In January, Sidney Degaine and his wife Maria announced the sale of their popular Montrose French restaurant Cafe Azur with plans to open a new concept later this year. The resulting project is mona Fresh Italian Food, a place where pasta, sandwiches and salads are prepared in a fast-casual counter setting where customers go down the line and specify which ingredients they want.

mona (the lowercase name is deliberate) located at 19355 Katy Freeway at Greenhouse Road — almost on the dividing line between Houston and Katy city limits.The grand opening celebration is this Thursday, July 26 from 4 to 8 p.m. Anyone who visits gets a free pasta entrée worth up to $8.50. Guests can choose from regular or gluten-free pasta with choice of five toppings, a sauce and add-on chicken if desired.