Hungry for help

This dream job pays $10K to eat tacos across Texas

You'll get to eat all the tacos.

Courtesy of Lone Star Restaurant Group

Do you fancy yourself to be a taco aficionado? If so, you’ll really eat up a new job opening at delivery service Favor.

Owned by San Antonio-based grocery chain H-E-B, Favor is hunting for its first-ever chief taco officer. Yes, a chief taco officer — not to be confused with another type of CTO (chief technology officer).

“The company will pay one energetic, hungry, and social savvy Texan $10,000 to track down the best tacos across the state this summer,” Favor says in a news release.

Aside from the $10,000 in pay, Favor will provide food, accommodations, and transportation in each city, as well as wellness activities such as massages and yoga classes. In addition, the chief taco officer will receive customized Favor swag and one year of free Favor delivery.

“Tacos are one of the top Favored foods across all of the cities we serve throughout Texas,” says Jag Bath, CEO of Favor. “The history and culture behind one of the most iconic foods in the Lone Star State vary from city to city, and we’re excited for our new Chief Taco Officer to discover some of the best and most authentic tacos out there.”

Texas residents over 21 are eligible to apply. Applicants must create and share a short video on why they should be Favor’s chief taco officer, and submit a short form on Favor’s application page. The application deadline is 11:59 pm Thursday, May 12.

Favor’s chief taco officer may want to stock up on digestive aids, given the mass quantity of tacos they’re likely to consume. In 2015, Texas Monthly compiled a list of the 120 Texas tacos “you must eat before you die.” The list highlighted taco purveyors in 15 areas around the state, from Amarillo to Corpus Christi.

By the way, Austin-based outdoor services provider LawnStarter recently crowned Austin the state’s best city for tacos, followed by Round Rock, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston. But if Favor’s chief taco officer is traversing Texas the entire summer, they’re bound to visit dozens of cities that could argue they deserve the title.

And perhaps Favor’s chief taco officer will do us a favor and crack the shell of Rent.com’s recent ranking of Texas as the No. 2 state for tacos, behind California. Everything’s bigger in Texas, right? That includes our appetite for tacos — and our prowess in producing them.

tacos

return of the mack

Houston restaurateur steps up with massive River Oaks-area steakhouse

Courtesy of Mack Allen's

A rendering previews the Champagne Room, one of three private dining spaces.

A massive new steakhouse is coming to the River Oaks area this summer. Meet Mack Allen’s, a new project from Rouxpour owner Mack McDonald that’s scheduled to open in July.

While McDonald is primarily known for his casual dining concepts, Mack Allen’s is a step up in terms of design, experience, and quality. To bring the vision to life, McDonald has assembled a team of hospitality veterans, including executive chef Carlos Andrade (The Rouxpour. Brennan’s of Houston, etc.) and general manager Shaun Stockton (Turner’s, Vic & Anthony’s, etc.).

Located in the 5POP office tower at 4400 Post Oak Pkwy, Mack Allen’s will occupy 16,000 square feet on the 28-story building’s first floor. Led by Montgomery Roth Architecture & Interior Design, the space has been divided into a main dining room, a fully landscaped patio with fire and water features, and three private dining rooms

The Boardroom, designed for business meetings with full A/V capabilities
The Champagne Room, designed for luncheons, bridal showers, and other celebrations
The Estate Room, a 60-seat room with its own bar.

Once seated, customers will dine on a menu created by Andrade and regional chef Manuel “Manny” Viveros. It includes prime beef, raw and chargrilled oysters, sushi, seafood, and luxury add-ons such as caviar and truffles. More information about specific dishes and preparations will be shared closer to opening.

“At Mack Allen’s we’ll embrace a guest-first philosophy of always saying yes — yes to anything we can do to make our guests feel welcome and valued,” Stockton said in a statement. “This isn’t just about exceptional food. It’s about creating a place where hospitality leads everything and guests feel a true sense of belonging.”

Courtesy of Mack Allen's

A rendering previews the Champagne Room, one of three private dining spaces.

news-you-can-eat openings