A 2-location British restaurant chain specializing in Italian pizza and pastas has plans to open in the former spot of Solea (pictured above) at 1500 Shepherd Dr. at the corner of Maxie, just north of Washington Ave in Cottage Grove. Solea shut down a 14-month stint in that location last September, its owners hinting at the time of plans to reopen an entirely new restaurant in the space after a break, with perhaps a more focused menu than the one offering Mexican, Cajun, and Middle Eastern delights previously. Swamplot readers had noted the building’s construction back in 2010, when it was slated for a location of Bullritos.
No opening date is listed on the website of the Italian replacement, called Il Mascalzone. But the company site does list a second planned location in Houston, to supplement its Edgware and Putney spots in the UK: in a strip center at 12126 Westheimer, between Kirkwood and Dairy Ashford.
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“To my knowledge,” notes the tipster who alerted Swamplot to the coming British invasion, “this is the fourth out-of-the-country restaurant to open its first location in the states in Houston (E Tao, Chuan’s Chinese, and Tierra del Fuego (opening at the end of this month) in the span of three years, but I may be wrong.”
- Il Mascalzone Houston will be opening soon! [Il Mascalzone]
- Washington Avenue small plates and salsa restaurant closes with plans for new concept [Culturemap]
- What’s the concept? New restaurant Solea tries to do too much, leaves one baffled [Culturemap]
Photo: Solea
One hopes that the menu will be more imaginative than what they offer in Britain; otherwise can you say Macaroni Grill?
I’ve done a lot of traveling all over the world. On my top ten list of country cuisine, British is #28
When I first glanced at this I thought it said “British Indian” and got really excited. But Italian? Meh, who cares…