The brunch bread basket at Rumi's Kitchen beckons.
Traveler's Cart
Traveler's Cart (photo by Jenn Duncan)
Traveler’s Cart is now open on Montrose at West Gray, a counter-service-style outfit from the owners of popular Traveler’s Table nearby. The food menu includes street snacks — think falafel bites and butter chicken samosas, and small plates like Thai fried chicken wings and pan-fried lamb dumplings — and main dishes that are sure to fill you up, like an American roadside burger and the more adventurous Peri Peri chicken and Jamaican jerk pork ribs.
Rumi's Kitchen
Boreka at Rumi's Kitchen
Having recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, Rumi’s Kitchen is unveiling a new brunch menu highlighting its signature Persian flavors in unique new dishes. Chef Ali Mesghali is serving a bread basket with Jerusalem bagels, za’atar biscuits and more, plus a stellar take on Shakshuka — and the Iranish Coffee, a spice-sprinkled beverage of Bruichladdich unpeated scotch, nocino, coffee and cream. Sweet tooth? Don’t skip the Dutch Baby Pancake with sour-cherry jam, cream and powdered sugar. Brunch is available on weekends between 11am and 2:30pm.
Kira
Destination sushi spot Kira — a sister restaurant to popular Neo in Montrose — has rolled out a new Sunday-night experience dubbed Bar Kira, a high-energy, music-fueled take on its intimate sushi counter. The menu on Sunday nights (7pm-midnight) includes a lobster roll on housemade milk bread; smoked-fish onigiri with yuzu aioli; and a Spanish-style iberico ham sandwich. The exclusive cocktail list is fun — try the seasonal In Limbo, with brown-butter bourbon, pear, kelp syrup, and lemon and lime.
Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera
Chef Akifumi Sakagami
A shopping center on Westheimer near Dairy Ashford has been dubbed West On West (WOW), and is home to several exciting and delicious concepts already beloved in Chinatown and Katy Asiatown, like SomiSomi ice cream and Paris Baguette. The latest restaurant to bow is Kaiten, from Michelin-starred group Sushi Ginza Onodera, who delivers their traditional Japanese fare via conveyor belt. The new Houston location marks Ginza Onodera’s first opening in the U.S. mainland and second international Kaiten Sushi restaurant outside Japan.
il Bracco
il Bracco happy hour
A pair of Post Oak hot spots have debuted new deals, just in time for the holidays! Available daily from 3-6pm, il Bracco and Balboa Surf Club’s new happy-hour menus have yummy bites, cocktails and wines by the glass. Balboa’s seafood-savvy offerings include tostadas with ahi tuna and macadamia nuts, and crispy fish tacos with jalapeno slaw. Meanwhile, il Bracco touts bar snacks — marinated olives, spiced Marcona almonds, housemade chips — for just $3, plus fritto misto, arancini, and more.
Alora
The sadly shuttered Kau Ba, which apparently garnered a Michelin star posthumously, will soon be Alora. Expect preview pop-ups of the new Vietnamese-Peruvian restaurant throughout the holiday season. An example of the fusion fare includes the Shaking Lomo Saltado, a marriage of Vietnamese shaking beef and a popular Peruvian dish.
Medium Rare
Opening any day in Midtown: Medium Rare, offering a single pre-fixe meal of steak frites with artisan bread and a green salad ($31 per person). The concept, born in Washington D.C. in 2011, has expanded all over the U.S., perhaps best known for its secret sauce — and more extensive dessert menu with a specialty sundae and tastily tart key-lime pie and more, which can be tacked on for an additional $12. Vegetarians and vegans can opt for a portobello mushroom entrée.
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Bambuco, the lobby bar
Local fruit, juices and more at Casa Mayor breakfast 
Maroma Spa by Guerlain 
Maroma Spa by Guerlain 
Maroma from above