Drake’s Hollywood Restaurant Creates Quite a Scene In Montrose With Celebrity Love, Signature Vodka Martinis & Old School Glamour

It looks like Dallas-based restauranteur Hunter Pond, CEO of the Vandelay Hospitality Group, has a soft spot for that storied old Hollywood look. A time when screen sirens from Rita Hayworth to Lana Turner oozed glamour, and crooners like Frank Sinatra. Dean Martin and their Rat Pack cronies could be seen at the best tables in the city from La Dolce Vita to Chasen’s to the Formosa Cafe. The thirtysomething owner with nine different restaurant concepts under his Hermes belt seems to have channeled the golden age of Tinseltown in his latest incarnation of Drake’s Hollywood restaurant in Houston. Right down to those trademark Hollywood red leather booths.

But as Pond admitted when I interviewed him for a story on his first Houston restaurant Hudson House last year, he was inspired by the ambiance and decor of legendary Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter’s East Coast haunt The Waverly Inn and Monkey Bar in New York. Signature caricature murals adorn the walls (care of artist Edward Sorel) there and — taking a page from that proverbial sketchbook — Pond has replicated the theme in size and scale at his Drake’s Hollywood in Houston. Albeit with drawings not by Sorel, but by local artists.

The third outpost of Drake’s Hollywood (after the Dallas and West Hollywood locales) has taken over the former stead of steakhouse Georgia James. Pond purchased the Montrose area building and has completely refashioned it inside and out during the last couple of years. Step inside the 8,500 square-foot space and take in the moody, dimly lit setting with its polished wood-topped bar, where the dining rooms are adorned with heavy scarlet-colored drapes and foxed mirrors. Notice the Campbell clan, red plaid carpet underfoot.

One can reserve one of the white-clothed tables and gape at the framed vintage black-and-white photos of those movie-making icons or play “Who can guess that celebrity likenesses?” depicted on those murals. Diners are encouraged to dress for the occasion too.

Not sure if your outfit is appropriate? The Drake’s Hollywood website lists a comprehensive list of do’s and don’ts of dressing you’re asked to abide by.

Inside Drake’s Hollywood In Houston

Arguably Vandelay’s most high-profile restaurant idea, Drake’s Hollywood is something else. I’ve visited both the Dallas and Houston Drake’s and can attest to its very see-and-be-seen nature, with tables clustered close, fostering an Instagram-worthy air kiss atmosphere where diners table hop and take in the delicious people watching.

The vibe, from the campy cartoonish depictions to Drake’s Italian American dishes (think pizzas and pasta) to the half-dozen steak options on its menu, feels like a modern-day take on The Palm, which opened in 1926. With Drake’s Hollywood open for dinner only, consider starting with the signature frozen vodka martini, one that’s been coined The World’s Coldest ($23), or perhaps a wine by the glass, with selections priced from $12 to $21.

Drake’s Hollywood general manager Chris Lampa boasts that this new Houston see-and-be-seen spot comes with some of the most aggressive wine pricing in the city, including a $23 dollar glass of Veuve Clicquot.

The Drake’s Menu

Executive chef Raphael Rogers chilled nosh starters include four pieces of spicy salmon laid atop a compressed bed of crisp rice topped with chili mayo and eel sauce ($25), a classic jumbo shrimp cocktail and a steak tartare ($29) complete with the classic accouterments ($25). On the hot side, you’ll find a nod to Asian-inspired king crab Rangoon and cauliflower “dynamite” lightly fried and enrobed in a sweet and spicy sauce ($20). The charred cracker crust pizzas include four options, such as Frank’s, with a blend of mozzarella, aged cheddar and provolone over a spicy ZaZa sauce (a spicy vodka sauce) and a generous sprinkling of red pepper flakes.

Borrowing a page from Vandelay’s Anchor Sushi Bar menu, you’ll find four sushi options at Drake’s, including the Ginger Rogers roll with hamachi, avocado and bluefin tuna dressed naturally with a ginger-spiked vinaigrette ($22) and the spicy Sinatra roll with shrimp tempura and spicy tuna drizzled with sriracha honey ($22). Salads $17 to $24 include a Caesar (and spicy version, too) and the 21 salad.  This 21 isn’t an homage to the famous Manhattan haunt but a reference to the 21 ingredients the Drake’s drink is composed of, including shrimp, crab and hearts of palm dressed in Russian dressing.

Drake’s menu also features dry-aged and Wagyu steaks, a 30-day dry-aged king porterhouse ($195) imported from a special farm in Northern California, and the A5 Japanese Wagyu served sliced with white truffle butter ($29 ounce). Pescatarians take note: the branzino ($41) is grilled and napped with chimichurri, while the broiled Scottish salmon hails from a farm off Scotland’s shore and is line caught and served with silken whipped potatoes and broccoli rabe ($28).

The Pasta Za Za, a spicy rigatoni with chili flake and parmesan, is a signature ($29) available at all three Drake’s Hollywood restaurants. Finally, the shareable 24-layer strawberry cake ($24), cotton candy cloud ($17), bananas Foster cheesecake (flamed tableside, $17) and rich chocolate silk pie ($17) round out the desserts.

Drake’s Hollywood is located at 1100 Westheimer Road. Its open Sundays and Mondays from 4 pm to 9 pm; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 pm to 10 pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 4pm to 11 pm.