Chefs on the Move

Ninfa's taps acclaimed Houston chef for new Galleria-area restaurant

The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation has recruited Jason Gould to serve as the executive for its eagerly anticipated Galleria-area location.

Gould brings over 25 years in the restaurant industry to his role. Houstonians may recognize his name as the executive chef of acclaimed Montrose restaurant Gravitas. More recently, he spent seven years as the corporate executive chef for Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen.

Gould tells CultureMap that the sale of Cyclone Anaya’s to the Heritage Restaurant Group prompted him to look for a new opportunity. He contacted Legacy Restaurants president Jonathan Horowitz, knowing the former head of the Houston Restaurant Association might have some advice. To his surprise, he discovered Horowitz had a more immediate need — someone who could help lead the expansion of one of the city’s most iconic restaurant brands.

Currently on track for a May opening, The Original Ninfa’s Uptown Houston will be the first Ninfa’s expansion for owner Legacy Restaurants (other Ninfa’s locations are franchised). Diners will have high expectations, and it’s up to Gould and his team to maintain the standards set by the original location and chef Alex Padilla.

“It is a big challenge,” Gould. “It’s something we’ve been discussing quite regularly. Not only does Ninfa’s have a history, everyone has memories. Trying to recreate that will be a challenge in itself.

“If you have a meal at Navigation, you need to have the same meal at BLVD Place.”

With permits in hand, construction has begun to transform the former Peska Seafood into the new Ninfa’s. As the renderings above illustrate, changes to the dining room will be extensive. They’ll be less so in the kitchen, Gould says, but he’s focusing on configuring a flow to ensure that every plate arrives at its intended destination promptly.

For now, he’s working with Padilla to practice recipes and develop the training materials that will ensure a smooth opening.

“He’s great. It’s funny because Alex has similar experience to me,” Gould says. “We both come from fine dining backgrounds. We both enjoy cooking a variety of cuisines. It’s good to work with him and see what’s doing with the menu.”

Jason Gould will be the executive chef at the new Ninfa's.

Courtesy photo

Jason Gould will be the executive chef at the new Ninfa's.

chefs openings

mission accomplished

Houston ice cream shop from 'World's Best Pastry Chef' quietly closes

Photo by Albert Pérez Santaeulària

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An ambitious, socially-conscious Houston ice cream shop has served its last scoop. Rocambolesc has closed, the business announced on Instagram.

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In the announcement, the shop explains that it chose not to renew its lease in the Uptown Park shopping center when it expired after five years. The shop employed neurodiverse employees through a partnership with Houston nonprofit The Center for Pursuit.

“While the mission succeeded beyond anything we imagined, the business itself did not,” the Instagram post reads in part. “Rocambolesc was never a nonprofit; it was a Public Benefit Corporation, a business with a mission. The financial challenges were never a reflection of inclusion or the extraordinary people behind Rocambolesc.”

Open since 2022, Rocambolesc is a creation of pastry chef Jordi Roca, one of three brothers who operates El Celler de Can Roca, a three-star Michelin restaurant in Girona, Spain that was once named the best restaurant in the world. Jordi Roca's creative desserts have drawn wide acclaim, including being named the world's best pastry chef in 2014 and being profiled in Netflix's Chef Table documentary series.

The ice cream shop served soft serve gelato in flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, and oven-baked apple, as well as soft serve sorbets such as strawberry or coconut and violet (the purple flower). Diners could enhance their ice cream with add-ons such as chocolate cake, colored stars, or the chef’s take on pop rocks.

In addition, Rocambolesc served creative popsicles such as a finger-shaped bar of chocolate, olive oil, and salt and Roca's signature nose-shaped bar of strawberry and rose water. The shop also sold gelato to-go as well as chocolate bars, truffles, and candies.

To bring Rocambolesc to Houston, Roca partnered with Houston billionaire Igancio Torras, who also owns Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant BCN and MAD, its sister concept in River Oaks District.

Torras has long championed providing opportunities for neurodivergent individuals. He recently hosted the Roca brothers for two sold-out dinners in Houston that raised money for The Genuine Cup, an international soccer tournament for athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Held July 27 - August 1, teams from 50 countries participated in the event, which was held at Rice Stadium.

ice cream desserts closings