Sean Beck

The Eating...Our Words 100: Tracy Vaught, Owner of Backstreet Cafe and Hugo's

What she does: Tracy Vaught is the owner of Hugo's and Backstreet Cafe and a partner at Prego and Trevisio. ""I do all the planning, train managers, set all the standards for the restaurants, design menus," says Vaught. "Investments and charitable giving. I am the one who has political involvement ... More >>

When Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey Pours at Uchi, Houston's Top Sommeliers Listen

Houston, is that a frico dropping? By my count, there were roughly forty of our city's top wine professionals in the room, all listening with rapt attention and relishing savory nuggets of wine wisdom imparted by Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey (above). And I'm not talking benchwarmers. This was an ... More >>

Here, Eat This

A beginner's guide to Korean cuisine.

Saturday Funday? Houstonians Hold Sunday Sacred for Brunching

After the third out-of-towner in a week asked me why Saturday brunch wasn't a "thing" in Houston, I got curious. Once is a blip, twice is a coincidence, three times is a trend. The problem is that -- as far as I know -- Saturday isn't the traditional brunching day of choice in Houston. Saturdays ar ... More >>

Go West, Young Man

The top 10 restaurants in Westchase.

Top 10 Wine Lists in Houston

It's exciting to run across a well-priced favorite on a restaurant's wine list, or to discover something new as you dig through its pages. But there's more to making a world-class wine list than just stocking a cellar with Cakebreads and Chardonnays. To spotlight the best wine lists in Houston, we ... More >>

The Eating Our Words 100: Sean Beck, Sommelier Extraordinaire

Who he is: Sommelier and wine consultant to a number of Houston establishments, Sean Beck started working as a waiter at Backstreet Cafe 15 years ago while he was pursuing a history degree at the University of Houston. "At the time, Backstreet had about a 55-bottle wine list," Beck recalls. Backst ... More >>

The Dan Marino Restaurants

The 13 restaurants that nearly made our 30 essential Texas restaurants list.

Top 10 Restaurants in River Oaks

The last time we tackled the Top 10 restaurants in River Oaks, Tony Mandola's was still open in what is now Brasserie 19's spot in the River Oaks Shopping Center. Needless to say, things have changed a bit in three years. And in spite of its ritzy exterior, River Oaks still has plenty of inexpensive ... More >>

An Ongoing Issue: Bartender in The Woodlands Arrested After Allegations of Over-Serving

The Houston Chronicle reported this morning that a bartender at the popular Baker Street Pub location at The Woodlands Waterway has been arrested for allegedly over-serving a patron. Chelsea Marie Willburn, 24, was arrested early Sunday morning after a patron whom she'd served at Baker Street was fo ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Dia de los Muertos at Malo

El Gran Malo is hosting a big, bad Dia de los Muertos party on Saturday, November 3 -- all day long. In addition to a giant Dia de los Muertos shrine on the patio, the gastrocantina will have crafts to make your own veladoras (Mexican saint candles), papel picado and more. In the early evening, mar ... More >>

The TABC Responds to Our Article on Over-Serving at Restaurants

Last week's blog post on the dangers of over-serving at restaurants was a broad topic to touch on in a single article -- perhaps too broad, as Carolyn Beck, director of communications for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, contacted us to clear up a few items about the TABC's role in combating ... More >>

Does Over-Serving at Restaurants Go Under-Investigated?

A few weeks ago, I endured a rather unpleasant dinner at The Rouxpour -- the subject of this week's cafe review -- which had nothing to do with the food itself and everything to do with two very drunk patrons. After being harassed by the two men throughout the evening, I finally retrieved a manager ... More >>

Top 10 Restaurants in Montrose

It's been a while since we tackled neighborhood lists on Eating Our Words, yet posts such as "Top 10 Restaurants in the Heights" continue to be perennial favorites with our readers each month. The last time we compiled a Top 10 Restaurants in Montrose list was well over two years ago, at which time ... More >>

Behind the Scenes at The Iron Sommelier Competition

"In ten minutes, they're gonna be in the room," said sommelier Antonio Gianola with a tone of urgency. To his right, fellow sommelier Jonathan Honefenger encouraged his fellow somms along with cries of: "Hustle! Hustle!" The two men moved swiftly from one seat to the next, pouring a deliberate ounc ... More >>

More Than Just Nolan Ryan

5 food-related reasons to drive to Alvin.

Wine Lost and Found in Translation with Sean Beck

"The sommelier is there to 'translate' the wine" for the patron, says sommelier Sean Beck. Beck runs one of the city's most respected wine programs at Backstreet Café. "You're there to make the guests feel confident about their choice" of wine, he explains. In a city like petrochemical-based Houst ... More >>

Wine Time: Sparkling Wines for Cocktails

Back at the end of 2011, when we were writing a lot about Champagne and other sparkling wines for the holidays, reader John wrote us asking for advice on what sparkling wines to use for sparkling wine cocktails. "Since spirits and lemon juice and bitters mess with the subtleties of Champagne," he ... More >>

To Recork Or Not To Recork an Old Port?

A few weeks ago, in the wake of a controversial post and a contentious comment thread on cork, reader Jay posed the following conundrum: We have some very old Port[o] that still has a few years left before it meets the 21-22 year optimum time frame. What is your opinion on removing the corks and re ... More >>

Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs

Wine Enthusiast: The talented Sean Beck, beverage director at Backstreet Cafe, Trevisio and Hugo's (and our own Best of Houston® winner this year for Best Sommelier), has been recognized for more than just his wine skills by Wine Enthusiast. The magazine paid tribute to his notable bartending chops ... More >>

Return to Backstreet Café

A few years ago, I tried being vegan. Then, I swapped to a vegetarian diet, and finally, pescetarian. I found it extremely educational. (For example, I learned that I don't want to live the rest of my life without cheeseburgers.) It also sent me on a quest to find restaurants that could accommodate ... 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 >>

Wine of the Week: A Rosé from the Texas Hill Country

​The more I read about Texas Hill Country winemaker and San Antonio endocrinologist Richard Becker, the more I am intrigued. Any doctor-cum-vintner who quotes readily from one of my favorite 20th-century American poets, Wallace Stevens, sounds like someone who puts more thought into the art an ... More >>

Wine of the Week: Texas Blanc du Bois

​Above: Blanc du Bois grapes from the 2010 harvest at the Cruz de Comal Winery in the Texas Hill Country. To tell the story of winemaking in Texas today, we need to start with what happened in California back in the 1970s and the way wine has been marketed historically in the U.S. When I was ... More >>

Houston Restaurant Week's Best Bangs for Your Bucks

​There have been a few significant changes to this year's Houston Restaurant Week, the annual fundraising-through-dining event that benefits the Houston Food Bank. Most noticeably, the event will run throughout the entire month of August (making it "Houston Restaurant Month," technically, but ... More >>

Odd Pair: Zucchini Blossoms and Austrian Riesling

​Today, we typically associate zucchini and zucchini blossoms with Italy and Southern France. I've just returned from Italy, where summer months find fiori di zucca (literally, squash flowers) at the height of their glory. We often forget that zucchini and zucchini blossoms, despite their Ital ... More >>

Take It Outside

Our picks for the best patios in Houston.

Wine of the Week: Truchard 2007 Carneros Pinot Noir

At $11 by the glass, the Truchard 2007 Carneros Pinot Noir is a great value from one of California's most famous winemakers.

Texas Stars Shine Bright at Last Night's Rising Star Gala

Photos by GroovehouseChef Maurizio Ferrarese of Quattro plates his lamb ravioli.​"We didn't know what we were going to find in Houston," said Antoinette Bruno last night at the Four Seasons Hotel. Bruno, the CEO and editor-in-chief of Star Chefs admitted to being "really ignorant of the Housto ... More >>

Houston's Top 11 Margaritas for National Margarita Day

Photo by Eric HesterThe winter spiced margarita at Ninfa's on Navigation.​Tomorrow is National Margarita Day. (Yes, much like International Hot & Spicy Food Day, it's a thing.) And although it'll be cloudy most of the day tomorrow, the sun should come out right around happy hour time, and wit ... More >>

Upcoming Events

Photo by Troy Fields​Have you ever wanted to play chef for a day in the vast kitchen at Brennan's? Your chance to man the stoves (seen above) is coming up, as Alex Brennan Martin has now revived the Creole restaurant's beloved "Chef For A Day" program. Available only to one person per day (and ... More >>

The Houston Culinary Awards Get a Facelift

Photo courtesy of My TableThe steel awards themselves (no more glass!) weren't the only new things this year.​"You can't help but feel great when you're honored and respected by your peers and Houston diners," said Sean Beck today, after bringing home a stunning two awards at the annual My Tab ... More >>

Upcoming Events

Yes, they even have GF chocolate chip cookies.​No big surprise here, but a welcome announcement nonetheless: Houston Restaurant Week has officially been extended until Labor Day, making it -- in effect -- Houston Restaurant Month. HRW was expected to end on August 21, tomorrow, but will now ru ... More >>

Garden to Glass at Backstreet Cafe

​Garden-fresh doesn't always have to refer to the food you're eating. In some cases, as with Backstreet Cafe's Garden to Glass event, it can refer to the beverages you're sipping as well. The restaurant is holding what it hopes will be the first of a series of Garden to Glass events on Wednes ... More >>

Bobby Heugel's Weekly Cocktail: The Champagne Cocktail

​The champagne cocktail is among the simplest and most enjoyable cocktails around. Those who have never had a champagne cocktail might scoff at the thought of ruining precious champagne with bitters and sugar, but this drink, which has existed for more than 200 years, has plenty to offer. The ... More >>

A Chat with Linda Salinas of VOICE

Photo by Sarah Rufka​Ask Linda Salinas how she became such a wine guru (or wine nerd, to use her expression), and her answer is, "Actually, a few years ago I fell in love with a piece of mold." Um.... Then she explains: "I used to work for Backstreet Café just as a waiter, and Sean Beck, the ... More >>

Five Wines That'll Blow Your Mind