Houston, Texas Local News
Openings and Closings: Loro Kirby Opens Soon, Wild Oats Bows Out
[ad_1]
Loro is the brainchild of Hai Hospitality co-founder Tyson Cole and Franklin Barbecue owner Aaron Franklin. Both men are James Beard Award winners for Best Chefs: Cole in 2011 and Franklin in 2015. The combination of Cole’s multi-level experience with Asian cuisine plus Franklin’s pit mastery has created a unique menu that combines Texas barbecue and smoked meats with Japanese-inspired sauces and Southeast Asian flavors.
Some of those menu items that will show up on the Kirby menu are shareables like Crunchy Sweet Corn Fritters, Chicken Karaage, Oak Grilled Edamame and Smoked Wings with hot sauce and miso blue cheese. The Wonton Chips & Dip is a perfect example of the Tex-Asian fusion with its Thai green salsa. Two items exclusive to the Kirby location will be Pork Tostadas and Smoked Shishito Queso.
The ever popular Char Siew Pork Belly remains on the new menu along with The Sake Can Half Chicken with a Gochujang glaze and Oak Smoked Salmon. After 4 p.m., the restaurant will offer Smoked Beef Brisket. Sandwich options include Crispy Smoked Chicken, the Loro Cheeseburger and, unique to the Kirby restaurant, a Double Smash Burger with yuzu and Thousand Island dressing.
Loro Kirby will also offer the Lunch Two Step ($15), a lunchtime offer in which guests can enjoy a choice from three different sandwiches plus a half-side of options such as Crispy Potatoes, Texas Sweet Corn or Crunchy Cabbage Salad.
Leading the kitchen as chef de cuisine will be Houston native Esai Negrete whose professional resume includes Yia Mary’s Greek Kitchen, Xochi, Backstreet Cafe and a stint as executive sous chef at Kiran’s Houston. He joined Loro Heights in 2023 as sous chef and his talents and skill have elevated him to a new role at Loro Kirby.
On the cocktail side, there will be Boozy Slushees like the Frozen Gin and Tonic, Mango Sake, and Killer Colada. Loro Kirby will also launch its first frozen margarita. If the choices are too overwhelming, there’s always the Slushee Flight. There are Zero Proof options such as the Spicy Cucumber, Ginger Cooler and Frozen Pina Horchata. Loro Kirby is also debuting a Dole Whip soft serve with yuzu marmalade and candied pineapple for a cool dessert.
The design follows along with the Texas Hill Country dance hall inspiration of its Austin and Dallas locations with the added idiosyncrasy of the structure having once served as an autobody shop. In addition to the interior which seats 120, there’s a dog-friendly patio with an overhead pergola that can accommodate 70 more guests. There’s also a patio walk-up bar and outdoor games. It will feature a separate entry and dedicated pickup area at the bar for to-go orders.
Wild Oats, 1222 Witte, closed September 7. The announcement was made September 5 via social media posts on its Facebook page and Instagram. It stated: “The unanticipated departure of our longtime chef, along with other challenges such as Derecho, Beryl and slower-than-desired growth, has expedited our decision to close our doors.” It went on to say “We’re also excited to be in discussions with some fantastic restaurant operators who are exploring new possibilities for this space.”
It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride for Wild Oats despite a loyal clientele which appreciated its chicken fried steak and Armadillo Eggs. It first opened in February 2022 at Houston Farmers Market with James Beard Award-winning chef/restaurateur Chris Shepherd and culinary director Nick Fine collaborating to create a Texas-inspired culinary vehicle for Fine in the Underbelly Hospitality portfolio. However, Shepherd made a surprise departure from Underbelly in July 2022 to focus more on his non-profit Southern Smoke Foundation as well as other projects. Fine left a couple of months later.
In September 2023, Wild Oats closed to relocate to Spring Branch as Comalito took over the Airline space. Comalito closed June 16,2024, making way for an upcoming second location of Alamo Tamales. Needless to say, Houston Farmers Market has seen a bit of turnover in its culinary tenants.
In December 2023, Wild Oats reopened in Spring Branch, as we reported here in the Houston Press. Now, eight months later, it has ridden off into the sunset.
Fish Company Taco, 1914 23rd, has opened for lunch and to-go service in Galveston. After the original closed in October 2023, business owner and restaurateur Raz Halili approached owner and chef Daya Myers-Hurt about acquiring the award-winning taco shop. A deal was worked out regarding the space and recipes and after being sold to Halili in the spring of 2024, work began in order to refresh the space, create some new menu items and an all-new beverage program.
The taco restaurant was opened in 2018 by Myers-Hurt and wife Laura. Its global flavors took the simple taco to new heights in a spot minutes away from Galveston’s seawall. Part of its lure was the freshly-caught seafood and the use of seasonal ingredients, aspects that caught Halili’s attention. His family-owned business, Prestige Oysters, and restaurant Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House have the same dedication to the Gulf Coast and its bounty.
Joining Halili in the venture is his culinary team including Joe Cervantez, executive chef at Pier 6, and Lexy Garcia, chef de cuisine at the same. Halili is excited to be build on the foundation of the previous Fish Company. He said in a press release, “There was a lot of thought behind it and we’re honoring that ethos and taking it a step further. It’ll allow our chefs to have fun and showcase their talents.”
The menu is still anchored by some of the tacos developed by Myers-Hurt including the Korean, Vietnamese, Empire and Dirty South tacos. The Baja tacos are served on house-made corn tortillas made with Masienda’s heirloom blue corn masa harina. Flour tortillas are also made in-house.
Cervantez and Garcia have added to the offerings with daily crudo specials that will be limited in supply due to the reliance on fresh catch. The Corn Cup and seasonal Pickle Bits stay on the menu, joined by new sides like Chili-Marinated Cucumbers and Onion Rings with curry ketchup.
The restaurant will no longer be BYOB. Instead, guests will find a cocktail program created by Ladies of Libation owners Laurie Harvey and Kris Sowell. There are frozen specialties such as the Third Coast Margarita and Grapefruit Guava Frose plus tropical juice-based drinks that can be non-alcoholic or spirit-spiked.
Soft opening hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The restaurant is counter-service and cashless. Dinner and happy hour service will be announced soon.
Nando’s Peri Peri, 1111 Westheimer, is opening its third Houston area location in mid-2025. Located in the Tower Theater space, which previously housed restaurants such as ACME Oyster House and El Real, it’s part of the redevelopment of the Tower Theater center undertaken by Radom Capital whose other projects include M-K-T Heights and Montrose Collective.
The interior will accommodate 84 diners while the shaded patio will have room for 34 more. In an area bustling with activity, the location will offer ample parking, a scarce amenity in the Montrose neighborhood.
The South African restaurant , known for its flame-grilled chicken, was founded in 1987 in Johannesburg. Its PERi PERi chicken became so craved that it has expanded to 24 countries across five continents. It opened its first U.S. restaurant in 2008 and currently has almost 50 restaurants across six states. The first Nando’s arrived in Houston in August 2023 in Post Oak.
The chicken is marinated for 24 hours before being flame-grilled and basted to the customer’s flavor and spice preference. It’s named for the spicy Bird’s Eye Chili pepper, or Peri Peri, which was introduced to the Portuguese by indigenous West Africans. Nando’s serves the PERi PERi chicken by half and quarter, thighs, breasts and wings. There are chicken bowls, salads, wraps and sandwiches as well. Vegetarian options include the Veggie Burger and Rainbow Vegetarian Bowl.
Dandelion Cafe, 611 W. 22nd, is coming to the Heights. The new location held a friends and family brunch last week and originally planned on opening September 16. However, the debut has been pushed back to possibly late September. We have been promised an update as soon as the debut has been cemented.
It’s the second brick and mortar for the coffee shop and cafe which first opened in Bellaire and also has an outpost at Rice University. Owners Sarah Lieberman and Chef J.C. Ricks are thrilled to open in the historic Heights Clock Tower, a space that provides a kitchen six times larger than the one in Bellaire. That added space will allow double production with upgraded equipment and an in-house pastry chef.
Barry Katz has a lot to smile about with two new Katz’s planned for Houston and Austin.
Photo by Shawn Chippendale
Katz’s Deli, 10321 Katy Freeway, is shooting to open sometime between 2025 and 2026. It will be located in the former home of Jason’s Deli, according to CultureMap Houston. The New York-style deli restaurant, with its tag line “Katz’s never kloses”, first opened in Austin in 1979. It expanded to Houston in 2000 on Westheimer in Montrose. It has since opened three more locations in The Woodlands, Heights and Galleria areas. Unfortunately, the Austin original closed in 2011. However, with the info about a new Houston location comes the good news that the Austin Katz’s will reopen in its original spot at 618 W. 6th. Its opening date has yet to be decided.
As for the Memorial City location, it will have the same architect as the upcoming Austin restaurant. Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, which has been Katz’s design partner for all the current locations, will be busy with the two new locations.
Yogurtland, 13590 University Boulevard, is celebrating its grand opening September 14 in Sugar Land. The event begins at 10:45 a.m. and runs through 6 p.m. There will be a ribbon cutting at 10:45 a.m. and an in-store BOGO offer from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Later, there will be music, raffles and family-friendly activities including face painting and balloon artistry from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The store originally opened this past July.
The self-service frozen yogurt shop has more than 200 flavors and a variety of toppings. Classic flavors such as Fresh Strawberry and French Vanilla are available alongside seasonal treats such as Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Swirl. Guests can enjoy their choices in-store or on the patio. There are also options for pickup, delivery and catering.
Mountain Mike’s Pizza has signed three multi-unit development deals to bring more locations to Houston, Austin and the DFW Metroplex. While Austin is a new market for the pizza brand, it opened its first Houston area location this past spring in Cypress. The deal will bring five new locations to Austin and three more each to the Greater Houston and Dallas areas.
Milton’s, 5117 Kelvin, is expected to open late September. The restaurant from Benjy Levit and Seth Siegel-Gardner will be an American trattoria with fresh, homemade pastas, wood-fired meats off the Josper grill and a unique array of antipastos. Bartender Mate Hartai willl be in charge of creating its classic and craft cocktail recipes while a fun wine list will offer Old World varietals as well as some more adventurous options.
Located in a building that once served as a bank in the 1960s, the original walls, made with bricks from the D’Hanis company in San Antonio, and its terrazzo floors have been preserved. Adding to the warmth of the interior is mid-century stained glass and plaid curtains that recall old school Italian bistros of the era.
We will have more about Milton’s as it gets closer to opening.
Talyard Brewing Co., 1033 Imperial Boulevard, officially opened this past Monday after a series of soft opening events. Taking the time to train its staff and work out its service-style, the brewery and taproom says in an email that it has landed on counter-service with floating servers (figuratively not literally). Orders can be placed in the tap room, the outdoor tap wall and the Black Pearl BBQ Trailer for food and drink orders. Beepers will be given to alert guests when their orders are ready for pickup. The “floaters” will be on hand to assist with questions, order corrections and tab closeouts and payment can be taken at the counters as well. There will be bussers to clear away plates and glasses.
[ad_2]
Lorretta Ruggiero
Source link
