Houston Fine Dining Temple Opens a New Lounge With Serious Food Perks — March Goes Greek and Late Night

Apropos of the month (though with a decidedly different connotation), the Houston fine dining aerie named March, poised above Peter and Bailey McCarthy’s Montrose-area Italian restaurant Rosie Cannonball, has reopened. And it is celebrating the food of Greece. And for the very first time, Goodnight Hospitality, the McCarthys’ hospitality enterprise, is opening the lounge area.

The lounge is a 700-square foot space with walls clad in centuries-old planks of reclaimed pine — for light mezze dining this season. Beginning at 7 pm (Tuesdays through Saturdays), you can reserve a seat on the caramel-colored leather banquettes and enjoy a communal experience of shared snacks, Greek-inspired cocktails and wine.

Some of the tasty dishes gracing the mezze menu include the Greek snack tile: an array of bites including kataifi and shrimp, grape and halloumi, olive oil and escargot, and loukoumas and foie gras ($24). There is also Barley bread and saganaki with Greek olive oil ($18) and a martini snack bowl created with feta, orange and halloumi-stuffed gordal olives ($12). For those who wish to indulge caviar, the choices vary from Siberian sturgeon ($95) to platinum Osetra ($200). Each served with Greek-inspired accouterments.

March will takes diners on a stunning tour of the Mediterranean region via the plate and until mid-July, specifically the cuisine of Greece.

In the last few weeks, the restaurant’s talented team has worked to hone its focus and create two tasting menus — a six course ($185) and a nine course ($245) options, with optional wine pairings from Greece (running an additional $80 to $195 per person). As March’s name refers to an area of land bordering two territories, like what’s happened in Greece, which has changed hands over the centuries as battles were forged to secure the area’s precious resources and strategic locale.

Chef/partner Felipe Riccio, culinary director Amber Burling and Marigold Club chef/partner Austin Waiter approached the topic of the food and wine of Greece collectively, creating a menu with ingredients that are likely evident to many.

“This menu is going to be the most recognizable for our guests, as so many people are familiar with Greek cuisine,” Burling says. “Our challenge was making sure we touch on the familiarity of the flavors but also dive deep into the history and diversity of the ingredients.”

Riccio is also excited about focusing on Greek food.

“At March, we often translate rustic cooking into our exploration of the Mediterranean and our pursuit of the highest quality ingredients,” the chef says. “The tension of the various cultures that have influenced Greek cooking provides richness to ours.”

March’s new lounge will be open Tuesdays through Thursdays from  7 to 11 pm, and Fridays and Saturdays from 7 pm to midnight. To check out the full lounge menu and get reservations, go here. Dinner reservations from March’s tasting menus are available here.