All the clues hinted that Mary Poehnelt was set to win the last act of Hell's Kitchen Season 11. Poehnelt, a 26-year-old Massachusettes butcher, was the more likeable of the two finalists, though by no means less bossy than her archrival, Houstonian Ja'Nel Witt, when it came to roasting members of her team who weren't producing to her standards.
While Witt showed numerous signs of too much 'tude mistaken for confidence — at one time squealing at a teammate/competitor that she was more talented, more creative and overall better (and obviously not at all humble) — the 31-year-old local chef was chosen in a surprising twist to ascend to the post of head chef at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
With a $250,000 salary.
Witt's menu — a deconstructed BLT re-imagined as fried green tomatoes with prosciutto, arugula and gorgonzola; slow-braised veal cheek with potatoes; and chai crème brûlée (surely inspired by her time cooking at Kiran's Restaurant & Bar) — beat out Poehnelt's more conservative recipes. Witt's international cuisine — take her first signature dish of Thai grilled prawns with Asian pesto — has Houston diversity written all over it.
Witt planned to launch a career in optometry after graduating from the University of Houston but turned to her passion for cooking and enrolled at the Art Institute of Houston. Witt credits her mother, Brenda Dogget, and her great aunt, "Nana," for sparking an interest in cookery. Her dream is to host her own cooking show — one day.
We'd say she's well on her way.
Houstonian Ja'Nel Witt won the final battle of Hell's Kitchen.
Courtesy photo
Houstonian Ja'Nel Witt won the final battle of Hell's Kitchen.
Brent “Doc” Watkins has a very specific reference for Doc’s Houston, his new jazz supper club that’s opening November 15 in the historic Tower Theater in Montrose.
“I ask them if they’ve seen the movie Goodfellas,” Watkins tells CultureMap. “If they have, there's that famous scene where Ray Liotta takes his girlfriend to the supper club. They walk through the secret entrance and go in through the kitchen. They bring out a special table with the white tablecloth and they sit down and the show starts.”
The very famous scene captures the spirit of what Watkins wants to create at Doc’s Houston — an intimate venue serving classic American fare and showcasing live music in genres such as jazz, R&B, soul, and the blues. It’s a formula that Watkins developed at Jazz, TX, his original jazz supper club that’s part of San Antonio’s Pearl District since 2016. He says Houston was always a logical choice to expand the concept.
“Doing a proper jazz supper club, there wasn’t anything like that in Houston 10 years ago, and there wasn’t anything like that now until Doc’s,” Watkins says.
Let’s start with the jazz part first. Doc’s will host live music Tuesday through Saturday in a variety of genres. Artistic director Graeme Franci, who, like Watkins, holds a doctorate in music from the University of Texas, is a Houstonian with a deep knowledge of the local music scene. He’s been reaching out to musicians and booking them to play Doc’s. In addition to local acts, the venue will host national touring acts — Tony Danza recently played San Antonio — and as many as 30 performances by Watkins himself.
From his perspective, Doc’s provides an essential space for friends and neighbors to connect during a shared experience.
“We aren’t inventing a brand new concept. We’re reviving something that had been lost,” Watkins explains. Later, he adds, “These are really essential spaces. It’s a very ancient tradition to gather as smaller groups of people for a meal and some music. It’s a very timeless thing. There was a blip on the radar where we lost these rooms for about a generation.”
In terms of the food, chef Jose Avila’s menu is built around classic supper club fare such as steaks, seafood, and pastas. Specific dishes include grilled octopus, short rib empanadas, pork belly chicharron paella, coq au vin, and Chateaubriand that will be carved to order tableside.
“We’ve got a massive kitchen. We’ve got the ability to do a big menu and do it right,” Watkins says. “You can’t be all things to all people, but we’ll get pretty damn close.”
Watkins has assembled an experience team to lead Doc's Houston.Courtesy of Doc's Houston
The Tower Theater has had a number of lives. Most recently home to Acme Oyster House and El Real Tex-Mex Cafe, it’s also been a movie theater and a video store, among other iterations. To turn it into Doc’s, Watkins and his team added all-new lighting and sound, built a stage, and added a wraparound balcony.
“When we found it, it was pretty wonky. The orientation was all wrong,” Watkins says. “We decided to go big and do it right. That balcony is new, but it looks like it’s always been that way. It’s how the space needs to be and wants to be, even though for 100 years it did not have a full wraparound balcony.”
Reservations and tickets will be available via the Doc’s website in the coming days. Memberships will be available that come with perks such as preferred seating and advance access.
“I hope we’re around for a very long time,” Watkins says. “I think we’ve set ourselves up to be around for a very long time. We’ve got all the ingredients that go into success. Now we just have to execute.”
Watkins has assembled an experience team to lead Doc's Houston.Courtesy of Doc's Houston 
