Alex Brennan-Martin to open three Houston eateriesAlex Brennan-Martin to open three Houston eateries

Ron Ruggless

HOUSTON Alex Brennan-Martin is rebuilding his Brennan’s of Houston, which was destroyed in a fire related to Hurricane Ike last September, as well as opening two new eateries in the city, the restaurateur said Tuesday.

Brennan-Martin held a press conference with Houston Mayor Bill White to announce that his Brennan’s of Houston would reopen in October. About 80 percent of the historic building, designed by the great Houston architect John Staub in 1930, will be restored.

“We didn’t burn down, we burned up,” said Brennan-Martin. “We are honored and humbled by the outpouring of support we have received over the past year and are looking forward to opening our doors this fall and welcoming back our guests.”

In addition, two new restaurants — the 35-seat, 2,000-square-foot Café Rosé and the 160-seat, 4,000-square-foot Bistro Alex — will open in July, with the debut of the new Hotel Sorella, being built by the Valencia Group of Houston.

The restaurants will retail spaces within the 244-room luxury property, which is a key anchor for the new CityCentre mixed-use development on Houston’s west side. A selection of items from both menus will be available for delivery to guestrooms and seasonally at the rooftop pool, and will also be offered at Luce, Hotel Sorella’s Moroccan-style bar and lounge.

“The partnership between Alex Brennan-Martin, Hotel Sorella and CityCentre offers ideal synergies from a food and beverage standpoint and will be a major asset for overnight guests, residents and visitors,” said Jodi Doughty, Hotel Sorella’s director of marketing. “We are thrilled to have a restaurateur of his caliber as part of this development.”

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].