Dan Wierck, Army Sadeghi and Brandon Duliakas of the forthcoming Melrose bar in Montrose (photo by Alex Montoya)
LONGTIME HOUSTON FOODIES likely remember Mi Luna as a Rice Village mainstay, serving late-night tapas and wine on University Blvd. for years. Now, the original owner has plans to revive the Spanish restaurant, this time in the Montrose Collective development on the Westheimer Curve.
Youssef Nafaa says he "decided to resurrect Mi Luna after realizing that the Spanish tapas concept is not authentically represented in Houston," and that the new location in Montrose presented the perfect opportunity. The ground-floor, corner restaurant will span nearly 4,000 square feet, including a raised platform stage for live music and flamenco dancing, plus a spacious patio facing Crocker Street.
Expect a strong seafood influence on the opening menu, in addition to old favorites like the Paella Valenciana and Pulpo con Patatas. The weekend brunch crowd will likely be strong, enjoying acoustic guitar music and sangria pitchers all day long.
Nearby, the former La Grange location will soon become Melrose, a "cocktail and bites" destination featuring a menu from James Beard-nominated Emmanuel Chavez of Tatemó. Army Sadeghi of Clarkwood, Brandon Duliakas of Fox Restaurant Concepts, and Dan Wierck of Clutch each bring tremendous experience to the new project, which will open this fall.
The owners were excited by the building's history; built in the 1930s, it was for four decades a LGBT dive bar called EJ's before becoming the Tex-Mex patio bar La Grange. Next up will be a high-style, Old Hollywood-glam lounge with nods to Montrose's "bohemian charm," per a release. Melrose's two-level patio will tout a new, large central tree "as a shady focal point and an extension of the interior’s more loungey feel, with seating vignettes anchored around the existing covered bar and koi pond, as well as new fire features."
As for the drinks, there will be around two dozen signature cocktails with seasonal ingredients, punch-bowl-style beverages, and a "proprietary ice program."
Mi Luna interior rendering by Agustin Fata
Mi Luna exterior rendering by Agustin Fata
Itai and Lin Ben Eli