rodeo best bites 2022

Houston favorites lasso top honors at rodeo's Best Bites competition

Troy Guard, left, of Guard and Grace.

Photo by Eric Sandler

Houstonians are ready to Rodeo. More than 4,000 food and wine lovers turned out for the annual Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup & Best Bites Competition that pairs award-winning wines from the 2022 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition with food prepared by almost 100 Houston restaurants, bakeries, and food trucks.

As always, Ronnie Killen fared well with the panel of media judges, scoring first place in the Lone Star Entrée Award with a dish from Killen's TMX. The Tex-Mex restaurant's brisket suadero taco with black garlic salsa, guacamole, and queso fresco also drew long lines of attendees, keeping veteran Killen's chef Teddy Lopez and his team busy all night.

As for the coveted people's choice belt buckle, Cotton Culinary won with its "Figgy Piggy," while downtown steakhouse Guard & Grace took second for its flavorful oak-grilled New York strip with loaded baked potato cracker. See the full list of winners below.

Highlights from the non-winning dishes included smoked enchiladas from Brett's BBQ Shop, classic Louisiana gumbo from Eunice, seafood empanadas from Pier 6 Seafood, and truffle salmon nigiri from Memorial-area Japanese restaurant Kuu. Overall, the participants range from Houston classics like Brennan's and Taste of Texas to relative newcomers like Palace Social and Click Virtual Food Hall.

The annual event — unofficially the kick-off of Rodeo season ahead of the trail rides and barbecue cook-off — draws thousands to NRG Center. In addition to food from some of the city's top restaurants, attendees may sample some of the almost 500 wines that earned medals in the annual International Wine Competition. Thankfully, those who missed the festivities have the opportunity to sample some of the vintages in the Rodeo's wine garden, and many of the bottles will be auctioned off at the Rodeo Uncorked! Champion Wine Auction & Dinner on Sunday, February 27.

Here's the full list of winners:

People’s Choice Award
First Place: Cotton Culinary: Figgy Piggy
Second Place: Guard & Grace, A Modern Steakhouse: Oak grilled Creekstone Farms Prime New York Strip with loaded baked potato

Tasty Tradition Award
First Place: Joyce’s Seafood & Steaks: White chocolate bread pudding
Second Place: Taste of Texas Restaurant: Certified Angus Beef tenderloin and Megan’s mac & cheese

Trailblazer Appetizer Award
First Place: Omni Houston: Pork belly skewer, Moroccan BBQ, Carrot Puree, Chicharrone
Second Place: Songkran Thai Kitchen: Thai Steak Salad (Neu Nam Tok)
Third Place: Revival Market: Cauliflower Crositini – cauliflower hummus, homemade giardiniera, za’atar, chives

Lone Star Entrée Award
First Place: Killen’s TMX: Brisket suadero taco with black garlic salsa guacamole and queso fresco, and charro beans with jalapeno sausage
Second Place: Gus’ Fried Chicken: Fried Chicken Wing
Third Place: Russo’s Italian Kitchen: Lobster maestro – lobster essence, bianco, talegio, capelietti, maine lobster, smoked pecan

Two-Steppin’ Dessert Award
First Place: Egghaus Gourmet: Texas Pecan Croissant
Second Place: Ragin Cajun: Bread pudding with rum sauce
Third Place: Ashley Cakes: Carrot Cake

Rookie Award
Craft Creamery: R-C Ranch Wagyu Brisket Ice Cream Sandwich

Trail Boss Food Truck Award
Cruisin Sushi: Cruisin Special Roll – fried roll inside chicken, zucchini, carrots, Monterrey cheese, Tampico, cream cheese and avocado, drizzled with homemade spicy mayo and eel sauce (homemade soy and jalapeno sauce on the side)

Outstanding Showmanship Award
First Place: Eculent
Second Place: Texas Harvest

Troy Guard, left, of Guard and Grace.

Rodeo Best Bites 2022 Troy Guard Guard & Grace

Photo by Eric Sandler

Troy Guard, left, of Guard and Grace.

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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