Houston’s international palate attracts two posh, new-to-Texas restaurants
Toca Madera, a restaurant in West Hollywood, Scottsdale and Las Vegas with a mix of see-and-be-seen vibe, highenergy design, cocktails and an opulent interpretation of Mexican cuisine (heavy on expensive beef ), is soon to make a lavish new home in Houston.
Noble 33, a global hospitality group with restaurant concepts in Los Angeles, New York, London and Toronto, announced it will open its fourth and largest Toca Madera at The Pavilion at The Allen, a midrise retail component of The Allen, the mixed-use project being developed by DC Partners off Allen Parkway overlooking Buffalo Bayou Park. The restaurant, described as a “modern Mexican steakhouse,” will be the hospitality group’s first Texas venture. It’s expected to open this fall.
After the opening of Toca Madera, Noble 33 will follow up with Meduza Mediterrania, its newest dining concept, also slated for The Pavilion at The Allen. Meduza Mediterrania, which also is readying a location in New York, could open by the end of the year or early 2024.
Noble 33’s double-down in Houston is testament to the city’s international palate and receptiveness to high-end dining concepts, said Mikey Tanha, who co-founded the hospitality group with partner Tosh Berman.
“If we can be successful in markets like Scottsdale, we’d probably be wildly successful in Houston,” Tanha said. “We’ve always wanted to plant a flag in Texas.”
It was encouraging feedback from Houston diners visiting other Noble 33 restaurants, particularly Toca Madera in Scottsdale, Tanha said, that helped persuade Noble 33 to consider Houston.
“That excitement started to resonate with us,” Tanha said.
And after a few visits to the city to scope out the dining landscape, Noble 33 decided Houston was a good fit.
Both projects are large in scale and integral pieces of the retail mix of The Allen, dominated by the 35-story residential tower that will be home to the Thompson Hotel and Residences at The Allen in Fourth Ward.
“Noble 33 Group’s expansion into the Houston market is a milestone in our U.S. and global
expansion,” Noble 33 cofounder Berman stated. “Toca Madera and Meduza were created to evoke high touch, memorable and elevated dining experiences, and we look forward to introducing Houston to each.”
Toca Madera Houston will take over the ground floor of The Pavilion, with an 11,103square-foot layout with 393 seats, multiple outdoor dining patios, a lounge and private dining room. The menu includes crispy calamari with avocado-tomatillo salsa, truffle quesadilla, queso fundido, crispy tacos (wagyu, tuna and lobster), raw bar offerings (ceviche, sashimi, oysters, caviar), chicken tinga or short
rib enchiladas, prawns in chipotle-mezcal butter, diver scallops with aji Amarillo salsa, salmon with hibiscus-lime butter, chicken al pastor and a wagyu burger with mushrooms and fresh black truffle.
Steak selections include American wagyu, Japanese wagyu and kobe options as well as a showy flaming tomahawk steak served with bone marrow and roasted salsa verde.
The dishes are designed to pair with a global wine list and a “farm-to-glass” cocktail program using fresh ingredients and high-end tequila and mezcal. Toca Madera Houston also will have a members-only enclave with its own entrance
and cocktail program.
Meduza Mediterrania will occupy a 9,732-square-foot space on the top floor of The Pavilion, offering rooftop dining with 289 seats, including a bar and private dining room. The menu, still in development, will sample foods and flavors from throughout the Mediterranean, with inspirations from Israel, Morocco, Lebanon, Greece and the south of France.
“We are excited to bring an entirely new dining concept to Houston,” said Acho Azuike, COO of DC Partners. “From the first time I visited Toca Madera in Scottsdale, I knew this was exactly what we were looking for The Pavilion at The
Allen. … The experience is one of a kind and unlike anything else in the city. We are happy to be the first to welcome them to Texas.”
Tanha said the Noble 33 team also toured Austin and Dallas while scouting potential Texas expansion sites. But Houston won out. “We thought Houston would be our best fit in starting out in the Texas market,” he said.
Noble 33 is considering other Texas markets, though, Tanha added.
“Once we find success in Houston, we could potentially look at other cities in Texas,” he said.