First look: New version of Graze has opened in The Woodlands with new menu
The new location of Graze, the restaurant that started as a meat counter with a small cafe in Winchester, has opened in Lexington.
The new spot inside The Woodlands includes a 3,000-square-foot dining room plus a bar and patio and on-site parking.
Chef Craig de Villiers officially opened the new restaurant on Tuesday, about five months after closing a smaller version on Limestone. Last month he also closed his original location, putting everything into one spiffed up new spot.
The new Graze is in the former home of The Julep Cup, which was redone from top to bottom with a light, airy feel that extends to the doors opening onto the covered patio. The restaurant also has a glass walled room with seating for up to 20 that can be booked for private parties. The restaurant seats 140, including the patio and bar.
“Our vision came to reality here,” said co-owner Damion Scott. “When Craig started this in 2013 ... he had a vision, wanted to do things his own way and was able to get that done, and now we have this beautiful space and it feels like home for us.”
It’s a big shift for Scott and de Villiers, who are pulling together the best of their two previous versions for this new Graze. The menu will feature things that fans kept coming back for at the other locations.
Such as the Carolina Fries, an appetizer with braised pork shoulder, kale slaw, queso blanco and barbecue sauce that was a hit on Limestone. The burger, steaks and bolognese sauce that diners loved at the original location are on the menu too.
But there are new twists, such as the curry chicken meatballs and the curry-roasted vegetables.
“We’re still ‘global comfort food.’ I guess because of our look we’re fine dining, but we do our best to get local ingredients at all times. But our menu’s bigger,” Scott said. “The great part is we’ll have a standard menu now. But Craig will still add specials. With artists, you don’t want them to get bored.”
With the new roomier setup, de Villiers hopes to offer house-cured meats on the menu and eventually for taking home as well. Graze also is serving its own housemade pasta.
Scott said they are grateful for their loyal following, which has already begun to come back despite a five-month absence.
The restaurant had a soft opening last week then officially opened Tuesday. It is open for dinner every night except Sunday for the next few weeks.
In a few weeks they plan to add lunch and weekend brunch, Scott said.
And unlike the previous location on Limestone, the Graze at The Woodlands has plenty of parking in front, right out back or farther back. Scott said that once the place gets cooking, he may arrange for valet parking on busy nights.
This story was originally published May 23, 2019 at 12:29 PM with the headline "First look: New version of Graze has opened in The Woodlands with new menu."