Jim and Dancie Ware
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Danny Ray and the Atlantic Street Band performs May 31 (photo from dannyrayatlanticstreetband.com)
"At Chapman & Kirby, we are dedicated to curating exceptional experiences for our guests beyond great food and drinks. The Spring Music Series is a testament to our commitment to hospitality from every angle, and we’re excited to show off incredible talent" said Mazen Baltagi, co-owner of Chapman & Kirby.
In partnership with Gulf Coast Entertainment, the Spring Music Series lineup will feature a diverse array of musical talents. Each Friday night will offer a unique, interactive experience for guests, via music, food & beverage and local vendor pop-ups. Doors will open at 6pm, with performances starting promptly at 7pm. Purchase tickets here. The schedule includes:
Badolina Bakery in Rice Village (photo by Kirsten Gilliam)
Annabelle Brasserie
Seared diver scallops at Annabelle Brasserie (photo by Brian Kennedy)
When a fancy French fête is in order, Ben Berg’s feminine Autry Park newcomer is ready with a sleek bi-level, umbrella-dotted veranda and picturesque views of Buffalo Bayou. The nature theme continues indoors with yards of flowers dangling from the ceilings and French doors streaming with sunlight. If indulging your inner Francophile, order the raclette baguette prepared tableside, and a Frenchie martini.
Armadillo Palace
A stage on the patio at Armadillo Palace
If you want it made in the shade with a side of live music, Goode Co.’s lively landmark is your ticket to hot summer nights. The roomy gravel patio is strewn with metal lawn chairs, pastel settees, and picnic tables all in view of the bandstand, and the Airstream dispenses cold Longnecks during events. Couple the genuine Hill Country music-venue vibe with fine Texana fare, and this palace has a true sense of place.
Coltivare Pizza & Garden
After 10 years, a Heights classic (and its vegetable garden glowing with string lights) continues to flourish. As far as restaurant patios go, Coltivare is the closest thing to dining in someone’s backyard. GM-sommelier Leonora Varvoutis always has interesting Italian-focused wines to pair with the fresh menu. Think zingy strawberry salad, or lamb steak with spring vegetables.
Eau Tour
The Eau Tour entrance and patio
Anticipate loads of charm at Benjy Levit’s still-new brasserie, from its fun menu and modern interior to the intimate, treehouse-style patio hideaway overlooking Rice Village. Arrive early, and you might just have the whole patio to yourself. After an order of raclette dumplings with shaved mushrooms or duck confit, you’ll realize this is much more civilized than sitting on a crowded, loud sidewalk café in France.
Flora Mexican Kitchen
The patio at Flora Mexican Kitchen
When you think of dining outdoors, this epic undertaking hovering over Buffalo Bayou’s Lost Lake has all the elements. The glass-wrapped interior dripping with chandeliers sports impressive views. Your destination — the patio — feels like you are floating in a cube inside the woods. But Flora isn’t just a pretty face: Serious fare like pork shank with mole rojo and Gratify ceviche please both hard-core Mexican-food fans and ladies-who-lunch-and-brunch.
Hamsa & Badolina Bakery
Rice Village people-watching, along with buzzy drinks, pastries and modern Israeli fare, keep these adjacent outdoor spaces hopping. Crisp garden furnishings with ornate umbrellas and lush landscaping add to the exotic patio vibe; Hamsa sports roll-up doors to bring the outdoors in. Catch the new brunch, go all out for dinner, or simply share a salatim with creamy labneh, hummus, beet salad and much more.
Hungry's
A toast on Hungry’s upstairs balcony (photo by Becca Wright)
Hungry? Vegans and meat-eaters, you’ve come to the right place. Immensely popular on weekends for its sprawling Rice Village patio and second-floor covered balcony, Hungry’s affordable, massive menu is also a draw. Tuck into a market chopped salad, crispy eggplant tacos, or a slew of burgers. Brunch on egg Benedicts — and the winning smoked-salmon-avocado toast with chipotle cream cheese, guacamole and Persian cucumber dill salad. Here’s to another 45 years!
La Griglia
The Courtyard at the new La Griglia
Maybe it’s the plush banquettes, the shrubs and lemon trees hugging each table, or the patio bar, but this new courtyard with a retractable roof feels a little like you’re sitting on a patio in Tuscany. Don’t miss the generous salads — namely the Caesar — or the must-have classic Snapper La Griglia with prawns, jumbo crab and Barolo sauce. Chef kiss!
Musaafer
Here’s a stunning use of a relatively small space that evokes India. The second-floor terrace has a slick little bar with enchanting dangling lamps and its semi-private cabana-draped daybeds with tables make it feel worlds away. You might be tempted to take a catnap, but then you’d miss the exciting fare like Mithu’s Coriander Shrimp, the golden hour Lodhi Garden cocktail, or an eye-popping dessert.
Tiny Boxwoods
The gardens at Tiny Boxwood
No question the prettiest perch in town, nursery-landscaper Thompson+ Hanson’s restaurant blooms straight from its lawn. Green thumbs and foodies have been digging the Euro-American menu for 20-plus years, and with three concepts and a recent expansion to Austin, we don’t see this group slowing. Try the spring burrata with prosciutto and melon — and do stop and smell the roses.
Local Foods sandwiches
The team has maxed out the menu and the space with extremely impressive upgrades. Working her magic, interior designer Brittany Vaughan of Garnish Design has transformed a simple, small space into a chic, intimate oasis with a dynamite 35-seat covered patio — one that will stay crowded, we’re sure. Interiors have a soothing desert meets ocean vibe with nods to mid-century Mexico and spot on southwestern art from Houston’s Southern Kindness Art Gallery.
Meanwhile, Levit and partners have also just opened a brand-new, 3,300-square-foot Local Foods on Post Oak, complete with new menu items, more wines by the bottle, seafood-savvy weekend brunch, and more. Vaughan decked out this spot, too, including its 1,100-square-foot covered patio. Guests will be thrilled with the ample parking and new specialty cocktails, too.
Back at Maximo: If you recall chef Luhrman’s style at El Topo, the vision for the menu is similar, honoring Mexican and Texan heritage cooking and its place on the Gulf Coast. Levit’s culinary director Seth Siegel-Gardner worked closely with San Antonio-native Luhrman to create an authentic menu showcasing dishes made from scratch, including handmade Tortillas de Nixtamal.
Those tortillas are the star of the extensive taco menu boasting inventive combos like sweet potato with baby kale and cumin vinaigrette; king crab with edamame, asparagus and Baja crema; vegan mushroom tacos; and the more classic crispy fish tacos, and mesquite-roasted barbacoa taco withepazote aioli (Luhrman’s prized signature from El Topo). Also expect specialty burritos and tortas; small plates; soups and salads, and crafted cocktails and margaritas. We can’t wait to tuck into the Watermelon and Cotija Salad with pickled Fresno chili, cucumber and peanut crumble!
“Every item on this menu was carefully selected to ensure all our ingredients are from nearby farms and producers that reflect the bounty of the Gulf Coast region,” said co-owner Benjy Levit, “From farm-fresh vegetables to locally sourced meats and cheeses, every ingredient embodies the ethos of local foods.”
Maximo
Maximo
Maximo
Local Foods
Local Foods
