Culinary Arts

Chef Chat, Part 2: Chris Williams of Lucille's, On Hustling His Way Back to the States, and Southern Cooking vs. Soul Food

Chris Williams Lucille's 5512 La Branch Tel: (713) 568-2505 www.lucilleshouston.com This is Part 2 of a three-part Chef Chat series. You can read Part 1 here and Part 3 will run in this same space on Friday. EOW: You were in Europe for about four years. What brought you back? CW: My brother. I ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Chris Williams of Lucille's, On Opening a Restaurant in His Twenties and One- and Two-Man Kitchens in Europe

Chris Williams Lucille's 5512 La Branch Tel: (713) 568-2505 www.lucilleshouston.com This is Part 1 of a three-part Chef Chat series. Parts 2 and 3 will run in this same space on Thursday and Friday. Tucked away in the Museum District on La Branch near the Children's Museum, Lucille's is one of the ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Bobby Matos of Ciao Bello, On Whether Culinary School Is Worth It

Bobby Matos Ciao Bello 5161 San Felipe 713-960-0333 ciaobellohouston.com This is the first part of a three-part chef chat series. Look for parts 2 and 3 in this same space Thursday and Friday. Ciao Bello, Tony Vallone's lighter, more casual version of his iconic Tony's in River Oaks, offers some ... More >>

Modernist Cuisine: Volume 2 : To Sous Vide or Not to Sous Vide

A revolution is underway in the art of cooking. Just as French Impressionists upended centuries of tradition, Modern cuisine has in recent years blown through the boundaries of the culinary arts. Borrowing techniques from the laboratory, pioneering chefs at world-renowned restaurants such as elBul ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Learn the Holiday Skills Your Parents Never Taught You

Learn to make a gingerbread house you can actually eat.​Get lit this month, with several book signings from authors both local and national. First up is Jack Bishop, host of one of TV's best cooking shows, America's Test Kitchen, and editor of America's Test Kitchen, the show's just-as-awesome ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: David Cordua of Americas, On His Role as Executive Chef and Favorite Eats Around Town

Photo by Mai PhamExecutive Chef David Cordua, in the kitchen at Americas River Oaks​Yesterday, we talked to Executive Chef David Cordua, of The Cordua Group, about growing up in the kitchen and culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu. You can read about it here. Today we'll talk to him about what he ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: David Cordua of Americas, On His First Love and Le Cordon Bleu

Photo by Mai PhamDavid Cordua, Executive Chef of the Cordua Restaurant Group ​David Cordua, at 29, is currently Executive Chef at Americas River Oaks, and all of the restaurants in the Cordua Restaurant Group. Contrary to what some might assume, despite growing up as the son of a restaurante ... More >>

Learn to Make Authentic Tex-Mex with Robb Walsh

​If you're going to take a Tex-Mex cooking class, it may as well be from a man who's penned no less than three books on the subject, a man who many acknowledge as the High Priest of the Temple of Tex-Mex: Robb Walsh. According to his blog, our former food critic decided to offer classes on ho ... More >>

Meat The Maker: David Grossman's Charcuterie at Branch Water Tavern

Photo by Ralph Smith​David Grossman, executive chef at Branch Water Tavern, looks far younger than his 31 years, even when manning the large stoves on the line and expediting food with steely determination. And when he starts talking excitedly about his favorite project at the restaurant -- th ... More >>

Chef Chat: James Beard Nominee Justin Basye

Fabio​Stella Stola's opening four months ago in some rough waters. Fast management changes and skeptical critics rocked the grand opening, but then things started to change. Justin Basye came on board as chef de cuisine under Bryan Caswell and brought a positive outlook and solid crew with him ... More >>

Wine of the Week: Antonio Gianola of Catalan

​Antonio Gianola is no stranger to the Houston wine scene. In fact, you've probably read multiple articles on him and his restaurant, Catalan. So, how did this former medical biller and coder become the talk of the town? One glass of wine at a time. "I was good at medical billing and coding, ... More >>

Plat de Charcuterie, Chez Moi

​Chris Shepherd does his own charcuterie at Catalan. I love his salami. David Grossman does his own charcuterie at Branch Water Tavern too. Don't miss his chicken liver mousse. Marco Wiles calls it salumi at his salumeria, Poscol. I have sampled products from each and been quite impressed. Bu ... More >>

What the Oughts Brought: Top 10 Innovations and Trends

Photo by Marco VeringaMolecular gastronomy, one of ten major innovations and trends of the last decade.​What funny food trends have marked the last decade? And what innovations do we hope carry us into the middle ages of the millennium? Here are a few things that have kept our tongues wagging. ... More >>

Wine of the Week - Marcy Jimenez of Houston Wine Merchant

​Marcy Jimenez has been in the wine industry for 10 years. She started as a restaurant sommelier, but has been the wine buyer for the Houston Wine Merchant for a little more than two years. "Being a buyer is less stressful and frenetic," she said. "I also have much better hours." But being a b ... More >>

Chef Chat: Houston Country Club's Michael O'Connor

​Michael O'Connor, chef of Houston Country Club's Garde Manger, is just about as private as the club he works with. We luckily ran into him late-night for a drink and convinced him to talk about himself and his "geeky" craft. Eating Our Words: How hard is it to get a meal from you? Michael O ... More >>

Hop On Board: Houston Culinary Tours Embarking Soon

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​Have you ever wanted to cruise around with one of your favorite chefs, picking their brains as you hit his favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the city? Your chance to do just that is coming soon. Whole Foods Market and the Houston Convention and Visitor ... More >>

A Vegan Dinner at a Meatatarium

Photos by Katharine ShilcuttAppetizers: sweet potato chips and truffled carrots, radishes and turnips​Vegans may take our cheese (and milk and meat and butter and even honey), but they may never take...our truffles. This seemed to be the rallying cry on Monday night at Beaver's Ice House as seven ... More >>

Sampler Plate: This Week In Food Blogs

Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Guns and Tacos: Hilarious and topical (with pictures and captions that alwa ... More >>

Chef Chat: John Signorelli of The Remington

​Colorado-bred John Signorelli is executive sous chef at the Remington Restaurant (1919 Briar Oaks Lane), located inside the five-diamond Hotel St. Regis on the West Loop. The Remington was rated one of the top 100 hotel restaurants in America in a 2006 Zagat survey, based on food quality, dé ... More >>

Recipe: Bistro Don Camillo's Croque Madame

Photo by tastybits​As it turns out, it's not just Americans who eat fatty comfort food; the French do it too. The Croque Madame, like the Croque Monsieur, is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, but it also has an egg. This recipe comes from executive chef Ryan Hildebrand from Bistro Don Camillo ... More >>

The Belly of the Beast

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt A packed dining room at Catalan on Monday night​People swarmed the table full of pork and beans at last night's long-awaited Pork Belly Throwdown at Catalan like bees on a hive. Dishes such as Vermont maple-glazed Kurobuta pork belly shared space with whole suc ... More >>

A Day in the Life of a Personal Chef

Photos by Katharine ShilcuttChef Jo checks her shopping list before venturing into the storeJo Gonzales is a personal chef.  Most people look puzzled when she walks the aisles of the grocery store in her bright orange embroidered chef's coat or pulls up in her SUV with its magnetic signs announ ... More >>

Houston's Best Recipe for Success

Chef Monica Pope at MacGregor Elementary School. Photos by Carlos Meltzer There's alot of talk these days about problems and solutions. The economy, the environment, healthcare, education. But as we all know there appears to be a lot more problems than there are solutions. And alot more talk th ... More >>

Bon Appétit, Y’all

Web exclusive!

"Chili When It's Chilly" Chili Cook-off

January in Houston is when Rodeo season really starts to kick in. One of the most popular events is the "Chili When It's Chilly" Chili Cook-off sponsored by the Baytown/Highlands Subcommittee of the Houston Metro Go Texan Committee. This year's event took place January 9 and 10 at San Jacinto Mall ... More >>

The Pizza and Ranch Dressing Rebellion

Memories of Brennan's

A Houston institution burns; will it be back?

Fresh Meat at Tokyo Steak & Sushi

Voice: Tastes Great, Less Filling

The food at Voice in the Hotel Icon is fabulous. Too bad the place is such a rip.

Spice of Life: Houston International Festival and Zonta Zelebration

Chocolate Festival of Texas

Sweetness comes to town

No Reservations

No Reservations is sweet and savory fare. Without the foam

Richard Kaplan

His chocolate is hot

Hugo: The Humble Magician

Hugo Ortega

Haute Stuff

Robb Walsh is a James Beard finalist times two

Recognition Time

Contests honor Houston Press writers

Order in the Kitchen!

Bistro Lancaster courts trouble by cutting corners

Best Restaurant

Hugo's

Best Overall Restaurant

Da Marco

Continental Error-lines

Scott Tycer tries to clear up the confusion over continental cuisine

Noodle-Gazing

A five-part journey into Houston's fusion scene starts with some noodles

The Bambi Syndrome

Texas is overrun with native whitetails, so why do restaurants have to buy their venison from game farms?

Hot Plate

Osteria D'Aldo

Best Restaurant

Aries

Mixing It Up

Saba chef Dylan Murray returns home to add even more spice to Houston's restaurant scene

Best Latin Grill

Elvia's Latin Grill and Bar

Ethnic Explorer

Does the thought of combing through the Chinese restaurants on Bellaire intimidate you? Let Jay Francis help.

Dish

Dish