Erin Smith

This Week in Food Blogs: Nuts for Tacos and the Importance of Buns

Open the Taps: The big news this week is the passage of a few beer-related bills in the Texas Senate. Open the Taps has the rundown on what it means now that brewpubs' annual production limit has been raised to 10,000 barrels and breweries can sell beer directly to consumers for on-premise consumpti ... More >>

Ribs and Ramen Reign Supreme at the 2nd Annual Go Pig! Or Go Home! Suckling Pig Throwdown

There are pig parties, and then there is Go Pig! Or Go Home! The second annual charity throwdown event last night at Kata Robata was every pig lover's dream -- and then some -- with Houston's top chefs throwin' down everything from traditional roast suckling pig to cochinita pibil to oysters topped ... More >>

Chef Erin Smith's Spectacular Charcuterie Board on Anvil's New Menu

To be completely honest, upon receiving an invitation to go sample and hear about the cold cuts and cheeses that Anvil Bar & Refuge consulting chef Erin Smith would be putting on the menu, my initial reaction was not enthusiasm, but rather skepticisim. With so much great experience under her belt ... More >>

Clumsy Butcher: Bobby Heugel and Company Announce New Restaurant Group and New Downtown Tequila Bar

It was bound to happen. After opening so many concepts in only four years -- and taking over operations of two other longtime Houston institutions -- Bobby Heugel, Kevin Floyd and Michael Burnett have announced the creation of restaurant group Clumsy Butcher to hem everything into one tidy package. ... More >>

Where the Chefs Eat: Greg Lowry, Matthew Lovelace, Dax McAnear

Inside the gorgeous dining room at Triniti, which is currently a James Beard Foundation finalist in the Outstanding Restaurant Design category, you can alway spy the chefs hard at work in the open kitchen creating food that is both delicious and beautifully plated. But it makes you wonder: If these ... More >>

The Top 5 Things to Eat, Drink or Celebrate This Weekend: Revival Market, Anvil, Sonoma Brunch, Hotel Derek's Early Easter & Ninfa's Crawfish

In case your weekend doesn't revolve around the parking lot full of food trucks at Haute Wheels or all-you-can-eat brisket at the Houston Barbecue Festival, here are five other great things to eat, drink or do this weekend. Revival Market's two-year anniversary party Saturday, 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. 550 ... More >>

Where the Chefs Eat: Ryan Lachaine, Lyle Bent and Victoria Dearmond

With the proliferation of open kitchens in Houston, it's hard to ignore the chefs who are actually making the food. Nowhere is that more true than at Underbelly, where food enthusiasts can literally spend the evening watching all the action going on in the kitchen. At one point during the night, you ... More >>

This Week In Food Blogs: Barbecue Wars in Spring

H-Town Chow Down: Can't beat 'em? Call in the local government to squash your competition. At least, that's the story told by Albert Nurick at H-Town Chow Down, where The Woodlands-based blogger reports on the barbecue wars between celebrated trailer CorkScrew BBQ and its brick-and-mortar neighbor u ... More >>

The Second Annual Go Pig! Or Go Home! Throwdown is Coming This April

"Go pig! Or go home!" That is the gauntlet that has been thrown, and the challenge, the question, the machismo duel that will pit 23 of Houston's most prominent chefs in a challenge to create Houston's most supreme incarnation of a suckling pig. The second annual event is scheduled for Sunday, Apr ... More >>

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 10 Coffee Shops

The last time we compiled a list of Houston's best coffee houses was in February 2011, and things have certainly changed since then. In just the last several months, Houston's caffeine scene has benefited from several new entrants, all of which are determined to raise the city's coffee profile just ... More >>

13 Houston Chefs Who Have Celebrity Doppelgangers

Check out which local chef sure looks a lot like a Spice Girl, who might be hosting a game show in his spare time, and who we think is a long-lost triplet: See also: - 12 Celebrity Chefs Who Have Cartoon Doppelgangers - 13 Celebrity Chef Doppelgangers 13. Kaz Edwards vs. Joshua Jackson We could s ... More >>

Eat, Play, Love

Houston's 10 most romantic restaurants.

Top 10 Restaurants in Garden Oaks/Oak Forest

It wasn't too long ago that the Houston Chronicle called Oak Forest "the new West University." The neighborhood just north of Loop 610 and to the east of Highway 290 has been attracting young families in spades -- families who are helping to reinvigorate the subdivisions that make up Garden Oaks and ... More >>

Where the Chefs Eat: Christine Ha and Alvin Schultz

This week, our Where The Chefs Eat series turns to two amateur chefs turned television reality stars: Christine Ha and Alvin Schultz. Both living in Houston and Vietnamese by descent, they each snagged a spot on the TV reality show, MasterChef. Schultz, who was featured on Season 2, is known for ... More >>

Witchcraft, Underdogs and Blacksmiths: November 2012 in Openings & Closings

On my way home a few nights ago, I noticed that a hunch I'd had was true: Bibas Brooklyn Express had closed after only six short months in business on Main Street. I'd noticed the lights off for a few days, and a new spread of brown paper in the windows meant only one thing. B4-U-Eat reports that th ... More >>

Where the Chefs Eat: Amalia Pferd, Sean Carroll, John Peterson

Owning a food truck/mobile cart is hard work, but at the end of the day, you still gotta eat. For this week's Where the Chefs Eat series, we're checking in to see where some of Houston's on-the-go chef-proprietors get their grub on. Let's see where Amelia Pferd of Good Dog Hot Dogs, Sean Carroll o ... More >>

100 Favorite Dishes 2012

No. 1, Korean Braised Goat and Dumplings at Underbelly.

Openings & Closings: September 2012, Plus Picking a New Name for Calliope's Po-Boy

After a supremely busy seven days for restaurant news last week, this week let up a little bit -- but not by much. Starting off the week was news that chef Erin Smith is leaving Plonk. Her last day will be October 13 and after a brief trip to visit family, Smith will be back in Houston looking for h ... More >>

Erin Smith Leaving Plonk, But Not Leaving Houston

Last week, Eater Houston broke the news that Erin Smith -- executive chef at Plonk Beer & Wine Bistro and one of the few female execs in the city -- would soon be departing. In her place: Lindsey Vanarsdel, who is currently Plonk's executive sous chef. During her nearly three-year tenure at Plonk, ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Oktoberfest Contests, Beer-and-Burger Pairings and Free Food Truck Lunches for All

Celebrate 20 years of artist studios at Lawndale Art Center and five years of the Lawndale Artist Studio Program with Tasteful Art, a special tasting event featuring local contemporary artists and chefs at the historic and beautiful Hofheinz House (3900 Milam). Lawndale is bringing culinary artists ... More >>

Where the Chefs Eat: Seth Siegel-Gardner, Terrence Gallivan, Justin Yu

First, there was Just August Project. And then came Pilot Light Group. And then came Oxheart Restaurant. And soon we will have the The Pass and Provisions. For this week's Where the Chefs Eat installment, we found out where Seth Siegel-Gardner, Terrence Gallivan, and Justin Yu like to eat around ... More >>

Where the Chefs Eat: David Denis, Jean-Philippe Guy and Philippe Schmit

When we think of French dining in Houston, the following three chefs should assuredly come to mind: David Denis, Jean-Philippe Guy, and Philippe Schmit. David Denis has made a name for himself with his elegant Le Mistral Restaurant on the Energy Corridor, where big-name oil execs come to sample exqu ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Mix It Up Tonight and Help Clean Out Rudz's Cellar

Been waiting for the perfect Friday night to check out the new LaB 5555 series at the Houston Museum of Natural Science? Grab your soft-soled museum shoes, because tonight is that night. Tonight, four of Houston's best bartenders will be shaking things up as they compete to make the best Tanqueray ... More >>

Where the Chefs Eat: Bryan Caswell, Randy Evans, Danny Trace

In Houston, the restaurant community is so tight that everyone has worked together in some shape or form over the years. For this week's Where the Chefs Eat, we check in with chefs Bryan Caswell, Randy Evans, and Danny Trace. Evans is affiliated with a bunch of local chefs thanks to his time at B ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 3: Erin Smith of Plonk Bistro - The Tasting

Erin Smith Plonk Bistro 1214 West 43rd Street 713-290-1070 www.plonkbistro.com This is the third and final part of a three-part chef chat series. Part 1 and Part 2 ran in this space over the last couple of days. This week, we've been chatting with Erin Smith of Plonk, who has emerged as a young, h ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Erin Smith of Plonk, on What It's Like to Be a Woman in a Professional Kitchen

Erin Smith Plonk Bistro 1214 West 43rd Street 713-290-1070 www.plonkbistro.com This is the second part of a three-part chef chat series. Read Part 1 here and Part 3 in this same space on Friday. Yesterday, we chatted with Erin Smith of Plonk about her stint at Thomas Keller's Per Se in NYC. Smit ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Erin Smith of Plonk Bistro, on Her Externship at Per Se

Erin Smith Plonk Bistro 1214 West 43rd Street 713-290-1070 www.plonkbistro.com This is the first part of a three-part chef chat series. Look for Part 2 and Part 3 in this space Thursday and Friday. There are just a handful of female executive chefs in Houston, and at 29, Erin Smith of Plonk Bistr ... More >>

Where the Chefs Eat: Chris Shepherd, Ryan Pera, Antoine Ware

Since 2010, the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GHCVB) has been conducting "Where the Chefs Eat" Houston Culinary Tours, in which chefs take a group of people to visit secret gems centered around a theme. Past tours have included world barbecue, Korean/Japanese food, Mediterranean food ... More >>

Tasteful Art

Where the Chefs Eat: John Sikhattana, Ji Kang, Junnajet Hurapan

When we started this Where the Chefs Eat series a few weeks ago, one commenter scoffed at the notion that chefs actually care where they eat in their downtime. While it's true that many chefs choose expedience over gourmet after dark, most of the answers we've gotten have been thoughtful and reveali ... More >>

Where the Chefs Eat: Anita Jaisinghani, Eloise Adams and Erin Smith

Two weeks ago, we started talking to chefs about where they eat during their time off. You can read what they said here and here. Today, we continue our Where the Chefs Eat series with a female perspective when we chat with Anita Jaisinghani, Eloise Adams, and Erin Smith. Anita Jaisinghani Jame ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Mucho de Mayo

As May approaches, more Cinco de Mayo events are announced every day. Here are a few of our favorites. La Mexicana in Montrose is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. And while the restaurant doesn't normally host a big Cinco de Mayo bash, it's blowing off the roof on Saturday, May 5, with t ... More >>

Watch the Big Game on the Big Screen, Plus Other Super Bowl Specials Around Town

Photo by Troy FieldsEnjoy the patio at Plonk this Super Bowl weekend.​Sometimes, half the fun of watching the Super Bowl is watching it with a crowd. So we've rounded up a few places that'll ensure you're not alone this Sunday evening -- and that you're not hungry or thirsty, either. El Real ... More >>

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 10 Burgers

For the next 20 weeks, we'll be rounding up the runners-up to our 2011 Best of Houston® winners. In many categories, picking each year's winner is no easy task. We'll be spotlighting 20 of those categories, in which the winner had hefty competition from other Houston bars and restaurants. Houston ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Not Too Late for New Year's Plans

Ring in the new year at one of our three top choices.​Next week, we'll have a complete round-up of New Year's Eve dinners and dining events. But this week, we're spotlighting three favorites to include in Upcoming Events -- make your reservations now! Jasper's in The Woodlands is hosting a pr ... More >>

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 5 Hidden Treasures

Photo by Troy FieldsScallops and grits at our No. 1 pick.​For the next 20 weeks, we'll be rounding up the runners-up to our 2011 Best of Houston® winners. In many categories, picking each year's winner is no easy task. We'll be spotlighting 20 of those categories, in which the winner had heft ... More >>

One Year Later: Plonk Doesn't Need No Stinking Sign

​When I reviewed Plonk a year ago, I mentioned that the wine bar didn't have any signage to speak of -- not even above their endcap space in a Garden Oaks strip center. I got lost heading there for the first time, and all of my dining companions did too. Last night, and one year later, my fri ... More >>

Pegging Plonk

A neighborhood wine bar that's hard to categorize

What Are Houston Chefs Cooking This Thanksgiving?

Photo by Carbon NYC​Thanksgiving: A day to gather with your loved ones and give thanks? Or a day to display your culinary prowess to friends and family? Increasingly, the emphasis has been on the latter in the past few years, as people try to dress up the traditional Thanksgiving spread and im ... More >>