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New & Notable

Development never stops in H-Town! New restaurants, bars and attractions are opening all the time. Consider this your go-to guide for staying in the know in Houston.

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OPENINGS: APRIL 2012

Asia Society Texas Center
The Houston Museum District welcomed a new cultural destination in 2012 with the opening of Asia Society Texas Center's $48.4 million, 38,000-square-foot headquarters.

Cakewalk Style Shop
Set on the second floor of an unassuming property-near the intersection of Westheimer and Shepherd-Cakewalk touts a mix of designer clothing and accessories from well-known brands and rising-star designers.

CityCentre (new opening)
Good news preppy Memorial residents: J. Crew is now open at CityCentre. Located a stone's throw from Elaine Turner's cheery shop,the brand occupies a little more than 5,000-square-feet of retail real estate.

The Class Room
From shirts by Vanishing Elephant and Houston's own Hamilton 1883 to bags and accessories by Epperson Mountaineering and White Horse Trading Co., The Class Room is bringing the kind of attention to detail and curated inventory usually found only in women's boutiques.

Green Seed Vegan
Houston's popular Green Seed Vegan food truck has grown roots, adding a brick-and-mortar outpost not far from Houston's Museum District.

Harvest Live Grille
This health-conscious, moderately-priced restaurant-tucked away on the end of a Fountain View-set shopping center-draws fashionably-chic area residents for a menu touting locally-grown, organic fare.

Ivannia Boutique
Upper Kirby's West Ave development welcomed a new women's retailer in spring 2012. The shop stocks internationally-inspired clothing and accessories by European and stateside brands.

River Oaks Shopping Center (new opening)
Bevello, the North Carolina-based women's boutique, added its first Texas outpost in spring 2012. Set in the River Oaks Shopping Center, the store offers designer clothing, shoes and accessories by brands like BCBG, Aryn K and Tracy Reese.

Tiff's Treats
After creating a buzz on the University of Texas campus in Austin, Tiff's Treats recently expanded its much-loved cookie-and-delivery concept with a Houston location.

Union Kitchen
Expect a menu of moderately-priced salads, sandwiches, seafood and chops. Some of the menu standouts include the crispy asparagus with sautéed Texas Blue Crab meat, the tuna tostadas and chipotle shrimp pizza.
 
OPENINGS: MARCH 2012

Blu
Chef Junnajet 'Jett' Hurapan—most recently of Gigi's Asian Bistro & Dumpling Bar—has struck out on his own with a lively Euro-Asian concept in Sugar Land Town Square. There he dishes globally-inspired cuisine in a warmly-inviting, contemporary space.

Dolce Delight
Whether it's tofu cheesecake or the chef's own lava mango crunch cake, her new shop Dolce Delights in Midtown is bringing the sweet stuff home. Other favorites include the pina coloda dome and the raspberry mousse pistachio creme brulee.

Highland Village (openings)
Sprinkles Cupcakes welcomed a new next door neighbor, when Houston’s first free-standing Apple Store opened in March. The 9,000-square-foot space boasts a glass ceiling, as well as clear front and back walls, allowing for a fully-transparent interior.

Katsuya by S+arck Houston
West Coast-born Katsuya--the Philippe Starck-designed sushi restaurant--has debuted inside Upper Kirby's West Ave project. The sleek spot marries the culinary talent of Master Sushi Chef Katsuya Uechi with the design expertise of Starck.

L'Olivier Houston
Three and a half years after leaving his decade-long stint as Tony's Executive Chef, Olivier Ciesielski returned to Houston's dining scene with a modern European venture. The Lower Westheimer spot merges classic French cuisine with flairs from other palates of the world.

New for the Night
Houston fashionistas have a new option for making a statement at that special occasion. New for the Night is the bricks-and-mortar counterpart to the website by the same name that allows women to rent designer clothes for the night, weekend and beyond.

Oxheart
Chef Justin Yu, Karen Man and Justin Vann have opened their modern, yet casual American restaurant in the Warehouse District. GQ magazine has already dubbed it one of the five "hottest restaurant openings" in the U.S. in 2012.

Roots Bistro
As the name might suggest, Roots is all about fresh, organic and local-part of the new wave of farm-to-table restaurants that are becoming increasingly visible in Houston's dining scene.

Settlement Goods
The 1,000-square-foot minimalist boutique offers a highly-curated selection of American-made goods, from men's and women's fashions to furniture. Labels such as Elizabeth Knight and Samantha Pleet mingle alongside home accessories from the likes of Sydney Hale and others.

Sloan / Hall (expansion)
In winter 2012, Marcus Sloan and Shannon Hall expanded their luxury lifestyle shop, adding 2,000 square feet to its footprint by taking over an adjacent space. The new minimalist expanse is dedicated largely to women's fashion, with a well-edited selection of top designers.

Underbelly
After leaving his post as executive chef of Catalan, Chris Shepherd has debuted his new Lower Westheimer restaurant, Underbelly (pictured above). In his first solo venture, Shepherd imparts his extensive knowledge of locally-sourced food, fine wine and passion for Houston on a menu inspired by the city's cultural diversity.

OPENINGS: FEBRUARY 2012

Artisans Restaurant
Midtown's French bonafides took a leap in February with the opening of chefs Jacques Fox and David Denis' Artisans Restaurant. Situated in an eclectic, mixed-use development at the corner of Louisiana and Stuart streets, Artisans is serving traditional yet unpretentious French food in a refined setting.

The Galleria (openings)
Designer Miuccia Prada made her mark on The Galleria with the recent opening of her Prada and Miu Miu boutiques—located on level one, near Neiman Marcus. Both boutiques were designed by Italian architect, Baciocchi, and artfully showcase the brand’s clothing, shoes and luxury accessories.

The Hay Merchant
Adding to their small empire of drink in Montrose, the guys behind Anvil Bar & Refuge debuted craft beer bar The Hay Merchant in February. Set in a decades-old building steeped in history on the Westheimer curve, Hay Merchant pays homage to beer in much the same fashion that the two-year-old Anvil does for cocktails.

Jerry Built Burgers
Set in a defunct Washington Mutual location on Holcombe Boulevard, the gourmet burger joint touts high-quality, locally-sourced ingredients in an urban-meets-farm-like interior.

La Fisheria
Famed Latin America Chef Aquiles Chavez debuted his first U.S. restaurant in February 2012. Dubbed La Fisheria, the concept is upscale Mexican with a clear seafood focus.

Art of Japan Gallery at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The museum's Arts of Japan Gallery opened in February 2012, marking the completion of the MFAH's Arts of Asia galleries in the Caroline Wiess Law Building. The new Arts of Japan Gallery space reflects a singularly Japanese aesthetic of beauty and quiet elegance.

Public House
The Heights’ popular White Oak stretch recently made room for a new pub, drawing a steady stream of locals that appreciate the bar’s solid selection of craft beer.

Scott Gertner's at the Pavilions
Nearly two years after his famed Sky Bar closed in Montrose, Scott Gertner regained his place as a leader in Houston's nightlife scene with the opening of Scott Gertner's at Houston Pavilions.

Three Brothers Bakery - Memorial
For nearly 200 years the Jucker family has been in the baking biz and in February 2012, the sought-after chefs expanded the sweet venture, opening a second full-service bakery in West Houston's Memorial area.

OPENINGS: JANUARY 2012

Dao Chloe Dao
Top Houston designer Chloe Dao completely redeveloped her Rice Village boutique and reopened it in early 2012 under the name of her design label.

Dionisio Winery
Fruit wines are traditionally not given a lot of respect among true oenophiles. But Dionisio Winery is looking to elevate that perception.

Dorsia
Hidden away in River Oaks, Dorsia is a wine retreat of sorts, catering to sophisticated oenophiles with a vast array of labels and carefully crafted small plates.

Georgia's Farm to Market
Georgia and Rick Bost, farmers and ranchers who were also among the original founders of Urban Harvest Farmers Market, have launched their farm-to-market-to-table-style grocery store and café concept at the corner of Main and Prairie.

Latin Bites Cafe (relocation)
After quickly outgrowing its original space Downtown, Latin Bites Cafe has moved to the Memorial Park area. But the cafe is still focusing on what it does best: serving reasonably-priced south American cuisine.

Molina's Cantina - West University
After a years-long hiatus from the neighborhood, Molinas is now back in the West U area, serving up authentic Tex-Mex to residents and visitors in the know.

Uchi
Uchi, the upscale sushi concept that's made waves in Austin for years, is now crafting the same magic on Lower Westheimer.

V-21 Vodka & Vino
Along with its neighbor Kung Fu, V-21 Vodka & Vino is helping bring a little class to the western end of Washington Avenue.

Want even more scoop on all of Houston's newest restaurants, boutiques and attractions? Check out our monthly breakdown of all the hot-spots that opened in the past year.