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    Meat-Eater Fantasies

    Carnivores rejoice! Meatopia brings all-star lineup to Texas for the first time

    Eric Sandler
    Aug 21, 2013 | 2:29 pm

    "Texas is a proverbially, or legendarily, a meat loving state."

    So says food writer Josh Ozersky to explain why he's bringing Meatopia to Texas. The two-day event, which takes place Nov. 2 and 3, will bring 32 chefs from across the state and nation to the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio for a festival that celebrates meat in all its forms.

    There will be 11 different animals available. One example: a San Antonio chef is preparing hoggid, which is a lamb that's between one and two years old. Ozersky calls it a "pungent, incredible, beautiful animal."

    The Beefsteak, an all-you-can-eat ode to Gilded Age excess, kicks things off on Nov. 2. Chefs Tim Byres from Smoke in Dallas, Tim Rattray from The Granary in San Antonio and Mike Toscano from Perla in New York will "collaborate to grill some of the rarest, most celebrated ultra-prime beef in the world." Tickets are $100.

    Then on Nov. 3, there's Meatopia, where each chef prepares a different meat dish for attendees to sample. The all-star chef roster includes Underbelly's Chris Shepherd, Austin sensation Paul Qui, former Top Chef contestant John Tesar, Ned Elliott of Austin's Foreign & Domestic and much more. Ozersky describes them as "talented chefs who get meat (and) younger guys at the top of their game." Tickets are $75 for general admission or $125 for VIP, which provides early entrance and access to a special tent with drinks and food.

    "I curate the whole menu, so there's no redundancy," Ozersky explains. He says that there will be 11 different animals available. One example: a San Antonio chef is preparing hoggid, which is a lamb that's between one and two years old. Ozersky calls it a "pungent, incredible, beautiful animal" and says that the way Americans eat lamb but not mutton is equivalent to eating veal but not beef.

    Ozersky says that another San Antonio chef, Andrew Weissman, is preparing a dish that is "so crazy it might end up in the Meatopia Hall of Fame."

    Another way Meatopia stands out is its low chef to attendee ratio. Only 3,000 tickets will be sold. As Ozersky explains, "one of the things that sucks about food events is standing in line . . . It would be easier to have less chefs, but (having so many) gives Meatopia a special character."

    The only downside is that it takes place the same day as the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival in Austin. "Texas is big enough for both of us," Ozersky notes. While the BBQ Festival focuses on a specific cuisine, Meatopia is "a tribute to meat cookery" in all its forms.

    As for people who are intrigued by both events, Ozersky predicts that "there's probably some hero that will go to both. I will shake that person's hand and buy him or her a beer. That would be the most hard-core, Texan carnivore move imaginable."

    "It could well end up as the greatest Meatopia of all time, until next year." If this year's event goes well, San Antonio will be a regular stop on Meatopia's circuit. Get a ticket today.

    Austin chef and Top Chef winner Paul Qui will cook at Meatopia.

    Paul Qui, chef owner of qui restaurant in Austin.
      
    Photo courtesy of Qui
    Austin chef and Top Chef winner Paul Qui will cook at Meatopia.
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    Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr serves up a new pickleball bar in Midtown

    Eric Sandler
    Apr 28, 2025 | 9:00 am
    Solarium ​owners Lance McCullers Jr., Juan Carlos de Aldecoa, and Jimmy Doan
    Photo by Swiggard Creative
    Rex Hospitality partners Lance McCullers Jr., Juan Carlos de Aldecoa, and Jimmy Doan

    A new destination for cocktails, bar bites, and social gaming has arrived in Midtown. After a quiet soft opening this weekend, Solarium is now officially open for service daily.

    Located in the former Holman Draft Hall space, Solarium unites Rex Hospitality — the group behind Maven at Sawyer Yards that includes Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. as one of its founders — with the Kirby Group, the veteran bar operators behind Heights Bier Garten, Pitch 25, and more. Together, they’ve transformed Holman into a luxurious new sports bar built around pickleball.

    At the heart of the renovations is a glass-walled indoor/outdoor bar area — the eponymous solarium. It offers a range of seating options, including community tables for large groups and more intimate bar-height tables. Design details include velvet chairs and and an “earthy palette,” according to a release, that features “Rolex green” fabric.

    Next to the bar, patrons will find six outdoor courts — four pickleball and two padel. They’re available via reservation beginning at 9 am daily for rates that vary from $10 to $30 for pickleball and $20 to $40 for padel. An adjacent pro shop offers all the gear necessary to play either for rental or purchase.

    Surrounding the courts are five private rooms. Made from repurposed shipping containers, they offer glass walls with a view of the games, as well as servers who will bring food and drinks. These VIP-style suites are part of how Rex Hospitality and The Kirby Group aim to distinguish Solarium from other, similar pickleball bars that have been opening around the Houston area. That’s consistent with the company’s approach with Maven, which adds cocktails to the familiar coffee shop model.

    “Though the concept isn’t related to Maven in a direct way, it is in in line with the Rex vision and the ethos of Maven an indirect way,” Rex Hospitality president Nina Quincy tells CultureMap. “It is a unique take on a common pastime. We have taken something and added a unique and elevated twist, so in that sense I think it meshes well with the overall Rex vision and shares a similar ethos with Maven.”

    A menu created by Rex Hospitality culinary director Nico Baizán features takes on familiar pub fare such as burgers, po’ boys, skewers, wings, and “bang bang” shrimp. At brunch, the bar’s menu includes pancakes, shrimp and grits, and shakshuka. Dessert options include a banana split and a build-your-own sundae.

    Pair them with cocktails, beer, wine, or nonalcoholic sips. Brunch cocktails include mimosas and spritzes.

    The bar and restaurant opens at 11 am Monday-Friday and at 10 am on weekends.

    Solarium \u200bowners Lance McCullers Jr., Juan Carlos de Aldecoa, and Jimmy Doan
      

    Photo by Swiggard Creative

    Rex Hospitality partners Lance McCullers Jr., Juan Carlos de Aldecoa, and Jimmy Doan

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