Houston White Co. to open in early spring
When her new steakhouse opens on Rehoboth Avenue, Megan Kee plans to highlight her family’s long history in Rehoboth Beach.
Kee plans to open Houston White Company (pronounced How-ston) by early March at 315 Rehoboth Ave. It’s a name that has been in her family for more than 100 years.
“The company was established in the 1890s,” Kee said. “It was incorporated in 1905. It was a lumber company, Houston White. They milled up and down the eastern coast. The company never ceased to exist.”
Kee said her grandfather used to tell her stories about the lumber business and later, a construction company the family owned, shuttered in the 1980s, when family ventured into real estate.
“It’s just always been a part of my history,” she said. Wanting to be fully invested in the space, she said, “I thought the best thing to do is put some of my lineage in.”
The building was the site of Kee’s former restaurant, Bramble and Brine, and is undergoing an extensive renovation, with the color palette leaning towards greens and browns.
“The layout is the same, but there were some things that needed repair,” she said. “It’s a lot more masculine than it was before.”
Houston White Company will be a traditional, New York-style steakhouse, Kee said, with prime and dry-aged meats combined with family recipes from Maryland and Delaware, such as fried chicken and crab cakes.
The restaurant will have 55 seats, with 12 seats at the bar. Kee said she will be managing both Houston White and Fable, located on Baltimore Avenue. After Fable opened in 2016, she said, she didn’t think she wanted to have a second restaurant this quickly. But when she had a chance to come back to the building, the timing felt right. Kee said she is not rushing to open Houston White, but she’s looking forward to opening in early in the spring to build word of mouth.
“I really enjoy opening in the offseason,” she said. “It gives me an opportunity to showcase to my regular clientele and the community.”
Kee said once the restaurant opens, reservations can be made at Open Table online or by phone, 302-227-8511.
