Major Chef Change

Chef who vowed to create "best bakery in America" in Houston departs in shocking move

In a move that's sure to be greeted with surprise throughout Houston's culinary community, bakery/cafe Common Bond has announced that co-founder and executive chef Roy Shvartzapel will depart the restaurant to "pursue other opportunities."

Executive sous chef Jillian Bartolome has been promoted to replace Shvartzapel. Other members of the Common Bond culinary team, including chef de cuisine David Morgan, chef boulanger Drew Gimma and bread sous chef Tony Stein will remain in place.

"We are delighted for Jillian and our team, and believe that their skills, dedication and passion for both savory and pastry cuisine will continue to shine at Common Bond, as they have from day one. We wish Roy all the best in his future endeavors," said Common Bond partners Brad Sanders and Kathy Sanders in a statement.

Shvartzapel declined a request to comment on his decision beyond to say that he will remain in place until March 8 and then move to New York City with his family.

When he announced Common Bond in 2013, the chef memorably said he intended for it to become "the best bakery in America." While it may not have risen to that lofty height yet, it has been a runaway success in its first year; even during the week, diners frequently line up for the signature croissants, breads and other pastries.

Common Bond would seem to be in good hands despite Shvartzapel's decision. The chef recruited Bartolome, Morgan, Gimma and Stein for the project.

Common Bond co-founder Roy Shvartzapel is leaving to "pursue other opportunities."

Photo by Eric Sandler

Common Bond co-founder Roy Shvartzapel is leaving to "pursue other opportunities."

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New and next-level

2 buzzy Houston spots rank among Yelp's 25 best new Southern restaurants

Xalisko Cocina Mexicana/Facebook

Xalisko Cocina Mexicana serves a tableside trompo that has Yelpers raving.

Without the professional checks and balances professional reviewers face, Yelp users are free to go wild. Although that sometimes makes for a chaotic rating system, it makes the platform's 25 best new restaurants in the South all the more impressive. Houston-area establishments placed on the list twice — something only a handful of cities achieved.

The two Houston-area restaurants featured start with Xalisko Cocina Mexicana (No. 12), a restaurant in The Woodlands where chef Beatriz Martines uses her experiences working for James Beard Award winner Hugo Ortega to pay homage to her homeland of Jalisco. Baso (No. 22), the Basque-inspired live fire restaurant in the Heights, hits all four trends identified by the report as a whole: open-flame cooking, Southern roots, global thinking, and seasonal menus.

Baso food spread Baso's menu is in line with many of the trends identified by Yelp.Baso/Facebook

The list was compiled based on both hard data and opinion. All the restaurants on the list are full-service, and have opened after January 21, 2023, and have a passing health score as of May 1, 2024. Some quantitative factors include total volume and ratings of reviews, while Community Managers provided a human touch by identifying which restaurants users especially gravitate towards. Noko, described as a wood-fired Asian grill in Nashville, took the top spot.

In addition to quotes from the chefs and reviewers, these listings highlight some of the restaurants' most talked-about dishes, so diners have somewhere to start when they make a visit.

Turnip cigars by Fabrik in Austin Fabrik was No. 10 on the list. Fabrik/Instagram

Austin and Dallas were also represented on the list with two and one mentions, respectively. Austin bested Houston, garnering two spots in the top 10 — the gluten-free Yucatecan retreatNômadé (No. 4) and the vegan fine dining pioneerFabrik (No. 10). Besides a shared interest in catering to specific diets, these restaurants share a presentational ethos that offers elevated dining without too much pretension. (We have the Austin dining scene at large to thank for this pattern.)

It's not a surprise, given those similarities, that the chefs behind both restaurants were really cooking for themselves when they developed the concepts. Chef Jay Huang of Nômadé tells Yelp his food allergies have caused frustration while scouring menus for something safe to eat when dining out; Chef Je Wallerstein of Fabrik says her hard-to-find take on vegan dining comes from 20 years of eating vegan.

In Dallas, sushi spot Yūjō (No. 9) received praise not just for its high-quality fish, but for its excellent service — a winning combination for an "entry level omakase."

Houston also fared well on Yelp's overall top 100 U.S. restaurants list with Burger-Chan, Tacos Doña Lena, Avesta Persian Grill, and Southern Yankee Crafthouse coming in at Nos. 27, 38, 61, and 99, respectively. Similarly, Katy favorite Pappa Gyros come in at No. 63.

Elsewhere in Texas, Gino’s Deli Stop N Buy in San Antonio smoked the competition at No. 9, followed by: Mr Max, in Irving at No. 72 and Mr. A-Ok’s Kitchen in San Antonio at No. 77.

A full list with insight from the chefs and reviewers is available at yelp.com.