Chef John Ly said he envisioned serving upscale comfort food when he opened Strata Restaurant and Bar with his sister Catherine in 2009. Although it was his first venture into ownership, Ly said the idea had always intrigued him. 

“I grew up in the restaurant industry,” Ly said. “So it was kind of a natural progression for me to eventually open up my own restaurant.”

Strata serves contemporary American cuisine—such as filet mignon, salmon, empanadas and lobster—for lunch, brunch and dinner in a casual environment. Desserts include the customer favorite white chocolate bread pudding and warm chocolate nirvana cake.

The eatery serves a collection of wines that match the theme of the restaurant—accessibility to both beginners and connoisseurs, Ly said.

“A lot of people tell us they love coming out here because it’s the same sort of atmosphere and food they can find inside Houston without having to drive 30 to 45 minutes,” he said.

Strata also has two private dining rooms that can accommodate large events and are especially popular with local businesses, Ly said.

The restaurant offers event catering along with wine dinners, at which  winemakers visit Strata to explain the wine creation process. Strata also hosts wine and martini tastings.

“The biggest advantage and draw to Strata is our versatility,” Ly said.

When the brother and sister first opened Strata, The Vintage was in its infancy, and the country was still in a recession. Ly said he and his sister viewed it as the perfect opportunity to buy low into a growing community.

“When we opened it was kind of the beginning of the middle of the recession, so [business] has recovered nicely,” Ly said.

Rapid development in The Vintage has seen more restaurants pop up in the area, and more are planned throughout the master-planned community. However, Ly said more competition can be a good thing for the area because it attracts more potential customers.

“There’s always going to be different options for people to eat, which is fine because you want enough variety for everyone,” he said. “But the [Vintage Park] shopping center offers enough variety that you can come here and decide what to eat. There’s not a lot of shopping centers like this that are being built anymore.”

122 Vintage Park Blvd., Ste. A, Houston 281-379-2889 www.stratahouston.com Hours: Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.