The October Hit List: Concura, Urbe, Casa Nomad, and More

Owner Jessica Biondi, a fashion and design consultant, spent years searching for the perfect space to open a contemporary Italian restaurant in Houston. After nearly a decade on the hunt, she finally found her dream location in the Highland Village neighborhood. Concura — which means “with care” in Italian — is inspired by the seaside cafes found along Italy’s Adriatic Coast, where Biondi grew up in the town of Fano.

Biondi has tapped another Fano native, executive chef Angelo Cuppone (formerly of the Rice Village restaurant Roma), to lead the kitchen. Guests can expect small and large plates that explore the region’s cuisines and a rotating menu that features dishes such as cod liver foie gras served with squid ink Easter bread, octopus and potato with olives, veal tonnato, tomato and bread soup, and fresh, housemade pastas. More good news: Concura is now open for lunch, too.

After a one-month summer hiatus, this fine-dining gem in Houston’s artsy Montrose district finally reopened last month with new six- and nine-course tasting menus ($175 and $225 per person, respectively) focused on the Andalusia and Murcia regions of Spain. Head chef Ian Payne spent much of his childhood in Andalusia and used those memories to help craft a menu.

Meanwhile, the March team also devoted time studying various cultural influences of the two regions. The refreshed offerings include crispy potato and white anchovies served with tobacco-infused butter, tortilla de angulas with chile aioli and black sesame, and crudo de cigala with ajo blanco (Spanish chilled soup). Also new is a regional sherry pairing — the sweet wine hails from Andalusia — and a vibrant cocktail program inspired by the colorful architecture found in Spanish cities.

This intimate, 28-seat outdoor bar and restaurant brings a touch of tropical Tulum to the M-K-T mixed-use development in Houston’s hip Heights neighborhood. The bohemian patio lounge is the latest project from Roland Keller, Tyler Barrera, and Keith Doyle — the same trio who brought the dog-friendly cocktail bar Wicklow Heights to Shady Acres. The team is also set to open an adjoining cocktail bar to Casa Nomad called Highline Park later this fall.

Heading up the kitchen at Casa Nomad is chef Vincent Forchelli, a New York restaurant veteran, whose Mayan-inspired offerings include buttery roasted bone marrow topped with guajillo marmalade, tuna tostadas with truffle crema, and skirt steak dressed in salsa matcha. Rounding out the beachy experience are fun cocktails like the El Cenote (made with mezcal, green Chartreuse, corn liqueur, and pineapple juice) and the Oaxacan G&T (a gin and tonic kicked up a notch with passion fruit syrup, hellfire bitters, and cilantro).

This Chicago import, acclaimed for its Sichuan specialties, opened its doors in early August in the Katy Asian Town development, adding yet another delicious option to the area’s thriving Asian dining scene. Guests can expect such Sichuan staples as spicy dan dan noodles; kung pao chicken (or beef or shrimp, if you like), and mapo tofu. Xiao long bao enthusiasts will also be thrilled to see the steamy soup-filled dumplings on the menu, as well as oniony scallion pancakes and true delicacies like the crispy-skinned, oven-roasted Peking duck served with tortilla-thin pancakes.

Chef-owner Daniel Wolfe’s original plan when he leased the former Dak & Bop space at 1801 Binz Street last year was to find a dedicated kitchen for his Wolfe & Wine catering company. Upon seeing the space, however, Wolfe went all-in on a restaurant and wine bar instead — and Houstonians definitely aren’t mad at it. The menu — which is influenced by the “local people, places, and events in the Houston area” — has been described by Wolfe as “Houston fusion.”

As such, guests will find appropriately named dishes like the Rodeo flatbread, featuring tri-tip topped with white barbecue sauce, red onions, mozzarella, and jalapenos; the Bayou Cream Chicken, a blackened chicken breast served with housemade crab and bacon cream sauce; and Sam Houston’s Salmon, baked with chorizo butter and drizzled in a fig balsamic glaze. The wine selection, on the other hand, is decidedly global, with selections from across the U.S., Europe, and South America. One event to note: the restaurant will be hosting a four-course wine dinner with Bennett Valley Cellars on October 22.

In September, this charming (new-to-Resy) Montrose restaurant celebrated seven years of serving up consistently spectacular modern Spanish fare. Housed in a 1920s Victorian mansion, BCN Taste & Tradition artfully pays homage to the bold flavors of Catalan cuisine. Must-haves from the menu include practically any dish that features their signature melt-in-your-mouth Iberico ham, the Spanish octopus served with potato purée, and the fisherman’s soup with branzino, shrimp, and garlic croutons. Non-carnivores needn’t worry: a fully vegan menu showcasing the season’s best and freshest produce also is available.

After five years traversing the neighborhoods of Houston, this popular food truck is now serving its lauded Jamaican street food at a permanent brick-and-mortar location in the Acres Homes area. In addition to favorite go-tos created by chef-owner Gareth Powell — like the signature jerk chick wings over creamy mac ‘n’ cheese, the coconut milk-simmered curry goat, and the Jamaican braised oxtails — guests will also want to try the Insane Bolt burger. The name says it all: this jerk-spiced beef patty served with island aioli and cheddar on a sweet bun really is insanely good.

Billed as a chef-driven New Western restaurant, this former food truck from chef-owner Tony Luhrman continues to attract devotees with its ambitious slate of tacos, burgers, and other seasonal weekend tasting-menu creations. There’s a reason why El Topo’s tacos have gained notoriety even outside the city: they’re assembled using the highest quality ingredients, including proteins like 44 Farms beef and salsas crafted from farm-fresh produce. The filling then is tucked into soft blue-corn tortillas formed that day from the restaurant’s own masa — they grind the corn in-house. And the new autumn menu is just shifting into effect.

This gorgeous contemporary Italian spot from “Top Chef Masters” season 4 winner chef-owner Chris Cosentino originally opened in 2019 inside the C. Baldwin Hotel in Downtown, but pandemic challenges forced the restaurant’s closure. Now, after more than a year, Rosalie has received a new lease on life, relaunching last month with executive chef Jacob Coronado, formerly of Nobie’s, taking the lead in the kitchen. Diners can look forward to mains like fresh-made rigatoni smothered in Texas wild boar ragu; snapper with wild mushrooms, capers, and arugula; and manicotti stuffed with local blue crab, a returning favorite.

Call 713-351-5790 to make a reservation.

James Beard-award winning chef Hugo Ortega and restauranteur Tracy Vaught have worked their magic once again with Urbe, which opened in Uptown Park in August. Like Caracol, Hugo’s, and Xochi before it, the restaurant’s menu is inspired by the tastes of chef Hugo’s native Mexico — and his childhood experiences of selling street foods such as flan, guisados, and wood-oven baked bread from a neighborhood stall. Fans of the chef who visit Urbe will delight in dishes like the squash blossom quesadilla featuring housemade quesillo and a freshly pressed corn tortilla, and the succulent tacos al pastor with sliced pineapple.

Call 713-726-8273 to book a table.