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    Shelby 's Social Diary

    Bellies bulging, foodies give CultureMap's Last Chef Standing competition atasty thumbs up

    Shelby Hodge
    Apr 10, 2012 | 12:55 pm
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    • Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com

    By the time Quattro's chef Maurizio Ferrarese had served several hundred Texas Akaushi meatballs and Mockingbird Bistro's chef John Sheely had depleted his supply of pork belly with seared scallop on sweet potato mousse, no one attending CultureMap's inaugural Last Chef Standing competition had room for another bite.

    Of the 300 guests filling the Hotel ZaZa ballroom, we would say that most of them were delightfully stuffed after sampling gourmet bites from some 16 leading restaurants and cupcakes from Whole Foods.

    "This is the most successful large multiple restaurant event we've been to," said David Aldrich, who worked the room with plate in hand. "The price is reasonable and the food is delicious."

    "We're sampling food from places that we would not have tried before."

    The competition began several weeks ago with an on-line bracket battle that concluded on Monday. Alto Pizzeria and chef Ryan Savoie took top honors as the Whole Foods People's Choice champion in the Internet voting. Monday night, Sullivan's Steakhouse and chef Teli Trikilis won the popular on-site vote for his chili-cured beef tenderloin with truffle mac 'n' cheese. The judges, however, bestowed top honors on Samba Grille and chef David Guerrero for his ceviche mixto with white fish, shrimp, calamari, octopus, corn, aji amarillo lime juice and sweet potato.

    "Awesome," commented Laurel Douglas as she surveyed the bustling ballroom where Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Messina Hoff and others served liquid samplings paired with the chef dishes. Clearly relishing the event, her dining buddy Susan Baker said "We're going to tell only our really, really good friends about this event for next year."

    Guests swooned over Hotel ZaZa's Monarch Restaurant (first runner-up against Alto Pizzeria) offering of Meyer lemon cured yellowtail with seabeans and quinoa. They salivated over Ava's crepinette of trout with crab, scallop and asparagus and over Blu's spice-rubbed, charred rare tuna with citrus soy and sizzling oil.

    And who could resist Valentino's fried caper crepe with scallop and chive butter in sundried tomato sauce or The Grove's house-cured beef with bone marrow foie gras mousse?

    "Awesome," commented Laurel Douglas as she surveyed the bustling ballroom.

    As guest Jasmine Aldrich noted of the various culinary experiences available on this night, "We're sampling food from places that we would not have tried before."

    Leading the judging pool that sampled it all from Gigi's Asian Bistro dumplings to Liberty Kitchen's salmon was Sarah Rufca, CultureMap associate editor and foodie czar. Radio and TV foodie personality Cleverley Stone, author John DeMers, Houston Press food critic Katharine Shilcutt, Houston Chronicle food writer Greg Morago, MyTable founder Teresa Byrne-Dodge and celebrity guest Houston Texan Earl Mitchell rounded out the judging panel.

    A portion of proceeds from the evening benefit Houston Food Bank and Houston Public Media.

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    2 weeks to say goodbye

    Casual River Oaks restaurant will shutter after 10 years

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 16, 2025 | 3:29 pm
    Eloise Nichols interior
    Photo by Alex Montoya
    Eloise Nichols has updated its interior.

    A neighborhood restaurant near River Oaks will soon serve its last meal — for now. Eloise Nichols will close after service on June 29.

    Part of Adair Concepts, the hospitality group behind restaurants such as Adair Kitchen, Buffalo Grille, and Los Tios, Eloise Nichols opened in 2016 as a more upscale concept with cocktails, a raw bar, and a stylish interior. In 2023, the company switched up the concept to a more casual, all-day format. Adair Concepts owners Nick Adair and Katie Adair Barnhart named the restaurant for their grandmother, Eloise Nichols Adair.

    “After a 10 year run, our lease is up and we have decided not to renew on Mid Lane,” Barnhart tells CultureMap in an email. “It was a hard decision as the project is a favorite of ours, filled with lots of memories and family significance.”

    Despite closing this location of Eloise Nichols, Barnhart says the company would like to find a new home for it in the future, but Adair Concepts has other projects to tackle. It recently opened a Los Tios in Fredericksburg. Both Los Tios and Adair Kitchen are coming to San Antonio later this year.

    Meanwhile, diners have a couple more weeks to make one last visit to Eloise Nichols for fan favorite dishes such as deviled eggs, chicken and dumplings, and hot chicken and pickles.

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