Nundini Chef’s Table (500 N. Shepherd just north of I-10) will open soon. This is the new bistro located within the Nundini market, long popular for its imported Italian groceries, including pastas and olive oil. Look for panini, salads and desserts (we love their gelato and sorbetto), as well as daily specials and the first-Friday wine tastings … Fredlyn Nut Company (9350 Westpark) was recently certified kosher, so the nuts are now separated with parve on one side and dairy (such as candied or chocolate-covered nuts) on the other side.
Cooking school owners Alain and Marie LeNôtre recently announced plans to open Kris Bistro and Wine Lounge. The chef-driven restaurant, located within the Culinary Institute LeNôtre will offer French bistro fare with a modern twist. Executive chef Kris Jakob will lead a team of certified executive chefs and senior students. Having worked at restaurants in Austin, the Texas Hill Country and Belgium, Kris adds a robust, rustic touch to classic dishes. His plans include in-house charcuterie, house-made pâtés and artisan bread. The wine lounge will feature a 40-bottle wine list priced affordably at cost plus $10, with a ceiling of $35. Senior chef-students will have the chance to do a 10-week internship, working all stations of the bistro. Look for Kris Bistro’s opening in September.
As we mentioned a few weeks ago, Georges and Monique Guy recently sold their La Brocante Cafe (2825 S. Kirkwood). New owner Caroline Pose has taken over alongside Raymundo Soriano and her son-in-law Rodrigo Soriano to transform the traditional French cafe into a modern bistro. Pose has history with the Guy family and was previously the manager of Bistro Provence and Bistro Don Camillo before coming over to La Brocante Cafe. Raymundo Soriano also worked with Georges Guy in the kitchen at the various family restaurants, while Rodrigo Soriano spent years with Vincent Mandola learning Italian cuisine. La Brocante Cafe is now open for business.
Trattoria Il Mulino, the new restaurant at Memorial City, won My Table magazine’s first annual Meatball Invitational back in May. (No surprise: Their parent restaurant, Il Mulino New York, has been famous for specialty meatballs for nearly three decades.) Now the restaurant is asking the public to come up with a name for their popular meatball. The incentive is dinner for two for the winner. Got an idea? Submit it by email to meatballs@ilmulino.com by August 31 … Laurier Cafe (3139 Richmond) is inviting Houstonians to take a summer break with half-off wine prices this month. Every Monday through Thursday night in July, all bottles of wine will be half off. An entrée purchase by each guest is required.
Cute isn’t a bad thing, if you do it right. Freshly opened Relish Fine Foods (3951 San Felipe) is still waiting for a few fixtures to come in, but the kitchen is fully functioning. Available now are house-made prepared brownies and cookies, as well as lunch and dinner items such as the wild rice shrimp salad with edamame and a jalapeno pimento cheese sandwich. Kitchen staples such as dry pasta, salt, olive oil, meat from Al Marcus of The Grateful Bread and fresh baked bread from Slow Dough can be purchased in their retail section, too. Remember Eatzie’s on Post Oak Blvd.? This little nook is a smaller, chicer version of the long gone market-eatery … Not too far east of Relish is Petite Sweets, taking over the spot that was once Blueberry Hill at 2700 West Alabama. We’ve sampled itsy bitsy cupcakes and a rainbow of French macaroons, not to mention some seriously ornate cakeballs. We’ll be sure to let you know when the pastry spot opens for business.
We’ve long been fans of Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer Jonathan Gold at the LA Weekly. Feeling curmudgeonly? Check out his recent article for Sunset Magazine here.