Tag: Benjy Levit

ChopnBlock Montrose, 507 Westheimer, will open October 1, which also happens to be Nigerian Independence Day, a fitting brick and mortar debut for the concept which celebrates the cuisine and ingredients of the African Diaspora. It began as a pop up from founder and chef Ope Amosu who then, in 2021, turned it into a 670 square-foot food stall at POST Houston, the international food hall and recreation hub located in the former Barbara Jordan Post Office.

That location earned Amosu a 2024 James Beard Award Semifinalist nod for Emerging Chef. Now, his rocket is taking off with a much-anticipated and larger venue to express his culinary point of view while showcasing West African cuisine. Amosu said in a press release, “This space is our love letter to the African Diaspora and we want our patrons to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of West African culture in tandem with the creativity that defines Montrose.”

That space is almost as important as the cuisine itself. Led by Gin Braverman of Gin Design Group in collaboration with AMAO Creative’s founder and ChopnBlock creative partner, Zainob Amao, the atmosphere is meant to be that of a cultural crossroads of both Africans and African Americans, creating a community gathering place. There are plans for live music, panel discussions and special dinners in the future.

Some of the main design elements include Aso Oke, a traditional West African woven fabric that shows up in the restaurant’s bar facade and community tables with a pattern created by Nigerian American textile designer Shade Akanbi. The limewash walls, including the Artwall and Stenciled Mud Wall were done by Republic Finishes while custom wallpaper from Nigerian artist Uzo Njoku is featured throughout. Meanwhile, there are African products from Root to Home and books from Black authors, supplied by Kindred Stories, some of which are available for purchase.

The food menu is an explosion of West African flavors, expanding upon Amosu’s current POST menu. Favorites such as the Motherland and Trad Blok Pairings remain but there are new soon-to-be faves as well including Buka Blok Pairing, a traditional West African stew with boneless short rib, served with steamed rice and beans. Aunt Mawa’s Maafe is a collaboration dish with JBA Semifinalist and Aspen, Colorado restaurateur Mawa McQueen, resulting in a creamy Senegalese peanut curry.

The Small Chops menu offers Nigerian street foods like marinated steak skewers with Yaji peanut pepper spice and Deviled Scotch Egg which combines the colonial Scotch egg with the Southern pot luck standard, the deviled egg. Plantains are also a strong player on the menu with both stewed and classic versions available along with items such as Plantain Bread Pudding or even a cocktail like the Dodo Old Fashioned which blends bourbon with spiced plantain, palm sugar and Angostura bitters.

Speaking of cocktails, it’s a first for ChopnBlock. While it offers non-alcoholic refreshers like the Olga Palmer, a blend of hibiscus tea and fresh lemonade, at its POST location, it will add to its zero-proof options at ChopnBlock Montrose while incorporating a cocktail program that includes spirits and a curated wine list from Danny Davis, a Level III sommelier. Cocktail consultant Alexis Mijares helped create the bar program and guests will find a number of drinks made with African spirits as well as West African ingredients.

Milton’s, 5117 Kelvin, opens September 27. The Italian-American concept comes from Houston restaurateur Benjy Levit, chef and culinary director Seth Seigel-Gardner and the talented team at Local Foods Group. The space was previously Eau Tour, a modern French concept from Local Foods Group which closed June 2, 2024 in order to transform into Milton’s. While Eau Tour received consistently great reviews, it was its fresh pasta dishes that seem to capture the palates of its frequent diners. With this knowledge in hand, the team decided to pivot and create a trattoria that would not only appeal to its current clientele but also allow its culinary team, who are also particularly fond of Italian American cuisine, to expand on the Italian offerings.

The new menu from Chef Kent Domas centers around handmade pastas and fired meats from the Josper grill. Guests can begin their experience with the Tigelle Platter which features baked-to-order Emilia-Romagna-style flatbreads with a choice of salumi, house pickles, and antipasto or chicken liver mousse with whipped ricotta. Its Sourdough Garlic Knots are made with three-day fermented dough to build the flavor and served with burrata and freshly-shaved truffles, pickled fried onions and caviar creme fraiche. Other starters include Fritto Misto, Baked Clams, Chargrilled Oysters and Arancini.

The pasta program offers diners hand-crafted dishes such as Ricotta Gnocchi, Bolognese Rigatoni and Agnolotti del Plin. There will be the usual Parms including chicken, veal and eggplant along with a decadent 100-layer Lasagna that will be available in a limited quantity daily with the fillings changing weekly. Entrees include Branzino, Roasted Chicken and Steak Florentine. For dessert, there’s tiramisu made with house-made coffee liqueur.

Beverage Director Mate Hartai has created an array of cocktails that combine classical elements with a focus on quality ingredients. The Milton’s martini is a gin-based version that gets a special kick from the use of Barolo Chinato, an aromatized wine, and a dash of champagne bitters. Instead of the popular Italian digestif limoncello, Martai has created Rubycello, using Southern Texas ruby red grapefruits instead of lemons. It can be enjoyed on its own or as a highball cocktail with Cocchi Rosso and rose bubbles.

Located atop the company’s Local Foods eatery in Rice Village, the second-floor restaurant is long and lean with a mix of comfortable half-circle booths, mini two-seat booths and a line of banquette seating along the wall. Brittany Vaughan of Garnish Design led the interior design with Irish green complemented by golden yellows. Velvet-backed upholstery adds a touch of glamour while Tiffany-style clerestory windows add a touch of retro pizza parlor nostalgia. The Brunswick-style bar allows visual access to the open kitchen and has room to seat eleven guests. An enclosed patio offers additional space for private gatherings. Vaughan is also leading the revamp of adjoining concept, Lee’s Den.

Petit Lucie, 301 Milam, will debut in Market Square Park in spring 2025 and Houstonians will be excited to see that it will be operated by a familiar face, Omar Pereney. A culinary child prodigy, he began his career at the age of 11 in Venezuela, became a teenage star on El Gourmet’s Yo and opened his first restaurant when he was just 16. He eventually landed in Houston when he was 20 becoming executive chef at Peska Seafood Culture and had a stint as President George H.W. Bush’s private chef. He is the founder of Culinary Matters as well as owner of Love Croissants.

The new concept will be both a sit down cafe and takeaway counter, transforming the kiosk that once housed Niko Niko’s into a restaurant and bar. While many of us were sad to see our favorite gyros exit Market Square, a French-inspired cafe in the heart of the square may be just the perfect spot to feel as if one is in a European piazza surrounded by some of Houston’s oldest buildings (and a few parking garages).

Petit Lucie will also feature a French bistro-style bar, a charming spot to have a drink while relaxing at the park or prior to taking in a play or musical performance downtown.

Pereney is no stranger to the area. As Kris Larson, President and CEO of Downtown Houston+ said in a press release, “Chef Omar’s Love Croissants are a prized delicacy among Downtown Houstonians, selling out every weekend at the Market Square Park Farmers Market.” Larson added that the chef’s delicious creations will now be available early morning until evening. The cafe will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Pereney calls Petit Lucie his ‘love letter’ to Downtown Houston noting that Houstonians will be able to enjoy a freshly baked croissant and steaming cup of coffee in the morning. He added,  “As the day progresses, the cafe transforms into an inviting lunch spot, offering a variety of savory dishes and refreshing beverages as well as an expertly curated selection of wines, handcrafted cocktails. aperitifs and premium beer.”

Andiron, 3201 Allen Parkway, is temporarily closing Monday through Wednesdays in the coming weeks and will reopen with normal hours in mid-October, according to a press release from owner Michael Sambrooks. It’s not a revamp as much as a recalibration “as a more relaxed and approachable indoor and outdoor experience.” Sambrooks also said that the food and cocktail menu would be changing to reflect a restaurant “more conducive to our neighborhood.”

Sambrooks said, “When opening Andiron in 2023, we dreamed of setting the standard in ultra fine dining experiences in the city. However, after listening to our customers and recognizing a noticeable shift away from fine dining across the restaurant industry, we realize this isn’t what best serves our neighborhood or the Greater Houston dining community.”

Sambrooks, owner of Sambrooks Hospitality, said that he and Chef Michael O’Connor would be carefully recreating new offerings. The team will also be putting the final touches on the new 2,800 square-foot patio. He added, “We are deeply thankful for our Andiron patrons and look forward to embracing a new, more modest era of Andiron, soon.”

Andiron will still be open its normal hours Thursday through Saturday.

P. Terry’s Burger Stand, 9207 FM 723, is expected to open this October at Spring Green. It will be the first Greater Houston area location for the Austin-based burger brand. In an email to the Houston Press, Group Vice President Monty Montgomery said, “Houstonians have voiced their need for a P. Terry’s and we listened.” Though Montgomery admits it takes time and strategy to move into a new market, the company has secured three additional sites with another one close to being announced, resulting in five P. Terry locations in the Houston Market by 2028.

The Houston locations will be serviced by its commissary based in Austin with many items being produced and delivered on a daily basis, which is why, according to Montgomery, the 99 corridor made sense, not only for transportation but also for the economic growth that has boomed in the surrounding communities.

When the Richmond location opens it will feature a double drive thru, along with indoor and patio dining. A location at 22000 Champion Forest is expected to open in the second quarter of 2025, followed by another Richmond location at 10305 West Grand Parkway South in the last quarter of the year. There is also a location planned for Bridgeland in Cypress for the first part of 2026.

Kirby Ice House Heights, 1421N. Loop W., is shooting to open in fall 2025. It will be the fourth location for the Houston backyard bar and patio which has three current spots in Upper Kirby, Memorial and The Woodlands. And this one is going to be massive.

Over a 3.5 acre property, the venue will be 24,000 square feet, boasting a 146-foot-long bar that surpasses the previous record held by its Woodlands location for longest bar in Texas. With signature cocktails, an extensive wine list and more than 50 beers on tap, it will have a similar layout to the Memorial location but offer even more seating and space, perfect for large groups and events. It will also have the most covered patio space and indoor seating of any of its previous ice houses.

As with its other spots, there will be outdoor games, a state-of-the-art television and audio-visual system and a line-up of food trucks.

Parry’s Pizzeria & Taphouse, 4331 Kingwood, had its grand opening September 16 in Kingwood. It’s the second Houston area location for the pizza franchise which opened its first in Webster in July 2023. And it’s just getting started with its expansion to the region. An upcoming restaurant is planned for Sugar Land this fall.

It first opened in Parker, Colorado in 2007 as a New York-style pizza joint and opened several more in the state over the years. In 2020, it expanded to the Dallas area, eventually opening a total of eight Texas stores with seven more planned in 2024. It also has locations in Las Vegas and Arizona.

The menu begins with appetizers such as Parmesan Fries, Knickerbocker Cheesy Bread, the South Street Meatball Bake and its large Bavarian-style pretzel served with Parry’s beer cheese. The menu also offers chicken wings and salads plus a selection of calzones. Guests can build-their-own pizzas or opt for one of its signature pies such as Zest Lady Liberty with pepperoni and Parry’s Parmesan Mix or the SoHo Veggie loaded with mushrooms, green peppers, black olives, red onions, tomatoes and minced garlic. For those who like chicken on their pizza, it offers the Brooklyn BBQ Bird, Buffalo Chicken and the New Mexican Yankee which has a base of spicy green chili.

It also features an extensive selection of draft beers, signature cocktails (more reasonably priced than in the city) and a small wine list. Happy Hour runs Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and all day Sunday. We know what we’re doing this Sunday. After church, of course.

Hotel Lucine, 1002 Seawall Boulevard, has a new culinary duo leading the kitchen at the beachfront Galveston hotel including its restaurant, The Fancy, its all day dining room, The Den and its poolside dining area, The Rooftop. Houstonian Matt Sweeney has taken on the role of executive chef, having previously served in that capacity at Georgia James Steak in Houston. During his GJ stint, he cultivated relationships with local producers and ranchers like RC Ranch, adding more Texas ranchers to the mix. His focus in his new culinary venture is to incorporate more seasonal and local ingredients, Gulf seafood and handmade pasta into the multi-concept offerings.

Daya Myers-Hurt, who previously served as sous chef at Hotel Lucine, will now be chef de cuisine at the hotel. A graduate of Houston’s Culinary Institute Le Notre, Myers-Hurt also earned a loyal clientele at her Galveston restaurant Fish Company Taco which she sold this year to local restaurateur and businessman Raz Halili.

With all of this talent, The Fancy will feature an array of new dishes on the menu this month with items like Tuna Crudo with green apple mignonette and sustainably-raised and roasted Mermaid Tears oysters. There will be Texas wagyu from RC Ranch and homemade pasta dishes like Maltagliati en Brodo with blue crab.

The Fancy will also launch its weekend Unplugged Brunch September 28. It will run Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  and feature live music along with classic comfort food like Fancy Eggs Benedict, Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit and Steak and Eggs with 44 Farms hanger steak.

Drip Dessert Lounge, 18321W. Airport Boulevard, is having its grand opening September 27 in Richmond beginning at 7 p.m. Known for its chocolate covered strawberries, parfaits and cookie skillets, this is the first Houston area venture for the Chicago-based viral dessert shop.  When the doors open at 7 p.m., the first 100 customers will receive a free chocolate-covered strawberry cup. There’s also an opportunity to win a year’s worth of free desserts.