THE LATE LATE NIGHT PIE [Update, 3/20: Late Night Pie’s owner says the restaurant is reopening Monday.] Midtown fugitive Late Night Pie is no more, Katharine Shilcutt discovers: “The popular pizza joint moved to Tuam a year ago, after their original ice house/converted garage location a few blocks away on Elgin was purchased by a nightclub owner. The plans to open a nightclub fell through, and the building has now been converted into a pub/restaurant, Saint Dane’s. No information about the closure has been posted to Late Nite Pie’s website and calls to the restaurant have gone completely unanswered . . . The word on the street is that the owners ceased paying their rent, which certainly doesn’t come as a surprise in the current economic climate. Combine the restaurant’s expansion into a much larger space in a pricey area with the dwindling numbers of diners, and you have a recipe for failure.” [Eating Our Words]
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That Elgin location was half the draw. What a hot spot that should be. It’s like when the cafe (dog reference, can’t remember name) that was on Taft moved to that huge building that used to be a dry cleaners on Shepherd just south of Westheimer. Charm is a big part of the draw. Not a good idea to underestimate that. Sometimes the charm is in its diviness like that of Cortez Deli that was on Richmond in a rundown strip center. They moved to another location on Shepherd north of Memorial and it wasn’t long for them either.
Damn, I guess my bartender buddies and I need another late night delivery service. Or I’ll have to make runs for food.
Nothing like having pizza delivered at midnight at a bar while your still drinking. It nulls the hanger and still gives you time to digest before you go to bed after the bar closes at 2am.
I shall miss you, Stanky Whore pizza.
Kjb – I recommend Ponzo’s in midtown for late night pizza and sandwiches. It is so much better than late night pies ever was. We don’t live in midtown anymore, but we still pick up pizzas there at least a couple of times a month.
Pink’s Pizza is also a good alternative I recently found. They are on West Gray just east of Montrose. Their first location is in the heights. They also deliver too.
EMME, I think you’re referring to Fox Diner; I never really understood their move to the S. Shepherd location.
As for Late Nite Pie, boy, I sure won’t miss that place; I always thought the pizza was terrible.
Fox Diner…that’s it! Loved it til it moved. I never made it to Late Nite Pie, because I am not out late, but I would always say as I drove by, “If I was still a drinking girl, that would be my kind of place.” If they had bad food, that would attest even more to Location Location Location.
I shall absolutely NOT miss the stanky whore pizza and its long-lingering effects on my boyfriend’s breath! Down with the stanky whore! Sorry to hear about late nite pie, though, I stopped by their grand opening party and they really were tryin. Too much property in the new location for a place that really just needs a hole in a wall and a few tables.
The Pie is not dead. It’s a shame people post rumors as if they are fact. Classic case with our modern media. The Pie was going through a transition period and will be OPEN on Monday 3/23/09. Don’t believe the rumors. The Pie is alive and strong. See you guys soon.
If you’re indeed Mike Bell, good for you and your business.
The Eating Our Words article did not mention the rumor as fact, but rather as “the word on the street.” I guess the unanswered/unreturned phone calls didn’t help to clarify anything (although an update of information on the Late Nite Pie web site or even a little note on the door would have helped).
At least you had some folks wondering since a few obviously stopped by to eat and were surprised to see you shuttered. I hope that doesn’t hinder their return business..
Mike, it sounds like the rumor was based on closed for business. If you are going to take off when you are normally open, it helps to put a sign on the door and a message on the phone. So many places are closing now. I don’t think any harm was meant.
EMME, Cortes Deli was on W. Alabama, roughly across the street from the late Ale House, wasn’t it, until 1993-ish? Ah breakfast tacos.
Fox Diner was swell in its original location on Taft, “home-cookin,” byob, friendly-enough staff. I thought TABC licensing was their issue until they moved to S. Shepherd, where tonier digs and pricing killed our appetites.
I thought the issue with Fox Diner on Taft was the evil neighbor who wanted the property and performed every sort of legal harassment there is to get Fox, and the restaurant that opened there after Fox moved, to close.
http://www.houstonpress.com/2004-07-29/news/catch-of-the-day/
http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/index.php?showtopic=16152