Openings and Closings: Maximo and Local Foods Open, Magnol Heights Coming

Maximo, 6119 Edloe, opened April 9 in West University Place. The new Mexican food concept comes from Benjy Levit and Dylan Murray’s team at Local Foods, Eau Tour and Lee’s Den along with Chef Tony Luhrman. It is an homage to Mexican and Texan cooking and the culinary heritage of the Gulf Coast.

The 1,500-square-foot was once home to El Topo. Now this fast-casual, counter-service concept has taken over the space, offering modern Mexican cuisine with Texas inspirations. There is a cozy dining room plus a gorgeous outdoor, covered patio that seats an additional 35 guests. Interior designer Brittany Vaughan of Garnish Design was chosen to create the welcoming decor which draws on mid-century Mexican vibes, creating an oasis that is meant to evoke the meeting of the desert and the ocean with Southwestern art from Houston’s Southern Kindness Art Gallery.

The menu is a collaboration between Levit’s culinary director Seth Siegel-Gardner and San Antonio-native Chef Luhrman. Co-owner Levit said in a press release “Every item on this menu was carefully selected to ensure all our ingredients are from nearby farms and producers that reflect the bounty of the Gulf Coast region. From farm-fresh vegetables to locally sourced meats and cheeses, every ingredient embodies the ethos of local foods.”

The authenticity begins with the handmade tortillas de Nixtamal for the tasty taco options. Guests can choose from Barbacoa which has been roasted over mesquite and braised in adobo or the Smoked Chicken with corn rajas, epazote aioli and pickled red onions. There’s also Crispy Fish Taco, vegetarians options like Mushroom or Sweet Potato plus a luxe King Crab version with edamame, asparagus, Baja crema and cornichon which is garnished prettily with chive flowers and nasturtium.

Specialty burritos and tortas are served with escabeche including the Barbacoa Grilled Cheese with caramelized onions and the in-house Smoked and Cured Pastrami on local torta bread. As a tribute to the Edloe Street Deli, there’s even Maximo’s version of a smashburger dressed with remoulade. Guests can start their meal with appetizers such as Wood Fire Roasted Queso with pickled onion, cilantro, cotija and salsa. There’s also Campechana.

The soups and salad menu offers lighter fare including Watermelon and Cotija Salad, Ensalada Verde and the Veggie Supreme Tempeh Tinga with fermented cabbage, smoked carrots. Local Foods’ Chicken Pozole joins the menu as well. Dessert offerings like soft-serve ice cream and horchata rice crispy treats round out the menu.

For cocktails, there are margaritas, a selection of beer and signature drinks such as the Frozen Maximo or the Peacemaker made with bourbon, mezcal and Montenegro.

Local Foods Post Oak, 1709 Post Oak Boulevard, opened April 10. It’s the fourth Houston location for owner Benjy Levit’s healthy, locavore concept. There is a location in Austin, Texas as well.

The Post Oak location will have plenty of room in the 3,300-square-foot space plus and expansive 1,100-square-foot covered patio. Designed by Austin-based architect Clayton Korte and Interior Designer Brittany Vaughan of Garnish Designs, it has a similar layout and color-scheme as the other Houston-area locations.

Levit is looking forward to this bigger and better location. He said, “It’s the perfect spot for area-residents, shoppers, and those who work in the area to come enjoy lunch, happy hour, dinner or weekend brunch with more dining space, a scenic covered patio and easy parking.”

Easy parking in Houston? Count us in.

The food menu at the new spot will still offer core faves like the Green Chili Chicken Pozole and the Crunchy Chicken Sandwich but there will also be some new items like Charred Spring Asparagus with Gouda and Blackened Tuna with quinoa, blueberries and avocado. Dark Chocolate-Peanut Butter Swirl cookies are a debut sweet treat.

Local Foods Post Oak has expanded the wines by the bottle list along with new specialty cocktails perfect for spring and summer including Sangria with Cinzano Bianco vermouth, lime juice and thyme simple syrup and the Cappelletti Spritz with Cappelletti Aperitivo, Brut sparkling wine and Topo Chico.

Magnol French Baking, 1115 E. 11th, is currently working on its second location which will open in the Heights. Tips have been coming in and rumors have been circulating about the highly anticipated expansion of this acclaimed bakery and now, the confirmation is here. And carbo-holics could not be happier.

First founded in 2019 at 1500 North Post Oak Boulevard by Otto Sanchez and Kristen White, the bakery has earned a dedicated public following for its buttery croissants and perfect baguettes while also supplying bakery products to some of Houston’s best restaurants. The new bakery will take over the former home of Andy’s Cafe and it hopes to be up and running by winter 2024 in time for the Holidays. The projected opening date hinges on the fact that the building has historic designation. Sanchez plans to gut the 88-year-old space which has been operating as a restaurant since 1936.

Sanchez said in a press release, “Once the build out and permitting phases are complete comes the fun part: Operating two bakeries. It will be grueling but I am excited by the challenge and to do it in this city because Houston is home. For more than 30 years it has treated me well and this is me trying to reciprocate.”

Joining Sanchez on this journey will be his friend Nicolas Berrais as executive pastry chef. Both Sanchez and Berrais have worked with Alain Ducasse and Joel Robuchon, two powerhouse chefs in the culinary world. Born in France, Berrais brings three decades of experience working in establishments such as London’s Tabernacle Bar and Kitchen as well as L’atelier de Joel Robuchon at MGM.

The name Magnol comes from French botanist Pierre Magnol whose last name is the root of the plant magnolia. In the late 1800s, before overeager developers and real estate giants had their way with the land, Houston was termed “Magnolia City”. Tying in French influences with the long gone magnolia forests of Houston, Magnol is a fitting moniker for a French bakery that carries on the tradition of high quality baked goods in the Bayou City.

B.B. Lemon, 1100 Louisiana, will take over the space that is currently El Real Tex-Mex in the downtown tunnel system. In a restaurant management agreement with Hines, Berg Hospitality will assume stewardship of two businesses, El Real and Real Agave, that were previously part of Bill Floyd Concepts.

The B.B. Lemon at Enterprise Plaza will be another location for the eatery which first opened in November 2018 at 1809 Washington. Berg Hospitality opened a second B.B. Lemon at 4319 Montrose in July 2019 but that location closed. The new downtown spot will have an art deco feel with its recognizable yellow and green accents in the 2,360 square-foot space.

Real Agave, an upscale tequila lounge and Mexican restaurant, will share a kitchen with the new B.B. Lemon. Under the direction of Berg Hospitality Executive Chef Brian Sutton, the dinner menu at Real Agave will be revamped and a lunch menu will be added along with expanded operating hours. The kitchen will also be utilized for dedicated catering along with the introduction of a breakfast menu.

Benjamin Berg, founder and CEO of Berg Hospitality said, “It’s an honor to be entrusted with these two venues…With Bill Floyd’s extensive experience managing 32 Houston restaurants, he has set up a standard of excellence in the industry. We aim to honor his vision and do him proud Downtown.”

Both El Real and Real Agave will stay open for business during the transition phase. In early May, the new B.B. Lemon is expected to debut along with the new menu at Real Agave.

Mountain Mike’s Pizza, 24320 Northwest Freeway, is making its Houston debut April 17 in Cypress. It’s the fourth location for the California-based brand which has been making its mountain-sized pizzas for 45 years. Known also for its crispy-curly pepperoni slices and its daily-made fresh dough, it has mostly operated in the Western U.S. With almost 300 locations, it is now bringing its “Pizza the Way It Oughta Be!” to the Lone Star State.

Already successful in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, it is being brought to Cypress by local owners Nadeem Rajani, Karim Rajani and Danish Faraz. The trio also have exclusive rights to develop at least two more Mountain Mike’s locations.

The new restaurant will be a family-friendly 2,500 square-foot space with an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet featuring pizza and a salad bar. There is a kids arcade area, seven big screen televisions and a 340 square-foot patio. Guests can dine-in, carry out or order through its in-house system or third-party deliveries.

The pizzas are made with 100 percent whole milk mozzarella and customers can order specialty pies or create their own. Some of the signature selections include Pikes Peak, loaded with Italian sausage pepperoni, beef, salami, linguica and ham or MT. Veggimore topped with mushrooms, black olives, bell peppers, artichoke hearts and fresh tomatoes. There’s also the Chicken Club, BBQ at the Ranch and Pineapple Chicken Luau. The pizzas range from small (10-inch) to Mountain (20-inch).

The menu also features wings, oven-baked sandwiches, salads and sides like Garlic Not-Knots, Loaded Mountain Fries and Mozzarella Sticks.

Cosmic Juice, 2525 Morse, opened March 14. It’s a rebrand for Gretchen Todd’s Juice Girl which previously had three locations prior to the pandemic, including one on 19th in the Heights. For years, Juice Girl operated at several farmers markets around town but they are currently focused on the new Cosmic Juice storefront.

Loyal fans and new customers will find a variety of juices, smoothies, juice cleanses and acai bowls. There is also a selection of different toasts like Avocado Toast with locally-grown microgreens.

El Rincon de Mexico, 12740 Grant, is opening soon. We searched for additional information but this new El Rincon is not affiliated with the other El Rincons we contacted and its phone number is not currently being answered. However, its interior looks ready to go.

Cafe Ion, 4201 Main, opened March 28 at the Ion, taking over the space vacated by Common Bond On-The-Go earlier this year. It comes from Leven Baking Company. It offers a number of take away items as well as dine-in.

The Red Chickz, 28902 U.S. 290, will have its official opening April 13 and the first 200 guests in line will receive a free Honey Butter Chicken Sandwich per its Instagram announcement. Founded in California, the halal Nashville hot chicken concept is opening its first location outside the Golden State in the Lone Star State; Cypress to be more specific.

Located in Fairfield Town Center, the fast casual restaurant’s Original Sandwich has a crispy hot chicken tender topped with pickles, Comeback Sauce and coleslaw. Guests can add American or Pepper Jack cheese for an additional cost. There’s also a French Toast version plus a vegetarian Cauliflower Sandwich. The menu includes chicken tenders and whole wings. Heat levels begin with Cool and go up to Inferno.

There’s also Jumbo Shrimp and Cauliflower Bites plus sides such as potato wedges, coleslaw and pickles. There are three tacos to chooses from like chicken tender, cauliflower and shrimp. The cauliflower is fried in a separate oil than the meat products.

Sauces include BBQ, Ranch, Chickz Dip, Honey and Comeback Sauce.