Not long ago, Houston’s best bars offered little more than snacks — if they offered food at all — alongside their cocktails. Now, some are blurring the lines between bar and restaurant.
Cocktail bar 1111 opened in May, with Emmanuel Chavez, chef-owner at Michelin star restaurant Tatemo, creating plates such as a tuna tostada, carnitas taco and a whole seabass. Bar Xolo also debuted this year, with chef Javier Becerra, formerly of BCN Taste & Tradition and MAD, cooking up steak, octopus and prawns. Bar Doko recently added a food menu, too.
Chavez also consulted on Melrose, which opened last year from the 1111 and Clarkwood team. Botonica serves bites using various Latin flavors. Speakeasy-inspired bars attached to restaurants, including Goode Co.’s Bar Buena and Enotecca Rossa’s Rossa Room, are both serving food, as well…