Houston chef Levi Goode’s live-fire restaurant Credence and speakeasy Sidebar are open

Since the early 2000s, Houston chef Levi Goode has headed his family’s legendary Houston restaurant group Goode Co., where he oversaw 11 restaurants including Goode Co. Barbecue and Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina. But this fall, the three-time James Beard Award semifinalist will expand with two new ventures of his own: Credence and Sidebar.

The side-by-side Memorial City locations at 9757 Katy Freeway open Tuesday, August 20, inviting guests to experience Texas cuisine cooked over an open fire and a speakeasy that serves as the ultimate escape.

“Texas has always been my home and always will be,” Goode says, but the landscape of the Lone Star State is changing rapidly. Credence and Sidebar are Goode’s attempt to capture the food, history and spirit of Texas – both “how it was and how it could be,” he says.

Brian Kennedy

Brian Kennedy

Inspired by South Texas and ranch life, Credence builds on Goode’s classical training at a French culinary school and his perspective as a fifth-generation Texan. The design ensures that every seat is the best in the house, Goode says. “We wanted an experience that not only served great food, but also created a convivial, lively, fun place,” he says. The open kitchen functions like a stage, giving guests a full view of the 12-foot-wide hearth and wood-burning oven, which burns Texas wood and coals to prepare some of the main dishes, including the tower of fire-roasted seafood and Credence’s version of pan de campo, the official state bread of Texas, often baked in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over glowing coals.

Guests can also catch a glimpse of the live-fire action as Credence’s whole Sweetwater duck for two is slow-roasted over the custom-built stove before being served tableside with aged dirty rice and duck fat-smothered salad. Steaks grilled over mesquite and post oak woods, half chickens and hearty seared tuna are also offered, along with pasta dishes like black truffle linguini that are made in-house and a chic serving cart for salads and desserts. The raw bar also offers an impressive selection of Gulf Coast seafood and a front-row view of the staff opening oysters. For those who prefer to start the evening in a more relaxed atmosphere, the lounge area features snacks, martini stands and variations on classic cocktails, including the Redheaded Stranger, a sparkling Old Fashioned with bourbon, Texas red corn, molasses and aromatic cocoa bitters with a corn husk as a playful garnish.

Brian Kennedy

Sidebar, Credence’s adjacent speakeasy, which takes reservations, is also a product of Goode’s imagination. Inspired by the post-Prohibition 1930s, when Texas’ oil fields made some residents millionaires overnight, Goode says he created Sidebar as a pampering playground with live music where American oil magnates like Glen McCarthy and T. Cullen Davis would have liked to hang out. Aimed at people who don’t want to leave the bar to eat, the speakeasy also offers a limited menu of roasted oysters with caviar and a classic bar steak, as well as a wide selection of drinks, including bold wines, champagne and cocktails galore.

The space itself tells a story, too. Goode partnered with architecture and design firm Gensler to create spaces that pay homage to his travels, with furniture and decor from around the world. Both Credence and Sidebar feature classic European architecture, with double barrel vaults, locally crafted tabletops, wood floors, brass inlays, penny tiles, antique rugs, and a huge shared outdoor terrace that offers views of the surrounding McKinley area. For Credence, Houston-based Weingarten Art Group curated works by Parisian photographer Kourtney Roy, depicting remote highways and abandoned towns in southwest Texas, while Sidebar features works from Patty Carrol’s famous photo series “Anonymous Women,” which aims to challenge viewers’ perceptions of women and domesticity.

Brian Kennedy

Credence and Sidebar are two of the newest restaurants to pop up in the Memorial City area in recent months. Bar Bludorn, chef Aaron Bludorn’s third restaurant, opened in March. The second and largest branch of Houston barbecue joint Pit Room opened nearby in April, and the Texas-inspired Haywire, a Dallas import, opened in May. Credence is also one of many restaurants that have adopted open-fire cooking techniques this year.

Goode says both Credence and Sidebar were a major undertaking that required at least three years of planning. “It’s been a fun, ambitious journey,” he says. But Goode assures that his commitment to Goode Co., his family’s legacy and brands, is not over. Far from it, he says. “I fully intend to continue to be the bearer of that torch.”

Brian Kennedy

Credence is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sidebar is open Thursday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., live music starting at 7 p.m., 9757 Katy Freeway, Suite 170, 77024 at The McKinley at Memorial City. Reservations are now available at Open table.