Restaurant roundup: California sandwich shop, latest Goodnight Hospitality restaurant, swim club and bar open

After months of waiting, numerous restaurants made their debut this week, and some local barbecue joints received national accolades in this week’s restaurant roundup. 

Latest Goodnight Hospitality restaurant opens

Rosie Cannonball opened Aug. 29. The restaurant, located at 1620 Westheimer Road in Montrose, is part of a new trio from Goodnight Charlie’s owner Goodnight Hospitality. The first of the trio, Montrose Cheese & Wine, opened in mid-August, and the third restaurant, March, is set to open above Rosie Cannonball in early 2020. 

Rosie Cannonball is centered around a wood-burning grill and oven, with Italian-influenced fare like pizzas, pasta and vegetables from Goodnight Hospitality’s farm outside Houston. 

“We designed Rosie Cannonball to be warm, inviting and tasty,” said chef and partner Felipe Riccio in a release. “The restaurant and the menu are comfortable enough for a weeknight dinner and special enough for a celebration. Most importantly, we want your dining experience to be convivial, a place to relax and enjoy yourself.”

Second Ward spot lets you sip and swim

El Segundo Swim Club and Bar opens Aug. 30. The 1,350-square-foot swimming pool also has a full bar, serving cocktails, champagne, beer and more. 

The swim club and bar first opened as a pop-up last year, Eater reported, and now is open full-time. It is located at 5180 Avenue L. 

“Reopening El Segundo Swim Club this summer definitely took longer than expected due to a few construction and permitting challenges,” owner Matthew Healey said in a release. “I’m proud that our team has created a beautiful outdoor lounge for Houstonians to cool off and take a swim while enjoying a variety of cocktails and beverages.”

Day passes at the pool are $20, but admission is free on Aug. 30. Hours during Labor Day weekend will be 3 p.m. to sunset Aug. 30, 11 a.m. to midnight on Aug. 31, 12 p.m. to midnight Sept. 1 and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 2.

Ike’s Love & Sandwiches is now open. The restaurant, a San Francisco chain that former professional baseball pitcher Mark Appel is bringing to Houston, opened Aug. 29. Two Austin locations from Appel and founder Ike Shehadeh are already open, per media reports. 

The Houston location is at 1051 Heights Blvd. in the new Heights Central Station development, also home to Dish Society, Kolache Shoppe and Tiff’s Treats. 

Lunden McGill of Houston-based Baker Katz represented Ike’s in the lease, while Houston-based NewQuest Properties handles leasing for Heights Central Station. Sandwiches at Ike’s typically run around $10 in California markets and can include everything from halal chicken to ribeye. The company’s signature feature, Appel said, is Dutch Crunch bread, a San Francisco style of bread with a cracked crust.

Pluckers Wing Bar is coming to Pasadena. The Austin-based wings restaurant, which also has locations in Louisiana, will open its sixth Houston-area location at Spencer Highway and Beltway 8 in early 2020. 

“We are proud of our significant expansion in the city of Houston,” Dave Paul, co-owner of Pluckers Wing Bar, said in a release. “The Houston community has embraced not only our unique brand but also our mission to provide a fun and safe atmosphere for families, sports fans, and all other guests to enjoy. We are thrilled to open our sixth restaurant in the area and to continue to grow our Pluckers community in this city.”

Jason Baker of Baker Katz represented Pluckers in the deal. 

Pluckers is known for its wings, as well as its fried pickles, burgers and sandwiches. 

Two Houston barbecue joints receive high accolades

Two Houston-area barbecue restaurants have been named among Southern Living’s “The South Top 50 Barbecue Joints 2019.” 

Corkscrew BBQ at 26608 Keith St. in Spring, and Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue at 200 N. Elm St. in Tomball made the list at Nos. 32 and 8, respectively. Corkscrew was highlighted for the “quality of its meats as well as its comfortable setting,” while Tejas received recognition for its brisket, sausages and chocolate. 

Other Texas restaurants that made the grade include the explosively popular Franklin Barbecue in Austin at No. 5, Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor at No. 3 and Snow’s BBQ in Lexington at No. 2.

Latest wine bar opens in the Heights

Savoir, and the adjacent wine bar and retail store La Grande Rue, are now open, CultureMap reported Aug. 27. The European-inspired restaurant at 1344 Yale St. serves plenty of wine, alongside extravagant meals like brie-topped cheeseburgers and balsamic-cured duck breast. 

The two businesses share a kitchen — La Grande Rue serves a small menu of snacks and shareable items — but have different liquor licenses, as Savoir can sell spirits while La Grande Rue sells bottles of wine to-go.

Savior is only open for dinner, for now.

By Laura Gillespie
Houston Business Journal
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