Yun Cheng, owner of the Azuma Group, has brought his Japanese restaurant concept Azuma Sushi & Robata Bar to Sugar Land. His largest footprint yet, this beautiful 9,200-square-foot, two-story space with an outdoor patio has been christened Azuma on the Lake (part of the new Lake Pointe Development) and was designed by architect Palmer Schooley … Have you heard? August 1 through 21 has been deemed Houston Restaurant Week, during which time 100 of the city’s best eateries will offer special menus, with a portion of dining dollars contributed to the Houston Food Bank. The list includes notables such as Benjy’s, Tony’s, The Grove, Haven and Feast. Information houstonrestaurantweek.com … Chef Bryan Caswell and Bill Floyd have partnered with Houston writer and critic Robb Walsh to create a Tex-Mex concept in the old Tower Theatre space at 1201 Westheimer, opening in February. Caswell and Tex-Mex expert Walsh will cook up the real deal: authentic fare made with masa and lard (no trans fats here) and drinks derived from pressed cane juice, not simple syrups. Caswell has been collecting mismatched china and tables for the 6,000-square-foot space to keep the vibe casual and cool … Michael Cordúa is planning a fall opening for his worldly Latin restaurant Américas in the new River Oaks Shopping Center addition. Architect Jordan Mozer, who designed Américas’ first incarnation, has taken on the new space … Not far away, Charles Clark and Grant Cooper (Ibiza and Catalon) have inked a deal for the space currently occupied by Tony Mandola’s in River Oaks Shopping Center. The duo will move in when Tony Mandola’s leaves for its new home around the corner at Waugh and Dallas (opening next spring). Look for an April opening for Clark and Cooper’s Brasserie 19 (as in 77019), which will serve a French/American menu throughout the day. Designer Julie McGarr is doing the interiors … Steve Zimmerman and sons Mark and Dan have big plans afoot in the Montrose. This fall, the trio is rebranding their hotel restaurant La Colombe d’Or, with Jeramie Robison (late of Tesar’s) as exec chef and Tony’s former chef Francesco Casetta consulting. They plan to invite a roster of European chefs to guest-chef from time to time. In the meantime, the boys are launching a “New Orleans meets the South of France” bistro called Zimm’s Little Deck on Richmond, not far from Zimm’s Martini & Wine Bar; look for an August opening, with Robison manning the range there as well … Now that chef Michael Kramer has left Hotel Icon for The Tasting Room, chef Greg Lowry (of the shuttered Rockwood Room) has taken over the range at the Icon’s Voice restaurant … Chef Scott Tycer reports that he’s closed Textile for the summer and is contemplating a new location for a hybrid concept that will be two-thirds gastropub (think April Bloomfield’s Breslin) and one-third Joël Robuchon’s Atelier (a 30-seat boutique restaurant with a view of the chefs in action). For now, Tycer is searching for real estate … For those who like to imbibe with a clear eco-conscience, check out the new Washington Avenue bar Sugarcane. These green barkeeps aspire to leave a smaller carbon footprint while creating boutique cocktails with fresh local ingredients (sans packaged mixes) Their efforts to create a healthier environment include composting and reducing aluminum and glass waste by using larger bottles … Anthony Wegmann will open Epicurean Express on St. Emanuel in the EaDo district early this month. The 3,500-square-foot market/grocery near downtown and the East End is across the street from two bars (Cork Soakers and Lucky’s Pub) that Wegmann has recently opened in this up-and-coming neighborhood.