Levi Goode Reels In Two New Concepts, Forays Into Fine Dining with Memorial City Restaurant Duo

Jody Horton
Levi Goode Reels In Two New Concepts, Forays Into Fine Dining with Memorial City Restaurant Duo

Gulf fish at Credence

LEVI GOODE, HEAD honcho of Goode Company Restaurants, has secretly been working for years on his first standalone projects under his own personal brand. Credence and Sidebar will be adjacent to each other in The McKinley at Memorial City, debuting during the summer of 2024.

“Credence and Sidebar are unlike any Goode Co. concepts,” said chef and owner Levi Goode. “They are reflective of my experiences as a restaurateur and chef and draw inspiration from my family’s heritage. It’s exciting to pull back the curtain and celebrate where we are headed.”

Credence is a South-Texas-ranch-inspired, upscale concept serving regional American fare reflecting Texas culinary traditions and live-fire cooking rooted in classic cooking techniques. A two-time James Beard nominated restaurateur, Goode drew inspiration for Credence from cooking with his grandmother and father, hunting, travels, his education — and 20-plus years steering Goode Company Restaurants.

“The development of this new brand and its subsequent concepts adds a new dimension to our company that allows for more sustainability and creativity with the goal of bringing Texas together — communally, culturally and culinarily. I’ll remain president of Goode Company Restaurants and with an additional focus on the Levi Goode brand.”

Steak at Credence

Champagne and caviar at Sidebar

Dessert at Sidebar

Levi Goode

Live-fire cooking will be at the center of the menu at Credence, with dishes like the fire-roasted seafood tower, dry-aged duck for two, and hearth-roasted swordfish on the bone. From the finest dry-aged prime beef and traditional dishes from Texas ranches to the Gulf Coast, each plate will be presented with elevated style. Dishes will be Southern in spirit, with some designed to be shared, encouraging communal dining and gathering around the table.

The cocktail and wine menu at Credence is designed to pair effortlessly with the dishes. Guests can anticipate elevated riffs on classic cocktails such as a seasonal take on a Paloma, a re-tweaked Negroni, and a fun take on vermouth and soda. Classic cocktails will be served alongside Credence-specific creations like West Texas Parisa, hearth-roasted bone marrow, and spring-mushroom-and-cornbread gnocchi.

Meanwhile, speakeasy-style Sidebar was inspired by the Texas oil boom of the early 1900s. This reservation-only restaurant and cocktail bar will feature well-executed classic cocktails, big, bold wines and highly allocated Champagne. House-infused spirits and garnishes picked and peeled by hand will complement the rich ingredients of every drink.

Wines from classic producers, regions and styles, and a wide selection of old-world selections are planned to complement the food at Sidebar. Special cocktails like a classic gin martini served with a sidecar and garnishes, a Pink Lady with an elegant Texan twist, and reworked Old Fashioneds and Manhattans will be on offer. The food menu will boast classic American fare with luster, featuring dry-aged steaks, oysters topped with caviar, and more.

“My hope is that both Credence and Sidebar serve as local havens where people can come together and enjoy a good meal, a handmade cocktail and a good time. We’re excited to continue to serve the Memorial area of Houston, which has been so good to us,” says Goode.

Exceptional hospitality will be the standard at both restaurants, with an emphasis on traditional tableside service for salads, carved meats from the hearth, desserts, and more. Credence and Sidebar will both feature indoor and patio seating. Goode has tapped international architecture firm Gensler to design the project.

Meet Brian Boyter, New High-End Residential Broker with an Unique Background

BRIAN BOYTER IS a Houston native with an interesting background in real estate. After an impressive 16-year tenure managing commercial transactions in a Fortune 500 Real Estate Investment Trust, he recently made the shift to high-end residential brokerage. The experience left him uniquely suited to thrive in the sometimes-emotional world of buying or selling a home.

Keep Reading Show less

What year was your organization launched? Founded in Houston in 1947, as the Cerebral Palsy Treatment Center, the organization provided services to individuals with disabilities living in Houston and Harris County. In 1989, the organization changed its name and greatly expanded its services to meet the needs of its clientele. Today as Easter Seals Greater Houston, the organization provides multiple outstanding service programs to children, adults, veterans, and service members with all types of disabilities and their families in Harris and sixteen surrounding counties.

Keep Reading Show less

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

Keep Reading Show less