What's Eric Eating Episode 237

Meet the fine-dining veteran elegantly leading some of Houston's hottest restaurants, plus the latest food gossip

Marmo serves Italian-American classics like chicken parmigiana.

Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

On this episode of "What's Eric Eating," Scott Sulma joins CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss his career. After working alongside Tony Vallone for many years, Sulma currently works as the director of operations for Atlas Restaurant Group, the Baltimore-based company behind Ouzo Bay, Loch Bar, and newly opened Italian steakhouse Marmo.

The conversation begins with Sulma discussing how he started working at Tony's and rose through the ranks to open both casual Italian restaurant Ciao Bello and steakhouse Vallone's in partnership with Tony Vallone. They look back at both restaurant's accomplishments and discuss the lessons Sulma learned from the legendary Houston restaurateur.

Sulma joined Atlas in early 2020 to assist with the company's expansion in Houston. The hospitality veteran says that Atlas's commitment to providing an exceptional dining experience appealed him.

From there, the conversation turns into a deep dive into Marmo, which recently opened in the Montrose Collective mixed-use development. Sandler and Sulma discuss the name (Italian for "marble"), its live music offerings, and the range of experiences it can provide.

"You can walk in and have a half bowl of pasta, a beautiful glass of wine. You can get out for under $30," Sulma says. "At the same time, it's your 10-year anniversary, you just closed a big deal, you love to drink vintage Barolo, we can go as big and bad as you want with A5 beef, dry-aging coolers that have seven different selections. It really has the opportunity to appeal to the everyday diner who wants to eat at Marmo seven days a week and those who want to come once a week or once a month and blow it out."

Prior to the interview, Sandler and co-host Matt Harris discuss the news of the week. Their topics include: the recent changes in personnel at J-Bar-M Barbecue, Craft Pita's plans to open a section location near West University Place, and the return of the Southern Smoke Festival.

In the restaurant of the week segment, they discuss the tasting menu they enjoyed at Tatemó, chef Emmanuel Chavez's Mexican restaurant that celebrates dishes made with artisan corn. Listen to the full episode to hear their thoughts on how it compares to other elevated Mexican restaurants in Houston.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify. Listen to it Saturday at 1 pm on ESPN 97.5.

Scott Sulma is this week's guest.

Photo by Michael Anthony

Scott Sulma is this week's guest.

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a CultureMap Exclusive

Houston's 'Chinese takeout bar from the future' touches down in Webster

Courtesy of The Rice Box

A rendering previews The Rice Box's new location in Webster.

Houston’s Chinese takeout bar from the future is coming to the Bay Area. The sixth location of The Rice Box will open in Webster later this summer.

Located at 114 El Dorado Blvd, the new location will be called Rice Box Space Center after NASA’s headquarters at the nearby Johnson Space Center. Founder John Peterson tells CultureMap that it’s a bit of a homecoming for him and his wife/business partner, Jenny Vo, as they grew up in the area. As with every new location, the restaurant created a movie-style poster to announce its opening.

Rice Box Webster movie poster The Rice Box Space Center is expected to open later this summer.Courtesy of The Rice Box

For its first truly suburban location, Peterson plans to offer a more efficient pickup system for to-go orders. Dubbed The Rice Box Pickup Reactors, the system applies Rice Box’s sci-fi aesthetic to curbside ordering. As seen in the rendering above, the building will have six slots that drivers will pull into to get their orders.

“The goal is to have guests in and out with food in hand in around 90 seconds,” Peterson writes in an email. “It’s still pickup, but we’re trying to make that moment feel more intentional and more connected to the digital side of Rice Box instead of treating it like an afterthought. We’re looking at this opening as both a new store and a prototype for how Rice Box can work in more suburban markets without losing the part of the brand that makes it feel like us.”

Bay Area-area diners can expect the same menu as the Rice Box’s other locations. That includes staples such as General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken, beef with broccoli, and orange peel beef. The restaurant also serves traditional Chinese-inspired fare such as Chongqing chicken, cumin beef, mapo tofu, and chow fun noodles.

Recently, Peterson rolled out a new version of Rice Box’s dumplings. Available in chicken, pork, or vegetable, each style of dumpling comes with a different wrapper that enhances the filling’s flavor. They’re also available either steamed or fried.

The Rice Box started as a food truck in the early 2010s. After moving to a permanent location in the Greenway Plaza food court, it has opened brick-and-mortar locations in the Heights, River Oaks, Rice Village, and Memorial.

openings news-you-can-eat the rice box

What's Eric Eating Episode 237

Meet the fine-dining veteran elegantly leading some of Houston's hottest restaurants, plus the latest food gossip

Scott Sulma is this week's guest.

a CultureMap Exclusive

Houston's 'Chinese takeout bar from the future' touches down in Webster

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