I hoped to bring a companion to Tiny Champions, but during the pandemic we have only one family member to rely on for babysitting, and otherwise I ve found it challenging to ask someone to join me for dinner at a restaurant, even outdoors. So, I don t really ask. I d rather not put that on someone.
So, I drove alone to the East End to spend about 90 minutes at this new restaurant from the folks behind the wildly popular Nancy s Hustle. I was sad my wife wouldn t be able to experience it, especially since a year ago (nearly to the day), I watched her and a bunch of old New York friends stumble into the house at midnight with boxes from Nancy s after spending the day baking Christmas cookies and drinking table cabernet. It was rare to see her so unguarded and stupidly happy.
Nancy’s Hustle all-stars champion an innovative new EaDo restaurant
Nancy’s Hustle all-stars champion an innovative new EaDo restaurant
Photo by Chelsea Thomas
Photo by Chelsea Thomas
Tiny Champions opened for service last weekend at 2617 McKinney St. Led by its partners, chef Jason Vaughan, beverage specialist Sean Jensen, and pastry chef Julia Doran, the restaurant serves pizza and pasta along with, in Doran’s words,”crunchy and acidic vegetables dishes, small proteins, and some heartier dishes for gluten-free folks or people not wanting something carb-heavy.” Sure to be controversial is the restaurant’s decision to serve a pizza topped with pineapple.
Welcome to the fifth part of a series where we showcase the noteworthy food and drink experiences of a very weird year. In the spirit of the holidays, it s also a very special collaboration between the food writers of the Houston Press and Houston Food Finder, the online publication founded by former Houston Press restaurant critic and food editor Phaedra Cook. This fifth edition showcases chefs who made the best of a bad year. Part six will cover coffee. In case you missed it, here s Part 4: Beer.
See the list at the end of this article for other installments of the series.
Alison Cook: My first taste of Tiny Champions in EaDo
Alison Cook has been eagerly awaiting the new pizza-and-pasta spot from the folks at Nancy s Hustle. It did not disappoint.
Alison Cook December 15, 2020Updated: December 16, 2020, 12:35 pm
Speck, pineapple and jalapeño pizza from Tiny Champions Photo: Alison Cook / Staff
I am not one to rush off to a new restaurant the second the doors swing open. I want to give things a chance to gel, for the kitchen rhythms to mesh.
But. I made an exception for Tiny Champions, the new EaDo pizza-and-pasta spot I’ve been eagerly awaiting from the folks at nearby Nancy’s Hustle, one of my favorite casual bistros, just three blocks away as the grackle flies.
Nancy s Hustle s owners open new East downtown concept, Tiny Champions chron.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chron.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.