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    What's Eric Eating Episode 68

    Get the scoop on Houston's sexy new seafood spot, plus a tasty West African pop-up

    CultureMap Staff
    Sep 27, 2018 | 1:45 pm

    On this week's episode of "What's Eric Eating," Sambrooks hospitality owner Michael Sambrooks and director of operations Steve Breaker join CultureMap food editor to discuss their newly formed restaurant group, Sambrooks Hospitality. Known as the owner of Montrose barbecue joint The Pit Room, Sambrooks recently acquired Pi Pizza, Lee's Fried Chicken & Donuts, and Star Fish from Cherry Pie Hospitality.

     

     

     

    Sambrooks and Breaker begin by discussing their entrance into the hospitality industry and how their paths crossed at Reef, where Sambrooks worked as a server and Breaker served as a manager. From there, Sambrooks started The Pit Room, which earned a spot on Texas Monthly's list of the state's 50 best barbecue joints courtesy of its creative blend of Central Texas-style smoked meats with Tex-Mex touches like queso and tortillas made with smoked brisket fat.

     

    Finally, the two discuss their plans for the new acquisitions. While Sambrooks and Breaker have only minor changes planned for Lee's (starting with a new neon sign) and Pi Pizza (Chicago-style deep dish and more sandwiches), bigger changes are coming to Star Fish.

     

    "We want to make that a flagship, high-end restaurant for our group that is going to express our personalities, our style of food, the things that we want to see on a high-end seafood menu," Sambrooks says. "It's probably going to be a total redo — nothing wrong with what was there before — but we want to show what we would like to see in that style of concept. We've got a lot of ideas on how that's going to look. Instead of bigger plates, it's probably going to be more simple, elegant plates with a few components . . . We might do a little minor construction of the interior. The team so far has been great helping us out with the transition."

     

    Prior to Sambrooks and Breaker joining the show, Sandler and co-host Megha Tejpal discuss the news of the week. Their topics include the revelation that celebrity chef Jonathan Waxman will be opening a cafe at Bellaire's new H-E-B, Adair Concepts takeover of the restaurant at Evelyn's Park, Robert Del Grande's new menu at The Hobby Center's new restaurant Diana American Grill, and Delicious Concepts owner Ken Bridge's purchase of a Bentley with bitcoin.

     

    In the restaurants of the week segment, Tejpal and Sandler describe their experience at ChòpnBlọk, a pop-up series that's serving as a test kitchen for a forthcoming fast casual restaurant that aims to bring West African flavors into the mainstream. They rate the positives and negatives of their meal and discuss whether the concept is likely to achieve its goal of becoming the West African equivalent of Local Foods. In addition, they share some first impressions of the new breakfast offerings at BuffBurger.

     

    ---
     
     Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on iTunes or Google Play. Listen to it every Saturday at 11 am on SportsMap 94.1.

    The hosts discuss the prospects for The Roastery, which will open soon at the Bellaire H-E-B.

    The Roastery Bellaire HEB exterior
      
    Photo by Eric Sandler
    The hosts discuss the prospects for The Roastery, which will open soon at the Bellaire H-E-B.
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    Matcha News

    TikTok star Keith Lee crafts matcha latte for Hill Country flood relief

    Teresa Gubbins
    Jul 11, 2025 | 9:30 am
    Keith Lee and matcha drink
    Instagram
    Keith Lee hoists his special matcha drink.

    The devastating floods that swept across Central Texas on July 4 are bringing out all kinds of charitable endeavors — and that includes a limited-edition beverage from Texas-based TikTok food influencer Keith Lee.

    Lee, a social media sensation whose online food reviews have benefited hundreds of small restaurants, is partnering with La La Land Kind Cafe on a special drink: Called the La La Land X Keith Lee Latte, it's a matcha drink in which 100 percent of the proceeds will go towards Kerr County flood relief.

    La La Land is the coffee chain founded in Dallas in 2019 with a mission to provide opportunities for fostering youth and individuals in need. It has three locations in Houston, along with 10 across Dallas-Fort Worth and six in Southern California.

    The new Keith Lee Latte will consist of double ceremonial matcha, with secret syrup, matcha cloud, a whole fresh strawberry, flaky salt, and matcha powder. (See Lee enjoy the latte in the video below.)


      
     
     
     
     
     
     
    View this post on Instagram
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    A post shared by Keith Lee (@keith_lee125)
     


    Matcha is the Japanese green tea powder that has experienced a surge in popularity, appearing in everything from drinks like the matcha latte to desserts like matcha mousse.

     Keith Lee Latte Keith Lee Latte is a matcha drink.Instagram 

    Lee, who relocated to Dallas in 2024, has been on a matcha kick ever since he tried it in Chicago, which he says "led me down a rabbit hole," and it has become his trademark drink. In May, he visited seven cafes across DFW in search of the perfect matcha in town, and that included La La Land, where he ordered a matcha with almond milk.

    He also has a charitable history, including a special visit he made to Taste Project in Fort Worth to donate $4,000 to support the nonprofit's mission to fight food insecurity.

    The Keith Lee Latte will be available at all La La Land cafes beginning Friday July 11, for a limited time only. From July 11-27, 100 percent of all proceeds will support flood relief efforts in Kerr County — "a community in our home state that’s hurting," La La Land Cafe says.

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