The December Hit List: UB Preserv, Toro Toro, Chivos, and More

It’s only been a few months since chef Chris Shepherd’s Underbelly Hospitality announced that it was saying goodbye to beloved Montrose beer bar The Hay Merchant. Now, Houstonians have learned, UB Preserv is set to close at the end of the month as well. Fans of executive chef Nick Wong’s slow-cooked 44 Farms Vietnamese short rib fajitas and delightfully herby crispy rice salad have until December 23 to get their fix.

It’s not all dreary news, though. Wong and sous chef Leila Frink will both be moving to Georgia James Tavern downtown, where they’ll continue to work their magic in the kitchen. And taking over UB Preserv’s space will be an all-new bar concept from Underbelly called Everlong Bar & Hideaway, which is set to open early next year. (The name comes from Shepherd’s love of rock band Foo Fighters.)

If you’re craving luxury this holiday season, look no further than chef Richard Sandoval’s Toro Toro, which opened to great fanfare on October 30 in the Four Seasons Hotel downtown. The Latin-influenced steakhouse is the sixth outpost of Sandoval’s Toro Toro brand of restaurants and offers shareable plates like the 52-ounce prime tomahawk and the Churrasco mixed meat option that comes with Brazilian-style Picanha steak, rib eye, chicken, and lamb chops. All steaks come with Argentinian chimichurri, housemade barbecue sauce, and grilled shishito peppers.

Call 713-650-1300 for reservations.

Houston restaurateur Ben Berg — whose Berg Hospitality Group operates Houston favorites B&B Butcher & Restaurant, B.B. Lemon and The Annie Café — introduced his latest concept in late November, one that aims to transport diners straight to Italy. Named for Berg’s eldest daughter, the cozy Trattoria Sofia serves up rustic Italian fare with a focus on seasonal ingredients. With executive chef L.J. Wiley leading the kitchen, guests can look forward to dishes like wood fire-roasted octopus with Sicilian tomato pesto, pan-seared swordfish, cacio e pepe, and bucatini with Sicilian pesto.

Call 713-804-0429 for reservations.

We know what you’re thinking: Hey, wasn’t this spot on last month’s Hit List? Indeed, it was — but we’ve got some exciting intel to report. In November, Agricole Hospitality welcomed back one of its veteran chefs, Martha Wilcox, to the Bayou City. Wilcox — who’s returning to Texas after a stint at Seattle’s celebrated Café Juanita — has been named chef de cuisine at Indianola, where she’ll join executive chef Paul Lewis and culinary director Vincent Huynh in eventually revamping the restaurant’s contemporary Southern offerings. With an impressive resume that includes time spent at The Pass & Provisions, Pax Americana, and Agricole’s own Revival Market, Wilcox hopes to create a menu that mixes traditional flavors with modern applications — and we can’t wait to see what delicious eats await.

This buzzed-about contemporary Mexican American spot from Night Moves Hospitality opened in late October in the former Calle Onze space, and the praise quickly followed. That’s not too much of a surprise — Chivos is Spanish for “goats,” and the restaurant’s name is a subtle play on the acronym G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time), according to Night Moves owner Greg Perez.

Helmed by executive chef Thomas Bille (formerly of Xochi and Belly of the Beast, his own acclaimed restaurant in Old Town Spring), the menu at Chivos gets creative with cross-cultural dishes like the pozole dumplings, duck breast with fig mole, and housemade flour and corn tortillas — the latter of which are made from non-GMO heirloom corn imported from Oaxaca, using the ancient technique of nixtamalization to break down maize into masa.

When the weather outside is frightful — but then again, even when it’s not — nothing hits the spot quite like a steaming-hot bowl of comforting, porky tonkotsu ramen. And may we suggest chef Tatsu Aikawa’s acclaimed noodle shop to satisfy the craving? The tonkotsu original, with its delightfully springy noodles and deliciously rich pork bone broth, is always a sure bet. Order the Sweet & Sour Yodas — brussels sprouts with apricot vinegar and curry spice — to add a side of brightness to the meal, too.

This unassuming family-owned shop in Houston’s Asiatown shot to fame when it appeared on an episode of chef David Chang’s Netflix series “Ugly Delicious.” The restaurant is one of few in the city that specialize in central Vietnamese cuisine and is known especially for its banh beo chen (savory steamed mini rice cakes served with minced shrimp, chicharron, and fish sauce) and banh bot loc la (sauteed pork and shrimp stuffed in tapioca starch and wrapped and steamed in banana leaf).

Resys are now open for Miracle at Winnie’s, billed as a “fully immersive Christmas cocktail pop-up,” which is taking over the dining room and patio of Winnie’s in Midtown. (There’s also a pop-up at Johnny’s Gold Brick in the Heights; resys are recommended for both locations.) The experience includes holiday-themed sandwiches, snacks, and cocktails — think Christmapolitans and Snowball Old-Fashioneds — served up in a completely over-the-top festive environment. Ugly Christmas sweaters not required, but highly encouraged.

This food-hall favorite barbecue counter from owners John and Veronica Avila closed in 2019 after four years serving diners at the now-shuttered Conservatory downtown. But the restaurant — previously known as El Burro & the Bull — is getting a new lease on life with a brick-and-mortar location in Cypress. The Avilas have partnered with Bruce Gingrich and Andria Cain (both of the East End spot Acadian Coast) for their latest concept, which will expand beyond barbecue to explore the many regional influences of Texas cuisine. The new menu revives popular offerings from the Conservatory, like the smoky four-cheese house blend queso and the boudin balls, and serves up fresh items like smoked brisket flautas, tacos, and housemade sausages.

Clark Cooper Concepts, the team behind Coppa Osteria and Brasserie 19, says Gratify was created to “pay homage to the community and to the staff that enabled us to survive the pandemic” — and diners will be thankful for this new addition to the neighborhood, too. Housed in the space formerly occupied by Punk’s Simple Southern Food, this (new to Resy) restaurant offers a raw bar complete with freshly shucked oysters, crudo, tartare (of the tuna and wagyu varieties), and caviar, as well as entrees like the housemade tagliarini with shaved truffle and Parmigiano Reggiano and the chicken Provencal. Pro tip: save room for decadent desserts such as the caramel-topped croissant bread pudding or the butterscotch pot de crème.