Foodie News

Chris Shepherd and his Top Chef Texas protegé battle in Chicago

Underbelly's Chris Shepherd has managed to avoid the world of televised chef competitions — so far, at least — but during a promotional trip to Chicago this week he did go face to face on camera with another well-known chef.

Sarah Grueneberg was the runner-up last season on Bravo's Top Chef: Texas, losing to Austin's Paul Qui in the finals. Grueneberg works in Chicago as the executive chef of Obama-fave Spiaggia, but she's originally from Houston and worked under Shepherd during his tenure at Brennan's of Houston.

The duo staged a Top Chef-style series of quickfire challenges for WGN, talking about Houston and their experiences working together. Here's the run-down of each chef's offerings:

Quickfire #1: Shrimp

Shepherd: Thai-style coconut curry shrimp with English peas, eggplant and black crostini

Grueneberg: Gigli pasta with spicy bone marrow tomato sauce, shrimp and tarragon

Quickfire #2: Green City Market veggies

Shepherd: Crispy Becker Lane pork belly with shaved asparagus and radish salad with charred morel mushroom viniagrette

Grueneberg: Roasted Pinn Oak Farm lamb loin with housemade 'Nduja sausage, ramps, crispy Pecorino Romano potatoes, asparagues and Spaiggia Balsamico.

In the end, the face-off was declared a tie. (Padma would never stand for that. Someone has got to pack their knives and go.) But, as the video shows, it was definetely a win for Houston.

burger bodega expands

Houston food influencer brings smash burger sensation to Katy

Abbas Dhanani Burger Bodega

Photo by Michael Ma

Burger Bodega is coming to Katy.

Abbas Dhanani has a special Christmas present for burger lovers in Katy. He’s opening a second location of his smash burger restaurant, Burger Bodega, there next year.

Located at 21904 Franz Rd. (near the intersection of Mason Rd. and the Katy Fwy.), the new restaurant will build on the success of Dhanani’s first location, which opened on Washington Avenue in 2022. The restaurant distinguishes itself with a colorful interior that’s inspired by New York City bodegas. Its shelves are lined with cheeky, Houston-inspired products as well as goods from local restaurants such as Bludorn and Pudgy’s Cookies.

Burger Bodega serves a double-patty cheeseburger that’s smashed on a griddle, topped with grilled onions, pickles, and “bodega sauce,” and served on a Martin’s potato bun. It also serves a chopped cheese sandwich, fries with burger toppings, and milkshake flavors such as Vietnamese coffee and a mango lassi.

Regulars know to request off-menu specials like the “Choppy Joe,” a chopped cheese served on a burger bun, or to get their burgers spicy. True to its pop-up roots, Burger Bodega has hosted numerous collaboration pop-ups with Houston chefs such as Raffi Nasr (Craft Pita) and the late Alex Au-Yeung (Phat Eatery).

Dhanani, whose @houstoneatz account has almost 40,000 followers on Instagram and more than 100,000 on TikTok, created Burger Bodega after visiting smash burger restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. Ahead of its opening, he built a following for the restaurant with a series of sold-out pop-ups, including appearances at the Southern Smoke Festival.

Burger Bodega has earned considerable acclaim in its two years, including winning Best Burger in the 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards and Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards — all of which should contribute to excitement in the Katy area for its arrival.

"We are thrilled to announce our second location in Katy," Dhanani said in a statement. "Katy is such a vibrant and welcoming community, and we are excited to bring our concept to even more people in the area. The past two years at our first location have been incredible, and we are deeply grateful for the unwavering support from our customers. This support has been the driving force behind our growth, and we cannot wait to share this new chapter with everyone in Katy."

news-you-can-eat openings burgers

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