Houston's dining scene is sizzling with a host of new restaurant openings, especially in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Memorial, which is basking in the culinary spotlight with high-profile ventures. According to the Houston Chronicle, Aaron Bludorn's Bar Bludorn, the Pit Room's second outpost, and excitement brewing over Levi Goode's Credence and speakeasy bar are part of this tasty tapestry.
Memorial, once a dining desert, is now attracting independent restaurateurs like a magnet, the latest being the Pit Room's expansion from Montrose, and despite economic downturns, Kirby Ice House has found success in the area with a strategic location and ample parking, alongside new developments, and just in time as the population, as per U.S. Census Bureau data, surges with diversity and youth, the changes have clearly played into the hands of eager food-and-beverage entrepreneurs. Michael Sambrooks of Sambrooks Management, who opened the second Pit Room location, told the Houston Chronicle, "It’s a hot area everyone is trying to get into."
However, the restaurant fever isn't contained to Memorial alone, as Eater Houston lists the citywide culinary happenings for May, including Blue Tuba's Euro-Tex cuisine in the Heights, Ema's Mexican bakery delights, and Maximo's innovative Mexican and Texan offerings, not to mention Molihua's contemporary Japanese in the Medical Center's Blossom Hotel. The Pit Room in Memorial also clinched a spot on the list, its Texas-style barbecue and ice cream sandwiches proving irresistible
As Memorial's dining scene flourishes, restaurateurs like Sambrooks bank on local demand to turn the area into Houston's next dining and drinking destination, while across the city’s diverse neighborhoods, newcomers and established players alike keep the food scene tantalizingly vibrant, from high-end Japanese to homey Mexican bakeries, and all seeking to satisfy the ever-evolving palates of Houston's residents and visitors. "I don’t necessarily want another Houston barbecue restaurant opening next door," Sambrooks pragmatically noted to the Houston Chronicle, hinting at the competitive spirit fueling the proliferation of these culinary hot spots.
