Food for Thought

Houston restaurants are finally getting a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Randy Evans is one of several chefs off to the Big Apple for a round ofinterviews, including Martha Stewart Radio, to promote Houston and the GreaterHouston Convention & Visitors Bureau's culinary tours with top chefs thisspring.
Renowned food and wine critic John Mariani has been a Tony’s fan for more than aquarter of a century.
Photo by Chris Conyers
Critics across the country discovered Bryan Caswell’s Reef in 2008.
Photo by Courtney Caswell
David Grossman’s Branch Water Tavern made the short list of The Daily Beast’s"Winter’s Hot New Restaurants."
Photo by Kimberly Park

The national media has dissed our beloved city on far too many occasions, but now it seems our dishes may be bringing us some respect.

How cool was it last week to see David Grossman’s Branch Water Tavern on the short list of The Daily Beast’s "Winter’s Hot New Restaurants"? About as cool as when critics across the country discovered Bryan Caswell’s Reef in 2008 and when The New York Times' Frank Bruni fell in love with Feast last year.

Even the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau is jumping on the bandwagon, offering culinary tours with top chefs this spring. Already seven of the eight tours have sold out and the GHCVB is going to offer additional tours in June.

“It’s just really exciting,” GHCVB director of marketing and public relations Lindsey Brown says of the tours and the national buzz our chefs are getting. “It’s wonderful that the national media is recognizing Houston has more than barbecue and Tex-Mex.”

In fact, next week the GHCVB is taking chefs Chris Shepherd and Randy Evans to the Big Apple for a round of interviews, including Martha Stewart Radio, to promote Houston and the tours.

“Chris and I are going to have some fun and talk about the tours,” Evans, the chef/owner of Haven says. “It’s so cool that the Houston food scene is getting some focus. For so long we were the also-ran of the restaurant world behind New York and Chicago. Now, people are really starting to take notice.”

Of course, some folks have been onboard for a while. Renowned food and wine critic John Mariani has been a Tony’s fan for more than a quarter of a century. “Early on I recognized he was one of the most important restaurateurs in Houston,” Mariani told me recently. “He has some of the finest Italian food in the country. He’ll do anything, pay anything, to get the finest ingredients.” Mariani will be back in Houston next month as the keynote speaker of the Galleria Chamber of Commerce’s Texas Legends Gala, which will honor Vallone and his wife, Donna.

It really would be nice for Houston to be known as a dining destination rather than for its dirty air and urban sprawl. Chatting with comedian Bill Maher on the phone the other day, I tried to get him to talk about some of our restaurants. Unfortunately, he’s “practically a vegetarian” and doesn’t eat out when he’s on the road. But he loves our city.

“How can I not love a city that invented strip clubs and Ecstasy!”

OK, maybe the GHCVB has a little more work to do.

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two days of bbq

2 Michelin-rated barbecue joints holding can't-miss pop ups in Houston

Courtesy of KG BBQ

KG BBQ is bringing its Egyptian-influenced barbecue to Houston.

Two of the Texas barbecue joints to earn Bib Gourmand recognition in the Michelin Guide will be holding pop ups in Houston this week. One is visiting from Austin, while another is a Spring favorite with a one-day-only menu.

On Saturday, December 14, Austin’s celebrated KG BBQ will be serving at Axelrad in Midtown. Part of Texas Monthly’s 2023 list of the Top 25 New and Improved BBQ Joints in Texas, KG BBQ has earned wide acclaim for pitmaster Kareem El-Ghayesh’s Egyptian-influenced take on Texas barbecue.

The menu will include many of KG’s most popular dishes, including brisket rice bowls with smoked Mediterranean rice; smoked lamb chops; sumac-and-cinnamon-rubbed lamb shoulder, and sides such as pink buttermilk potato salad and Baladi salad.

Service begins at 10:30 am. Preorders are available online with a minimum order of $60.

In a statement, Axelrad co-owners Adam Brackman and Monte Large say that KG will make more visits to Houston in 2025. El-Ghayesh adds that he’s a fan of the Houston bar that’s known for its spacious backyard with hammocks, a stage, and a wide-ranging menu of beer and cocktails.

“Since the moment I stepped foot in Axelrad, I loved their culture, their vibrant colors and artistic flare, their attention to detail and hospitality and love for entertainment makes this place perfect for bringing back my nostalgic memories of hosting pop-ups like how I started in Austin,” he said. “I’m proud to bring what I have created to Houston. From how diverse the city is, its beautiful variety of ethnic foods, and large Egyptian community, it has so much to offer. We are excited to serve up some Egyptian BBQ to the Houston community through our pop ups over the next year at Axelrad.”

On Sunday, Spring’s Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q will trade its usual offerings for a special menu of dishes made with smoked whole hog. The menu will include whole hog plates, whole hog sandwiches, whole hog-and-parmesan polenta cakes, and whole hog served over cheese grits with a New Orleans-style barbecue sauce as well as sides and desserts. Service will run from 11 am until everything sells out, likely sometime between 2 and 3 pm.

“The whole menu is filled with specials and cool items we don’t do everyday at the stand,” co-owner Jordan Rosemeyer writes in an email. The motive, beyond exercising some creative muscles, is to raise money for Hogs for the Cause, an annual event that raises money for pediatric brain cancer research and the families who are fighting it.

Like KG, Rosemeyer is also a member of Texas Monthly’s 2023 new and improved list. Located at 2111 Riley Fuzzel Rd., the humble trailer has earned acclaim for its weekly specials, housemade ice cream, and well executed barbecue staples.

news-you-can-eat barbecue pop ups kg bbq rosemeyer bar-b-q

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two days of bbq

2 Michelin-rated barbecue joints holding can't-miss pop ups in Houston