In May, restaurateur Claire Smith announced that her Heights restaurant Shade would be given a revamp and a re-concept. It took less than a month for Smith and her team to renovate and re-imagine the space and the menu. In mid-June, Alice Blue opened its doors (which are now located down the quaint alleyway on the side of the building) to the neighborhood.

Smith, who also owns Canopy and Woodbar on Montrose, has decided to take a step back in the day-to-day operations of Alice Blue and has hired a team to lead the restaurant to success. At the kitchen’s helm is Kent Domas, formerly at Down House and Bernadine’s. Domas worked with chef Jason Vaughan, a native Houstonian and longtime friend of Smith’s, to develop the new menu. Vaughan has returned to Houston after successful restaurant openings in Chicago with the renowned Hogsalt Hospitality Group. The duo is describing the menu as “contemporary bistro cuisine with a nod to classical European cooking techniques.” Summer Sepeda, formerly at One/Fifth Houston and Pass & Provisions, is GM, and Sean Jensen, former GM at Public Services Wine & Whiskey and Hay Merchant, is beverage consultant.

Alice Blue’s main dining room. Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

So what’s new? Well, just about everything. Alice Blue isn’t a new Shade, because it’s not Shade at all. Let’s start with the design. Enter the restaurant from the side of the building (the door off 19th St. is no longer in use) and head to the right for the lounge/bar area, or to the left for the main dining room. The two spaces are divided by a partition, and they feel completely separate. The space features many pops of blue – “Alice blue” to be specific. The restaurant’s name refers to the color blue that Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt’s, favored.

The decor – think coastal meets Mid-Century Modern – also boasts yellow accents and patterned wallpaper and tile. There’s lots to look at, but all the design features are handsome and harmonious.

The bar at Alice Blue. Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

As guests of the restaurant, My Table stopped in for happy hour to explore Alice Blue’s appetizers in the lounge. There are nine starters to choose from, so Alice Blue seems like the perfect stop for small plates with friends before a night out or a quick bite to eat prior to a show at The Heights Theatre just down the street.

We made our way through the apps, and here are our favorites. First, everyone needs a little something fried to help soak up those happy hour drinks. The squash fritters ($8) pack a surprising amount of flavor thanks to cilantro and a sumac yogurt sauce – crispy with a cool yogurt finish.

Marinated olives and feta at Alice Blue. Food photos by Becca Wright

The marinated olives and feta ($10, photo above) may not be the most inventive dish on the menu, but it’s briny and salty and delicious. The feta is kept warm in olive oil, so the crumbly cheese is extra moist. If cheese is all you’re after, pair the olives and feta with the prosciutto and parmesan ($9, photo below) served with pickled vegetables.

Alice Blue’s prosciutto and parm

The tuna crudo ($15) is a pretty little dish that pops with flavor and texture thanks to cherry tomatoes and crispy garlic. Aioli and basil round out the dish with creaminess and freshness. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is a rich, filling morcilla (Spanish blood sausage) fondue served with ciabatta ($12, photo below). When the fondue hits the table, you can immediately smell the pungent mornay sauce, but the sausage-Gruyère mixture is quite balanced once you dig in, and neither ingredient dominates the other. Oh, and did we mention that this app is highly addicting? In the it’s-so-bad-but-so-good kind of way.

Sausage fondue

Last but not least, try an order of the grilled, chopped eggplant ($9, photo below) served with seeded lavash. The eggplant’s smooth, meaty texture is enhanced with crunchy pistachios and bright bursts from pomegranate seeds. And the nutty lavash is the perfect vehicle, not only for the eggplant but also for that sausage fondue.

Alice Blue’s eggplant appetizer

We didn’t dive into the salads or entrees, but we did get a taste of one of the house-made pastas. The tagliatelle ($19, photo below) is served with sweet corn, pancetta, tarragon and chili oil, and it’s a real stunner. We can’t wait to get back and eat our way through the rest of the menu.

Tagliatelle pasta

Alice Blue, 250 West 19th St. bet. Yale & Ashland, 713-864-2050, alicebluehouston.com
Hours: Dinner Sun. and Mon. 5-9 pm, Tues.-Thurs. 5-10 pm, Fri. and Sat. 5-10:30 pm; Brunch Sat. and Sun. 10 am-3 pm.