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    Lance is back

    Veteran Houston chef opens his highly anticipated new Heights restaurant

    Eric Sandler
    Apr 6, 2021 | 4:27 pm

    The Heights' newest destination for classic American fare and Southern Italian classics has opened its doors. After a quiet soft opening over the weekend, Fegen's officially begins service on Tuesday, April 6.

    Located in the former Liberty Kitchen space at the corner of Studewood and 11th St., Fegen's is the new home for veteran Houston chef Lance Fegen. The chef helped establish The Heights as a dining destination when he opened Glass Wall in 2006 and the first Liberty Kitchen in 2011.

    When Fegen and his partners opted to sell the Liberty Kitchen brand to State Fare owner Culinary Khancepts last year, they kept The Heights location for this new concept, which, to be very clear, is unrelated to the similarly spelled Feges BBQ (Editor's note: we've received a few questions from readers).

    “It’s very meaningful to be opening a restaurant that bears my name," Fegen said in a statement. "Myself and the team hope to make it a wonderful experience all around, offering up approachable American food and a cozy atmosphere. Plus, we’re stoked to give a new life to our home of nearly a decade.”

    That approachable American food starts with small plates such as hot cross buns and mussels and a selection of salads. From there, diners may choose from Italian-inspired pizzas and pastas that nod to Fegen's ancestry or opt for a range of steak and seafood options that are more in the style of the chef's previous concepts.

    Liberty Kitchen's coastal hues have been replaced with a darker palate of red and green with brass accents. A lowered ceiling has been installed to give the room a more intimate feel that provides a setting for family lunches, business dinners, and date night.

    Handling the front of house will be two industry veterans. General manager Matt Hart comes from the corporate world of Landry's and Darden Restaurants. Bar manager Nicole Meza will bring the craft aesthetic she learned at Weights + Measures and Julep to Fegen's cocktail offerings.

    For now, Fegen's is open for dinner Tuesday-Sunday beginning at 5 pm. Lunch and weekend brunch will follow. The restaurant does not accept reservations but does offer to-go.

    Gaitano's Cosenza Square is one of the pizza options.

    Fegen's restaurant Gaitano's Cosenza square
      
    Photo by Carla Gomez
    Gaitano's Cosenza Square is one of the pizza options.
    the-heightsnews-you-can-eatopenings
    news/restaurants-bars

    and the winner is...

    Innovative Houston chef is the city's newest James Beard Award winner

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 17, 2025 | 6:00 am
    James Beard Awards 2025 Thomas Bille Belly of the Beast
    Photo by Getty Images for James Beard Foundation
    Thomas Bille is Houston's newest James Beard Award winner.

    Add another Houston chef to the city’s growing list of James Beard Award winners. Thomas Bille, chef-owner of Belly of the Beast in Spring, earned Best Chef: Texas at the James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony.

    Held at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, June 16, Bille was one of five finalists for the award, along with fellow Houstonian Emmanuel Chavez (Tatemo), Emil Oliva (Leche de Tigre in San Antonio), Regino Rojas (Purépecha in Dallas), and Michael Anthony Serva, (Bordo in Marfa). Neither of Houston’s other finalists — Mexico City-inspired cafe Casaema (formerly known as Ema) for Best New Restaurant and fine dining tasting menu restaurant March for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program — earned awards in their categories.

    A Los Angeles native who moved to the Houston area to be closer to his wife’s family, Bille took a winding path to his James Beard Award. He opened the first iteration of Belly of the Beast in 2020 as a chef-driven taqueria that was known for its ceviches and birria tacos. He then spent about a year at Chivos, an ambitious but short-lived Mexican-American restaurant in the Heights.

    In late 2023, he and his wife Elizabeth opened a new version of Belly of the Beast in a Spring shopping center. It showcased a broader array of Bille’s skills, with a wide-ranging menu that pulled from global flavors — lamb shank rendang, anyone? — that included meat, seafood, and pastas. The new restaurant quickly earned wide acclaim, including a Bib Gourmand in the 2024 Michelin Guide and CultureMap Tastemaker Award nominations for both Restaurant of the Year and Chef of the Year.

    “I feel a depth of gratitude,” Bille tells CultureMap in a text message. “Knowing that my wife and I were able to reopen on our own terms. Gratitude for my family, staff, and guests to give us love and support. It is much appreciated.”

    In an interview from the ceremony shared by the James Beard Foundation, Bille paid tribute to his wife, Elizabeth, for her role in the restaurant’s success.

    “The risk that my wife and I took to open this restaurant is more than worth it. My wife left her industry, she was a national director for nonprofit organization,” he said. “I said, ‘We’re going to reopen Belly of the Beast. I need you with me side-by-side the whole time.’ The first iteration she held down her job and supported us. With her at my wide, I’m able to focus on the kitchen, on the food, and mentoring my cooks. Able to see the bigger picture instead of just being in the weeds all the time.”

    Bille is the second Houstonian to win Best Chef: Texas, joining Street to Kitchen chef-owner Benchawan Jabthong Painter, who won in 2023. Since the category of Best Chef: Texas has only been awarded since 2022, Bille is the first man to earn the title. Prior to being its own region, the James Beard Foundation included Texas in the Southwest, where chefs Robert Del Grande (Cafe Annie), Chris Shepherd (Underbelly), Justin Yu (Oxheart), and Hugo Ortega (Hugo’s) all won awards.

    The only other Texas finalist to win his category was Arjav Ezekiel of Birdie's in Austin, who became the first winner of Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, one of three beverage-oriented categories the foundation added for 2025.

    In addition to Bille and Ezekiel, Texam Chad Houser, founder of Cafe Momentum in Dallas, received the Humanitarian of the Year Award. Toni Tipton-Martin, a Houston-based author, scholar, and journalist, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Houstonian Alba Huerta, who won Outstanding Beverage Program for her bar Julep in 2022, presented one of the night’s awards.

    “It’s with deep celebration that we congratulate the 2025 Restaurant and Chef Award winners — distinguished culinary, beverage, and hospitality leaders whose talent and vision are shaping our dining landscape,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation, in a statement. “These outstanding professionals are the epitome of ‘Good Food for Good,’ elevating our industry’s standards and redefining what’s possible in American cuisine.”

    James Beard Awards 2025 Thomas Bille Belly of the Beast
      

    Photo by Getty Images for James Beard Foundation

    Thomas Bille is Houston's newest James Beard Award winner.

    awardsjames beard awardchefsthomas billebelly of the beast
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