Chef Change

Promising Washington Ave restaurant starts the year with an exciting new chef

The new year means a new face in the kitchen at The Durham House, the promising upscale Southern/Cajun restaurant that replaced Woodrows Heights this fall. Original chef Don Schoenburg has departed. Mike McElroy, the popular local chef whose most recent post consisted of helming food truck The Rollin' Kitchen for Gr8 Plate Hospitality, took over on Monday.

Owner Raj Natarajan Jr tapped Schoenburg to transform Woodrows Heights into The Durham House, and the chef attracted strong initial buzz by replacing the restaurant's familiar po' boys and fried seafood with elevated dishes like stuffed rabbit loin and lamb tartar. According to Natarajan, Schoenburg is departing for personal reasons.

While Schoenburg's presence will be missed, McElroy's extensive resume suggests he'll be able to step in. Prior to developing The Rollin' Kitchen's menu of casual Cajun fare like boudin balls and shrimp etoufee, McElroy worked in celebrated New Orleans restaurants like Redfish and Commander's Palace.

"I felt the offer of the position was a great opportunity that I couldn't pass up," McElroy tells CultureMap.

"Our selection of Mike as the executive chef was a function of our desire to bring in a person with deep roots in the food community of Houston, and the greater Gulf Coast, as well as a proven skill set that would contribute to the continual refinement of the dishes and preparations coming out of the kitchen of The Durham House," Natarajan writes in an email. "Serendipitously, Mike’s desire to move into a full kitchen, the style of his food, his extensive butchery and charcuterie experience, and his background in New Orleans, San Francisco, and Houston aligned perfectly with most every point on our chef wish list, and thus effective 1/4/2016 he will be officially joining the team!"

Look for McElroy to expand the restaurant's cold bar, introduce grass fed beef and develop an in-house charcuterie program. "Mike is going to be reducing the over all number of items on the menu, so that we can assure that every item on the menu will be truly incredible, and we can execute an extremely refined level of service such that dishes can be modified as desired, as well as adjusting dishes on the fly to amplify the harmony between food and beverage pairings," Natarajan adds.

A new menu rolls out January 20 — just in time for the start of crawfish season.

Mike McElroy is the new chef at The Durham House.

Photo by Eric Sandler

Mike McElroy is the new chef at The Durham House.

washington-avenue chefs

bring on barnaby's

Favorite Houston comfort food spot picks Garden Oaks for 10th location

Courtesy of Barnaby's Cafe

Barnaby's Cafe is coming to the Stomping Grounds this fall.

Earlier this week, real estate developer Bryan Danna promised “big news…very soon” about a new tenant for the former LuLoo’s Day & Night space at his Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks. That news is that Houston favorite Barnaby’s Cafe has claimed the space for a new location that will open later this year.

When a Barnaby’s decal appear on the restaurant’s door a couple of days ago, news of the restaurant’s imminent arrival spread quickly on social media. It will be Barnaby’s tenth location, joining outposts in Montrose, River Oaks, the Heights, and more.

The restaurant will occupy a 2,250-square-foot space at the Stomping Grounds. It will offer a to-go window for people hanging out in the development’s green space as well as a gated, dog-friendly patio. Houston artist Roberto Cervantes will contribute works to the restaurant’s interior.

Founded in 1992 by restaurateur Jeff Gale, Barnaby’s is known for its wide-ranging and affordable menu of classic American fare, including salads, sandwiches, breakfast items, and dinner entrees. Customer favorites include the Lebanese chicken fattoush salad, chipotle black bean burger, baby back ribs, and green eggs, which are scrambled with spinach and artichoke hearts. Dogs can snack on a special “puppy menu” of ground beef, sliced chicken breast, or scrambled eggs over brown rice.

Stomping Grounds green space A to-go window will expedite orders for people in the Stomping Grounds' green space.Courtesy of Stomping Grounds

“Bringing Barnaby’s to Garden Oaks and Oak Forest has been on my wish list for more than a decade, so I’m incredibly grateful that Jeff Gale and his team saw Stomping Grounds as the right fit,” Danna said in a statement. “Jeff and I go back to his first Heights location, which was one of Barnaby’s first big moves north of Montrose, and I have always respected what he and his longtime team have built. Thirty years in the restaurant business is a serious accomplishment. You do not make it that long unless you know how to take care of people, build loyalty, and become part of the neighborhood.”

When it opens this fall, Barnaby’s will be open daily from 11 am to 9 pm. It will join other restaurants at the Stomping Grounds, including Fat Cat Creamery, Tex-Mex restaurant La Mex, Bollo Woodfired Pizza, casual sushi restaurant Himari, Little Sister Cake Shop, and High Five Mini Bar. Earlier this week, casual Vietnamese restaurant Pho Prime announced that it had claimed the space formerly occupied by The Pho Fix for a new location that will also open this fall.

news-you-can-eat openings stomping grounds barnaby's cafe