Rising Up

Houston's 'bread man' rises with hot new Whole Foods partnership

Bread Man Baking Company is on the rise. Already available in top Houston restaurants like Georgia James, Eunice, and Avondale Food & Wine, the bakery announced its breads will be available at five Houston-area Whole Foods stores beginning April 15.

On Monday, the Austin-based grocer will sell Bread Man loaves such as Kalamata olive oregano, country sourdough, focaccia, and Bread Man’s baguette at its locations in Montrose, Upper Kirby, Bellaire, near the Galleria, and Briargrove/Memorial.

"Whole Foods Market has very high standards in the products they carry, so for them to approach us within our first six months of business was a huge surprise and compliment to our team," Bread Man owner Tasos Katsaounis said in a statement. "[Bread Man head baker] Desirae and I are both ex Whole Foodies, so it’s special to know our breads will be in the stores of an ex-employer who we both enjoyed working for and respect."

The move expands Bread Man's reach. Earlier this year, the company began selling bread on Saturdays at the Urban Harvest farmers market at St. John's School. Beginning last week, it's also available at the Westchase District Farmers Market that takes place on Thursday afternoons. These market locations feature an expanded menu that includes both the savory breads and sweets such as croissants, cinnamon rolls, and cookies.

Although it is less than a year old, Bread Man has been growing quickly. As he told CultureMap last year, Katsaounis rekindled his childhood interest in baking for friends and family. An enthusiastic response to pictures of his breads on social media — along with some encouragement from his wife, Houston radio legend Roula Christie — inspired him to leave his corporate consulting job and become an entrepreneur.

Now, the bakery operates out of a 5,000-square-foot space near Meyerland that pushes out a range of breads to over a dozen restaurants. Long term, the company plans to open a cafe that would showcase its full line of breads and pastries as well as dishes inspired by Katsaounis' Greek heritage.

"We’ve been fortunate to call some of Houston’s top chefs and restaurants our customers, and many feature us on their menu, providing a marketing outlet for our brand," Katsaounis added. "More and more people are recognizing our name and the quality of our product we strive to produce every day, which helps us continue to grow."

Bread Man owner Tasos Katsaounis and head baker Desirae (Desi) Vasquez.

Bread Man Baking Company Tasos Katsaounis Desiare (Desi) Vasquez

Courtesy of Bread Man Baking Co

Bread Man owner Tasos Katsaounis and head baker Desirae (Desi) Vasquez.

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One Day Only

Chef of Michelin-starred Texas BBQ joint pops up at Houston crawfish favorite

Photo by Quit Nguyen

Join Lucas McKinney for a crawfish pop-up this Sunday, May 17.

The pitmaster behind one of Texas’ Michelin-starred barbecue joints will be in Houston for a one-day-only crawfish boil. Evan LeRoy, chef and co-owner of Austin’s LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, will be at Josephine’s this Sunday, May 17 from 2-6 pm.

Part of the restaurant’s Backyard Boil pop-up series, LeRoy and Josephine’s executive chef Lucas McKinney have collaborated on a four dishes that will be served at the pop-up, which will take place on Josephine’s patio. They are:

Smoked Crawfish Boil Sausage on a Stick: andouille flavored pork sausage with crawfish, corn, and potatoes
Brisket and Cheddar Croquettes: Chopped brisket and cheddar cheese in a creamy bechamel. Scooped, breaded in panko, and fried til crispy
Oysters on the Half Shell: Pickled Onion Mignonette, Smoked Jalapeno Salsa, Kimchi Elote
Smoked Salsa Macha with Beef Tallow: Guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles, lime, soy, garlic, onion, pepitas, and pecans

The pop-up is part of LeRoy’s tour for his new book, New School Barbecue: Recipes for Next-Level Smoking and Grilling, which he co-wrote with Texas Monthly restaurant critic Paula Forbes. Released this week, the book contains almost 100 recipes for mains, sides, and desserts.

LeRoy & Lewis Evan Leroy ATX Evan LeRoy is coming to Houston this weekend. Photo by Briana Balducci

“Lucas asked me to participate in a crawfish boil this year, and it happened to line up with the release of the book, so I said yes,” LeRoy tells CultureMap. “The event format centers around a crawfish boil, along with some fried items and oysters, so it doesn't necessarily reflect the recipes in the book. Instead, we decided to bring a few dishes we’ve been working on over the past year or so, including the brisket and cheddar croquettes — which will definitely make it into my next cookbook.”

McKinney has already hosted pop-ups with the likes of ChòpnBlọk chef-owner Ope Amosu and Mike Pham of Trill Burgers.

“With these crawfish boils, I want each chef to bring their own perspective and let the menu reflect their personal style of cooking,” McKinney adds. “Events like this are really centered around community, collaboration, and introducing something fresh and exciting to Houston each time.”

LeRoy and Lewis has earned wide acclaim for its “new school” barbecue. In addition to being one of only four Texas barbecue joints to hold a Michelin star, it ranked No. 2 on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s 50 best barbecue joints. McKinney began patronizing the restaurant when his friend, pitmaster Cole Parkman, worked there.

“It’s incredibly good,” McKinney says. “Eating there feels like they’re telling you, ‘I know you think you like brisket, but this is what you should really like.’ I really respect that they’ve planted their feet firmly in the ground and committed to doing things differently. It all makes so much sense — and it’s delicious.”

Reservations (free) are required to attend the Backyard Boil at Josephine’s; both 2 pm and 4 pm seatings are available. Attendees will purchase food and drinks a la carte. Josephine’s regular menu will not be available at the pop-up. Copies of New School Barbecue will also be available for purchase.

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