Table Talk: March 2, 2018

Postino opening in the Heights…Soon

Have you noticed the Heights Mercantile shopping center? The mixed-use space opened up last fall and you may have seen the kinda-new location of Cloud 10 Creamery, the pretty-new brick and mortar unit occupied by Melange Creperie and the just-opened-last-month Local Foods Heights restaurants dotted amongst retailers. Postino, an “all-day wine cafe” chain out of Phoenix will open this spring, concluding the dining destinations in the Heights Mercantile complex.

From a recent Postino press release: “The restaurant will occupy a repurposed 1940s-era warehouse on the corner of Yale and 7th Streets formerly owned and occupied by Houston-based Pappas Restaurants when it opens mid-spring 2018. Offering a wide variety of approachable wines, unique mixtures of its famous bruschetta coupled with hip neighborhood vibes, Postino will seamlessly blend into the Houston Heights neighborhood given its quirky aesthetic served up with a sophisticated twist. Postino WineCafé draws its name from the Italian word for postman – an homage to the former midcentury post office in Phoenix where it was born 17 years ago – but each and every location is unique to the neighborhood and community in which it lives.”

Check out Postino’s online menu here. 

Mala Sichuan Opening a Third Location in New Finn Food Hall, Downtown

This morning forthcoming downtown food hall (at 712 Main) Finn Hall announced that Mala Sichuan has signed on as their first food vendor. Menu items at Mala Sichuan’s Montrose and Bellaire Blvd. locations serve their dishes family-style, but this new location will serve individual plates. The art deco-designed space was originally slated to open in early 2018 but as with most Houston construction, has faced delays. It is now expected to open by August 2018.

Now you’re craving some great authentic Chinese cuisine, right? Click here for our Asiatown picks.

Shake Shack: Now open at 6205 Kirby Drive

Word is that Montrose will soon have its own Shake Shack, but until then inner-loopers can visit location #3 in Rice Village. What makes this Shake Shack different? Representatives share that: “…in addition to the Shack classics, The Rice Village Shack will be spinning up a selection of local frozen custard concretes: Pie Oh My (vanilla custard and slice of seasonal pie from Fluff Bake Bar), West U-nicorn (vanilla custard, unicorn bait cookie from Fluff Bake Bar, strawberry puree and salted caramel sauce) and Chocolatee Minted Marshmallow (chocolate custard, minted marshmallow sauce and chocolate truffle cookie dough). The menu will also feature the Texas-exclusive Lockhart Link Burger, a cheeseburger topped with griddled Kreuz Market jalapeño cheese sausage link, pickles and ShackSauce™.”

The Rice Village Shack will donate 5% of sales from its Pie Oh My pie concrete to Houston Humane Society. When will Shake Shack share the love and open up shop in the Houston ‘burbs? We sense a location coming either later this year or in early to mid-2019.

East Hampton Sandwich Co. Opening April and May

Lobster rolls continue to trend hard amongst crustacean enthusiasts across the country. East Hampton Sandwich Co., a Dallas brand with 8 Greater Dallas-area locations, is set to open two locations in the next two months. The River Oaks District location (4444 Westheimer)  is expected to open up in April and the Montrose location (907 Westheimer) should be feeding guests in May.

While we’re skeptical that Houston needs to be schooled in the sandwich game by a Dallas restaurateur, representatives of East Hampton Sandwich Co. point out that founder Hunter Pond “…bolted the dregs of law school to start East Hampton Sandwich Co., has been rewarded for his risk-taking in unchartered territory. As a self-assured sandwich aficionado, he saw a void and bit into the business without any previous hospitality background. Pond is a 2015 Forbes “30 under 30” recipient, and last year, East Hampton Sandwich Co. was named one of 21 Best Sandwich Shops in America by Thrillist, joining countless, hometown food and beverage accolades.”

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s Wine Garden

Rodeo kicked off earlier this week with a gung-ho, Garth Brooks bang, and the Wine Garden has expanded its size in order to satisfy the millions of Rodeo attendees who want to pregame (and wind down) during rodeo season. If you didn’t taste every wine at Best Bites and couldn’t cough up the cash and bid $100,000+ on winning wines at last weekend’s Rodeo Uncorked Wine Auction, you can treat yourself to affordably-priced bottles of the very same wines in the Wine Garden now through March 18. No, you don’t need to pay anything to enjoy the wine garden – your regular admission ticket or badge get you in. And yes, there is live music every night! Check out the hours open, the wines you can drink, upcoming wine seminars and how to reserve a table or a tent for your group here.

Next Tuesday: Taste Your Face Off at a Massive 2015 (Mostly) Cru Classé Bordeaux Tasting

Want to get schooled in Cru Classé Bordeaux next Tuesday? We do, and we’ll be at this tasting. We heard about it from Bear Dalton, who we are glad to hear is back at work, feeling good and helping Houstonians be better winos. Next week on March 6 at the Crystal Ballroom from 5 pm until 9 pm, guests can visit with Bordeaux winemakers and taste their 2015 showcases. Wines include:

• Pomerol: Chx. Clinet, Gazin, Croix St. Georges, and La Pointe (along with 2nd vin Ballade de La Pointe)
• St. Emilion: Chx. Canon la Gaffeliere, Clos l’Oratoire, Daugay, Grand Corbin Despagne, La Confession, Larcis Ducasse, and Pavie Macquin
• St. Georges St. Emilion: Ch. Cap St. George
• Castillon and Francs: Chx. d’Aiguilhe and Ampelia, Ch. Puygueraud
• Bordeaux: Chx. Croix Mouton and le Conseiller
• St. Estephe: Chx. Phelan Segur, Lafon Rochet, and les Ormes de Pez
• Pauillac: Chx. Pichon Lalande (with 2nd vin Reserve de la Comtesse), Pichon Baron (with 2nd vin Les Griffons), Pibran, Lynch Bages (with 2nd vin Echo de Lynch Bages), Grand Puy Lacoste (with 2nd vin Lacoste Borie), Clerc Milon, d’Armailhac, and Haut Bages Liberal
• St. Julien: Chx. Branaire Ducru, Leoville Barton and Langoa Barton, Leoville Poyferrre, and Talbot
• Margaux: Chx. Giscours, Cantenac Brown, Ferriere, du Tertre and Brane Cantenac (along with 2nd vin Baron de Brane)
• Haut Medoc, Moulis, Listrac: Chx. Cantemerle, Chasse Spleen, Camensac, Mauvesin Barton, and Senejac
• Pessac Leognan Reds: Chx. Carmes Haut Brion, Carbonnieux, Domaine de Chevalier, Smith Haut Lafitte, Clos Marsalette, and Haut Bailly with 2nd vin La Parde de Haut Bailly
• Dry Whites: Domaine de Chevalier, Smith Haut Lafitte, and Blanc de Lynch Bages (2014)
• Sweet Whites: Chx. Suduiraut (along with 2nd vin Lions de Suduiraut) and Coutet

Tickets are $100.00 per person (including a 5% discount for cash or check, regular price is $105.26). To purchase your ticket, please contact Susan at 713-854-7855 or coburnsusan2@gmail.com.

The Crystal Ballroom at the Rice is located in downtown Houston at 909 Texas Avenue between Travis and Main. Valet Parking will be available. If you buy a ticket and will not be able to attend, please cancel at least 24 hours before the event. No shows and later cancellations will be charged.

Want to win a pair of tickets to this wine tasting? Tell us on this Facebook post why you deserve to win the pair of tickets, and tag the friend you’d take if you were to win. We’ll contact the winner on Tuesday at 10 am.