what's in a name?
Star chef picks Montrose space for highly anticipated Houston restaurant
One of this year's most eagerly anticipated new restaurants has started to reveal itself. Chef Aaron Bludorn, formerly the executive chef of New York's acclaimed Cafe Boulud, has claimed the former Pass & Provisions space at 807 Taft St. for his Houston restaurant.
Currently slated for a mid-to-late summer opening, details are otherwise light for the still-unnamed establishment. In a release, the chef reiterates the comments he made to CultureMap last summer that the restaurant will be "polished and charismatic." While it will have French elements — as one would expect from someone who worked for America's most famous French chef — it will not be an explicitly French restaurant.
One intriguing detail is that Bludorn plans to keep the space's two-in-one format. While the overall concept has yet to be defined, that does present the possibility of offering diners different experiences under one roof.
Reality TV watchers may recognize Bludorn's name from his time on Netflix's cooking competition show The Final Table. Paired with Scottish chef Graham Campbell, the chef demonstrated an ability to blend French technique with a number of international cuisines. In the Japan episode, Yoshihiro Narisawa called Bludorn's uni panna cotta "perfect."
Bludorn announced last summer that he would leave New York and move to Houston. Victoria, the chef's wife, grew up in Houston and is the daughter of Pappas Restaurants co-owner Chris Pappas. Since moving to Houston, the chef has popped up at various events, including Southern Smoke and the Around the World in 10,000 Bites dinner. He'll be competing in this year's Truffle Masters event on Monday, January 27.