JBF in Houston

America's culinary Oscars will reveal food star finalists at VIP events in Houston

The James Beard Foundation is coming to Houston.

Courtesy photo

The James Beard Foundation is coming to Houston. The organization will announce the finalists for its annual awards, considered the Oscars of the culinary world, live from Hugo's in Montrose on Wednesday, March 27 at 9 am.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation, will co-host the press conference and corresponding breakfast, which will be streamed online via the Beard Foundation website. The awards will be presented in Chicago on Monday, May 6. The list of semifinalists will be revealed on Wednesday, February 27.

“We’re thrilled to showcase the city of Houston and bring our 2019 James Beard Awards nominees announcement to this diverse and vibrant culinary and dining scene,” Reichenbach said in a statement. “The city of Houston’s dedication to cultivating and embracing its local restaurants and culinary talent make it the perfect community for such an occasion.”

In addition to the awards announcement, an all-star roster of Houston's most talented chefs will unite for a special benefit dinner that will be held at Caracol the night before the press conference (March 26).

Hosted by Caracol owners Tracy Vaught and Hugo Ortega, the meal will feature entrees prepared by Ortega, Chris Shepherd, Justin Yu, and Robert Del Grande — all of whom have won the Beard award for Best Chef: Southwest. In addition, Bobby Heugel, a Beard nominee for Anvil Bar & Refuge, will serve cocktails, and Beard semifinalist nominees Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan (The Pass & Provisions) and Anita Jaisinghani (Pondicheri) will serve canapes with Beard winner Irma Galvan, whose downtown restaurant Irma's Original earned a James Beard America's Classic award in 2008, and Himalaya chef-owner Kaiser Lashkari — who hasn't been nominated for a Beard award yet but probably should be. Rounding out the roster is Sean Beck, beverage director for Ortega and Vaught's restaurants, and Ortega's brother Ruben, who will serve dessert. See the full menu here.

The event will benefit James Beard Foundation National Scholars Program, which provides "$20,000 scholarships to 10 candidates from across the U.S., who demonstrate the potential for leadership roles in culinary arts, food studies, agriculture, hospitality management, and related fields," according to the Beard Foundation website.

Needless to say, the dinner is a virtually unprecedented collection of Houston culinary talent that will sell out quickly. Tickets, priced at $200 per person plus tax and gratuity ($256), are available here.

“The City of Houston is honored to host the James Beard Foundation as it announces the 2019 James Beard Award nominees,” Turner added. “The Foundation has come to the ideal place. With one in every four Houstonians being foreign born, Houston takes pride in the rich culinary scene that comes with being one of most diverse cities in the nation.”

chefs fundraisers charity

smoking on kirby

Beard Award-winning chefs' Asian smokehouse opens new Houston location

Courtesy of Loro

Loro is known for its creative bowls.

The wait is nearly over for the second Houston-area location of Asian-inspired smokehouse Loro. It will make its debut on Saturday, September 28.

Part of Hai Hospitality, the company behind Japanese restaurants Uchi and Uchiko, James Beard Award winners Aaron Franklin (Franklin Barbecue) and Tyson Cole (Uchi) teamed up to open the first Loro in 2018. The restaurant blends Franklin's expertise in smoked meats with Cole's ability to use Asian flavors and techniques in creative ways.

Signature items at the fast casual restaurant include sweet corn fritters, smoked prime bavette, a cheeseburger topped with red onion-brisket jam, and kaarage with chili aioli. Pair them with wine, beer, or boozy slushes such as the signature frozen gin and tonic.

The Kirby location will open with a few exclusive menu items. They are:

Pork Tostadas made with corn tortillas, crème fraîche, shishito salsa verde
Smoked Shishito Queso with wonton chips and kimchee furikake (pulled pork or brisket available for an additional fee)
Oak Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich with sesame slaw and smoked pepper BBQ sauce
Double Smash Burger with yuzu-Thousand Island dressing, American cheese, and grilled onions.

For dessert, Loro Kirby will be the first restaurant in the growing mini-chain to serve Dole Whip soft serve with yuzu marmalade and candied pineapple.

Loro Kirby will also offer a discounted lunch feature. The lunch two step will give diners their choices of sandwich — smash burger, chicken sandwich, or pulled pork — and a half side — crispy Potatoes, Texas sweet corn, or cabbage salad — for $15. Happy hour, served Monday through Friday from 2-6 pm, offers other discounts on food and drinks.

The rest of the menu will be familiar to anyone who has visited the Heights location that opened in 2022. That includes meat plates and rice bowls built around a range of proteins that include crispy Szechuan tofu, Malaysian curry chicken, curry-marinated shrimp, char siew pork belly, and oak-smoked salmon. Salad options include the Loro wedge (topped with brisket burnt ends) and a chilled ginger noodle salad.

Located near Rice Village at 5333 Kirby Drive, the new Loro has been two years in the making. It occupies a new development on the site of a former paint and body shop. The restaurant will seat 120 inside and 70 more on a shaded, dog-friendly patio. An outdoor waiting area is also shaded and has its own bar to keep people properly hydrated.

“Houston really embraced our first Loro location in the Heights that we decided pretty early on that we wanted to open another location in the city,” Cole said in a statement. “This location will feature a variety of fan favorite dishes along with some new options guests will only find at Kirby.”

The restaurant will celebrate opening day with $5 boozy slushies. The first 100 diners will receive branded Yeti cups.

Courtesy of Loro

Loro is known for its creative bowls.

news-you-can-eat openings loro