What's Eric Eating Episode 138

The best wines to pick up in Houston, plus a fabulous French meal to-go

Antonio Gianola.

Photo by Carla Gomez

On this week's episode of "What's Eric Eating," sommelier Antonio Gianola joins CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss his career working in Houston and his current role as general manager of Houston Wine Merchant. With experience at Houston restaurants such as Da Marco and Catalan, Gianola oversees the store's day-to-day operations and makes buying decisions for French, Italian, German, and Austrian wines.

In response to social distancing requirements, Houston Wine Merchant has closed its store to customers, but they can order over the phone or online for curbside pickup. Sandler asks about what people are buying during a time they're required to stay home.

"Before the pandemic, I would say people were regularly in the $30-70 range was the sweet spot of what people were looking for. Now, I think people are looking for wines they don't have to cellar, and they're drinking them all, most in the $20-35 range tends to be the biggest movers right now. . . Instead of buying a bottle or two, people are buying half a case or a case."

Listen to the full interview to hear Giancola recall working with chefs Marco Wiles and Chris Shepherd. He also offers a few buying suggestions for people looking to pick up something tasty from Houston Wine Merchant.

Prior to the interview, Rebecca Masson joins Sandler to discuss the news of the week. The pastry chef starts off by talking about the process of reopening Fluff Bake Bar in its new home near The Heights and then fires back at people who leave negative Yelp reviews during a challenging time for restaurants.

Special guest Adam Brackman joins the show to discuss the Payroll Protection Plan, a provision of the recently passed CARES Act that provides restaurants and other small businesses with the opportunity to apply for forgivable loans equal to two times their monthly payroll. Brackman says he plans to apply for a loan to support Axelrad, his ultra-popular bar in Midtown.

In the restaurants of the week segment, Sandler and Masson share some of the places they've ordered takeout from. Masson's choices include Pizaro's Pizza and Chow Wok, a Chinese restaurant in west Houston. Sandler raves about a recent meal from Galleria-area French restaurant Étoile.

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truffle shuffle

Fine dining chef serves up casual sandwich shop in Houston suburb

Photo by Hungry AF Media

Richmond may not be top of mind among the Houston suburbs with destination-worthy restaurants — other than Larry’s Original Mexican, of course — but a new cafe could have sandwich lovers from across greater Houston contemplating a visit to Fort Bend County.

Meet Truffle & Rye Market & Café. The new restaurant, which celebrated its grand opening earlier this month, serves breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday. In the morning, look for freshly baked pastries such as muffins and banana bread alongside breakfast sandwiches that are made with organic sourdough bagels.

Lunch is built around sandwiches made with freshly baked schiacciata bread, an Italian-style flatbread that’s similar to focaccia, that Truffle & Rye sources from Houston's Artisan Bread Gallery. They include The Pig (mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio, pesto, and pistachio crumble), The Boar (spicy salami, whipped ricotta cheese, Italian pepper spread, and arugula), and The Bird (roasted turkey, basil pesto, provolone, roasted tomato, and arugula). Three salads are also available.

Beverage options include a full coffee program, including lattes made with Mill-King milk and house made syrups, as well as teas, lemonade, and bottles of wine.

Truffle and Rye restaurant Kaitlyn Chavez and Joey Chavez Truffle and Rye owners Kaitlyn and Joey Chavez.Courtesy of Truffle & Rye Market & Café

Photo by Hungry AF Media

The Bird is made with turkey, pesto, provolone, and roasted tomatoes.

Chef Joey Chavez and his wife Kaitlyn are the husband-and-wife duo behind Truffle & Rye. Prior to launching his private chef company The Hidden Truffle, chef Chavez worked at a number of notable restaurants, including The French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s legendary, three-star Michelin fine dining restaurant in California; the Caribou Club in Aspen; and Brennan’s of Houston, where he had a brief stint as executive chef. Kaitlyn Chavez also brings top-level hospitality experience, having worked for The Ritz Carlton luxury hotel chain.

“We built The Hidden Truffle around private dining and elevated experiences,” Kaitlyn shares. “But we kept coming back to the idea of wanting something for our community, somewhere people could come in regularly, feel taken care of, and enjoy food that still holds that same level of quality.”

While the restaurant won’t serve dinner daily, it will be open on select nights for wine tastings, sourdough classes, pop-up dinners, and other happenings.

Although he has a fine dining background, chef Chavez said he’s excited to bring this more casual concept to Richmond. “We wanted to build something we would want to go to ourselves,” he said. “A place where the food is intentional, the ingredients matter, and people feel comfortable coming in multiple times a week.”

Truffle & Rye is located in Richmond at 107 S. Third Street. It opens at 7 am Monday-Thursday and 8 am on Friday and Saturday.

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