Meetings and Events Houston | Restaurants Show off New and Updated Facilities

Restaurants Show off New and Updated Facilities

Article By: Adam Castaneda of III: Volume 2 - Issue 1

Thanks to the state’s overall strength in the restaurant industry, the Houston market is seeing growth amidst these challenging times. According to the Texas Restaurant Association, the state is expected to close out 2009 as the nation’s leader in terms of restaurant sales growth. The National Restaurant Association also gave a similar prediction late last year with their estimate that the Texas restaurant sector would grow by up to 4 percent.

What do these forecasts mean for Houston business meeting planners? First, that the local restaurant industry is meeting the demands of the changing marketplace and adapting its sales strategies to accommodate as wide a client base as possible, making it a planners market. Second, national franchises are looking to Houston as a place for further expansion, giving planners even more options for choosing the perfect dining facilities for their events. Finally, it means that the restaurant industry is finding confidence in itself, ensuring meeting professionals that they won’t find facilities cutting back on menus, amenities or furnishings.

This section of Meetings & Events Houston contains the largest number of restaurant listings we’ve ever published and we’re excited to report on the thriving expansion of this industry. Since restaurant owners are embracing change like every other sector of the meetings and events industry, especially in regards to expansion and remodeling, our listings also include updated seating capacities and corporate amenities.

What’s New?
The city’s new mixed-use center, the Houston Pavilions, has given the downtown area a much needed entertainment venue for business professionals to eat, shop and play. The development consists of four city blocks inside the perimeter of Dallas, Polk, Main and Caroline streets. The first two floors will house a plethora of prime eateries, some already open for business. The compound is fragmented by several pockets of outside space, making al fresco dining a viable option for restaurants in the interior areas.

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant offers guests a menu that changes twice every day in accordance with their commitment to deliver only the freshest seafood available no matter what the season. Menu favorites include Alaskan halibut, gulf snapper Pontchartrain and North Atlantic cold water oysters, just a few of over 30 seafood selections served fresh every day. The full-service bar features a top-grade scotch collection and continues the restaurant’s “fresh” theme by using only hand-squeezed juices in their beverages and all cocktails are hand-shaken. In case guests are not avid seafood fans, the menu also offers entrees of high quality Midwestern beef, giving meeting planners a more traditional corporate selection to work with.

Guadalajara del Centro extends the popular Mexican franchise to the city’s epicenter with its opening in the Houston Pavilions. Guests are able enjoy a hacienda-style atmosphere right in the middle of the city along with the authentic Mexican flavors the brand is known for. Business meeting planners will want to take note that Guadalajara del Centro also offers catering services, to-go ordering and bulk delivery orders, perfect for getting quality Mexican food to a downtown meeting facility of your choosing. The catering menu options include fajita dinners complete with Mexican rice, refried beans, guacamole, tortilla chips and your choice of beef or chicken. Other corporate party favorites include orders of tamales, empanadas and Campeche cocktails.

Yao Restaurant & Bar is one of Houston’s coolest new places to eat due to the celebrity name backing the facility. Owned by the family of local basketball star Yao Ming, the restaurant specializes in contemporary Chinese cuisine, updating old favorites with an unexpected local twist. The Westheimer location will be joined in August by the Houston Pavillion restaurant.

Sure to please its many fans, Mia Bella Trattoria will open a third restaurant location inside the Houston Pavilions complex in September. The new venue will bring to the Pavilions the same warm and friendly atmosphere its known for. Catering services are also available to bring their rich, homemade recipes to your event wherever it may be.

Other dining ventures that will open in the Houston Pavilions within the next few months include Andalusia Tapas Restaurant and Bar, Ill Forks Steakhouse and Lucky Strike Lanes, a state-of-the-art bowling lounge featuring the latest in entertainment technology, as well as a first-rate restaurant and bar. In our next issue, look for a comprehensive guide to the business meeting potential of the completely operational Houston Pavilions.

Reopenings
The local community is greatly anticipating the return of one its signature restaurants, Brennan’s of Houston. The facility was destroyed in a fire during Hurricane Ike last September, but restoration plans have been in full swing for the past six months. Owner Alex Brennan-Martin hopes to see the beloved landmark open its doors by the fall of this year. Though 80 percent of the original building will have to be reconstructed, the restoration team is taking care to remain as historically accurate as possible in their work. Repeatedly listed under the “best of” lists on the Zagat National Survey, Brennan’s is known for its signature New American cuisine. Meeting planners can be assured that when Brennan’s returns, the restaurant will once again boast a refined atmosphere and impeccable service, two essential qualities for a perfect dining event venue.

The Landry’s Restaurants Inc.-owned Kemah Boardwalk is also now completely recovered from the damage it sustained during Hurricane Ike. Meeting planners once again have the boardwalk’s full roster of restaurants at their disposal, including The Cadillac Bar, Joe’s Crab Shack, Landry’s Seafood House, the Aquarium and Saltgrass Steakhouse.

The Kemah Boardwalk makes for a great experience for out-of-town guests and provides an excellent opportunity for using a dining facility as your event location. The Aquarium boasts 2,234 square-feet of meeting space that can accommodate 200 guests in either banquet- or theater-style seating arrangements and can also hold the same number for standing events as well. Landry’s Seafood House features meeting areas with similar maximum capacities, but can also be used for classroom-style events in several seating formats. Other restaurants on the boardwalk also have group sales options available, so be sure to explore every opportunity to plan a productive meeting with the aid of a world-class menu.

For executive-level business meetings, the Boardwalk Inn features a boardroom that can accommodate a 16-person conference style function. The boardwalk waterfront space can also be used for cocktail parties or other casual corporate events.

The Future
Houston restauraterer Alex Brennan-Martin will be introducing two new restaurants at the Hotel Sorella in Memorial’s CityCentre development. The mixed-used complex, to be opened in the fall of this year, will feature world-class dining options featuring a multitude of international cuisines and regional favorites. Brennan’s projects in the Hotel Sorella will include Café Rose, a chic concept that will specialize in continental breakfasts, salad and sandwich lunches and iced coffees. In addition, Café Rose will offer a comprehensive selection of fine wines. The famous Johnson Studio will be designing the second venture, Bistro Alex, which will serve lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. The restaurant will offer a menu inspired by Brennan’s signature Texas-Creole fusion and New American entrees.

The redevelopment of the River Oaks Shopping Center is also increasing the number of its dining opportunities available to meeting planners. Houston restaurant owners Tony and Jeff Vallone are set to open their Italian venue, Il Tavolo, in the coming months. The first level will be a restaurant with a 150-guest capacity and the second level will consist of a wine bar and balcony with a view of Shepherd Drive. We look forward to reporting on even more openings in this district in the coming months.

The West Avenue development on the corner of Westheimer and Kirby will also showcase an exciting line of dining facilities as it nears completion over the next month. Five key venues have already been announced with more expected to open throughout the next six months.

Pie Bar will occupy one of West Avenue’s second-story spaces and will be one of the few restaurants in the area to stay open until 2 a.m. The 1,500-square-foot facility will simultaneously satisfy the cravings for gourmet pizza and top-quality liquors, serving both in a unique bar atmosphere.

Wildfish is a seafood and steak restaurant that has a strong critical pedigree preceding its opening at West Avenue. The menu will boast entrees of USDA Prime beef and fresh seafood prepared to the client’s taste. An oyster bar will complete the trendy and vibrant atmosphere of the facility.

Perhaps the most innovative opening in the complex will be from the Social House, Houston’s first gastro-pub and one of the few venues of its kind in the nation. Gastro-pubs are a European form of lounge that combine comfortable and intimate furnishings with food and beverages that are comparable to what can be found in an exceptional restaurant. The Social House will feature 20 beers from around the world, making for an endless combination of food, drinks and fun.

As can be seen, meeting planners have a lot to choose from in the area of dining facilities. The restaurant industry in Houston has continued to remain resilient, and if anything, is experiencing an unprecedented growth due to continued investment in new franchises and extensive renovations.