Menu
I've been driving by the little 1920s bungalow on East 11th near Studewood in the Heights for months now, scoping out the progress on chef Jamie Zelko's new Zelko Bistro. It's just around the corner from Stella Sola and the Glass Wall, so the soft opening, which is less than two weeks away, will add even more buzz to the area's dining profile.
Zelko Bistro
Chef/owner Jamie Zelko at one of her black-walnut butcher-block tables at her new Zelko Bistro in the Heights. |
I admired the quiet assurance of Zelko's contemporary American fare when she revived the lagging fortunes of the restaurant at downtown's Lancaster Hotel. I've been waiting for over a year now for her to re-emerge on Houston's restaurant scene. So I'm happy to report she and her new partner, former Shade chef Jeb Stuart, will open their doors to diners around April 14. There are 45 seats and a no-reservations policy, so get ready to scramble for a table.
I love the sounds of Zelko's homey, slightly rustic menu. I practically squeaked with delight when I spotted corned beef, a neglected American classic that will be served with a chunky applesauce, cabbage laced with chard and a mustard sauce. Count me in. Market fish, root beer short ribs, meat loaf, chicken-fried chicken with balsamic onion jam and pea shoots--it all sounds suited to Zelko's un-showoffy, big-on-flavor talents.
Liberated from the constraints of a boutique hotel menu, she gets to do the fun stuff in her new open kitchen, like fish tacos with queso fresco and fried plantains or baby baked Yukon potatoes with pancetta and creme fraiche. There's a burger, natch, and Zelko's trademark Asian-inflected crab cake. For the kids, there'll be Captain Crunch chicken poppers. The brunch menu and lunchtime sandwiches (yes, there'll be lunch!) sound beguiling, too. Jonnycakes or a farm egg sandwich with cheddar and bacon, anyone?
Zelko Bistro
The bar at Zelko Bistro, with paneling from an old mushroom barn & treated shiplap ceiling. |
For dessert, I look forward to lemon icebox pie made with creme fraiche as much as I do macerated fruit with mint. (Why don't more Houston restaurants serve simple seasonal fruit desserts, I always wonder.) Or how about funnel cake with berries and one of the complex seasonal honeys from Heights beekeeper Carlisle Vandervoort?
Zelko's roster of Houston suppliers ranges from Katz Coffee to Houston Dairymaids to the wonderful Slow Dough bakers. In an on-site garden, fruit trees from Urban Harvest stand ready to plant and herbs already flourish. Local sourcing is part of Zelko's deeply felt neighborhood mission, and she and Stuart have priced their wares accordingly. Entrees run from $10 to $19, with most on the lower end of the mid-teens. The wine list chosen by Stuart will have no bottle pricier than the $40s. Zelko says she wants to keep things affordable, casual and family-friendly for a neighborhood clientele.
She's even kept the look local, preserving or recycling as much of the decrepit bungalow's materials as possible, and adding vintage touches right out of the Heights' antique-shop vibe. Working with her dad's and uncles' Zelko Brothers Cabinet & Fixture Company--currently celebrating its 50th year in business-- she had the original pine shiplap treated and whitewashed before installing it on the ceilings. The bar is paneled with old barn wood from a mushroom farm in Pennsylvania. Zelko herself fashioned the bar lights out of antique blue Ball jars. Even the refinished restroom sinks date from the 1940s.
Zelko Bistro
Zelko Bistro partners Jeb Stuart and Jamie Zelko. |
I was intrigued to learn that Jeb Stuart's role at the restaurant will be managing the front of the house and directing the beverage program. After 25 years in various kitchens (including his last post as Executive Chef at Shade, working with chef/owner Claire Smith), Stuart stepped away to immerse himself in the wine world. I was happy to hear he'll be focusing on affordable "discovery" wines from smaller producers, along with craft beers and vintage sodas. While there may be the usual exchange of ideas with his partner, the menu is Zelko's responsibility.
Zelko Bistro
Down-home in the Heights: Jamie Zelko with vintage farm truck & local garden produce, a mainstay of her menu. |
Zelko says she's had her eye on this location for 8 years, and she still sounds slightly disbelieving that she's been able to pull it off. "I thought with the run-down condition it was in, that it would be impossible to make the building operable as a restaurant," she admits. "But with a little help and encouragement--and the fact that it wasn't a dry area of the Heights--I gave it a shot. "
(Zelko Bistro, 705 East 11th St. between Studewood & Beverly, . www.zelkobistro.com)
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