5 Restaurant Openings We're Excited About This Fall
Can't you feel the breeze blowing? The crisp leaves at your feet? No? Of course not, because this is Houston. But there is a sure sign that fall is coming, and that's all the restaurants that are opening. We're here to give you the details.
Here are five openings we're looking forward to over the next three months of 2019:
Rosalie
When Chris Cosentino made his Houston debut back in April, it was through a fog machine that was set off a bit haphazardly inside a private room between the Hay Merchant and Georgia James. It was worth a chuckle. But Cosentino's stature is no laughing matter—the guy known for his love of offal has won Top Chef Masters and competed on Iron Chef America, and in early October will open Rosalie, a restaurant that aims to balances grandma's comfort food (the place is named after his nonna) with casual elegance inside the rejuvenated C. Baldwin Hotel in Downtown.
To help bring his vision to life, Cosentino has hired Sasha Grumman, formerly of Austin's Launderette, to run his kitchen. She'll be pushing out big pasta dishes, as well as this piggly masterpiece:
Politan Row
Food hall mania continues in Houston with the soon-to-open Politan Row (the target is November), which will join the recently unveiled Understory and Bravery Chef Hall, plus Finn Hall and Conservatory. But unlike the others, Politan will be over in Rice Village, a neighborhood growing its restaurant rep quickly thanks to some newly arriving chains.
Politan Row has named a few of its tenants, which include Phillip Kim's food truck Breaking Bao, Victoria Elizondo's Cochinita & Co., and Niken and Ecky Prabanto's Susi Kopi and Boba. That's Chinese, Mexican, and Taiwanese and Indonesian right off the bat, and a few very interesting young industry folks with established chops. A good sign.
Camerata in the Oaks
Is it fair to say that Houston's oenophiles have never been happier? Over the last year we've seen the transformation of L'Olivier into Avondale Food & Wine, the arrival of Light Years (the city's first all-natural wine bar), and the opening of ambitious Savoir and La Grande Rue in the Heights, not to mention newer wine-heavy concepts in Montrose. But don't forget Camerata in the Oaks, the second location of the mega-popular wine bar, which is supposed to lift off this fall at 1225 W. 34th St. Because it's in Garden Oaks, this Camerata will be more family-friendly, with green space for picnics and doggos to run around.
Khao soi at Traveler's Table.
Image: Debora Smail
Traveler's Table
It would've been a shame for the beautiful interior of the former Aqui to go to waste. But it won't, thanks to the newcomer Traveler's Table, which will settle in the Montrose property at 520 Westheimer Road starting this month. The concept from worldly former journalist Matthew Mitchell is expected to feature a range of cultural cuisines, among them Thai, Indian, and Turkish.
Guard & Grace
If you keep up with foodie events, you may know Denver-based restaurateur Troy Guard has been in Houston a lot over the last year. His many collaborative dinners have whet whistles for the newest location of his gourmet steakhouse Guard & Grace, set for a fall opening at the Allen Center at 500 Dallas St. Guard & Grace will be set in a huge 15,000-square-foot space with a private mezzanine and temperature-controlled wine cellar. It'll be nice to get a new combatant in the ever-ferocious battle for best steakhouse.
Others to Watch
- Musaafer, a fine Indian dining experience, is likely coming to the Galleria in October.
- Candente, the Tex-Mex restaurant from The Pit Room, should be coming soon to 4306 Yoakam Blvd. (it was slated for a late summer opening). One look at the brisket queso below will tell you that we're pretty excited about this place to open.
Brisket queso at a recent Candente pop-up.
Image: Timothy Malcolm
- The second location of Postino in Montrose is days from unveiling itself, just in time for patio season to begin.
- Also in Montrose, the newest Sweetgreen will premiere in September.
- Then there's the new Mendocino Farms, slated for an October opening at 1121 Uptown Park, #14.
- The second location of Ambriza Social Mexican Kitchen has opened at the Boardwalk at Towne Lake. A new Coco Crêpes is on its way.
- The Heights Waterworks Common Bond location is targeting a fall opening. Oh, and in 2020 it'll be at Understory.
- If you've been following Koffeteria on Instagram, you're counting the days for when Vanarin Kuch's upscale bakery of wild-looking treats takes flight. It should be this fall at 1110 Hutchins St. in EaDo.
