Welcome to DiningOut’s Plate Full of News, where you’ll get a plateful of restaurant, bar, and chefs happenings each week.
The 411
Shawn Gale, who honed his chops in Michelin-starred restaurants Corton in New York and Quince & Cotogna in San Francisco, and most recently as executive pastry chef of Goodnight Hospitality, has announced he will open Camaraderie in the Heights next year. As more details emerge in the coming months, Gale’s vision is to create a fine-casual neighborhood restaurant in which sourcing local, organic ingredients and building an equitable workplace with One Fair Wage, are top priorities.
Less than five years after opening in the Heights, Tenfold Coffee has opened a new location Downtown, steps from Discovery Green. The all-day coffee shop and roaster is the first street-level tenant to be revealed within Skanska’s Norton Rose Fulbright Tower, offering coffee and tea service and chef-driven grab-and-go eats in a luxe space overlooking the park. The Downtown locale will also feature a curated cocktail program, a collaborative effort by Tenfold’s beverage manager Andrea Fernandez and Justin Ware of Johnny’s Gold Brick and Winnie’s, with highlights like boozy chai and a matcha highball.
Pok Pok Po, the new fried chicken concept from the team behind Amrina, will open on Monday, December 2 in the space that formerly housed Artisans. Led by chef Jassi Bindra, Pok Pok Po puts a spicy spin on traditional fried chicken with seasonings including gluten-free flour and starch batter and Indian Kashmiri red chili powder. Menu highlights include a signature chicken sandwich topped with desi kimchi, fried chicken strips, and spiced balle balle fries. In celebration of the restaurant’s debut, the first hundred guests will be treated to a complimentary fried chicken sandwich, balle balle fries, and a drink from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday.
Hopdoddy is bringing its famed burgs to the ‘burbs, with two new locations slated to open in Waterview Town Center in Aliana in January, and the Grid development in Stafford in February. Along with its chef-crafted “Burger of the Month”, diners can look forward to menu signatures like the crispy chicken bacon ranch burger, parmesan truffle fries, and the boozy Oreo cookies ‘N’ cream shake.
As part of a nearly $1.5 billion redevelopment project at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the Annie has opened an all-day, full-service restaurant in the new Terminal D-West Pier. The iconic restaurant’s airport counterpart features seating for 80, and is anchored by a large bar. Chef Robert del Grande was at the helm of the dynamic project, developing the menu, which includes Annie’s signatures like crab tostadas and steak salad, plus new items that fit a breakfast, lunch, and dinner format, like a green chili omelet and Cochinita Pibil-style chicken wings.
Happenings
In honor of its 85th anniversary on Thursday, November 28, River Oaks Theatre is celebrating with tickets discounted to $8.50 for all showings on Thanksgiving Day. Movies include a mix of classics and newbies, like “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and “Wicked”, with the theatre’s full menu offered during all showings.
On Thursday, December 19, Sylvia Casares, aka the “Enchilada Queen”, will host a tamalada from 2 to 5 p.m. at Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen’s Eldrige location. Casares will teach attendees to make chicken and pork tamales that they can take home with them. The cost is $75 per person, which includes one dozen tamales, and reservations are required.
The Rice Village Farmers Market is celebrating its fourth anniversary on Sunday, December 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a festive holiday bash. Attendees will be treated to tunes from Grandma’s Boyfriends carolers and DJ Charlie Perez, holiday vendors, crafts, face painting, and a guest appearance by Santa from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Snap selfies in front of four Instagrammable themed backdrops, while shopping and supporting local ahead of the holiday.
On the Menu
The Marigold Club has launched weekend brunch service, offered Friday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The menu features a number of sweet and savory offerings, including griddled banana bread, presented with chantilly cream and caramelized cocoa nibs; chicken Milanese with a chicory salad; a classic French omelette filled with Boursin; and a croque madame with a Texas twist, made with wagyu pastrami and a fried farm egg. Along with a variety of mimosas, guests can pair their meal with one of many brunch cocktails or the bloody mary, made with a housemade blend.
93 ‘Til has launched its new seasonal menu by chef Lung Ly. Dishes like grilled carrots with harissa, chimichurri, and roasted pistachios; bacon-wrapped pâté with pistachios and ham; vegan pasta with poblano cashew cream; mussels with chorizo and Calabrian chilies; and a grilled lamb T-bone with butternut squash coconut curry, were dreamt up to embrace the comforting flavors of the colder months.
