On this week's episode of "What's Eric Eating," chef David Skinner joins CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss Eculent, his ambitious tasting menu restaurant in Kemah. The conversation begins with Skinner explaining how a successful career in the energy industry paved the way for him to open his experimental restaurant.
Skinner shares the story of how he developed the first version of the restaurant, which featured a dynamic environment with lighting, music, and scents that changed to match the courses. Although the restaurant is considerably less theatrical now, it provides insight into the lengths he goes to provide diners with a memorable experience.
"I started doing a bunch of research and came across Charles Spence...wow, that would be really cool if I could come up with a restaurant where I can change anything at a moment's notice and see what it does," he says. "To me, it was a big-ass experiment that I was on the hook for financially, but I thought this would be interesting, and why not? When the time came, that's what I decided to do."
Listen to the full interview to hear the chef discuss the creative impulses behind one of his signature dishes in detail — a smoke-filled cloche that reveals an edible forest floor of mushrooms, escargot, and greens. Skinner also discusses the game-changing review he received from award-winning Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema.
Prior to the interview, Sandler and co-host Michael Fulmer discuss the news of the week. First, they talk about the closures of places like Nino's, Vincent's, Revival Market, and The Tasting Room. From there, they turn to two restaurants that are working on second locations: d'Alba Craft Kitchen & Cocktails and The Taco Stand.
In the restaurants of the week segment, they pay a visit to Gatlin's Fins & Feathers, Greg Gatlin's new restaurant devoted to chicken and seafood. They also share some thoughts on Brett's BBQ Shop, the Katy restaurant that's currently closed while it moves into a new location.
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Recent restaurant closures dominate the week's news.
