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    Rumor no more

    Rising star pitmaster to bring Brenham hotspot to H-Town — with help of Houston restaurant king

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 30, 2017 | 4:20 pm

    One of the fastest rising stars in Texas barbecue has made it official: He’s coming to Houston. Leonard Botello IV announced Friday that he will open a second location of his acclaimed restaurant Truth Barbeque in H-Town.

    Since opening in 2015, Botello’s locale in Brenham has become a must visit destination for barbecue fans. Texas Monthly recognized it as the 10th best barbecue joint in the state in its recent ranking of the state’s 50 best smoked meat purveyors.

    Botello, a third generation restaurateur and native Houstonian, always planned to start small in Brenham before returning to his hometown. The new restaurant, described as “a prime location inside the 610 Loop” — Botello says he'll reveal the exact address "in the next couple of weeks" — will preserve the handcrafted, slow-smoked methods that have earned the 29-year old pitmaster long lines and a devoted social media following. Yes, that includes Mama Truth's decadent, sky-high cakes that have become a mandatory to-go item from any visit to Truth.

    “I knew if I could cook it, they would come. When I had the opportunity to establish myself in a small town like Brenham, on the side of Highway 290, I couldn't pass it up because barbecue on the side of the road is some of the best barbecue I've had,” Botello in a statement. "Finding the perfect spot has been in the works for several months, and I am grateful to now have an opportunity to take Truth back to my hometown, which has been a goal of mine for several years.”

    Botello tells CultureMap in an email that he anticipates "it will be tough" to divide his time between both locations, but that he's in the process of moving from Austin to Houston to facilitate the transition.

    As noted when rumors of Botello’s Houston plans first circulated, his business partner in the venture is none other than Johnny Carrabba. The legendary Houston restaurateur behind Carrabba’s, Mia’s, and Grace’s adds that one visit to Truth was enough to demonstrate that Botello is “the real deal."

    “The first time I came to Truth and saw Leonard and his family working together, it reminded me of me working with my family when I first started,” Carrabba said. “It’s time to bring this to Houston, while still keeping the original outpost in Brenham top of mind to Houstonians as a fun day trip. He has this passion and dedication at such a young age that you don’t see very often, or really at all. We’re just ready to sit back and let Leonard do his thing.”

    With today's announcement, the flames fanning Houston's already white-hot barbecue scene just got a little hotter.

    Pitmaster Leonard Botello plans to open a Truth location in Houston.

    Truth BBQ Leonard Botello
      
    Photo by Robert Jacob Lerma
    Pitmaster Leonard Botello plans to open a Truth location in Houston.
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    What's Eric Eating Episodes 459 and 460

    Meet the men behind Houston's most under-the-radar Italian restaurant

    CultureMap Staff
    Apr 18, 2025 | 5:00 pm
    Fernando Rios Mike Sammons Mimo
    Courtesy of Mimo
    Chef Fernando Rios and sommelier Mike Sammons are this week's guests.

    On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” sommelier Mike Sammons and chef Fernando Rios join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss Mimo, their Italian restaurant in the East End. The duo, whose history goes back to when they worked together at iconic Houston fine dining restaurant Da Marco, opened Mimo in 2023.



    The conversation begins with Rios explaining the progression of a career that took him from Backstreet Cafe to Da Marco to Weights + Measures, where he worked as the chef de cuisine while Sammons was a partner who oversaw the beverage program. Since they both live in the East End, they saw an opportunity to team up by claiming the former Kanomwan space on Telephone Rd.

    They discuss several aspects of the restaurant’s business, including Rios’ changes to the menu, the evolution of Mimo’s wine list, and how its been received by residents of the East End. A digression about Da Marco prompts Sandler to ask about its chef-owner Marco Wiles, who generally stays out of the media spotlight. Sammons shares that Wiles is the only chef or restaurateur who makes him nervous when he dines at Mimo.

    “He’s really not forgiving about things. This is very consistent with the Italian way of looking at things — there’s a right way to do things and that’s it. If it isn’t done that way, it’s wrong. A lot of my other mentors and friends can be more forgiving, but the standards Marco has kept for years has motivated me,” Sammons says.

    “He’s still the same way,” Rios adds. “That was insane to me. I thought, you get older, you’d be more relaxed, but the way he looks at you makes you nervous. Working in the kitchen, there was times he’d throw all my stuff away and say ‘start over.’”

    Was he right, Sandler asks.

    “Absolutely, yes. He was right all the time. I just think he was one of the best to do it,” Rios affirms.

    Listen to the full interview to hear both men discuss the one thing they’re most proud of about Mimo. They also discuss their plans for the future.



    In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Houston’s finalists in this year’s James Beard Awards, the owners of Jūn adding a daytime concept called Third Place, and Aaron Bludorn promoting chef Allie Pena to be Bludorn’s new executive chef.

    In the restaurant of the week segment, Sandler and Clarkson visit Camaraderie, chef Shawn Gawle’s new restaurant in the Heights. They share their thoughts on the restaurant’s prix fixe menu, as well as its decor and beverage offerings.

    -----

    Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

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