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Welcome to AM Intel, a (mostly) daily round-up of Houston’s hottest bits of dining intel.
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Ramen Tonkotsu brings steaming bowls of broth to Vintage Marketplace
A new ramen shop from the minds behind popular local sushi burrito chain U’Maki has officially arrived at 10111 Louetta Road, Suite 800, just in time for fall. Owner Byron Lee tells Eater that the Tonkotsu Ramen Bar quietly made its debut on November 2, boasting scratch-made broths that are simmered for a “minimum of 24 hours,” and freshly made noodles. A grand opening shindig is set for November 8.
Finn Hall will re-open Monday after changing operators over the weekend
On Friday, Finn Hall closed its doors for the weekend as the Downtown food hall made a few “technology-related updates.” Those updates were a part of major operational changes at Finn Hall, with Jones on Main landlord Midway taking over day-to-day operations of the food hall. A spokesperson for Midway said in a statement that it expects “little to no effect on daily operation for customers,” but that “enhancements” are coming in the next few months. Stay tuned for updates on this situation as it unfolds.
A Portland caffeine chain heads to Houston
Black Rock Coffee Bar has plans to bring its drive-thru shops to the Houston area in 2020. Per the Houston Chronicle, the chain will bring a location to Kay in January, and a second will follow in Westchase. Black Rock currently boasts a ton of locations in Oregon and Washington, and is a quintessentially West Coast coffee shop complete with a drive-thru and artisanally roasted beans. Don’t be surprised if even more Houston-area locations don’t start to pop up soon.
Advocacy group hosts film screening focused on gender inequality in the restaurant industry
On Tuesday, Houston-based, chef-comprised advocacy group I’ll Have What She’s Having will host a screening of A Fine Line, a new documentary that explores gender inequality in the restaurant industry. Set for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the new C. Baldwin Hotel (400 Dallas Street) the film will be followed by a Q&A with women in Houston’s culinary industry, including restaurateur Tracy Vaught, chef-restaurateur Anita Jaisinghani, and the film’s director Joanna James.
To accompany the screening and panel discussion Feges BBQ’s Erin Smith, Rosalie’s Sasha Grumman and Valerie Trasatti, and more local chefs will serve a menu of bites alongside wines curated by sommelier Cat Nguyen and beer picks from Holler Brewing’s Kathryn Holler.
