Meet Marin Slanina | Owner/Operator, Hostess w/ the Mostest – Star Sailor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marin Slanina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always wanted to open my own business. My own space to create & provide an experience to a guest that is clearly out of this world. My entire career has been in food, beverage, hospitality, and Craft Beer. There is a whole new way that we as a community now share an experience, post a global pandemic. Everyone has a changed thought process of how a social experience should go. And it is up to me to make these new normals a reality for any style of guest experience.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Star Sailor is a restaurant, craft beer & wine bar, retail & event space. (*Say that 10x fast). From the outside looking in, we are a lot of things under one roof. But to us here at Star Sailor, we are “all of the things”. A one-stop shop to accomplish all of your goals. Whether the goal of your visit is to enjoy a beer on the patio, to have a bite to eat, to get some work done, to purchase a gift for a friend, to pick up some wine & cheese for a date night at home, or to stock your beer fridge for the weekend ahead. I am proud of the collaborative network that Star Sailor has created. Where so many folks’ hard-work and love for their craft can come to life for a guest. In a post-pandemic world, the hospitality experience has drastically changed. I am very proud of Star Sailor’s ability to adapt to each individual’s needs all while keeping guests and teammates safe and healthy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Let’ start Friday after work for Happy Hour into a Sunday Brunch trip to HTX: I would start at Star Sailor for a beer & a bite for Friday Happy Hour. Draft beer options range from locally brewed Lagers, Sours, Stouts, and IPAs. Plus a cooler full of craft canned & bottled ciders, seltzers & mead. For food, a Star Sailor Smashburger. Customized w/ double patty, bacon, egg, sautéed onions & jalapeños. Finish your time here with a Champagne Cocktail and a trip through the retail shop. Pick up a bottle of wine for later (to-go alcohol 25% off), a locally made candle & a new keychain bottle opener. Next, we’re headed through The Heights for some more cocktails and bites. Heights Biergarten on the list. A favorite cocktail here = Annex Sour, their take on a Whiskey Sour – frothy, boozy & awesome. For bites, the pretzel and roasted cauliflower. Saturday. Start with a late lunch and patio hang at Eight Row Flint. Their frozen flight & tacos are perfection. A Frose & a Brussel Sprout Taco for me, please. Then day-time brewery-hop through town. There are 60+ Local Craft Breweries in Houston. Swing by Star Sailor after you have visited New Magnolia, Great Heights, and Walking Stick to try the other breweries that might not be so close to the inner loop. When you stop into Star Sailor on Saturday afternoon, try the Quesotacos this time. Saturday night dinner = Hando for handrolls. So tasty. If you are feeling a night in (remember that bottle of wine you picked up at Star Sailor on Friday) order Hando’s Cutrolls to-go! (this sounds wonderful right now). Don’t forget to stop into the new bakery next door, The Bearded Baker, for an at-home dessert. Sunday Brunch – Piggy’s. Their site calls it “the best damn backyard weekend brunch” and they are not wrong. It’s what I would like Star Sailor’s brunch to grow up to be. Something great and very fun they are doing in this beautiful yard, with a DJ y’all! Order a mimosa and the “Bad Ass” Benedict and let the good times roll. And obviously, last but not least, hit up Star Sailor one last time, pick up a 6pack to-go of Locally Brewed Craft Beer (from all those breweries you just enjoyed), and enjoy a $5 mimosa on the patio before heading back home and getting ready for another Manic Monday. Ok, who is visiting me next so we can have this wonderful HTX weekend?

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The Craft Beer Community has always been a group of people that have gathered and collaborated under the same love and appreciation for GOOD BEER. I love this community. It includes all walks of life, diversity, and creativity that drove me to open my own craft beer bar & Kitchen. Star Sailor is just that – a network of talented individuals that strive for the ultimate end goal, to make the best damn product out there and have fun while doing it. And of course, my Mom & Dad, I couldn’t have accomplished so much without their unconditional love and support.

Website: starsailorhtx.com

Instagram: @star_sailor_htx @whatd_she_order

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starsailorhtx

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/star-sailor-houston-2

Other: 1710 W. 18th St. Houston, TX 77008 Open 7-days-a-week