Karma is a Biscuit

Houston's Sugar Hooker fires back with a very special pop-up

Rebecca Masson isn’t the type of person to get mad. She gets even.

The chef-owner of Fluff Bake Bar (affectionately known as the Sugar Hooker for the tempting nature of her baked goods) has been leading a social media campaign to compel Eater Houston to remove her Midtown bakery from an article titled “Houston’s Saddest Restaurant Closures of 2017.” While the text of the article is correct — Fluff’s dining room has been closed since it was damaged by water from a broken pipe — Masson objects to seeing her restaurant included on a list that also included Oxheart, Holley’s, Bernadine’s, and Triniti.

“These are all places that have closed and will never come back,” Masson says. “In my mind, the storefront, you can’t come in, but you sort of can. We’ve been doing bake sales. We’ve done holiday pick ups. My business is operating the same as before we had tables and chairs. To me, we’ve never closed.”

Over a series of posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, Masson has tried to persuade Amy McCarthy, the Dallas-based writer who serves as Eater Houston’s editor, to remove Fluff from the list. She’s drawn support from a wide variety of people including Chronicle food critic Alison Cook, acclaimed San Antonio chef Jason Dady, and the owners of New York’s popular Big Gay Ice Cream. She even nominated Eater Houston for President Trump's "Most Dishonest & Corrupt Media Awards of the Year."

Mr. Trump, @EaterHouston is a dishonest news outlet damaging the reputation of a well meaning business that routinely works with charities. Including my business w other local business that have closed and mine is not. https://t.co/pwFbysV9jo

— Fluff Bake Bar (@fluffbakebar)

January 3, 2018

Instead of complying with Masson’s request, McCarthy edited her initial text to say Fluff Bake Bar accepts online orders (it doesn’t) and clarified that it will reopen soon. Asked about why she's so upset, Masson says she doesn’t understand why McCarthy never contacted her prior to publishing the article.

“At this point, somebody at Eater needs to take notice,” Masson says. “She’s not doing her job correctly. I find it so irresponsible. My email is on the website. The phone number to the shop is there. You’re friends with me on Facebook. You can private message me. I will respond to you, as I do any request from the press. She did not make any attempt to reach out to me.”

Rather than just stay angry about the situation, Masson is responding with a little humor and some sure-to-be-tasty food. Just as she turned a few negative Yelp reviews into a special “Baked With Hate” pop-up, Masson will host a special bake sale that she’s calling “The rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated by Eater” that will be held on Saturday from 10 am until noon at Izakaya, Fluff’s next door neighbor (318 Gray at Bagby).

In collaboration with Izakaya executive chef Jean Philippe Gaston, Masson has created a menu of dishes that includes five dishes: Ph’eux News Pho made with Izakaya’s housemade spam; Karma is a Biscuit (steak, eggs, and gravy on a biscuit); Come at the Kouign You Best Not Miss (yuzu-hibiscus kouign amann); There Will be Blood (sausage and potato hash with soft-scrambled eggs); and I Just Came Here for the Show (foie gras caramel popcorns doughnuts). She’s also selling t-shirts that read “Karma is a Biscuit.”

“I (thought) I should just treat this like those silly yelpers and make fun. Take this pain in the ass thing and turn it around,” Masson says. Screw it. As per usual, I’m taking something ridiculous and turning it into something ridiculously delicious.”

McCarthy has yet to respond to CultureMap’s request for comment about Masson’s plans, but she has tweeted obliquely about all the criticism she’s received.

there's really nothing like waking up to a variety of social media messages from people calling you an idiot!

— Amy McCarthy (@aemccarthy) December 29, 2017

Maybe McCarthy will make the trip from Dallas for some Ph’eux News Pho and a t-shirt. After all, reasonable people may disagree with the writer's decision to include Fluff in her article, but everyone can agree that kouign amann are delicious.

Rebecca Masson is responding to Eater Houston with article.

Courtesy photo

Rebecca Masson is responding to Eater Houston with article.

news-you-can-eat chefs

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

italian cuisine wine fredericksburg hill country openings news-you-can-eat