Ever wonder what happens when a vat of liquid nitrogen wielded by a restaurant crew from Tomball is poured into the swimming pool of a Downtown Houston hotel? Your curiosity will be rewarded in the short video above from last March’s poolside Houston Star Chefs event at the Four Seasons Hotel, where Bootsie’s Heritage Cafe chef Randy Rucker and pastry chef Chris Leung both received Rising Star awards. The large-scale chemistry demo from Bootsie’s took place at the end of the evening. (According to Houston Press food critic Katharine Shillcutt, there were a few delayed reactions too: The hotel was left with a fair amount of cleanup afterward as a result, including completely draining the pool and fixing the chemical balance of the water.) The Bootsie’s crew’s latest project: A new restaurant in a well-vegetated just-purchased 1930 Museum District home most recently used as a doctor’s office, directly behind Yoshio Taniguchi’s Asia House at 5219 Caroline St.:
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Bootsie’s in Tomball, Rucker announced yesterday, will be closing at the end of the month.
- Restaurant News: Bootsie’s Heritage Cafe to close at the end of July [Examiner]
- Bootsie’s Heritage Cafe to Close, Leaving Tomball for Houston [Eating Our Words]
- 5219 Caroline St. [HAR]
Video: Katherine Druckman. Photos: Candace Garcia
Having always wanted to go to Bootsies but not keen on the drive to Tomball (and back) for dinner, I am glad to hear they are headed into town. Also, I used to know the woman who lived in this house on Caroline and was relieved it survived the building of the all-too-impressive Asia House. What a pleasure it is to see it without its Grey Gardens cover. A block of impressive architecture for all.