Top Houston chef takes you along for the ride to his favorite Texas hot spots

With the exciting news that James Beard-winning chef Chris Shepherd's wildly popular Southern Smoke is debuting a week-long festival in the spring, chef and Underbelly Hospitality owner Shepherd hopped in his Lexus GX to pay a visit to his pal Aaron Franklin, the famous Austin pitmaster at Franklin Barbecue.

Franklin, who's been involved with Southern Smoke for all four of its years, will be hosting "the ultimate steak dinner" at Shepherd's newest venture, Georgia James, on April 14. This coincides with the publishing of Franklin's new steak cookbook, and all lucky attendees at this dinner will receive a signed copy.

But before the weeklong Southern Smoke Spring happens April 14-18, with all proceeds benefitting the Southern Smoke Foundation (which provides emergency financial assistance to people in the restaurant industry), Shepherd has some road-tripping to do.

Hop in the car and travel along as Shepherd highlights his favorite Houston hot spots and drops in on other chef friends. All the while, he'll be in his trusty Lexus, paying homage to the automobile brand that was one of the first-ever Southern Smoke sponsors and is the official vehicle sponsor again.

Expect to see new Lexus models on display at Southern Smoke, including the flagship LS; the ultimate luxury vehicle, the LX Inspiration; and Houston staples such as the RX and GX. Last year, Lexus even did a custom mural onsite, so expect to see more exciting elements this year from the brand.

Get your tickets now to Southern Smoke Spring, and keep an eye out for Shepherd's adventures in the future.