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    Foodie News

    Hugo's denied a James Beard: An Austin chef with a TV name takes home the prizeinstead

    Sarah Rufca
    May 7, 2012 | 8:33 pm
    • Hugo (second from right) with his James Beard crew in New York.
    • Ortega getting ready for the James Beard Awards gala on Monday night.

    Texas has a new James Beard award-winner, but he doesn't cook in Houston.

    Paul Qui won the Best Chef Southwest category over Houston's Hugo Ortega as well as fellow nominees Bruce Auden of San Antonio's Biga on the Banks, Arizona's Kevin Binkley, Bruce Davaillon of Dallas' Rosewood Mansion at Turtle Creek and Jennifer Jasinski of Denver's Rioja.

    Announced in a prime time gala at New York's Lincoln Center Monday night, it's the second year in a row that an Austin chef and a chef from the Uchi/Uchiko family has won, with Tyson Cole sharing the category with Saipin Chutima of Las Vegas' Lotus of Siam in 2011. Ortega didn't take home the big prize, but he still received plenty of love.

    "So proud of Chef Hugo Ortega . . . on #jbfa nomination. Amazing chef who inspires. You're our winner!" tweeted Ortega's publicist Paula Murphy.

    The last Houston restaurant chef to win a James Beard Award was Robert Del Grande in 1992, also for Best Chef Southwest. Irma Galvan of Irma's won an "America's Classic" award in 2008. Monica Pope and Bryan Caswell are also former Best Chef Southwest nominees.

    Qui also has some proud Houston ties. He lists H-Town as one of his hometowns and went to high school in the area before going to Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin.

    Houston chefs earned five semifinalist slots this year, from Best New Restaurant for Pondicheri to a Best Chef Southwest nod for Kata Robata's Manabu "Hori" Horiuchi and a mention for Grant Gordon as a Rising Star Chef. But only one chef earned a prestigious James Beard nomination — Hugo Ortega of Hugo's. It's the apex (so far) of a charmed career for Ortega, from busboy to renowned chef at Hugo's and Backstreet Cafe and Houston's ambassador of interior Mexican cuisine.

    Congratulations to Ortega and to Paul Qui as well!

    It's been quite a year already for Qui, who won Bravo's Top Chef: Texas this winter.

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    drew be goode

    New pitmaster brings top 50 cred to historic Houston barbecue joint

    Eric Sandler
    Aug 21, 2026 | 10:30 am
    Goode Co Barbecue Drew Lindsey pitmaster
    Photo by Brian Kennedy
    Drew Lindsey is Goode Co.'s new multi-unit pitmaster.

    One of Houston’s oldest barbecue joints has brought in fresh talent to oversee its operations. Drew Lindsey is the new Multi-Unit Pitmaster for Goode Co. Barbeque.

    Lindsey brings an impressive resume to his role. His career began at the Austin location of Michelin-recommended Terry Black’s Barbecue and also includes stops at Hurtado Barbecue (Arlington) and Dayne’s Craft Barbecue, the Fort Worth-area restaurant ranked No. 7 on Texas Monthly’s 2025 list of the state’s 50 best barbecue joints. Now, he’s responsible for ensuring consistency across Goode Co. Barbecue’s three locations and developing new menu items.

    Still, Lindsey’s role isn’t to rock the boat. Instead, he tells CultureMap he’s simply looking to refine what the restaurant has been doing since 1977.

    “I was drawn to Goode Co because of its rich history, the deep roots that Jim Goode planted in the Houston area back in 1977,” Lindsey says. “Being able to contribute to that legacy while continuing to grow as a pitmaster and leader was an opportunity that really stood out for me. It’s about projecting the craft and developing people, making sure that no matter which location a guest visits they receive the great quality barbecue that Goode Co. represents.”

    He notes that one way Goode Co.’s brisket is different from places he’s worked previously is its seasonings, which adds a few more ingredients to the familiar mix of salt and pepper that’s the standard in Central Texas-style barbecue.

    “The way that I would describe it is Southeast Texas barbecue with a little bit of Texicana, like Mexico-style barbecue.” Later, he adds, “I like that there’s a little more flavor in the rub itself for brisket.”

    Another of Lindsey’s roles is developing new menu items and tweaking some of the restaurant’s existing dishes. For example, Goode Co.’s pork ribs are now finished with an agave glaze.

    “One thing I’ve been working on a is a tequila-lime glaze pork belly burnt end,” he says. “They’re seasoned with black pepper and Mexican seasoned salt then dunked into a tequila lime glaze — nice, thick, one inch cube of pork belly.”

    Diners will find these and other items on a bi-weekly features menu that’s served every Thursday through Sunday. Available from open until sold out, the current menu includes pulled pork, jalapeno-cheddar sausage link, and green chile pimento cheese dip with Ritz firecrackers.

    Lindsey says he’s still getting to know Houston’s barbecue scene. So far, he’s tried Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue in Tomball and Truth BBQ, but he has plans to sample more broadly.

    “Khoi Barbecue is one I want to try. I love the fusion of Asian cuisine with Central Texas-style barbecue,” he says.

    Goode Co Barbecue Drew Lindsey pitmaster

    Photo by Brian Kennedy

    Drew Lindsey is Goode Co.'s new multi-unit pitmaster.

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