CultureMap Video

Darkhorse chef crowned Houston's "Prince of Pork," upsets favorites to take title

Cochon 555, the nationwide 10-city pork festival that made its first ever stop in Houston Sunday night, has a simple premise: five pigs, five chefs, five wineries. Over 500 people turned out for Sunday's event at the new JW Marriott downtown to sample the food, wine and cocktails.

While every chef portrayed the evening as a friendly competition, all the teams clearly came to win. In addition to the first place prize, which includes a trip to Aspen to compete against the winners from nine other cities, the winner earns bragging rights from having set the bar for future Cochon 555 competitors.

While every chef portrayed the evening as a friendly competition, all the teams clearly came to win.

That competitive fire resulted in a range of creative dishes that had attendees lining up for seconds. Each chef received a heritage pig from a local farm and has the task of creating up to six dishes.

On the culinary side, some of the highlights included Main Kitchen pastry chef Sharon Gofreed's bone marrow custard, Punk's Simple Southern Food executive chef Brandi Key's deviled egg, Ronnie Killen's Korean-style pork rib and the ham, egg and chesse biscuit from Coltivare's Marcelo Garcia.

Judges for the event included a Who's Who of Houston chefs, including Reef's Bryan Caswell, former Haven chef Randy Evans, Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan from The Pass & Provisions and Oxheart's Justin Yu, who did double duty by serving beef tartare made with three cuts of high quality Creekstone beef. The crowd also voted for their favorite, with the winner coming from a combination of the judges and people's choice.

After three hours of feasting, organizer Brady Lowe revealed the winner. Among all the big names, it was the darkhorse, Down House executive chef Mark Decker, who took the title. Of course, Decker had support from the full Treadsack team, which included two men with butchering experience in Hunky Dory's Richard Knight and Bernadine's Graham Laborde. Bar director Leslie Ross supplied Decker with a pork-washed bourbon satsuma cocktail to further bolster his entry.

Watch the video above for more from the scene. Lowe's already promised he'll come back next year. If the reaction of last night's crowd is any indication, Houston can't wait.

Erin Smith shows off the charcuterie plate that the chefs at Main Kitchen created for Cochon 555.

Cochon 555

Photo by Joel Luks

Erin Smith shows off the charcuterie plate that the chefs at Main Kitchen created for Cochon 555.

failure to launch

Award-winning Houston brewery will soon shutter in EaDo

True Anomaly Brewing

True Anomaly Brewing/Instagram

True Anomaly has outgrown its current facility.

An award-winning Houston brewery will soon tap its last keg.

True Anomaly Brewing Co. will close its doors permanently on April 30, the brewery announced on Instagram. The news surprised many Houston craft beer enthusiasts, as it marks a major reversal of the company’s planned moved to the East End that was first announced in 2024.

Founded by four NASA employees who spent decades homebrewing, True Anomaly opened in 2019 and quickly became one of Houston’s most respected breweries. Known for its artisanally crafted farmhouse, Belgian, and foeder‑aged beers, it earned major accolades in just a few years, including a GABF medal and back‑to‑back Brewery of the Year honors at the Texas Craft Brewers Cup in 2023 and 2024.

“When we opened True Anomaly, the dream was never just to start a brewery. We wanted to create a place where people could gather, share ideas, celebrate milestones, and build something together around great beer,” the post states.

“While this chapter of True Anomaly is coming to an end, what we built here will always be bigger than a building. It lives in the friendships formed at the bar, the events that filled the room, the beers shared across tables, and the community that made this place come alive each day,⁠” it continues.

The statement goes on to describe a host of challenges, including the I‑45 expansion near the brewery’s doorstep and ongoing delays that ultimately sunk the goal of moving to a new location.

Before the brewery closes its doors at the end of next month, True Anomaly will hold a “Celebration of Life” event on April 26 to coincide with the anniversary of its original opening. It will remain open for regular service until April 30.

The closure leaves Houston’s craft beer community in mourning over the loss of yet another brewery. Over the past few years, the number of breweries has continued to shrink with closures such as Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co., Black Page Brewing Co., Ingenious Brewing Company, the Houston location of New Orleans-based Urban South Brewery, and others.

closings craft-beer true anomaly brewing

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