Eater Inside: R + D Kitchen

This is the Hillstone Group's R + D Kitchen, a sort of Houston's lite for the tony locals and Montana Avenue shoppers. Excitement grew when people learned the restaurant would have huge roll-up windows, and even more so when they realized they could get a cocktail. Unfortunately because the place has been so packed since opening a few weeks ago, the only way to drink at the bar is to order food or stand around a few bar tables which are hard to snag. The Hounds early reviews for the menu are mixed---veering from great burger to "couldn't drink enough water to get that taste out of my mouth"---settling somewhere around 'perfect if you're in the nabe, but don't go out of your way'. The look is very easy, breezy Santa Monica, and the service, while abundant, gets high marks. More previously.