The Morris family opened Bonfire Grill about three years ago with the goal to bring high-quality food, wine, beer and spirits to downtown Tomball, an area that lacked this genre of cuisine, co-owner Curtis Morris said. In December 2018, the family hired General Manager Thomas Perez, a world-renowned sommelier—a wine steward who specializes in wine service as well as wine and food pairing—to heighten the restaurant’s ability to offer the best-quality service. Perez has traveled the world, including France and Spain, to educate himself on different cultures’ ways of serving wines and foods, he said. “We don’t just want customers to come in and experience Bonfire; we want them to come in and feel like family,” Morris said. “We want them to have the experience where they can relax and feel like they’re at home but enjoy the best food that [they] can get in the area.” The restaurant offers lunch and dinner menus, which add an international influence to new American fare, Morris said, including dishes such as pan-seared avocado cakes, brick-oven pizzas, specialty burgers and pork ragu. Additionally, Bonfire offers high-end bourbons, whiskeys and wines, which few restaurants in the Greater Houston area offer, Morris said. “We want people to know that when they’re coming here, they’re coming for a great drink and great food that they’re not going to find elsewhere. These aren’t drinks you can find down the street,” he said. Morris, who grew up in Tomball and graduated from Tomball High School, said Bonfire uses locally sourced ingredients whenever possible to support fellow Tomball businesses. Bonfire’s meat is ground and smoked in-house. Pizza dough and sauces are made in-house as well. “I’ve been here most of my life, so getting to see the city grow and be able to participate in that growth has been a lot of fun,” Morris said. “Getting to see it from when I was a little kid to what it is now is just amazing, and we’re lucky to be part of it.” Bonfire Grill 425 W. Main St., Tomball 832-702-9031 www.bonfiregrill.net Hours: Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., closed Sun.-Mon.