Kory Clemens, son of former Astros player Roger Clemens, is the executive chef at the new Katch 22. In business with the scion of another Houston dynasty – the Mandola family of restaurateurs – Clemens and partner Luke Mandola have transformed the short-lived Convivio on Durham just south of Washington Avenue into a casual restaurant and sporty bar.

But don’t call Katch-22 a sports bar within Mandola’s earshot. The two guys claim that although Katch 22 has an undeniable sports bar atmosphere – the kid’s menu, after all, is called Little Leaguers, and Kory’s dad Roger wore number 22 for the Yankees and Astros, and K is shorthand for a strikeout – it is not just a sports bar. The two have contrived to make it a family- and female-friendly environment. For example, Katch 22 features an outdoor patio that is ideal for a ladies night happy hour (and as of last week it had no big-screen TV), a room for private celebratory or business events, and the aforementioned kid’s menu.

During my visit there, the first feature I noticed was the bar that seats about 15 and is adorned with sports paraphernalia and, well, “a wall of baseballs,” as well as four flatscreen TVs set to sports events but on mute. I am not a sports fan myself, so I appreciated lunch without the whooping and hollering of the broadcast sportscasters.

The bar has an extensive wine, spirits and beer list. Tip: Beat the summer heat with the house’s grapefruit cocktail made with Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka.

The kitchen features the usual sports bar food round-up – wings, pizza, sliders, fish tacos – but there are also a few more ambitious items. Best among those we sampled were the bacon-wrapped quail bites (top left photo) and mini lobster rolls (nearest photo at left). I also like Clemens’ take on mac ’n’ cheese, which they call “Extreme Mac” (bottom left photo). Pasta shells are tossed with white cheddar sauce and mixed with bacon and topped with breadcrumbs. Clemens even has his own special twist on pizza (middle photo at left). His carnitas pizza includes a mango habanero salsa for the sauce, is topped with slow-braised pork, diced tomatoes, sauteed red onions and pepper jack cheese and was finished with a runny fried egg on top. (A crisper crust would have made it almost perfect.)

Even if you are like me and not a sporty type in the least, Katch 22 may appeal by providing a drink and food menu with something for everyone. Just don’t head to Katch 22 to drink away your after-work Monday blues: Monday is the only day they are closed …  so the owners can fish and golf, notes the website.

KATCH 22, 700 Durham, 832-804-7281, katch22houston.com