Food Drink

If you’ve only been open for seven weeks and you already have regulars then you must be doing something right. That’s the case with GrindHouse, at 5403 N Shepherd Dr., which serves up coffee and more right by St. Pius X High School. “We’ve gotten a lot of support from the surrounding neighborhood,” said Tony Buono, who is partnering in the venture with Patrick Villarreal and Villarreal’s son Jonathan. “The St. Pius kids come in the morning and the afternoon for frappes, smoothies, and ice coffees.” Nearby offices and businesses are also taking note of their new neighbor. The GrindHouse building on a corner lot which used to be Chirps Chicken and Rice was purchased a little over three years ago by Villarreal. Buono and Villarreal got the idea for the coffee house through their work on … [Read more...] about GrindHouse coffee shop on North Shepherd is ready to grind

When co-owner and partner of Hugs & Donuts, Matt Opaleski, was asked about the menu at Hugs & Donuts he quickly laughed and stopped the question to say “we’re just getting started. We’re really just getting started.” Just getting started is exactly what owners Jason Hill and Matt Opaleski are up to at their newly opened donut shop in the Heights at 1901 N. Shepherd Dr. You might recognize the two names from their food truck partnership in H-town StrEATs and their recent seasonal fried chicken project, The Birdhouse, where they won the 2015 Indie Maker Award from Pop Shop America. The two have closed the chicken coop, at least for now, and are focused on gourmet donuts and acclimating to their new home on Shepherd. If you asked Opaleski what the plan was, he’d tell you donuts … [Read more...] about Hugs & Donuts opens doors, receives outpouring of positive response

Cocktail of the Month: Caipirinha Hopefully the rediscovered sunshine is the harbinger of many pleasant days ahead this spring, when enjoying an evening cocktail on the patio is not at all out of the question. For this month’s Cocktail of the Month, we look to Brazil's national cocktail, the Caipirinha. It’s in regular rotation at my house since my better half came back from a trip there with a bottle of cachaça and lots of advice from Brazilians on how to make the perfect Caipirinha. Cachaça, by the way, is a sugarcane-derived alcohol, like rum, which you can get stateside too. The term Caipirinha can describe any cachaça-and-fruit-juice drink, but it is most traditionally made with lime. Other contenders are pineapple, lemon, grapes, or mango among other options. The recipe is … [Read more...] about The Leader’s Cocktail of the Month: the Caipirinha

A new restaurant is opening in the old Stella Sola location at 1001 Studewood Dr. at 10th St. in the Heights and its generating a lot of interest. The restaurant is called Black & White and identifies itself as a “contemporary Mediterranean and seafood bistro.” Notably, Black & White will feature two restaurants in the beautiful space that formerly housed one. “It is a big place,” said Black & White owner Hernan Garcia. “It has seating for more than 200, so we thought we would offer two different restaurants with a shared kitchen. That’s why we chose to call it Black & White. The black side will offer Mediterranean and European fare. The white side will concentrate on fresh seafood and may be a little more casual. Both will offer good, honest food with a full meal in the … [Read more...] about Mediterranean dishes to turn ‘Black & White’ at new establishment

It may have been a long time coming, but Treadsack’s newest restaurant pairing at North Shepherd Drive and West 18th is beginning to take shape. The future site of Bernadine’s and Hunky Dory concepts now features the outer shell and foundation laid in place. A representative with Treadsack said construction is expected to be complete in June, barring any major delays or issues. While the group is still working out menus for the establishment, Hunky Dory will focus on British comfort food with Bernadine’s focusing on seafood like oysters, crab and other Gulf-inspired dishes. Chef Richard Knight will be heading up the Hunky Dory kitchen and Graham Laborde will head up Bernadine’s. Both restaurants will share a private dining room; however the two will have their own bar areas and will also … [Read more...] about Treadsack’s concepts looking ‘hunky dory’ for summer opening