Ambitious New Bakery Café Opens in Memorial

Cinnamon Rolls

Covid shutdowns haven’t stopped the owners of the Memorial area’s new White Elm Bakery from throwing open the doors of a bold new eat-in bakery café. The new spot — channeling old-world charm with bricks accents and gilded mirrors — opened last week.


A joint effort of Chico Ramirez of Dinner Table Investments, Bread Man Baking owner Tasos Katsaounis, and Chez Nous owners Scott and Stacy Simonson, White Elm is a nearly 3,500-square-foot space with a patio that offers walk-up coffee and pastries in the morning and lunch and dinner daily. They also do weekend brunch.

Interior Dining

“We look forward to becoming an integral part of the community by not only offering a chef-driven, dine-in menu,” says Ramirez, “but also a grocery aspect for quality baked goods and the perfect place to grab a pastry and coffee on-the-go.”

Led by Katsaounis, White Elm’s bakery program will feature multiple type of fresh bread everyday, as well as such staples as croissants, scones, tarts and muffins. Also expect Greek specialties nodding to Katsaounis’ Greek upbringing, and recipes learned at his mom’s apron strings growing up on White Elm Street in Dallas.

Elsewhere the kitchen, the Simonsons with make dishes like charred octopus with Muhammara pepper sauce, sandwiches such as curry chicken, duck confit pizza and filet mignon with bone marrow butter. Expect also vegan and vegetarian options, as well as cold-pressed juices.

AT TOP: Cinnamon Rolls

Food+Travel
Leadership in Action: Entrepreneur Saba Syed of Moroccan Bath Determined to Build ‘Lasting Legacy’

Saba Syed, Founder of Oasis Moroccan Bath

How did you get to where you are today? My journey began with a need to be financially independent and an even a deeper drive to create a lasting legacy. The centuries-old Hammam tradition has always fascinated me—not just for its relaxation benefits, but for its holistic approach to cleansing the body, mind, and soul. So, combining my passion with a vision to bring an authentic yet luxurious Hammam spa experience to Houston, I took the leap less than two years ago to open my own spa.

Keep Reading Show less

Christopher Salazar stars as troubled-genius chef in the Alley's 'Seared'.

ONE OF HOUSTON'S favorite theater makers — Alley Associate Artistic Director Brandon Weinbrenner — has gotten some delicious news about his latest show. The run of his Seared, a sometimes-funny and sometimes-intense tale of life in the kitchen at a suddenly hot New York restaurant by playright Theresa Rebeck, has been extended beyond its original schedule and will now be up through March 9.

Keep Reading Show less
Food+Travel

Flora Choy, Vanitha Pothuri and Blanca Beltran-Robinson

IT WAS A memorable evening for art lovers, to be sure. Connie Kwan-Wong and her independently published CKW Luxe magazine hosted an elegant event amid priceless works of art at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties