed last fall...in an article two months ago about the new owner of Tex-Mex restaurant Spanish Village...who took over ownership in spring/summer 2021, yet the Chronicle reported nothing about it then as a follow up to their reporting on the closing of Spanish Village that never happened), the news about Austin's, the beer garden / bar & grill at 1221 W 20th St is accurate. Here is a photo of the bar's signage from Chron.com (photo taken by Chron.com's food editor Emma Balter): And a progress photo of the bar's construction: And this is from the article, which is very light on details: Austin's, a beer garden that's currently under construction, will debut this summer. A representative for the concept said they were about a month out from opening, but weren't ready to reveal more details quite yet. Next door at 1221 West 20th Street, the Austin's construction site is a little more advanced, including what appears to be a two-story building and wrap-around patio, with an adjoining brick-and-wood structure where most of the "Welcome to Austin in the Heights" mural's letters are completed. https://www.chron.com/food/article/welcome-to-austin-in-the-heights-new-bar-houston-17221440.php * I included a sliver of the Chron and Houston Chronicle's dining inaccuracies to show how out-of-touch their hired writers and reporters are on the very topics they are paid to report. It's baffling. Worse, the reporters nor editors care. If they did, more would be done to ensure that mistakes are corrected (I've emailed the writers and their editors with proof showing what's reported is wrong, still nothing) and the division would do a better job of keeping their readers well informed. It is a shame because readers trust reliable sources like Chron and Houston Chronicle are providing them with vetted and up-to-date information. However, readers are constantly receiving inaccurate and out-of-date informatiom at least on the restaurant and bar fronts from both publications.

Thanks!

The park is permanently closed at the South Loop West location. However, it's relocating. The relocation isn't because of enough business, it was busy during It's hours of operations on the weekends, especially Saturdays and Sundays. The owner of the food park didn't divulge details about the relocation in their Facebook group. Reading between the lines of what was disclosed, it seems the owner wasn't able to implement a lot of things he wanted to make the food truck park better for both the vendors and visitors. So he and the property owner ended whatever agreement was in place. The new location (wherever that may be) will provide room for the changes and improvements the owner of the park wants.

Local hospitality group Cle Group has either purchased or is in the process of purchasing the two adjoining Shady Acres lots that make up 1115 W 20th St and 1119 W 20th St. The group was rumored to occupy the former Garden Expo building at 1221 W 20th St; however that is going to be another bar concept from a different group (thread about that here). I don't know if this will be a second Cle location or not, but it is rumored this yet-to-be-known business may probably be a Cle Group bar & grill concept.

The two parcels of land in Shady Acres at 1115 W 20th St and 1119 W 20th St were previously home to Fredy Cars and Fredy Used Car Sales. The lots were last on the market as recent as April 2022. https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/1115-W-20th-St-Houston-TX/5339287/ Brochure: https://images1.loopnet.com/d2/IN_SWWoXp1rjehvPHtSMWAdHwlvT5YhYmjNnOXKA2qk/1115 1119 W 20th StFlier.pdf

Found in the Restaurant Diversity in the Heights topic: Local wine bar Sonoma is relocating to Garden Oaks' Stomping Grounds development at 1223 W 34th St - 1225 W 34th St.

A follow up: the 1221 W 20th St property is not going to be another Cle Group establishment as rumored. It's possible the property may still be a bar & grill / club concept named Iron Cowboy, previously mentioned last year a few posts back.

Double Trouble is not rebranding. After closing several months for renovations, the coffee shop and cocktail bar reopens tomorrow at Mid Main. The reopening announcement shared on Instagram Thursday evening:

Thanks! I tried to find their website but couldn't. It's probably because I added "the" in the web address. Hopefully, more information about the Philter will surface soon. I'm not entirely certain this is an out-of-state import.

Jun by Kin or Jūn by KIN is more than likely opening at 420 W 20th St. The owners of the restaurant recently filed an entity for Jun by Kin, LLC. 420 W 20th St is the listed address.

A coffee shop will be one of the beverage tenants within food hall Conservatory at 606 Dennis St. The name of the shop is the Coffee Garden. Website is here: https://thecoffeegarden.com Conservatory is part of the Crossing at Midtown mixed-used development. I think it may open this year, possibly before fall. While not related to the Crossing at Midtown, some here may want to know Conservatory may have plans of branching out beyond Houston. According to Company of Nomads' website, the food hall is looking at two HBCU campuses: Spelman College and Prairie View A&M University.

Something named the Philter. I think it might be a restaurant or some type of food and beverage business.

This is wonderful news if Evelyn Garcia has signed a lease for the other unit at 420 E St. Garcia lists an upcoming brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Heights in her Instagram bio. Also CultureMap reported this earlier this spring: A recent multi-course dinner at the Houston Botanical Gardens previewed Jūn by KIN, the restaurant they plan to open in the Heights. https://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/04-15-22-tastemaker-awards-2022-best-pop-up-startup/

Posts about this property found in the Restaurant Diversity in the Heights thread: