When he was about 14, Virgil Harper sat down to eat crab, and his face promptly swelled up. He’d just discovered a new allergy.
Years later, though, that didn’t prevent Harper from putting crab on the menu at his new Houston seafood restaurant, Atlantic Ocean. There, he pairs Southern inspiration with a long list of seafood, plus a little meat. The restaurant at 6011 Washington Ave., near Memorial Park, is currently in a “soft-opening” stage and will celebrate its grand opening April 1.
The endeavor marks a change for Harper, the chef and owner, and executive chef and partner Aliyah Watley. Both are from the East Coast. Harper’s most recent endeavors have both focused on breakfast: Toast on Lenox, an Atlanta Southern brunch spot, and Toast Noir Cafe, a coffee shop in the same city.
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