Openings & Closings

Photo by Robb Walsh

First things first. It doesn't seem like any kind of loving and righteous God would do this to us, but Cheese Berry Asian Pizza (9888 Bellaire) has closed. What kind of world is this?! While there are still a few other fusion pizza places around town, where else are we going to get kimchi and bulgogi pizza? Where? This just isn't right.

On their Facebook page last week, the owners of Cheese Berry announced the closure with a heavy heart:

We would like to thank each and every one of you for showing us so much love and support for the past year. Based on the feedback and reviews, we can honestly say that y'all love our Asian pizzas as much as we do. We are very thankful and proud to have had this opportunity to be the first to share our concept with the Houston community. However, it is with our deepest regret that we will have to take a break and close Cheese Berry for now due to an unexpected event in our lives. This is just a temporary goodbye and I hope Cheese Berry will stay in your hearts for a very long time.

La Finca (11660 Westheimer) rounds out this week of closings, but unlike Cheese Berry, there are still three other La Finca locations where you can get your Tex-Mex fix. This is an unfair world we live in, folks.

Photo courtesy of The Moghul's Restaurant

In happier news, The Moghul's Restaurant (11681 Westheimer) is bringing a new kind of South Asian cuisine to town: signature Indian and Pakistani dishes served in an upscale setting with a tea service and a cigar and wine patio. Even better, the newly opened restaurant is planning on serving a vast buffet on Christmas Day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. in case you need to escape the house, or you're just looking for an alternative to Christmas ham.

Up north, another location of popular Houston chain Jax Burger & Fries (32823 FM 2978) has opened in Magnolia, in addition to its locations in Pearland and Spring. The Pearland location is the original, but the one in Spring has been a huge hit so far with residents from Conroe and The Woodlands, so the new Magnolia location should provide an even closer spot for those Conroe folks to enjoy hand-formed burgers and sweet potato fries.

And last but not least, a tip from Paul Knight reveals plans for the old Lemon Tree/This Is It location at 207 West Gray: "The bartender at Double Cross Lounge told me that the old Lemon Tree building has been gutted and redone and will soon open as a tapas place with some really KICK ASS! outdoor bar." Tapas and an outdoor bar? Sounds like a recipe for success in Midtown.