Little Big Changes at Ming's

Oh, how we wept and wailed when Ming's closed. We rended our garments in the streets, gnashed our teeth and decried the unfairness of it all. How could they move to Austin and leave us without convenient, if mediocre, Chinese food after a long night at Numbers?

Never more to mourn, people. A new late-night sheriff is in town: Little Big's.

Bryan Caswell, native Houstonian and head chef at the popular Reef, and his partner, Bill Floyd, have rented the former Ming's location at the corner of Montrose and Westheimer and are currently remodeling it as Little Big's, a restaurant specializing in sliders (mini-hambugers, for the uninitiated), onion rings and shakes -- all served late into the night. The restaurant aims to have its patrons enjoy the fresh air along with their food: the existing small patio at Ming's will be expanded to three sides of the structure, seating roughly 135 people (mostly outside) when all is said and done.

If you're excited about that, then you'll be happy to hear that Caswell has an eye on making a little slider empire here in Houston. Along with this location, Caswell and Floyd are also opening a Little Big's in Hermann Park. Situated next to the Houston Zoo, this location will have a more kid-friendly atmosphere, with Caswell suggesting that flavored popcorn and other such desserts might find their way onto the menu there.

Caswell and Floyd hope to open the Montrose Little Big's in only a few short months once remodeling is finished: December 1st is the scheduled opening. Late-night sliders and shakes for Christmas? Only if you're good...

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Photo courtesy of Flickr user roboppy through a Creative Commons license.