This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

She’s a Houstonian. She’s confident and headstrong. She’s a friend of the arts and dedicated to animal rescue. She possesses a strong will and a kind soul.

OK, she is also fictional – an imagined character dreamed up by the owners of a new Houston restaurant that bears her name. The spirit of the make-believe Rosland drives the new Rosland’s Grill & Bar, which opened this week at 903 Durham at Washington.

HAIL, CAESAR!: Houston's best Caesar salads, from traditional to anything goes

The project comes from restaurateur and businessman Don Christopher of DKC Companies whose restaurant associations include Otto’s BBQ, Cyclone Anaya’s, Juanita’s Tex-Mex Cantina, Mason Jar and Le Peep restaurants and the upcoming Riverhouse at the East River mixed-use development.

Murals throughout the 6,000-square-foot restaurant feature Rosland who, according to a press release “loves comfortable dining.”

About that dining: Rosland’s menu begins with small and sharable plates including oysters on the half shell; chilled shrimp with crispy Thai basil and cocktail sauce; roasted artichoke and spinach dip; steak and fire-roasted peppers tacos; firecracker shrimp with chile butter; and cheese fondue. Salad options include Rosland’s Spectacular (romaine, citrus-poached shrimp, lardons, mango, avocado, tomatoes, croutons and mango Caesar dressing); heirloom tomato and burrata; and Thai steak salad with lo mein and grilled mango in a Thai honey vinaigrette). Sandwiches include a buttermilk-brined chicken with hot sauce; double cheeseburger; veggie burger; smoked turkey avocado; and a burger topped with a variety of mushrooms, truffle goat cheese, foie gras truffle butter and smoked bone marrow.

Entrees: Ribeye steak, prime rib with horseradish cream, New York strip steak, Chilean sea bass with limoncello beurre blanc, balsamic glazed salmon with chimichurri, and spinach- and cheese-stuffed chicken with mushroom cream sauce and fresh truffles served with parmesan risotto. Executive chef Cameron Cain is responsible for the menu.

NEW TEX-MEX: Mandito's, from the owners of Armandos in River Oaks, coming to Bellaire

Rosland’s will be a boon for a hungry late-night crowd on the busy Washington Corridor. The restaurant will be open until 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday, and until 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday. It’s open for lunch and dinner.

“We’re thrilled to offer an early morning dining option where service guests, along with our neighborhood guests can sit down and enjoy a meal, fine drink or mocktails, once they have finished their late-night shift,” said owner Cristopher. “We felt the area was missing an early morning establishment like Rosland’s that would allow all the workers in the Washington Ave. corridor a traditional dining experience, particularly ones that are finishing up the late-night shift at establishments in the Washington and Heights areas. We’re talking post 2 a.m.”

Greg Morago writes about food for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter. Send him news tips at greg.morago@chron.com. Hear him on our BBQ State of Mind podcast to learn about Houston and Texas barbecue culture.

Greg Morago was a features editor and reporter for The Hartford Courant for 25 years before joining the Houston Chronicle as food editor in 2009. He writes about food, restaurants, spirits, travel, fashion and beauty. He is a native Arizonan and member of the Pima tribe of the Gila River Indian Community.