LOCAL Houston | The City Guide June 2017 | Page 33

FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE
By Mike Cook
Photography by Jenn Duncan
It’s June, so no doubt it’s a hot time in Houston. With that, and
considering this is our Hot Issue, help us with a question: What‘s
currently hotter in Houston than a new bar by Bobby Heugel
(Anvil) and Justin Yu (Oxheart)? Yep, serious question, not rhe-
torical. Tweet us @Local_Houston using #hotterthanbltinhou and
let us know your thoughts...but while you're here, and since it is
clearly on the city‘s radar (we're writing some of this on assign-
ment on a Monday night and every table is full) here are our
thoughts and feelings on their new bar, Better Luck Tomorrow.
Dry Creek it‘s not, but on the corner of Yale and 6th it is. You‘d
barely even know Dry Creek used to be here. BLT did, however,
keep the gas pumps from way back when this lot/building was
a service station, and all the covered and open patios are still in-
tact. No gas or brunch/lunch though, the vibe is all chill, full bar
with creative food now. Green, yellow and red lighting, brass,
clean lines, a rad old receiver and speaker set, and vintage
windows keep BLT mellow, with seating both inside and out.
And there’s shuffleboard right outside on the north end patio,
because we all know shuffleboard is mellow. A feeling. They
set this up to maximize capacity (interior is small, so the larger
seating area is the outside) but details matter and everything’s
done right, even the bar stools have vibe. We gotta feeling
you'll like BLT.
Be ready to scan your ID (Heights area private club) when you
order everything at the bar (no table service). Drinks come pretty
quick and you get a number so runners will find you when your
food is ready. Right now, there are 10 cocktails on the menu,
five draft beer and 10 food items unless you count The Cycle,
an order of all 10 food items as option 11. A short but excep-
tional wine list (Justin Vann’s work) of sparkling, rose, red and
white, and shelving full of spirits round out the full bar at BLT.
Since this seems to be the month of the Old Fashioned, we tried
it, the BLT version, the Cold Fashioned, which does have five
ingredients but none are muddled cherries. It's a blend of spirits
(bourbon, rum and brandy), fancy sugar (piloncillo) and bitters,
and it's awesome. Be sure to note the ice; like we said, details
matter. Every table in the place was eating food and it was pret-
ty obvious why. If Yu makes it, it’s good and people flock to eat
it. Frankly it's cool (Hot?) to have this kind of option, a laid-back
place where a James Beard award-winning chef makes fun bar
food in a kitchen behind a high-end drink program. So tell us,
what’s #hotterthanbltinhou…?
4.25.2017
8:32pm
june 17 |
L O C A L
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