Weeks like this one make it hard to believe I'm actually leaving this post next Friday, because what a whirlwind of activity we've seen in the last seven days.

First is news of four exciting new bars heading to downtown, north downtown and Montrose. Two of those bars are from the Clumsy Butcher team (the guys behind Anvil, Blacksmith, The Hay Merchant, Underbelly, OKRA Charity Saloon -- you know, them), and one was a total surprise. The team had already announced plans for a tequila bar, but a press release issued this week added another bar to their downtown roster.

The Pastry War will be a tequila bar at 310 Main that also carries "an incredible selection of mezcals and tequilas, many of which have never been poured in Texas previously." The bar, named for a Mexican battle against French forces, will also serve classic Mexican cocktails and beer at what Clumsy Butcher promises will be affordable prices.

The surprise bar is Trigger Happy, which will open right next door at 308 Main (yes, that's underneath Bad News Bar). The bar plans to carry "around 50-60 wines and 20 beers on draft," all of which will be "bold and daring," the selection chosen as a "tribute to the drinks Clumsy Butcher loves and wants to share with Houston."

More »

Photo via @TacoNuts on Twitter

The last time I visited with chef L.J. Wiley was in March. That's when the prodigal chef was busy hosting a pop-up dinner called "Yelapagain" with his former employees and colleagues from Yelapa, the modern Mexican restaurant Wiley helmed to critical acclaim before departing for New York City in 2011.

But Wiley hadn't returned to Houston to only serve pop-up dinners, nor to resurrect Yelapa -- which closed in October 2011, not long after Wiley left.

He'd come back to Houston to sling tacos. From a truck.

But as many mobile food unit operators will tell you, finding the perfect truck -- one that runs, one that's reliable, one that has enough room, maybe even one that has its medallions already and can go straight into service -- is half the battle.

"I turned down a truck a few days ago," Wiley told me as he served up dishes at the Yelapagain dinner that night at Kitchen Incubator. The dinner's purpose was dual-pronged: to let Houston know that Wiley was back and to test out some of the tacos he was considering for his truck's menu.

More »

Find chef Kevin Bryant at his new restaurant, Eleven XI.

It was a busy week for openings, so we'll kick things off this Friday with some happy news.

Eleven XI, the new restaurant helmed by chef Kevin Bryant, opened this past Tuesday night...and it already has three Yelp reviews. The location at 607 West Gray had to be extensively renovated to turn the former diner into an upscale seafood restaurant -- but fish isn't all that's on the menu. Also look for dishes like Texas quail with smoked Gouda grits and a daily fried pie.

The new tacos and tequila joint that replaced Nabi in Montrose is now open, too. Pistolero's -- from owner Shawn Bermudez, who also runs the nearby Boondocks, Royal Oak and Koagie Hots -- has totally revamped the old Nabi space, turning it into a posh taqueria with an inviting bar and patio. In addition to tacos, look for tortas, burritos, hot dogs and more.

Meanwhile in the Heights, another renovated spot has opened: D&T Drive Inn, which was recently taken over by the same crew that runs nearby Down House. The craft beer-focused watering hole may look modern and sleek in that wholesome, airy Nordic way now, but it still has the soul (and garage doors) of an icehouse. Check out the bar top and communal table inside: Both were made from a felled tree on the property.

More »

Photo by Troy Fields

El Gran Malo times five: coming soon.

Fresh off the news from earlier this week that El Gran Malo is opening a second location downtown comes word that Pistolero's -- the restaurant replacing Nabi on Lower Westheimer -- celebrated its grand opening last night. Owner Shawn Bermudez is best known for his other Montrose-based projects such as Boondocks, Royal Oak and food truck Koagie Hots, but Pistolero's marks his first full-scale restaurant.

Or is it?

"It's a tequila and taco bar," Bermudez told Darla Guillen at CultureMap. But, he clarified, "there's constantly food here, and I think that's going to help us have that balance."

Eater Houston has a first look inside the remodeled space which, true to its name, features a portrait of a pistolero above the bar. If the "'Mexican pop-art' aesthetic" described by Eater Houston editor Eric Sandler looks a little familiar, it's because it plays to the same design sensibilities as El Gran Malo -- albeit with more polish and pizzazz.

More »

There was a period of time when going to the massive, two-story Cafe Adobe complex at Westheimer and Shepherd meant devoting at least three hours of your day -- if not more -- in near-prostrate devotion to its super-strong margaritas and sprawling rooftop patio.

Although those days are past for me, I still felt a twinge of sadness when I first heard the news that the beloved Tex-Mex restaurant would be closing in the wake of Cafe Adobe owner Scott Cragin's death, both to provide for Cragin's family and to allow CEO Bob Borochoff to concentrate on its other Houston locations. Since 1981, the ever-expanding restaurant has supplied the city with thousands of nights spent watching the sun set over downtown with a trusty basket of chips and salsa at the ready as you gaze out, king-like, over the jumbled expanse of Montrose below.

"After 32 successful years, it's time to move the River Oaks Cafe Adobe on to a new location that will further expand the Café Adobe brand," said Borochoff in a press release yesterday. "I know that over the years, people have met their friends and family here and celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and more."

More »

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt

A thoughtful vegetarian entree on a meat-heavy menu was the first of a few pleasant surprises at the new Federal American Grill.

Matt Brice, the new owner of Federal American Grill, was making his rounds to all of the tables in the wood-paneled dining room last Thursday night. Tables were filling up quickly, but not all of them had come to eat at Federal American Grill. And Brice knew that.

"Those two women over there," Brice told my friend Brandi and me as he came by to check on our table, "told me that they'd come here still thinking this was Branch Water Tavern." It's a mistake more diners are sure to make in the coming months, as Federal American Grill moved into the old Branch Water space a few months ago and revamped large portions of the restaurant before reopening in late April.

Brice continued with a laugh: "They told me that they'd come here for the biscuits and that they'd have been really upset if those were gone." Luckily, the complimentary biscuits are still on the menu -- complete with former chef David Grossman's sweet jalapeño jelly on the side -- as are a few other favorites. The duck fat popcorn has remained, as has the smoked pork chop with pimento cheese polenta.

But there are plenty of changes, too -- all of them for the better.

More »

Photo by Robert Z. Easley

Adios, Azteca's.

Let's pull the Band-aid off and list the bad news first: Jeannine's Bistro officially closed this past week after a temporary closure became permanent. On its Facebook page, the Belgian restaurant posted the following farewell:

We've sadly decided to close, and wanted to thank all our friends & patrons for their support during the past 4 years. You were the reasons we were here & want you to know that you were appreciated. We will miss you all, as well as our staff tremendously!

Meanwhile in the Shepherd Plaza area, Azteca's closed quietly over the weekend. Moving trucks were spotted outside the Tex-Mex restaurant on Sunday, and the phone has been forwarded straight to voicemail. No word on why the restaurant, well-known for its patio and inexpensive margaritas, closed its doors or if it plans to move elsewhere. Azteca's has not yet returned a call for comment.

More »

As of today, Jeannine's Bistro remains closed in Montrose with no word from owner Andrew Klarman as to its eventual reopening date. The popular Belgian bistro closed temporarily this past Saturday due to staffing issues.

Plenty of other doors were shut this week, too, including the beloved Olde Towne Kolaches bakery on Memorial Drive. According to Houstonia food editor Robb Walsh, the Czech-style kolache shop is looking for a "new location in the Memorial neighborhood." The original Olde Towne at 12037 Northwest Freeway is still open.

And to no one's great surprise, Pepper Jack's Mexican Grill and Cantina closed its doors this week as well. Sources say that after Cabo moved out of the two-story downtown space near Market Square Park, the landlords figured it would be simple to continue operating a Tex-Mex restaurant in the same spot. Running a restaurant ain't easy work, though, and Pepper Jack's never recaptured the old Cabo audience -- but it did garner some fairly mediocre reviews on Yelp.

More »

Moon Tower was just joshing, y'all.

Eight months after setting tongues wagging by announcing a new side project called the Gift Horse Lounge, the owners of Moon Tower Inn took to Facebook yesterday to let everyone know the joke's on them. There's no such thing as the Gift Horse Lounge after all.

The entire bar was apparently a ruse to distract interest from Evan Shannon and Brandon Young's real project: Voodoo Queen, which the pair promise will feature "full liquor, some shit to do, a damn fine jukebox, Third Coast cooking and a black light or two."

Of their subterfuge, Young claimed: "We like to leak false info. The Gift Horse was just that." Who knows what to believe anymore.

More »

Photo by Katharine Shilcutt

The moules congolaise at Jeannine's Bistro were one of last year's 100 Favorite Dishes.

A mix of good news and bad news from Lower Westheimer: After a small kitchen fire in late March shut its doors temporarily, Sorrento reopened last week.

"We are very happy to announce that after recent renovations and repairs due to the fire, we have re-opened our doors," said manager Sami Bates. While the kitchen needed fixing up, the beautiful arched ceilings and Italianate frescoes inside the restaurant weren't damaged, and neither was Sorrento's spirit.

Unfortunately, another Montrose mainstay has been temporarily shuttered with no reopening date in sight.

More »