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    New Master Sommelier

    Camerata's wine guy breaks through; Houston has a new Master Sommelier

    Eric Sandler
    May 18, 2016 | 3:27 pm
    Camerata and Tiffany Watch Launch David Keck
    Camerata's David Keck is a Master Sommelier.
    Photo by Fulton Davenport / PWL Studio

    One of Houston's most well-regarded wine professionals has earned a coveted title. Camerata wine director David Keck attained the title of Master Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers on Wednesday.

    As chronicled in the documentary Somm, achieving the title is a painstaking process. Candidates must pass rigorous tests that demonstrate their knowledge of wine theory, service, and the dreaded blind tasting. Overall, fewer than 250 people around the world have obtained the title, and, as of today, only eight work in Texas.

    Congratulations @CamerataHouston on your new #MasterSommelier! David Keck @yrmom_safoodie passed the #MSDiplomaExam today!

    — Master Sommelier US (@MasterSommUS) May 18, 2016

    Keck becomes Houston's second Master Sommelier, after Guy Stout of wine distribution company Glazer's. While Stout does teach classes occasionally, Keck interacts with the public almost daily, and his desire to learn as much as possible about wine has helped both diners and peers.

    CultureMap has contacted Keck to learn more about what his achievement means for him both personally and professionally but has yet to receive a response (he's probably celebrating). In the meantime, he did offer some thoughts last September about the state of Houston's wine community as the restaurant scene has exploded over the past five years.

    "We're needing more wine professionals," Keck said. "I think we have more support (from customers) than we have wine lists to support our guests. More often than not, I have guests asking where they can go to drink, and the list is still pretty short, unfortunately. I think anybody in the wine business would agree with that. I'm not in any way disparaging my colleagues. I think there are wonderful lists and wonderful people in town. We just have a lot of freaking clients. We have a lot of guests in Houston who are looking for every independent restaurant to have a well-currated list, and we're not there, yet. It's cool. We have a lot of opportunity."

    With Keck's achievement and a number of sommeliers working their way up the ranks, the situation looks poised to improve, and Houston wine lovers will be the happy beneficiaries.

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    the pho will flow

    Growing Houston Vietnamese restaurant hustles into hot Katy neighborhood

    Eric Sandler
    May 13, 2026 | 3:30 pm
    Saigon Hustle Katy Cinco Ranch
    Courtesy of Saigon Hustle
    Saigon Hustle's new Cinco Ranch location is now open.

    A growing Houston Vietnamese restaurant has arrived in Katy. Saigon Hustle is now open in Cinco Ranch.

    Located at 23703 Cinco Ranch Blvd., the Houston area’s third Saigon Hustle began a quiet soft opening this Monday, May 11, and will celebrate its grand opening on Thursday, May 14. Like its siblings in Garden Oaks and Spring Branch, the restaurant will serve its familiar menu of banh mi, egg rolls, spring rolls, and rice dishes, as well as the pho that was added to the menu when Spring Branch opened in October 2024.

    Beverage options include both Vietnamese iced coffee and freshly-brewed jasmine teas.

    The Cinco Ranch location seats approximately 60 people. It also offers curbside pickup and delivery via third-party apps. Co-founder Sandy Nguyen said the restaurant had been looking at Cinco Ranch for awhile.

    “Our guests out here have been asking us to come to them, and it finally felt like the right moment to plant a flag in Katy,” Nguyen said in a statement. “We grew up in Houston, and bringing the food we love to a community we love is everything. This is more than a new address — it's a hometown moment for us.”

    As part of its continued growth, Saigon Hustle recently hired chef Justin Yoakum as its vice president of operations. Yoakum previously served as director of operations for Culinary Khancepts, the Houston restaurant group behind Liberty Kitchen, State Fare, Leo’s River Oaks, and others.

    “Justin has been wonderful,” Nguyen writes in an email. “He's been the leader we have been needing to further the next steps in our expansion. We are excited to have him. He's already proven to be such a great asset to the brand and brings a lot of energy!”

    Originally opened by Nguyen and her business partner Cassie Ghaffar, Saigon Hustle is now backed by Savory Fund, a Utah-based venture capital firm that’s invested in a diverse range of concepts including Austin-based, Detroit-style pizzeria Via 313; breakfast concept Hash Kitchen; and Pincho Burgers & Kebabs, a Miami-based restaurant with locations in Memorial City, Conroe, and Cypress. Savory has committed to helping it grow to as many as 40 units in Texas and the Midwest.

    To celebrate its grand opening, the Katy location will offer a number of promotions and giveaways, including:

    • Free banh mi for the first 100 customers on May 14.
    • A block party with a lion dance beginning at 6:30 on May 14.
    • Free Saigon Hustle for a year sweepstakes: All visitors to the location are eligible to win. See store or website for contest rules.
    • Buy-one-get-one-free Banh Mi: For customers who sign up for the Saigon Hustle Rewards loyalty program
    • Red envelopes: In a nod to the restaurant’s Vietnamese heritage, customers may receive a red envelope containing a discount, giveaway, or prize.

    “We wanted opening week to feel like a block party, not just a ribbon cutting. Free food, music,

    neighbors, and the team that's going to be feeding this community for years to come,” Ghaffar added. “From the lion dance to the red envelopes, every detail of opening week is a love letter to our culture and to Cinco Ranch.”

    Saigon Hustle Cinco Ranch is open daily from 11 am-11 pm.

    Saigon Hustle Katy Cinco Ranch

    Courtesy of Saigon Hustle

    Saigon Hustle's new Cinco Ranch location is now open.

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