PRESS & PRAISE

“If Underbelly is Houston’s statement restaurant, then Helen is its most comprehensively successful: thematically precise, architecturally striking, uniformly delicious and packed at all hours of the day.” READ MORE

“Evan Turner fell passionately in love with Greece as a teenager. Some thirty years later, the Houston sommelier has a taverna all his own.” READ MORE

“At Helen, the taverna that took over the space long occupied by Kahn’s Deli on Rice Boulevard, you won’t find the canon of Greek dishes prepared exactly like you expect. But, depending on the region of Greek cuisine you’re familiar with, there are many familiar tastes and scents.” READ MORE

“There's something so playful about the storytelling angle of new downtown bar El Big Bad that makes the new establishment instantly feel like a fun time, even before you've ordered drinks. The theme of the "Three Little Pigs" and the big bad wolf is evident from the mural that stretches from the entrance to the elevator…” READ MORE

“Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Certainly not Steve Sharma, Shaun Sharma and Lea McKinney, the partners who made a spooky wolf the logo of their bar/restaurant El Gran Malo, the funky gastrocantina in the Heights.” READ MORE

“I went over to interview him and was met by a dapper young man named Shepard Ross. Ross was the managing partner there and now he’s also co-owner of the Brooklyn Athletic Club, the Richmond Avenue restaurant and outdoor playground known as BAC.” READ MORE

“If a little sportsmanship and competition is what gets your fires stoked, then Brooklyn Athletic Club should be your destination of choice. Before or after (or during—who are we to judge?) dinner, you can engage in rounds of bocce ball, petanque, and other country club games. You’ll need to move around a bit to work off chef Jeff Axline’s hearty cuisine.” READ MORE

“ARTHUR AVE HAD ITS FANS, but if the attendance at the April 11 opening of Helen in the Heights is any indication, locals are excited for Greek food. As at Helen Greek Food & Wine, chef William Wright, a 2017 James Beard Foundation award finalist for Rising Star Chef, is at the helm. That means an eye toward authenticity, but also excellent ingredients and the utmost in craft. But this isn’t simply a sequel to Helen, it’s an entirely different experience.” READ MORE

“Because one of our favorite patios in town just happens to be found at Resy’s newest Houston addition. There’s no better way to simulate a Greek vacation than by catching some rays alongside spiced meatballs and the Greens and Cheese Pie, a phyllo pastry with fried capers, oregano and myzithra cheese. For even better effect, add a creative drink from the bar — either alcoholic or virgin.” READ MORE

“FM Kitchen and Bar, 1112 Shepherd, has been designed to revive memories of younger days when the backroads outside of metropolis could take you anywhere. "It's definitely a nostalgic thing, definitely a Texan thing," Hildebrand said of FM's deliberate triggers.” READ MORE

“Inside FM Kitchen, designer Erin Hicks has incorporated clean lines, industrial aspects and a few pops of color. The space doesn’t feel like a hole-in-the-wall burger joint – it’s fresh and modern. Outside on the expansive patio, there are picnic tables with umbrellas, a stage for live music, a ping-pong table and a few lawn games.” READ MORE

“Three friends with zero restaurant experience are opening their first café business together in Houston. But if they're worried about success, they're not showing it; they know how to play the game. Games, rather. Hundreds of them.” READ MORE

“Construction is underway at Tea + Victory, which bills itself as “Houston’s first board game cafe.” They’re not kidding around about board games: there will be a library of 500 games to choose from when Tea + Victory opens in early 2018. In case that’s overwhelming, experts known as “game guides” will be on hand to help diners navigate it all with recommendations and tips.” READ MORE

“GAMES AREN’T JUST FOR HARDCORE NERDS, EVERYONE CAN ENJOY THEM,” Vanessa Briceño tells me, hitting on a theme that will come up over and over again in our discussion about Tea + Victory, the new board game cafe opening up in the Heights later this spring. Briceño and her husband Jason Bush, along with their partner Meghan Rega, are the minds behind Tea + Victory, and are hoping that their spot will not just be a cool place to grab a bite, but a place people can go to enjoy a hobby that’s having a resurgence over the past few years. READ MORE

“Poitín, the bar and restaurant in Sawyer Yards by Houston restaurateur Ian Tucker, opens to the public today. The restaurant’s name is a nod to Tucker’s Irish heritage: it’s named after poitín, an Irish spirit that predates whiskey and dates back to 548 A.D. Poitín is also considered an Irish moonshine, thanks to the fact that it was outlawed for hundreds of years before production was allowed to resume in 1989.” READ MORE

“One of this year's most eagerly anticipated restaurants has set its opening date. Poitín, the ambitious all-day concept from Balls Out Burger owner Ian Tucker, will open to the public on May 14, the restaurant announced May 1. Located in the Sawyer Yards development at 2313 Edwards St., Poitín (put-cheen) takes much of its inspiration from The Exchequer, Tucker's award-winning gastropub in Dublin that's rated as one of the best cocktail bars in Ireland.”  READ MORE

“Erin Hicks, whose previous interior work includes Helen Greek Food & Wine and El Big Bad, executed a graceful transformation of the 2,000-square-foot space, which benefits from a great deal of natural light thanks to a long swath of floor-to-ceiling windows. The features include “leathered stone countertops and forest slate accented dark walnut tabletops.” Simply describing the color scheme as “green and purple” would not properly evoke lengthy, richly toned eggplant-colored booth seating that runs the length of the far wall, or the muted, classy green-gray wall color that complements the purple perfectly.” READ MORE

“The dishes at Mina Ristorante are inspired in large part by Borgo’s popular meals-to-go: expect antipasti, freshly-made pastas, comfort food, and desserts. In mid-February, the transition will begin with construction of a dining area, designed by Erin Hicks. The new look will add sophisticated touches like dark walnut tabletops, brass accents, and stone countertops.” READ MORE