Romain Bardet (Team DSM) won stage 3 of the Vuelta a Burgos, crossing the line solo, with Domenico Pozzovivo (Team Qhubeka NextHash) (www.TeamQhubeka.com) leading the chase group home and taking 2nd place, Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious) finished 3rd.

Stage 3 of the Vuelta a Burgos presented the first real test to the contenders for the general classification as the riders had to face the famous climb of Picon Blanco. The full stage covered 173 km, Picon Blanco culminating at just 18 km from the finish, followed by a technical descent to the line.

An early breakaway went well in the first kilometers of the stage, but the peloton had no problem controlling the gap, ensuring that the breakaways were caught on the climb.

Ineos-Grenadiers and EF-Education picked up the pace on the lower slopes of the climb, but it was an acceleration from Fabio Aru that really put the pressure, resulting in a refinement of the main group. Giro d’Italia winner Egan Bernal (Ineos-Grenadiers) then tried to control the pace of their protected rider Pavel Sivakov, but new attacks soon followed.

Aru and Pozzovivo rode well in tandem, following the movements until only 11 riders remained in contention 3 km from the top of the climb. It became quite tactical on the last kilometers uphill but it was Bardet who launched a revealing attack just before the summit and took a 15 ‘gap.

Pozzovivo was part of the first chase group with three other riders, Landa (Bahrain-Victorious), Nieve (Bike-Exchange) and Bouchard (AG2R Citroën), at the start of the descent. Aru followed a few seconds behind in the 2nd chase group.

Bardet came down like a rocket and extended his lead to 35 ″ over the Pozzovivo pursuit group. There was a big scare for Pozzovivo when Bouchard crashed in front of him in one of the many corners, but our Italian managed to stay upright and resumed the chase.

Bardet also slipped very close to the bottom of the descent but wasted hardly any time with an impressive and quick comeback. The Frenchman kept his gap on the line, winning a very good stage victory. Pozzovivo led the 3-rider home pursuit group to take 2nd place on the stage.

Aru would end up in the next group of chasers, just 11 ″ behind the Pozzovivo group, and sprint in 7th place on the stage. The solid performances of our Italian duo allowed Pozzovivo to climb to 3rd place in the general classification and Aru to 4th.

Domenico Pozzovivo
“Today was a stage that suited me better than the first two windy stages. On the last climb we did a good job, with Fabio it’s only Bardet who took Landa and me to the top and we know he’s very strong on the descent. I tried to avoid taking too many risks on the descent. Me, Landa and Nieve tried to get back to Bardet but he was very strong, even on the flat. Finally, I was happy to finish 2nd with a good sprint because it is not my best skill. We are now confidently awaiting our form for the last mountain stage and also for the Vuelta a Espana. “

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of the Qhubeka NextHash team.

Media contact:
Jean Smyth (communication manager)
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +27 63 470 1710 or +31 625 739 033

About the Qhubeka NextHash team:
The Qhubeka NextHash team is a goal-driven high performance team, fighting to win on the world’s biggest stage, to inspire hope and create opportunity. Founded in 2007, Team Qhubeka NextHash (formerly NTT Pro Cycling) became the first African cycling team to win a UCI WorldTour license, in 2016.

We had our first major victory in 2013 when Gerald Ciolek won Milan-San Remo, one of the five monuments of cycling. We have participated in six Tour de France and won 7 stage victories, with Mark Cavendish wearing the coveted Yellow Jersey at the Tour de France 2016.

We are a multicultural and diverse team with bases in South Africa, the Netherlands and Italy. There are 19 nationalities represented in our World Tour and Continental Feeder team rosters. Our focus on the development of African cycling has enabled more than 55 riders from the African continent to be offered the opportunity to race on the world stage since the inception of the team.

We run to help people get ahead with cycling through our relationship with Qhubeka Charity. Through our work with Qhubeka, we have helped distribute over 30,000 bikes to communities across South Africa.

About Qhubeka:
Qhubeka is a charity that gets people moving with bikes. People are gaining bicycles through our programs, improving their access to schools, clinics and jobs.

A bicycle is a tool that helps people travel faster, farther, and carry more. In the face of extreme and persistent poverty, bikes can change lives by helping tackle socio-economic challenges at the most basic level – helping people get to where they need to go.

All images attached to the press release may be used with the respective image credit in conjunction with this release.

Press release | August 31, 2021

New Fort Collins, Colo. Location Expands Presence in Northern Colorado Market

This is a press release from Ducati …

Sunnyvale, Calif. (August 31, 2021) – Italy’s leading motorcycle maker Ducati has opened its all-new North American dealership with a showroom and service center in Fort Collins, Colorado. Last Friday, local figures, business leaders and Ducati enthusiasts were in attendance for a groundbreaking ceremony, which also included an appearance by Ducati North America CEO Jason Chinnock, a notable from Colorado.

The retail location in Fort Collins adds to Ducati’s presence in the region, reflecting the growing consumer market need for premium motorcycle options. The last Ducati dealership is located at 5900 S College Ave, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525.

“Last year we saw a thriving motorcycle industry,†said Chinnock, a Centennial State resident with personal connections to the area. “Colorado has long been known as the leader in the outdoor lifestyle market and we’ve seen an increased appetite for spending time outdoors, as well as travel and adventure. And for many, that freedom occurs in the seat of a Ducati, whether it’s cruising their favorite canyon roads, cruising around town, or exploring less-traveled backcountry roads. We have our most diverse lineup to date and more people than ever are making their dreams of owning a Ducati come true. Our new Fort Collins outpost will support this demand for northern Colorado communities, ushering in a new generation of Ducati owners led by a team of motorcycle enthusiasts.

The latest Ducati products were on hand for guests to experience on Friday and throughout the weekend, including not only Ducati’s Panigale lineup but also one of the most suitable motorcycles in Colorado in the Ducati range: the new Multistrada V4, a perfect companion for the Colorado variety. of wild land leading the technology industry. The Multistrada V4, Ducati’s first upcoming four-cylinder Multistrada, offers all-around comfort and capability that excels on stunning winding roads and is perfect for exploring the backcountry mountain dirt roads so easily found in the Colorado landscape. It also includes new advanced radar technology allowing the use of adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection to improve rider confidence and is the first motorcycle in the world to use such innovative technology. In addition, Ducati’s new electric mountain bikes were on display and available for demonstrations on Saturday.

“Fort Collins is all about recreation, with easy access to the mountains and plenty of open hiking routes,†said Dalton Dimick, CEO of ACES Motorcycles. “This is why there has been such interest from the community in two-wheeled entertainment. Now, with ACES stores adding Ducati to our Fort Collins location, we welcome the Ducati family with open arms and appreciate the brand’s support as we enter our third decade of business in Colorado.

For more information visit www.ducati.com

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Posted on March 7, 2022

Attention quickly turned to Round 2 of the MXGP World Championship after the season opener in the UK. An Italian track, Mantova hosted round two – a track that MXGP riders are very familiar with having raced there extensively over the past two years. However, the track was different and tougher than usual as the dry weather meant the terrain wasn’t as soft and sandy. The track offered a very different challenge to the Matterley Basin circuit which hosted the first round.

The weekend started very well for Arminas Jasikonis who was back on track which saw him have his serious incident in 2020 but he well and truly put that behind him. The Lithuanian impressed in the qualifying race to finish ninth. Things didn’t go as well for Calvin Vlaandern after a crash and tangling with other riders saw him DNF the race meaning he had the last gate pick for the main races, which is far from ideal.

In the opening race, as expected, Vlaanderen didn’t get off to a good start due to his poor gate choice, but he fought his way through the peloton. Moving from eighteenth to eleventh, the pace was good until he lost a position towards the end of the race, but twelfth was a good recovery run. Jasikonis had a top ten start but unfortunately crashed and decided to retire from the race to focus on the second moto.
Similar to moto one, Vlaanderen was seventeenth after lap one but crashed on lap four which dropped him to twenty-fourth – after that he rode well to climb back to seventeenth, this may not be the results he wants but he certainly has the speed to mix it up in the top ten. There was carnage around the first corner which saw Jasikonis fall and have to start last, but he was able to return to a points-scoring position to finish nineteenth.

The team will now have a few weekends off and return ready for the fourth round of the series in Portugal – the team has decided not to make the long and expensive trip to Argentina and will instead spend time on the practice tracks to improve for the rest of the championship.

Calvin Vlaanderen (13th overall): I felt pretty good with the track and the bike on Saturday. But I made it harder for myself by having the last grid pick for Sunday’s races after a hard crash in the qualifying race. I hit my shoulder, but I tied it up and it was fine for Sunday. I did what I could from the start but it was a challenge to fight through the peloton, I came eleventh in the first race when I struggled in the last two laps and I I finished twelfth. Second race, I was crossing the peloton again when I crashed and lost many places, so I had to do all the work again to pass the other riders. We will take the next few weeks to improve on the bike and with myself. I hope that in Portugal I can return to my normal state.

Arminas Jasikonis (22nd overall): On Saturday I started to progress through the day and got ninth for Sunday’s gate pick and I looked really positive for today but yeah… In the first run , I had a good start in the top ten but on the second lap I crashed, which made things harder. I decided not to complete the first run to give some extra time to rest the hip I hit. The second moto started again with a first lap crash and then I just tried to ride as good as I could. The weekend was definitely not what I would have liked to have, but I take it as a learning day. Of course, there are positives to be had. Now we’re just going to have a good few weeks of prep and try to reboot and be more on it!

Words: press release

Photo: Eric Laurijssen

05/11/2021 at 06:25 PM CET

It is obvious that Pedro Acosta (Mazarrón, Murcia, May 25, 2004) is not too worried about having lost the opportunity, during the last Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna, to become the youngest world champion in history ahead of the Italian Loris Capirossi. If he is this Sunday, in Portimao (Portugal), at the Algarve Grand Prix, he will undoubtedly be the happiest boy in the world, probably all his life whether or not he adds all the successes that everyone announces to him .

The ‘Mazarrón shark’, as he likes to be called, will be the youngest Spaniard in history to win a title at 17 years and 263 days, as will the ‘rookie’, the most spectacular of all time. Believe it or not, and I know you believe it, the World Cup debut of Acosta was very, very, superior to that of Valentino Rossi or himself Marc Marquez.

Acosta, already on the podium of his first grand prix (second in Qatar behind Jaume Masia), won his second race in Dooha ahead of the South African Darryn Binder. But it is that Acosta did much more in front of the world admiration: he won six races in the following grand prix and he stopped. Or he started to take advantage. Or they stopped him. Often his team leader, the Finn Aki Ajo, loses the title and the advantage gained!

Acosta, who is due to beat Italy’s Dennis Foggia, this year’s other great and formidable Moto3 rider of this year, as well as the injured Sergio García, who was fighting for the throne until much damage was done on Sunday in Austin, Texas. , USA), has perhaps been excessively conservative in the last six races, where he has only been on the podium once, a fortnight ago in San Marino, where he lost the first “match ball” to be champion. That day, ‘Pacosta’, as it appears in the ranking lists, was to win and that Foggia was 12th or worse. And Foggia won, adding his fifth victory, and the “shark†had to settle for the bronze medal.

Acosta returns this weekend on one of the roads, the beautiful ascent and descent of Portimao, where he has already beaten Foggia in the last lap of the Portuguese GP. That day, Acosta was second throughout the race, furthermore, Foggia led 16 of the 21 laps of the grand prix and, in the last lap, the Murcian put the bike Italian-style at turn 13, a Heroically endured the whiplash as he gave him his KTM on the way down and crossed the line as a winner.

“It’s a track that I like and of course I’ll try to take the title by winning, although later in the race we’ll see what happens. I’m not going crazy. The points added, the points gained, the advantage we have is to manage it and, therefore, if I have to wait until Valencia is champion, I will wait, even if I want to close the championship as soon as possible & rdquor;, commented last Thursday Acosta in the press release of the candidates’ conference.

The truth is that the return of Foggia, who assures us that he has not yet finished the job “because as long as there is life, there is hope”, has been spectacular. . The Italian of the fast Leopard team, who still owns the fastest bike on the Moto3 grid, was 97 points behind. Acosta when the Murcian won his last GP, in Styria, and now, with two big prizes to win, he is only 21 points, that is to say in six races, Foggia he closed the gap by 76 points, or more than three wins.

It is obvious, as is almost always the case, that the champion is not always the one who wins the most but the most consistent. In this sense, Acosta, who yesterday was two tenths behind Foggia In the calculation of the first two sessions of the Algarve, he added only a zero (Aragon), while Foggia stopped scoring in six grand prix, to which he added no points: Qatar, Doha, Jerez, France, Barcelona. and Styria.

Italian restaurant Rivera, 4546 E. McCain Blvd., North Little Rock, has taken over the space previously occupied by Layla in a mini-place behind the Burger King and in front of the Walmart Supercenter. According to the website (riveralittlerock.com, and don’t pay attention to the logo that says “Riviera”), it is “[an] Authentic Italian restaurant that has proudly served the DFW region and beyond since 2000. Since then our mission has been to provide high quality food to anyone who wishes to combine a fun and enjoyable ambience with skillful cooking in one dining experience. extraordinary. The menu is divided into pasta, seafood, chicken and veal dishes and “House specialties”. Online ordering is available. A sign on the window indicates an application for a wine and beer license which we are told is supposed to arrive today Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. h on Sunday. The phone number is (501) 955-2300.

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The advent of Rivera helped us realize that with the closure of several Italian restaurants over the past two years, including Ciao, Zaffino’s, Cafe Prego, Vesuvio Bistro, Pasta J’s in the River Market, Pasta J’s West on Cantrell, Pasta House in Maumelle and Bravo Cucina Italiana’s outlet on Chenal Parkway – there are surprisingly few Italian restaurants in the Little Rock metro area. A Google search reveals a number of pizzerias, some of which serve pasta (Domino’s, for example, and the two locations of Grady’s Pizza and Subs and by Gusano), but it’s not quite the same.

So we decided to compile a list of only a dozen non-chain Italian restaurants remaining in the area. No doubt we missed a couple of them, which our eagle-eyed readers will remind us of.

â—¼ï¸ City centers – Bruno’s Little Italy, 310 Main Street, Little Rock and Capeo Restaurant, 425 Main Street, North Little Rock

â—¼ï¸ West Little Rock – Graffiti, 7811 Cantrell Road; The Italian grill in Milan, 6100 Stones Road (at Cantrell Road)

â—¼ï¸ North Little Rock / Maumelle / Sherwood / Jacksonville – Rivera (New); Rocky’s at Country Club, 117 Country Club Road, Sherwood; The Italian grill in Milan, 1800 Club Manor Drive, Maumelle; Italian restaurant in Rome, 2126 N. First St., Jacksonville

ï¸ Cabot – Italian restaurant Morina, 2006 S. Pine St.

â—¼ï¸ Benton / Bryant – Luigi’s Pizza and Pasta, 22000 Interstate 30, Bryant; Italy in the city, 120 N. Market St., Benton; Italian J pasta, 1314 Green Street, Benton.

â—¼ï¸ And, of course, if we included the channels, various locations of Olive garden.

We also remember a few places that started out as Italian and / or still have a bit of an Italian accent: Ciao Baci, 605 Beechwood St., Little Rock, which began as a branch of Ciao; and red door, 3701 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, which started out as Bene Vita with a menu that retained some of Bene Vita’s Italian fare including lasagna, parmesan chicken and eggplant, chicken piccata, an appetizer of fried cheese ravioli and Bene Vita meatballs.

And speaking of Prego Cafe, a John Stephens requested a zoning change for the chalet style building at 5510 Kavanaugh Blvd. in Little Rock’s Pulaski Heights which housed it for over two decades. Jamie Collins, planning and development manager for the City of Little Rock, said the request involved plans to “renovate and expand” the building to create “a classic Italian restaurant.” This, Collins adds, includes an addition to the rear of the building and an outdoor dining area. The requested exemption also consists in increasing the availability of parking, which currently only includes a few spaces in front of the restaurant.

The item is on the agenda for the Little Rock Adjustment Council meeting on July 15th; there is no set timetable for when the work will take place, and Collins says the city has yet to issue any type of building permit. We do not yet have any information on a potential name for the new restaurant if it does not remain at Café Prego.

Louis and Jacqueline Petit moved Café Prego and its Italian-Mediterranean menu from 1900 Grant St. (now the home of Fantastic china) after a French restaurant called Chattie’s closed in the mid-90s. Brian Lane and Maureen Martin, a couple from Colorado (she is from Arkansas), bought Prego in 2012; it closed at the end of 2020, probably as a victim of covid-19.

We reported a few weeks ago the sale of the property by General Enterprises Co. to Kavanaugh Restaurant Properties LLC / Prego Inc. for $ 540,000.

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And speaking of pizzerias, Homemade Pizza, which replaced Pasta House at 1900 Club Manor Drive, Maumelle, apparently opened to the public, but will now be closed until July 8 due to a death in the family of one of the co-owners, according to an article on the Maumelle Everything on the community’s Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Blue dolphins, a seafood / chicken / sandwich restaurant located at 4920 Baseline Road. Little Rock, is opening soon – late July, early August – in the old Taco Bell, 4324 Camp Robinson Road, North Little Rock. The restaurant was hosting job interviews last week. The menu will be the same as Operation Baseline Road – chicken wings and fillets, catfish, rice dishes, and specialty sandwiches (including gyros, Philly steaks, and Italian beef). The hours on the baseline are 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and the phone number is (501) 570-8383.

Samantha’s Tap Room & Wood Grill, 322 Main St., Little Rock, closed since mid-February after pipes burst and flooded the basement after an ice storm, is scheduled to reopen for dinner at 4 p.m. Wednesday and 11 a.m. on July 8 for the lunch. Expect a return to full pre-pandemic hours, 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. A post on the Facebook page (facebook.com/samanthastaproom) on Tuesday mentions the return of most of the menu items, and co-owner Chris Tanner said he plans to launch two new ones (a Facebook post describes this. which appears to be one of them, “our NEW Tom Yum Shrimp Skewers,†grilled shrimp on skewers “filled with lemongrass, ginger and garlic flavorsâ€). We always get a record that the mailbox is full when we call the phone number (501) 379-8019. The website is samstap.com.

The third location of The mighty crab is now open at 225 N. Shackleford Road, Little Rock, formerly Famous Dave’s. Like restaurants in North Little Rock’s Lakewood Village (2703 Lakewood Village Drive) and 1817 S. University Ave., Little Rock, the menu features boiled shrimp, crab, mussels, clams, lobster tail, and more. ., with corn and potatoes in four seasoned sauces at five “heat†levels. Hours, according to Google, are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday to Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (501) 224-8828.

James Blackwood, who operated Blackwood’s Gyros & Grill in Conway, opened Landing and sports grill at 100 W. Broadway, Morrilton, formerly the location of El Penjamo. The menu offers Mediterranean and Cajun dishes; the facility is operated under a private beer retail club license. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. The telephone number is (501) 215-4976 (GYRO).

Construction is underway on a Fire station submarines in Springdale, with a goal of opening in late July at 4914 Elm Springs Road. Besides being the first Fire station submarines in Springdale, this is the first Arkansas location to sport the brand’s new community design layout, which, according to a press release, “features a repositioned order area, a designated area for Rapid Rescue To orders. Go and a new back-of-the-house layout with a more efficient flow for crew members. ” The franchisees are Audie White, a former Russellville police officer who has lived in Springdale for 15 years, and Jason Steele, a former Springdale firefighter. They own six more Fire station submarines outlets: two in Fayetteville and four in the greater Tulsa region. They are looking to hire 25 to 30 employees to fill part-time and full-time team members, team leader and management positions “with positive, energetic and dedicated people,” according to a press release. Apply online through Indeed or Monster; Interviews with potential candidates will take place at the new Springdale site while catering training will take place at a nearby Fayetteville facility.

And Mcdonalds is launching a new loyalty program from July 8: MyMcDonald’s Rewards, “our first national loyalty program allowing you to unlock gifts simply by enjoying your favorite meals”, via the McDonald’s app of participating restaurants, according to a statement from hurry. For every dollar spent on qualifying purchases, you earn 100 points, which you can earn to redeem for free items.

Has a restaurant opened or closed near you in the past week or so? Does your favorite restaurant have a new menu? Is there a new chef in charge? Write U.S. Send an e-mail to: [email protected]

At CES 2022 this week, VinFast made several important announcements. First, he said he would stop building gasoline cars by the end of this year. Going forward, it will focus its research and development efforts on developing battery-powered electric powertrains for all of its vehicles. The company says the move will make VinFast one of the first automakers in the world to completely switch to pure electric vehicle construction and confirm its position as a leader in the electric vehicle revolution.

Second, he confirmed the prices of the two electric SUVs he intends to start selling in the United States this year. The VF 8 is a 5 passenger vehicle the size of a Ford Edge. It will be priced at $ 41,000 in America and € 36,133 in Europe. Details are sketchy at this time, but the company says the car will have 402 hp (299 kW) and 472 lb-ft (640 NM). 0 to 60 times will be approximately 5.5 seconds and the range based on the European emission test cycle would be 316 miles. The EPA range will be approximately 20% lower.

The VF 9 is a larger vehicle with 3-row seats for 6 or 7 passengers. It has the same powertrain but with a bigger battery, as its range is said to be 422 miles, again measured by the European test cycle. Acceleration to 60 mph is a bit slower at 6.5 seconds. Prices start at $ 56,000 in the US and £ 49,280 in Europe.

If you’re confused by the model designations, that’s understandable. VF 8 was known as VF e35 and VF 9 as VF e36. If you look at the top photo above, you’ll see the 5 electric cars VinFast expects to present this year. The VF 5, VF 6, and VF 7 are segment A, B, and C vehicles not intended for sale in the United States.

Both US-bound cars are attractively styled – Italian design studios Pininfarina and Torino contributed – and thoroughly modern inside with the expected touchscreens and the like. Motor trend attended CES 2022 and reports that the cars on display were locked so they could not sit inside.

VF 8 and VF 9 will have level 2+ autonomous driving capability in Eco and Plus versions with level 3 or level 4 technology available for Premium level cars. Both will come with “Smart Home, Mobile Office, In-car Shopping, In-car Entertainment, and many other advanced and convenient features that create an exhilarating experience for every trip and everyday life,†the company said.

“VinFast envisions a sustainable future for people and the planet through green, clean and safe mobility. It’s a future built on smart services, an exceptional customer experience and a deep concern for the planet and future generations. VinFast is committed to delivering innovative vehicle design, quality and technology, as well as excellent customer service. We aspire to even greater achievements – to be one of the world’s leading manufacturers of electric vehicles while inspiring our customers to be limitless together and join the electric vehicle revolution, creating a sustainable future for all â€, said Le Thi Thu Thuy, Vice President of Vingroup and CEO of VinFast Global in a Press release.

Battery rental plan

Also at CES 2022, VinFast announced a battery rental program that will give customers two choices. Flexible comes with a minimum subscription fee for 300 miles (500 km) per month with an additional charge per mile thereafter. The Fixed Lease allows unlimited driving. The company claims that either option will cost about the same as buying gasoline to travel the same distance, which is a bit odd given that electricity is generally cheaper, but the advantage is that VinFast will perform any required battery maintenance and replace the battery at its expense if it loses 30% or more of its capacity. It is not clear from the press release how the leasing programs affect the list prices of cars.

American factory coming soon

Finally, the company has announced plans to start selling cars made in the United States by the end of 2024 and to build its own assembly complex and battery manufacturing plant in America to support its vehicle projects. electric. Tells it Reuters, “We’ve gone, I think, from over 50 sites to about three sites. She said a decision on the location of the plant will be made this year and the plant will also manufacture electric buses.

Is there an electric car from VinFast in your future? The company hopes so. Like all new ventures, it will stumble and stumble early on, but it certainly appears to be fully engaged in the electric vehicle revolution. This is a good thing.

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One of Houston’s most famous hotel groups is closing another of its restaurants in December. Underbelly Hospitality today announced the closure of its diverse UB Preserv restaurant at 1609 Westheimer Road on Thursday, December 23.

News of the closure comes just months after Underbelly announced it was also closing the Montrose spots Hay Merchant and Georgia James, which will eventually move into the Regent Square development at Dunlavy Street and Allen Parkway. Earlier this year, Underbelly also confirmed plans to close multi-concept restaurant One Fifth at the end of the year.

UB Preserv opened in 2018 to expand the exploration of Houston’s diverse food culture, which chef Chris Shepherd first undertook at Underbelly, its flagship restaurant that previously closed in 2018 after being opened. for six years. Shepherd gave Houston-born Momofuku Ssam Bar alumnus Nick Wong an almost free reign over Preserv’s menu, inspired by Viet-Cajun cuisines, Gulf Coast seafood, Tex-Mex. , etc. However, of all the restaurants in Underbelly, UB Preserv, with its limited hours and small menu, has been hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic downturn.

The good news? UB Preserv will be replaced with a brand new Underbelly bar called Everlong Bar & Hideaway, which is slated to open in January 2022.

“The outpouring of love and sadness over the closure of Hay Merchant has reinforced the desire for a good bar with good food in Montrose,” according to a press release. The name of the bar, inspired by Shepherd’s love for the Foo Fighters group, also conjures up the idea of ​​permanence: in a year full of changes for Underbelly (and the restaurant industry as a whole), Shepherd has gone for the restaurant concepts that he thinks has stamina in Houston.

Everlong will take inspiration from the Foo Fighters, “with a cross-appeal but pushing the limits at the same time.” Expect a cocktail-focused menu with a small wine list and limited beer selection. Drinks will include old school (but in fashion once again) Cocktails from the 80s and 90s like Cosmos, espresso martinis and a much-maligned classic, Long Island iced tea.

Food wise, expect some of Hay Merchant’s most popular dishes, including the Korean Braised Goat Dumplings and the Muffuletta Sandwich. Everlong will also have a brand new burger, along with other snacks and dishes to share. A few Hay Merchant events will also continue, including a trivia night, but Everlong will be a completely different bar than Hay Merchant.

As for the team at UB Preserv, Chef Nick Wong and Deputy Chef and COO Leila Frink will be moving to the Georgia James Tavern, the somewhat more laid-back offshoot of the luxurious Underbelly Georgia James steakhouse, which opened the mall. city ​​in July. The move of the original Georgia James, who was slated to move from Westheimer Avenue to Regent Square in early 2022, has been delayed for at least a few months. In the meantime, Georgia James will take over the One Fifth building until Regent Square is ready to open, starting in January 2022.

And there is another big announcement. The second Underbelly restaurant planned for Regent Square has finally been revealed, following the success of One Fifth Red Sauce Italian. Shepherd’s new restaurant will be called Pastore, Italian for ‘Shepherd’, and will focus on classic pasta dishes, like Chicken Parmesan, BOH Pasta’s semolina pasta and wood-fired pizzas, which have makes One Fifth’s latest pop-up a success.

Meanwhile, Shepherd’s two restaurants slated for the Houston Farmers’ Market – Underbelly Burger and Texas and the Southern Cooking Spot Wild Oats – will open in December and January, respectively.