by Salma Abdelnour
In a more rough-and-tumble stretch of the Heights, Block 7 Wine Company, a wine bar and retail shop hybrid that opened in July in a former appliance warehouse, features a seasonal menu built around Texas ingredients. American classics are deftly infused with Euro spins: there’s a hefty “sloppy Giuseppe” — a satisfyingly oozy sandwich made with ground venison and wild boar confit on oniony challah — and one of the best burgers in town, a dry-aged-beef patty topped with arugula, Gruyère and a Dijon-spiked aioli.
Thanks to a friendly staff and smart design, Block 7’s huge, potentially impersonal room feels warm and relaxed. Works by local artists line the walls, and there’s a checkout counter made from a row of eclectic cabinets salvaged from the old appliance company. Because the space is part wine shop, customers pay retail for any bottle of wine they order from the wine list (or buy at the store).
On a recent visit, my dining companions and I downed burgers and that Italian-style sloppy Joe with a terrific Salice Salentino ($15) and a boutique Barbera ($40) from the shop. It was a rare, zero-markup, zero-corkage wine experience — and yet another sign that Houston’s restaurant scene has entered a bold new era
