Bill Floyd

Dinner and a Show

Houston's 10 best restaurants for pre-theater dining.

Openings & Closings: More Americana, Headed Your Way

Intercontinental Airport must have finally gotten the memo that its dining options were sorely limited considering Houston's rich culinary offerings, because it looks like something's finally being done about it. Earlier this month, there was the news that chef Johnny Hernandez is opening The Frute ... More >>

Stella Sola Closed Its Doors on Sunday

Bryan Caswell announced today that Stella Sola, his Texan-Tuscan restaurant in the Heights along with partner Bill Floyd, closed its doors on Sunday. The announcement followed months of rumors that Stella Sola would soon be closing, a result of the building in which it was housed going up for sale. ... More >>

Test Drive Five Gourmet Burgers During Tillamook Burger Week April 28-May 5

The Tillamook Cheese Loaf Love Tour starts this Saturday in Houston, and it's gonna be a juicy one. For one week, five local restaurants will offer gourmet Tillamook-inspired burgers that sound so irresistible, you might be tempted to try them all. 1. At BRC Gastropub, Chef Lance Fegen has create ... More >>

The Real World

With expectations sky-high, El Real Tex-Mex Cafe struggles for glory.

El Real Tex-Mex Cafe & Shrine: Revival of the Fittest

Photos by Troy FieldsThe marquee is best appreciated at night, neon lights in full bloom.​Earlier this week, it was reported that Trader Joe's will likely be moving into the old Alabama Theater on West Alabama at Shepherd, thereby saving the old theater from obscurity and possible demolition. ... More >>

Stellar Stella

This spectacular restaurant is already a Heights institution.

Stella Sola: Behind the Review

Photos by Troy FieldsCheese those meatballs!​What happens when the chef de cuisine at a chef-driven restaurant -- the man who, in Stella Sola's case, runs the kitchen on a day-to-day basis -- tenders his resignation after you've already written your review? You rewrite it. Mostly. Especially ... More >>

Three Sliders, You're Out at Minute Maid Park

Photos by Katharine ShilcuttThe bowl also makes a cute and handy cat helmet when cleaned. Your cat may feel otherwise, however.​I don't personally understand the appeal of going to the ballpark and getting anything other than a hot dog or a plate of nachos piled high with "cheese" and pickled ... More >>

First Look at El Real Tex-Mex Cafe

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​"We had 1,000 covers on Friday night, then 1,200 covers last night," an exhausted but happy-looking Bill Floyd told me when he stopped by our table at El Real Tex-Mex Cafe on Sunday evening. It was a little past 5 p.m., the doors to the place had just opened, and a ... More >>

Caswell at the Bat: Chef Partners with the Astros and Aramark

Caswell with his mother and father.​I don't know if Chef Bryan Caswell can produce tears on demand -- in which case, he's a damn fine actor -- but the burly man standing in front of me Friday afternoon had suspicious signs of moisture in his eyes as he discussed helping the Astros revamp their ... More >>

Restaurants We're Excited About for 2011

​For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, right? Well, for all the new restaurants that disappointed us in 2010, there are many more coming in 2011 that we're awaiting with baited breath. Whether they be old favorites revived or entirely new restaurants, whether they be from ... More >>

Getting Real: New Caswell-Walsh Restaurant Venture Finally Gets a Name

Photo courtesy of Robb WalshArtist's rendering of El Real Tex-Mex Cafe.​"You have to give people what they're interested in eating," Robb Walsh laughed over the phone. "Fajitas will be very well represented on our menu." Wise words that should quell any concerns Houstonians may have had about ... More >>

Robb Walsh's 100 Favorite Houston Dishes: #10 Crispy Skin Snapper at Reef

​Over the course of the next few months, I'm counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations in ... More >>

Openings and Closings

It's been an exciting past week for diners and restaurateurs alike, with a rash of new and planned openings to please pretty much any palate. The biggest news, of course, was that our own Robb Walsh is working with Bryan Caswell and Bill Floyd -- the team behind restaurants like Little Big's and Re ... More >>

Robb Walsh Bryan Caswell Bill Floyd = Reef Gone Tex-Mex?

Photo by rutlo​By now, most people have heard the news that our own former food critic, Robb Walsh, is partnering with Bryan Caswell and Bill Floyd -- the team behind Reef, Stella Sola and Little Big's -- to open a Tex-Mex joint in Montrose. But not just anywhere in Montrose: in the old but newly ... More >>

Robb Walsh: The Hunter Will Become The Hunted

The Tower gets a makeover....will it get any more parking?​Max Bialystock, as portrayed in the show-biz documentary The Producers, had only two rules for doing his job:1. Never put your own money in the show.And 2: NEVER PUT YOUR OWN MONEY IN THE SHOW!!!Robb Walsh, the cuddly, lovable former Houst ... More >>

Robb Walsh's 100 Favorite Houston Dishes: #28 Couchon de Lait at Stella Sola

​Over the course of the next few months, I'm counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations in ... More >>

Chef Chat: Justin Basye Part 2

Fabio​Yesterday Justin explained the nomination process for the James Beard Awards. Today we discuss changes he has implemented and what he does on his days off from work. Eating Our Words: So four months later, what has changed? Justin Basye: Haha, my responsibilities! Moving from sous to c ... More >>

Marvelous mollusks at Stella Sola

Top 11 Houston Restaurant Openings of the Decade

Since I started my job as restaurant critic of the Houston Press in May of 2000, I've had a chance to observe the Houston restaurant scene for just about the entire decade. Our fine dining scene has evolved in the last ten years, and so have our ethnic cuisines. Houston became the birthplace of some ... More >>

Bivalve Throwdown: Oysters With a Side of Intrigue at Stella Sola

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​In the heat of battle last night, the oysters -- and the chefs -- kept their cool. The fourth such event organized by Jenny Wang and the Houston Chowhounds, the Bivalve Throwdown at Stella Sola on Sunday afternoon saw 11 of the city's best chefs compete to create ... More >>

Bryan Caswell: Houston's Best New Chef

How do i begin; excited, elated, humbled, floored, it doesnt even scratch the surface! Me? Houston? Really? (my 1st 3 words to Dana Cowin) Photo courtesy of Wholefish Bryan Caswell in his trademark Astros ballcapBryan Caswell, who was just named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs ... More >>

Sliders at Little Bigs

REEF'S THYME AFTER LIME

Reef

Chef Bryan Caswell is putting a new spin on Gulf red snapper and serving up some fish you've never heard of

Playing with Food

The Cordóa brothers share the last laugh with their deliciously silly Amazon Grill

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