Openings and Closings: Late August Arrives, Dozier’s Departs

Late August, 4201 Main, opens for lunch March 25. There are plans to add dinner service April 8. Located in The Ion, the concept has been a long time coming and has seen some major changes along the way. In February 2021 chef/restaurateur Chris Williams announced that James Beard Award semifinalist chef Dawn Burrell would be joining Williams’ Lucille’s Hospitality Group as chef and concept partner. One of those announced concepts was Late August. As a couple of years passed, the opening date was delayed and during that time Burrell was busy doing food events and television appearances including Top Chef: World All-Stars which aired in 2023.  In July 2023, it was revealed that Burrell would no longer be involved with Late August or Lucille’s Hospitality Group.

Now the Late August concept has set its opening date, following the launches of LHG’s The Rado Market and Williams’ Canadian venture Emile’s Black Point Bistro. Williams, who has been nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Restaurateur twice, in 2022 and 2023, has brought in executive chef Sergio Hidalgo to lead the kitchen at the new restaurant. Hidalgo has years of experience working with former executive chef Alex Padilla, who was his mentor at The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation. (Padilla recently announced his departure from the longtime Houston institution). Along with his work with Padilla, Hidalgo also help to open restaurants in Houston, Seattle and Arizona.

The menu, which is still under development, is inspired by the culinary heritages of both Williams and Hidalgo, blending both Black Southern and Latin flavors. Lucille’s Hospitality Group is committed to “Serving the Past, Feeding the Future” which means the menu will also feature some of the fresh ingredients from Lucille’s 1913 Community Gardens.

The wine and cocktail program at Late August is led by general manager Danny Davis who is also a level three sommelier. The wine list will showcase more obscure varietals from a diverse range of vineyards and wineries, spotlighting Black, brown and female winemakers. Mezcal and bourbon will be predominate spirits on the drink menu along with vodka cocktails created with Highway Vodka, a hemp-based spirit company that was founded by Williams’ brother, Ben Williams, and his friend Wendell Robbins.

Houstonians won’t be surprised to see that the design was done by gin design group, known for creating the interiors of numerous Houston eateries and establishments. With the building having previously been the downtown Sears for decades, the design has drawn inspiration from the iconic department store by keeping its original terrazzo tile flooring. Jewel tones of teal and burnt orange are softened by salmon hues and the artwork from Hogan Brown Gallery curator and artist Robert Hodge. The gallery was founded by Williams and located at his El Dorado Ballroom.

Dozier’s BBQ and Meat Market, 8222 FM 359, will have its last service March 30 after 67 years in Fulshear. It was founded in 1957, the same year Ed Dozier won the inaugural Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Barbecue Cook-off. Popular with politicians and celebrities, it was also a favorite among locals for decades. In 1985, brothers Smedley and Scott Evans bought the barbecue joint and meat market from Dozier in 1985. In 2019, it was acquired by local businessmen Jim Cummins and Steve Baur. The duo brought in pitmaster Jim Buchanan, who was well-known for his Buck’s brand barbecue. Buchanan and his wife had opened Buck’s Barbecue Co. in Galveston in May 2019 but it shuttered eight months later. He was quickly recruited by Dozier’s and his presence breathed new life into the barbecue restaurant.

Besides a new pitmaster, the restaurant extended its footprint with a large outdoor deck, artistic murals and live music to lure in a larger crowd of barbecue aficionados beyond local residents. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to increase the business as much as needed. Jess Timmons, who many will remember from Cherry Block Craft Butcher & Kitchen, had been working with Dozier’s as a consultant for the past year, according to CultureMap Houston.  She said, “We’ve exhausted every avenue we could to increase revenue. The traffic has steadily declined since 2019.”

Little Rey, 2345 Mid Lane, is opening April 1. A fast casual concept from chef/restaurateur Ford Fry, it will serve Northern Mexican cuisine as opposed to its Tex-Mex sister, Superica. It’s the second location for the concept with the first having opened in Atlanta, Georgia in 2019.

The slim menu revolves mostly around ‘pollo al carbon’, spit-roasted chicken that can be ordered by the whole or half bird. It’s served with accompaniments including corn or flour tortillas, smoked onions and jalapenos, ranch beans and cilantro rice. On its Tacos al Carbon list is a trio of chicken, steak or pork belly versions to choose from as well as its Tacos Tradicionales menu which offers carne asada, suadero, carnitas and a spicy shrimp taco called El Diablo.

For shareables, guests can munch on salsa and chips, chile con queso, papas fritas (crinkle cut fries) and smoked chicken wings. There are a couple of salads plus the La Torta Diabla which is a spicy, crisp chicken sandwich on a brioche bun. There are also quesadillas and sides such as elotes, fingerling sweet potatoes and Super Greens served with a lime vinaigrette and pumpkin seeds.

Beverage director Eduardo Porto Carreiro has created a drink menu that offers frozen and rocks margaritas along with house-made agua frescas. There are also Mexican and local beers.

The menu also features breakfast tacos Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To celebrate its upcoming debut in Houston, Little Rey will host a breakfast taco pop-up outside the restaurant March 30 beginning at 10 a.m. There will be free tacos until the kitchen runs out.

PKL Social, 1112 Shepherd, opened March 21 next door to its sister concept FM Kitchen & Bar. Riding the wave of pickleball enthusiasm, the new venue for games and socializing will share a huge patio with the restaurant and bar plus there will be covered outdoor spaces and four state-of-the-art pickleball courts.

Open daily, PKL Social will offer the courts for rental at $30 per hour via its online reservation system. There will also be Open Play on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for $10. There will be dedicated Friday nights soon for experienced players to compete plus Learn-to-Play happy hours the first Sunday of every month, beginning in April.

Besides pickleball, there will be lawn games like cornhole and ping-pong. For those who prefer spectator sports, there are 20 televisions adding to the sports bar vibe. The venue is 21 and up but fur babies are allowed on the patios.

Guests who work up an appetite volleying and rallying will have plenty of nosh to choose from with a menu curated by the FM Kitchen & Bar team, including its famous FM Burger and Fried Chicken Sandwich. There will also be bites such as Soft Pretzels, Fried Pickles and Chicken Flautas. Other options include the Coconut Shrimp Bowl or Carne Asada Bowl. Weekend brunch is available until 3 p.m. and offers breakfast tacos and burritos.

The cocktail menu offers drinks like its PKL Cherry Limeade or its twist on a frozen Paloma, the Courtside Crusher, plus beer, seltzer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. The bar also has its signature PKL Light Lager brewed by Houston’s first microbrewery, Saint Arnold Brewing Company.

Flying Biscuit, 4329 Kingwood, is having a grand opening week April 1 through April 5 with $1 specials. Okay, that’s technically not a full week but there are a lot of bargains to be had for Kingwood residents or anyone making the drive up Interstate 59. Or is it 69? We still haven’t figured that out.

Monday’s dollar deals are the Flying Biscuit Breakfast or Sausage Dog. Tuesday’s treats are Hangover Hash or Wake Up Burger. For Wednesday one smackaroo will get customers a High Flyer Breakfast or a Fried Green Tomato BLT. Thursday’s $1 specials are the Egg Stravaganza or Chicken Club. Friday’s deals are the Hot-Lanta Sandwich or Shrimp & Grits. The deals are limited to one per person.

There will also be giveaways  April 8 and April 9. The first 100 guests in line April 8 will get a Flying Biscuit t-shirt while the first 100 customers April 9 will get a Flying Biscuit travel mug. The Flying Biscuit is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Original Ninfa’s will soon bid farewell to executive chef and director of culinary operations Alex Padilla. The Original Ninfa’s brand was acquired in 2006 by Legacy Restaurants when managing partner Niel Morgan took ownership. He brought in Padilla to lead the culinary team as executive chef. Padilla was instrumental in the growth of the iconic Houston restaurant with the opening of a second Ninfa’s in Uptown  in June 2019.

Padilla, who personally knew the restaurant’s famous namesake, Mama Ninfa Laurenzo, since childhood will stay on as a consultant until July 1. What the chef’s plans are after that remain to be seen. In a press release Padilla offered few hints. “As I’m getting older, I’m looking to slow down and refocus on the things that made me want to be a chef in the first place-like travel and cultural inspiration.”

That’s as much of a clue as we have at this point.

Hidden Omakase, 5353 W. Alabama, has said goodbye to its well-known executive chef, Niki Vongthong. According to co-owners Tuan and Thy Tran, Vongthong is stepping back to spend more time with her family.

However, there is already an executive chef in place at the omakase restaurant, which only offers two seatings a night, Thursday through Sunday. Chef Marcos Juarez will oversee the menu and culinary preparations at the intimate tasting establishment.

Juarez is not new to Hidden Omakase, having been with the Japanese concept since November 2022. Some of the most requested dishes at the restaurant have been created by Juarez including Bluefin Tuna Sashimi with coconut curry and Bacon Wood Cold Smoked BGB. Before Hidden Omakase, Juarez served as a sushi chef at Uchi, helping to open locations in Denver, Miami and Houston.

The new executive chef says he is thrilled to take on the role. He added, “I have a strong passion for food and genuinely enjoy making adventurous dishes and sharing my love for cooking with Houston foodies alike. I have no boundaries and no specific style. I create what I feel and look forward to unveiling new dishes this spring.”

Meo Bar, 1848 Airline, will host chef Niki Vongthong for a pop-up according to the chef’s social media. Meo is a speakeasy located inside Wokker HTX. Vongthong says she will be making wagyu boat noodles and her truffle dumplings which won first place at this year’s Truffle Masters Awards. The winning tapioca dumplings were filled with carmelized wagyu beef and topped with shaved black truffles.

Phat Eatery, 2290 Buckthorne Place, does not have an opening date yet but a little birdie told us that it may be in April. Though that is just a guess, its March 11 social media posts say that it is hiring for the new location. A photo posted to TWTX.com in December 2023 showed that the construction was well under way for the new restaurant.