Inside My Table #91 | Excerpt
Noteworthy Openings
ANVIL BAR & REFUGE, 1424 Westheimer, a few blocks west of Montrose, 713-523-1622, www.anvilhouston.com. The year’s most anticipated bar finally got itself open, a few months later than expected. It’s a team effort from a group of enthusiastic young mixologists, the ringleader being Bobby Heugel. (See The Gnome Ranger Visits Anvil on page 43 of the magazine.) Open 5 pm to 2 am every day.
BLOCK 7 WINE COMPANY, 720 Shepherd Dr., slightly south of Washington, 713-572-2565, www.block7wineco.com. This new wine bar/retailer is set to open in June in an 8,000-square-foot recycled non-restaurant building. (We’re liking this trend: Textile, Hugo’s, Anvil, now Block 7.) Customers can buy bottles on the retail side and take them into the restaurant, as wine prices in the store and restaurant will be the same. The wine list had not been released as we went to press, but will debut with approximately 150 to 200 wines from around the world. On the food side, there will be cheese, charcuterie, sandwiches, seafood and sweets. There will even be a full-service wine-tour operator on staff. It’s from a team that includes GM David Orchard, Loren Root (retail shop), Michael Housewright (wine and travel director) and Amber Roussel (marketing).
BRISA COCINA MEXICANA, 5161 San Felipe at Sage, 713- 993-9899. This snake-bit location has killed a number of restaurants, but a new Mexican spot from Diana Ramos (who used to own Habañero Blue, near the ballpark downtown) may be the magic antidote. The owner and her brother – it is a family affair – emphasize that the menu is not Tex-Mex. (Having said that, the beef fajitas we ate were very good.) There’s ample seafood offerings, plus an interesting take on fried cheese that has queso fresco wrapped in crackly pork skin. Excellent chips (sturdier, more filling) and red and green table salsas. Future plans call for a lavish Sunday brunch à la Hugo’s.
FIVESEVEN GRILLE, 501 Crawford in Minute Maid Park, 713-259-8000. This recent addition to the dining options in the ballpark is located behind center field on the main concourse. The name, of course, is a tribute to two of the greatest baseball players in Astros history, Jeff Bagwell (No. 5) and Craig Biggio (No. 7). The menu includes sliders, salads, sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, steak and skillet-seared salmon. There’s also a patio and loft areas. Fiveseven Grille opened in April.
GIACOMO’S CIBO E VINO, 3215 Westheimer at Bammel Lane, 713-522-1934. All over Houston, foodie hearts are beating a little faster at the news that Lynette Hawkins (who had La Mora) is finally opening a new restaurant. After a couple years retirement, Hawkins has taken over this spot that was most recently Pan Y Agua. The inspiration is the Venetian bacaro, a wine bar that serves cicchetti, little dishes of cold and hot food to accompany small glasses of wine. Giacomo’s will be an express counter-service Italian cafe and wine bar specializing in cicchetti. The daily chalkboard menu includes poached shrimp, scallops and calamari marinated with herbs, lemon and olive oil; lamb meatballs; roast cauliflower in caramelized onion vinaigrette with capers and almonds; sliced braised turkey breast with tuna caper mayo; and panini, crostini and soups. There are also prepared-to-order main dishes, such as tagliatelle alla Bolognese and grilled hanger steak. Set to open around June 1, Giacomo’s will serve continuously 11:30 am to 10 pm.
OLYMPIA AT PIER 21, 2100 Harborside Dr. at 21st St., Galveston, 409-765-0021. About the time you read this – and just in time to welcome hot and hungry summer visitors – the second edition of Larry and Tikie Krticos Olympia Grill is set to open. The original Olympia is located on the Seawall, while this new sibling looks onto the harbor and is adjacent to the Elissa sailing ship. The Greek- and European-influenced menu includes lamb shanks and a variety of mezethes (meze dishes) for diners to share. The restaurant is located in the Harbor House Hotel building and has a fabulous deck for waterside dining. The project architects are Ford Powell and Carson of San Antonio and Eubanks Group Architects in Galveston. Lori Mitchell, granddaughter of George Mitchell, owner of the property, is the interior designer.
PICO’S BAKERY & TAQUERIA, 5710 Bellaire Blvd. bet. Chimney Rock & Renwick, 713-662-2733, www.picos.net. In early April, Arnaldo Richards threw open the doors to his bakery and taqueria, located just a few blocks east of his restaurant, Pico’s Mex-Mex. We’ll let Richards explain: “We are going to do for the bakery business what we did for the Mexican food industry 25 years ago. One of the reasons I opened this bakery is that I could not find the breads, cookies and cakes I grew up with. This is going to be a traditional Mexican bakery. Nothing has been anglicized – even our menu is in Spanish. All our pan de dulce, pastels (cakes), tacos, tortas, lonches (pocket sandwiches), tamales, burritos and breads are made from scratch daily. The bakery will also allow me to make my own tortillas, chips and desserts.” One of the unique items on the bakery menu is pastes (also known as Cornish pasties or meat pies). Richards’ family keep their British traditions alive, and the recipe he uses has been in his family for more than 150 years. Open daily 6 am to 8 pm; fresh-baked bread comes out of the oven at 6 am, noon and 5 pm.
POSCÓL VINOTECA E SALUMERIA, 1609 Westheimer just west of Mandell, 713-529-2797. Located in the old Cafe Montrose location, Gloria and Marco Wiles’ new Poscól takes up where their Dolce Vita leaves off, offering dozens of little dishes to sample and pass around the table. These are clustered on the menu under headings like cheese, vegetables, fried, seafood, risotto. There is no pizza, however. Vinoteca e salumeria suggests a wine bar and ultra-casual spot for nibbling cheese and cured meats. (All of the meats are either imported or house-cured.) The reality is much more ambitious, and you will probably sit at a table and have dinner. This is not a complaint. What a treat (if a little disorienting) to eat lovely strange Italian tidbits in a candle-lit room and listen to Led Zep. The all-Italian wine list continues to grow, and the staff is glad to offer a taste before you commit. One suggestion: Some translations on the menu – and an explanation of the concept – would be helpful. The waitstaff grows hoarse repeating themselves all night long. Open for dinner only now, though the manager suggested weekends might get afternoon service in the future.
PRADARIA BRAZILIAN STEAKS & CHURRASCARIA, 10694 Westheimer bet. Rogerdale & Wilcrest, 281-501-2960, www.pradaria.com. This is the second restaurant that chef/owner Mark Shim has opened in Houston – he also has Todai, an enormous Japanese/Asian/American buffet in the Marq-E Center on I-10 at Silber. Last year Shim added a churrascaria to the Japanese restaurant, a decision that inspired this new stand-alone steakhouse. What sets Pradaria apart from the traditional churrascaria, is that it offers both the rodizio service, where more than a dozen types of meat are carved table-side at one fixed price, and a classic steakhouse ao (à la carte) menu, which features seafood and steaks. In case you wonder, pradaria means “prairie” in Portuguese, a reference to the South American cattle ranges.
