#TeamMilo

Houston 5-year-old in Down syndrome restaurant flap makes a national impact, draws Anderson Cooper

Kim Castillo, her husband Eric and their 5-year-old son Milo are regulars at Laurenzo's Prime Rib on Washington Avenue . . . but there was something off about their meal on Jan. 16.

"Dinner at Laurenzo's and a family of four asked to be moved from the booth next to us," Castillo wrote on Facebook later in the evening. "I didn't think that much about it. Shortly after, they left the restaurant entirely, glancing at our table as they left. (Thought I was being paranoid.)"

"We always knew [Milo] would impact more people than just us. He is a pretty special dude and has opened a lot of people's ideas about Down syndrome."

Milo, who was born with Down syndrome, was having a great time that night, telling the wait staff about his birthday and sharing some new words he learned.

Apparently irritated by the noise, a nearby family asked to be moved to another table, telling their waiter Michael Garcia that "special needs kids should be kept in special places." Offended by the comment, Garcia refused to serve them.

Soon Garcia and Milo found themselves launched into the national news circuit with outlets from Anderson Cooper to Today featuring their story.

CultureMap caught up with Castillo to talk about her family's jump into the limelight.

"It feels oddly natural — at least where Milo is concerned," she explained in a recent email.

"We always knew he would impact more people than just us. He is a pretty special dude and has opened a lot of people's ideas about Down syndrome, use of the R-word and tolerance for people who are different."

The Castillos are in the process of designing #TeamMilo shirts to raise funds for the Rise School of Houston — the unique school that Milo attends and the city's only institution devoted to the early education of infants, toddlers and pre-school children born with Down syndrome.

Courtesy photo

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Goldee's and Barbs Go North

2 Michelin-recognized pitmasters cooking up Texas barbecue joint in NYC

Photo by Will Milne

Kirbee's will stay true to the menus at the two barbecue joints that came before it. (Pictured: A tray at Goldee's Bar-B-Q)

Two important restaurants in the Texas barbecue scene have spawned a new project in a less-expected locale: New York City. Barbs B Q owner Chuck Charnichart and former Goldee's Bar-B-Q partner Jonny White will open Kirbee's, a restaurant combining classic dishes from both of its progenitors, at 55 McGuinness Blvd. South in Greenpoint (a neighborhood in Brooklyn) in about four to five months, White says.

Both White and Charnichart have led two of Texas's most well-regarded barbecue joints. Located in Fort Worth, Goldee's ranked No. 1 on Texas Monthly's list of the state's 50 best barbecue restaurants in 2021 and ranked No. 3 on the 2025 list. Charnichart, who worked at Goldee's, opened Barbs B Q in Lockhart in 2023. Earlier this week, Barbs earned an impressive three-star review in the New York Times. Both restaurants hold Bib Gourmand designations in the Michelin Guide.

Eater New York broke the news on February 24, and White caught CultureMap up with some additional written details.

As Eater points out, Charnichart brings creative dishes from her Lockhart restaurant like pork ribs with lime zest, Mexican-spiced brisket, and the famous "green spaghett" made with poblanos and cilantro. White brings lauded barbecue from Fort Worth that's more fit for purists, including smoked turkey, brisket, and classic sides.

For many, Barbs B Q represents the Texas barbecue vanguard. Now New Yorkers will be in on it, too.Photo by Bryce Gilbertson

White further tells CultureMap that the menu will probably be organized into plates and trays so that guests can sample one barbecue joint or the other.

White has been in New York for seven months after selling his shares of Goldee's. He's secured a building and is working with contractors to convert it for barbecue greatness. The two pitmasters will get to work together physically soon — although White doesn't spill the beans about whether Charnichart plans to move there or just visit.

Kirbee's exterior New York Kirbee's will take over this cheerful space.Photo by Jonny White

"Chuck is one of my best friends and an amazing chef," White says. "I’m super excited for us to be working together again and we are excited to be in New York!"

One of the adjustments the duo had to make to thrive in the Big Apple is to make do with a smaller smoker setup. Instead of traditional offset smokers — the large barrels Texas foodies are used to seeing out back at their favorite barbecue joints — Kirbee's will use smoker ovens. White confirms the decision was about space, but he's hopeful the more consistent cooking process will actually be better than the Texas norm. "I think it will be interesting for people to compare," he says.

The real question for barbecue-lovers who are in it for the culture: How will New Yorkers deal with the lines?

"I think they’re used to long lines and being served to order because of Katz," White says, referring to Katz's Delicatessen, an ultra-famous New York deli since 1888 that's known for its gigantic pastrami sandwiches. But if it's not the brisket that transports Yankees to the Southwest, the Texas pitmaster looks forward to introducing them to Waco's own Big Red.

openings pitmasters barbecue