Free Range Concepts has given you two more reasons to visit Houston’s City Centre. Bowl & Barrel and The General Public located next door to each other in Sorrella Court opened in August and Houstonians are lucky to have them both.

“We Houstonians really look for that neighborhood spot catering to more than just trends,” said Kyle Noonan, native Houstonian and co-owner of Free Range Concepts, which founded The General Public and Bowl & Barrel. “We worked hard to deliver that by carefully designing the space, developing the menu and selecting the staff to make this a one of a kind destination.”

Bowl & Barrel is not your typical bowling alley – it’s beautiful inside, has a playlist of great music and a menu full of delicious house made food. Honestly, you might go there for bowling, but you’ll end up staying for the food. Chef Daniel Manchaca has worked his magic and created a menu full of made from scratch, locally sourced goodies. Gourmet burgers, pizza and giant pretzels are just a few of the items you can snack on as you bowl.

If you’d prefer a traditional sit-down meal all you have to do is walk next door to The General Public. Same great chef with the same commitment to local made from scratch food. I sat down and was immediately served a shot of something yummy from the bar – my waitress explained that every night at sundown they buy a round of shots for everyone in the restaurant to toast and thank them for coming. “Always remember and never forget” was the toast when I was there – a very nice way to start any meal. I ordered the Four Thieves which is a tasty mixture of bourbon, sage, blackberry and lemon and Burrata & Pistachio toast to start off with. The Burrata & Pistachio toast was my absolute favorite – the creaminess of the cheese on top of the crunchy toast is perfection. I will go back and order that again and again.

For the main course I ordered Mama’s Tamale Pie and Crispy Quail & Hot Cakes both which looked very intriguing on the menu. The Crispy Quail & Hot Cakes came out first and they were the perfect combination of heat and flavor. They quail is breaded in chickpea flour, spices and then fried. Although quail is a small bird the pieces had a lot of tender meat on them. The hot cakes were fluffy, spiced with scallions and chipotle syrup – perfect addition to the quail. Next up was Mama’s Tamale Pie which is a deconstructed tamale served in a similar way to a chicken pot pie. The corn bread crust was nice and cheesy and the chicken is spiced with ancho and guajillo chilies to add a little heat and cumin. This dish has a nice homemade taste – perfect for watching football with a cold beer.  

The General Public has a nice atmosphere and a very knowledgeable wait staff, but people will keep going back because of the restaurant’s commitment to locally sourced quality ingredients. The menu is innovative, fun and something you can feel good about eating.