Openings and Closings: Maison Chinoise, Murray’s Pizza

Maison Chinoise, 1958 W. Gray, opens October 31 in River Oaks. It’s the second Texas location of the modern Chinese restaurant from Lombardi Family Concepts and the group has brought in some stellar talent to launch the new business. Leading the kitchen is executive chef Jordan He, a native of Shanxi, China, whose extensive experience includes a decade-long stint at Wynn Las Vegas. He served as chef de cuisine at Wing Lei, which was the first North American Chinese restaurant to earn a Michelin Star. He also worked with Hakkasan Group in Miami and Los Angeles earlier in his career. 

The menu at Maison Chinoise blends contemporary and authentic Chinese culinary traditions, focusing on dim sum and dumplings like xiao long bao (pork dumplings) and pan-fried chicken buns. There are starters like coconut milk bread, crispy rock shrimp and Sichuan salt & pepper lamb lollipops, fragrant with ginger, cumin and five-spice. Specialties include wagyu beef and truffled fried rice, pan-seared Chilean sea bass and Imperial Peking Duck, a showstopper for two to four guests, complete with Mandarin crepes, pickled papayas, sweet bean sauce and more. 

For dessert there’s an ube Nutella bao and Texas pecan dumplings, a sweet version of xiao long bao with caramel pecan and apple compote. 

The cocktail menu draws on Asian ingredients to complement the dining menu with drinks like Lychee Luck, made with vodka, pomegranate, yuzu, sugar and lychee. Other cocktails include the Pandan Express Martini and Aloe Can You Go, a concoction of mezcal, passionfruit, lime and aloe liqueur. 

The launch begins with dinner service, followed by lunch November 3 and brunch service soon after. 

Murray’s Pizza & Wine, 9655 Katy Freeway, opens October 24 in Memorial, right next to a newly-opened location of Leaf & Grain, its sister restaurant. Both concepts come from founder Deets Hoffman, who named his newest venture after his wife, Murray. 

The idea came about when Hoffman took over the former Texadelphia space to open a new location of his concept Leaf & Grain. The space was twice the size needed so he decided to split it in two and open a pizza concept, showcasing the sourdough expertise that the team has acquired over the years at Leaf & Grain. 

The restaurant will serve artisan pizzas made with long-fermented dough, using Barton Springs Mill flour which is milled in Texas. Using a number of locally-sourced ingredients, the pizza menu includes Sausage alla Vodka, with whipped ricotta, and Not-Hawaiian, a spicy pie topped with salami piccante, pickled shallot and pineapple-infused hot honey. 

In addition to the specialty pizzas, there are small plates like hamachi-salmon crudo, focaccia Genovese with burrata, white bean hummus and a meatball made with Black Angus beef and Duroc pork. The dessert menu offers horchata tiramisu and Italian bread pudding with locally-made gelato.

The wine list has been thoughtfully curated with natural wines from boutique producers, as well as locally-sourced choices from Padre’s Wine. There are also local craft beers and signature cocktails such as Frozen Blood Orange Negroni and Murray’s Spritz. Local hospitality veteran Derek P. Brown, formerly of Riel, consulted on the bar program, including its Aperitiki selection that combines Italian aperitivos with tiki elements. 

Leaf & Grain, 9655 Katy Freeway, opened in Memorial October 18, just ahead of the adjacent Murray’s Pizza. It’s the sixth location of the family-friendly restaurant that offers chef-curated salads, sandwiches and bowls that are full of nutrition and flavor. The menu puts an emphasis on carefully-sourced proteins and fresh produce. 

The tightly-curated menu features items like The Alamo grain bowl with avocado, house Texas cheese blend, cherry tomatoes, black beans, roasted cage-free chicken and totopos (nixtamalized corn tortilla chips) from Victoria Elizondo at Cochinita & Co. There are salads like the Thai-ger King, with romaine, roasted chicken, mango and almond lemongrass sauce, plus the Pesto Sandwich. 

Guests also have the option of customizing their bowls and salads with different types of greens and grains, plus a variety of standard toppings like corn and tomatoes, as well as premium choices including warm chickpeas, roasted vegetables and avocado. There are 11 different dressings such as tzatziki, Caesar and avocado vinaigrette. 

Owner Deets Hoffman said that the restaurant has been trying to expand into the Memorial area for the past decade. “I grew up ten minutes from here, so this neighborhood holds a lot of sentimental value…We love the Memorial community and are excited to bring Leaf & Grain to the neighborhood as a go-to spot for fresh, chef-driven, healthy meals.”

Eberhard Social House, 1216 W. Clay, opened October 21 in the Harlow District.  It’s the newest concept from The Kirby Group, known for its Houston hotspots like Heights Bier Garten and Wooster’s Garden. Eberhard is a bit more refined, with a sophisticated and elegant two-story lounge that offers a main bar on the ground floor and an intimate seating area upstairs. 

With ambient lighting and plush upholstery, guests can linger over cocktails like Playa Padre, a spicy tropical tequila drink, or the slightly suggestive Linen Sheets, made with vodka, lychee, probiotic liquid yogurt (for stamina), lychee liqueur, cherry blossom cordial and lime. There’s also a fruity mocktail, Rose Prickly Pear Spritz, which gets its bubbles from Topo Chico and a kick from a rim of smoked salt. 

Though its wine list and cocktail menu are on the luxury side of pricing, befitting its posh atmosphere, there is a happy hour Tuesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with drink specials, light bites and charcuterie boards. 

Dress to impress. 

Kolache Shoppe, 10321 Katy Freeway, opened last week in Memorial, joining the bustling community that seems to be constantly booming with new businesses and eateries. It’s the fourth for the Greater Houston area and it’s a joint partnership between owners Randy and Lucy Hines and director of operations Michael Horne.

Randy and Lucy Hines took over the bakery from founder Erwin Ahrens in 2014. The kolache shop had been in operation since 1970 and Randy Hines learned the original recipe for the fluffy pastry from Ahrens. Over the years, the bakery has added collaborations and new versions of the kolaches(sweet) and klobasnikys (savory), but have kept the legacy of the original dough recipe. 

Customers will find sweet options like fruit and cheese-filled kolache, plus savory items like smoked brisket, egg and cheddar or kielbasa, cheese and jalapeno. The Memorial location serves Boomtown Coffee with drip, espresso and specialty brews. It will also offer monthly specials like its sister locations. 

In November, the bakery will have a number of grand opening events like Loyalty Member Appreciation Day November 3, Early Bird Gift Cards November 4, and BOGO pastries on Customer Appreciation Day November 6. 

The Rustic, 1836 Polk, will close its current location at the end of 2025 to prepare for relocation, as the George R. Brown Convention Center begins its expansion process. When completed, The Rustic will be located at 1718 Jackson, next to the expanded GRB wing, putting it closer to the Toyota Center as well. The new location is expected to open in winter 2026. 

Once the venue opens, it will have expanded on-site parking (hallelujah!) and a dedicated rideshare pick-up and drop-off area. 

Until its planned shuttering, The Rustic will continue with serving up daily live music, frosty cocktails and tasty Texas cuisine. 

Einstein Bros. Bagels, 14090 FM 2920, had its grand opening October 21 in Tomball. Part of Panera Brands, the bagel and breakfast sandwich shop has seen quite an expansion in the Greater Houston area. It opened locations in Katy and Conroe this past summer and there is a soon-to-open store at 5706 San Felipe.

The menu includes 15 different bagel flavors including blueberry, everything, spinach Florentine, and pretzel. It also has a variety of cream cheese schmears like country pepper, jalapeno salsa and strawberry. But don’t worry. Purists can still get a plain bagel with plain cream cheese. 

Its bagel breakfast sandwiches can be straight forward like the bacon, egg and cheese, or for folks who aren’t watching their calories, there’s the Maplehouse, a maple French toast bagel smeared with almond honey cream cheese and loaded with pork sausage, bacon, egg, and cheddar. The kitchen throws in some syrup for an extra messy experience. 

There are lunch bagel sandwiches, too, including Nova Lox and Avocado Veg-Out. 

Jane & The Lion Bakehouse, 4721 N. Main, will softly launch its dinner service Halloween weekend. The first service will open October 31. Following its launch weekend, it will serve dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday with two seatings, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. There are 30 openings per seating, by reservation only.

Chef Jane Wild opened the bakery this past April and has been blooming in phases. The line up of fresh-baked, pastries, pies and breads has been joined by breakfast sandwiches, biscuits and fritters. With the new seasonal suppers, guests will get to enjoy three courses from a chalkboard-style menu that offers guests two to four options per course. 

Wild said in a press release, “My team and I are building a restaurant that feels like opening the doors to our own homestead. From sourdough and vinegars to pastries and seasonal savory plates, there are no shortcuts, no fillers, no seed oils, no so no CRAP.” She added, “Very little goes to waste and our farmers are our pantry. Oh, and we’ve got a pantry for you!”

The post Openings and Closings: Maison Chinoise, Murray’s Pizza appeared first on Houston Press.