Inside Houston’s Buzzy New Board Room — Charcuterie and Wine Get the Centerstage Treatment In CityCentre’s Latest Hotspot

The newest addition to Houston’s bustling CityCentre development is not a corporate outpost or shared office space. Although with a name like The Board Room, the confusion is understandable. No, the moniker is a playful take on the food trend of colorful charcuterie-style boards groaning with myriad meats, cheeses, nuts, fruit and the like.

The Board Room comes from married couple and Memorial area residents Carly and John Whitehurst, along with consultant Scott Sulma of May I Speak Hospitality. The trio has reimagined the 2,000-square-foot space that used to be the home of the shuttered Radio Milano restaurant into a new wine bar and 70-seat cafe.

Built with a soaring ceiling, an expansive bar and a floor-to-ceiling custom mural taking you vicariously through a lush, imagined vineyard, this couple enlisted a credentialed Level II Sommelier to serve as The Board Room’s general manager. This new Houston restaurant’s curated list offers up to 100 wines from growing regions that span the New World to the Old, with 20 wines available by the glass ($13 t0 $19 each). The Board Room offers an array of classics and specialty cocktails ($16), not to mention spritz options ($15) from the classic aperol to a lavender spritz and a peach and basil spritz. A flight of three cocktails can be had for $40.

Reexamining the Charcuterie Board

Getting down to board business, there are five varieties, not to mention the option to build your very own. Each are priced per serving — no matter which variety you choose. A personal board for one is $18, a board for two runs $30 and a family-style board that serves three to five people rings in at $56. Then there is the mighty two-tier tower, feeding up to six people for $82.

The signature board is a blend of meat and cheese with salami, prosciutto, goat cheese, blue cheese, grapes, berries, green olive, honeycomb and a generous dollop of fig jam. Vegetarians will appreciate the crudité harvest spread with its assorted spreads and veggies. The butcher board takes on an Italian flavor with prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella, coppa, Capicola and Pecorino Romano paired with crostini.

“We saw an opportunity to reimagine charcuterie with a level of craftsmanship and presentation not currently seen in Houston,” John Whitehurst says. “Against a backdrop of globally inspired wine, we wanted to create an inviting space that accommodated a variety of needs for both dining and socializing.

“At the same time, it’s a lifestyle amenity for residents and visitors who can grab a bottle of wine, flowers, or a beautifully prepared charcuterie board for a host gift on the way to their next gathering.”

The Board Room’s all-day menu includes lots of options not spread out on a butcher block, including appetizers such as crab cake ($19), and a melon, strawberry and feta salad drizzled with a balsamic glaze ($16). Grab-and-go options include handheld sandwiches and salads, which range from a salmon salad ($29) to a chopped salad ($17). Or stay and order a flatbread for the table perhaps topped with mushroom and Manchego ($18) before you move onto any of the four larger entrée selections from a chicken piccata ($28) to a New York strip ($68).

Houston-based food entrepreneurs will stock The Board Room’s shelves with gourmet foods and gifts. The offerings, mostly from small, family-owned purveyors, include Tommy’s Pimento Cheese, Dos Margaritas Salsa, ACASA Margarita Mix, BBQ Rubdown spice rubs, Migaloo Chocolatier and Mad Tallow potato chips. Future plans call for interactive events such as wine classes and tastings, build-your-own-board classes and even floral-arranging workshops.

The Board Room is located at 800 Sorella Court in CityCentre. Its hours run from 11 am to 10 pm Sundays through Thursdays, and 11 am to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.