food news

The Blind Goat Opens, Eight Row Spawns a Second, and Other Juicy Food News

The Blind Goat Opens, Eight Row Spawns a Second, and Other Juicy Food News

Eloise Nichols Chicken & Waffles (photo by Duc Hoang)

AS COLD FEBRUARY fades (thank you very much), March beckons with fresh beginnings and other tasty news. Get out and enjoy new taste adventures, outdoor patios, and what we hope is Houston’s spring arrival!

The Blind Goat Debuts in Spring Branch

Sugarcane shrimp at The Blind Goat

As teased in Houston CityBook’s current issue, Christine Ha’s popular Bravery Chef Hall counter concept, The Blind Goat, finally has a permanent home in Spring Branch. The Masterchef winner and her husband-partner, John Su, encountered permit delays, but the full-service restaurant is now in its soft opening phase. Expect a similar yet expanded menu with classics like Mom’s eggrolls, The Great Papaya salad, and a new one: Texas BBQ brisket fried rice with smoked brisket from new neighbor Feges BBQ. Big plates including whole roasted turmeric fish and crawfish and noodles tempt. Naturally, celeb chef Gordon Ramsay’s favorite Rubbish Apple Pie a la mode is the signature dessert. Open and airy, the brick-paved dining space has a bar/counter and is accented with a natural rope design and tropical plants. Ha also owns Xin Chao in the Heights, and is planning a new sandwich shop called Stuffed Belly to debut later this year.

Eight Row Flint Duplicates

Art at Eight Row Flint (photo by Micah Danae)

Watering hole Eight Row Flint, known for its ranch water and stellar food truck tacos, recently opened a second location in EaDo in the shuttered Night Shift space. It’s the first duplication of a concept under the Agricole Hospitality umbrella (Coltivare, EZ’s, Vinny’s, Indianoloa, etc.). Like the original in the Heights, the new Eight Row is slinging tacos, like shrimp and octopus, built on tortillas made from the bar’s own nixtamalized corn masa. Expect savory bar snacks like campechana, ceviche, surprises like pickled quail eggs, and inventive takes on empanadas. A custom rick house anchors the expansive main dining room, and eclectic art decorates the walls, including a bright stairway mural created by GM Christian Garza and his young daughter. The stairway leads to an open-air rooftop patio with seating for 80, which will be fantastic for spring.

Tulum HTX Bows in EaDo

Tulum HTX

As its name suggests, this new rooftop EaDo tiki bar and restaurant takes its inspiration from the Caribbean city of Tulum. A soaring multi-level interior is fashioned with suspended lush accents, bamboo lighting fixtures, Aztec tiles, and a striking mural. Come for Caribbean cocktails, scratch-made Mexican dishes, and a rooftop complete with chaise lounge furniture. Guests are encouraged to lay back with a cocktail “straight from the coastline” — think the Paradise Martini, made with vodka, pineapple juice, and passion fruit, and jungle juice starring rum and tropical juices. Snack on Tulum street tacos, nachos, wings, and mozzarella lollipops. Entrées include wood-smoked rib tips, shrimp and grits, fried catfish, and weekend brunch dishes.

Eloise Nichols Goes All Day

Eloise Nichols (photo by Alex Montoya)

This Highland Village-area American resto recently adopted a more casual all-day café format and rebranded its name to Eloise Nichols All Day Café. The menu revise is gearing towards a family-friendly, affordable café with full service more like its sister restaurant Adair Kitchen. Gone from the menu is the raw bar as well as items such as cast iron chicken and fish and chips. Expect such dishes as Not Jennifer Aniston’s salad; chicken and dumplings; and Betsy’s Favorite Pasta with linguine, sundried tomato, Romano and Parmesan. Avocado toast with a poached egg and chicken and waffles are popular breakfast bites. It’s interior and patio have been refreshed, too, and there are still classic cocktails shaken at the bar.

Dawn Burrell Returns to TV

Chef Dawn Burrell (right) on 'Top Chef'

Our Houston girl is back this upcoming season for Bravo’s Top Chef: All Stars. Cheftestants from around the world will compete in the first episode Thurs., Mar., 9 on BravoTV. Burrell, who has her own restaurant planned for Houston, isn’t just a top rated chef, she’s a talent who spent her early career as a high level track and field athlete, even repping the U.S. at the 2000 Olympics as a long jumper. In her recent appearance of Top Chef in season 19 filmed in Houston, she was featured as a guest judge. This time, she joins 15 other former contestants in London for a thrilling Season 20. We hear that aforemetioned chef Christine Ha will be a guest judge in a Texas challenge. May the best chef win!

From Your Site Articles
Food
promoted

Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

Al Torres
Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less
parties

Chef’s Kiss! Hundreds Feast in Celebration of Urban Harvest’s 30th

Daniel Ortiz

Diana Madero, Thea Pheasey, Alejandra Peterman, Hillary Jebbitt

EIGHT CHEFS, THIRTY years — and one big dinner! Urban Harvest rang in its fourth decade of community gardens, farmers markets and food access at their annual farm-to-table dinner cooked up by some of the most notable chefs in town.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties
food

Amalfi Ristorante Invites Wine Lovers to Explore Campania with a Special Six-Course Dinner

The inspired menu at Amalfi emphasizes fresh seafood and, on right, Giancarlo Ferrara

THIS WEDNESDAY, AMALFI Ristorante will transport guests to the sun-soaked shores of Southern Italy’s Campania region, home to the glamorous island of Capri, with a six-course dinner. The menu, curated by Executive Chef Giancarlo Ferrara, will be paired with wines from Agricola Bellaria Winery, one of Campania’s most celebrated estates.

Keep Reading Show less
Food