Hugo Ortega Wins!

Sixth time's the charm: Hugo Ortega wins James Beard Award as Best Chef Southwest

San Francisco Nativity Academy Luncheon, 6/16, Hugo Ortega, Tracy Vaught

Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught.

Photo by Priscilla Dickson

No more calling Hugo Ortega the Susan Lucci of the James Beard Best Chef: Southwest award. In his sixth year as a finalist, Ortega, the chef-owner of Backstreet Cafe, Hugo’s, Caracol, and Xochi, finally followed through on Bum Phillip’s famous promise to kick the son of a bitch in.

Ortega’s victory at Monday night's ceremony in Chicago means that three out of the last four winners of the award, considered to be the Oscars of the American culinary community, have come from Houston. He joins Chris Shepherd (Underbelly, 2014) and Justin Yu (Oxheart, 2016) in the elite club. Let there be no doubt Houston has cemented its status as the best dining city in Texas.

@chef_hugo65 is #houston proud! Just named best chef: southwest at #jbfa2017 #jbfa @visit_houston

A post shared by Tracy Vaught (@tracy_vaught) on

May 1, 2017 at 6:57pm PDT

The odds seemed stacked against Ortega. National food website Eater picked San Antonio chef Steve McHugh (Cured), writing “This is the chef’s second nom, and most Best Chef winners win by their third. Chefs nominated more than that have slimmer odds, and both (Austin chef Brice) Gilmore and Ortega have five or more nominations.”

Thankfully, no one told Ortega he wasn’t supposed to win on his sixth try. Then again, his life story has consisted of overcoming improbable odds. His rise to the top of Houston’s culinary scene is a classic American tale.

The chef immigrated to this country and started working as a dishwasher at Backstreet Cafe. He showed some aptitude in the kitchen and eventually made his way to culinary school. Along the way, he fell in love with Backstreet’s owner Tracy Vaught. Together, they built the H Town Restaurant Group that operates some of Houston's best restaurants.

Despite all the acclaim, Ortega remains one of the all time nice guys in Houston’s culinary community. Ortega and Vaught’s restaurants achieve high marks for quality and consistency.

"What can I say," Ortega said during his acceptance speech. "America is beautiful and I'm living the dream. Thank you."

After all Ortega has done to make Houston a better city to eat in, it’s the city that should be thanking him.

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Growing national pizza chain will bring halal pies and pastas to Katy

Vocelli Pizza/Facebook

Vocelli Pizza will open its first Houston-area location in March.

A Pittsburgh pizzeria has set its sights on Houston. Vocelli Pizza will makes it Bayou City debut next year with a location in Katy.

Scheduled to open in March 2026, the restaurant will be located at 2941 W. Grand Parkway. Although pizza is part of the restaurant’s name, the menu also includes wings, pizza rolls, salads, sandwiches, pasta, and more. Specialty items include mac and cheese pizza, spinach mushroom rolls, and a chicken parmesan sub.

"We are thrilled to continue our growth into new communities that share our passion for quality, service, and authentic Italian-inspired food," Vocelli Pizza CEO Toni Bianco said in a statement. "Our expansion into Dalton and Houston reflects the strong demand for our brand, and we look forward to delivering an exceptional experience to guests in both markets."

For its expansion into Houston, Vocelli’s will debut an all-halal menu that’s designed to appeal to Houston’s diverse community.

"The team is excited to introduce Vocelli Pizza to Houston with a full halal menu," Bianco added. "There is a clear demand for high-quality Halal pizza and delivery options, and we are proud to meet that need while bringing our brand to a new and dynamic market."

Founded by Turkish immigrant Varol Ablak in 1988, Vocelli began franchising in 1993. The restaurant currently has more than 80 locations.

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