This Museum District eatery isn’t exactly on our regular route, so we made a point to schedule a late lunch at Bosta Coffee & Wine on Monday afternoon. Recently named one of Alison Cook’s Top 100 Restaurants, we’ve had it on our dining destinations wish list and were eager to see for ourselves what this praised spot was all about. Speaking of names, we’re not sure why it’s named Bosta — we’d like to think that the developers just have a funny sense of humor. Here’s a snapshot of our first visit.

Located in the Parc Binz mixed-use development at 1801 Binz, Bosta isn’t your regular neighborhood coffeehouse — you’ll find no cozy nooks or dark wooded surroundings here. The exposed ceilings stretch upwards to 20 feet or so; a large counter that seats 25 wraps around the circular coffee bar; and there are plenty of tables and chairs– both indoors and out. There is an airy, modern, eclectic feel to the place, with concrete, metal and wood accents as well as funky, unique wall decor — we loved the gold cut-out dia de los mueros-style skulls displayed on one of the far walls. Check out the slide show at the very bottom of this article for interior shots.

Bosta serves as a coffee house from early morning through late afternoon and then as a wine bar come night (or afternoon, whatever your preference). Doors open at 7 am and welcome guests until midnight seven days a week.

Parc Binz broker and owner of Bosta Coffee & Wine, Christopher Balat, brought in Justin Basye, the chef at neighboring Museum Park Café (which Balat also owns), to oversee the menu at Bosta. From 7 to 11 am, order off the breakfast menu, which features dishes such as a breakfast panini ($7), buttermilk biscuits with honey butter ($2.50), bagel and lox ($8) and plenty of baked goods and pastries (some brought in from Angela’s Oven and the rest baked in house by pastry chef Chris Leung. (Leung is also of Museum Park Café and Cloud 10 Creamery).

As for the lunch menu, there are different categories to order from: cheese and charcuterie, snacks, panini, sides and offerings “from the kitchen.” When we visited, we opted for the colorful beet salad with fried goat cheese balls ($12, photo below, portioned just right for one diner) with a light, refreshing dressing.

Also worthy of mention was a decadent croque monsieur ($12, photo below), doused in rich, buttery sauce and topped with plenty of salty speck (the side it was supposed to come with, kale salad, was sold out — so they piled the meat extra high for us). It’s quite rich, and certainly a treat for those who love salty speck so you’ll want to take it on alone, but do your figure a favor and share it with a friend.

We look forward to going during the second half of operations to check out the evening atmosphere (and the wine list).

 Bosta Coffee & Wine, 1801 Binz, 713-533-9560, bostahouston.com