Southern Smoke Returns

Chris Shepherd's celeb-studded food fest brings culinary stars to Houston for one night only

Chris Shepherd is getting the band back together for another smoke session. The fourth annual Southern Smoke Festival has once again staked its claim as one of Houston's best food events by bringing together some of the country's top culinary talent for a one-day only festival of food, wine, cocktails, and live music.

Fresh off last year's festival, which for the first time included chefs from outside the South by inviting New York superstar chef David Chang and his Momofuku colleague Matthew Rudofker, Shepherd is expanding the roster of participating chefs to include culinary talent from all parts of the country. Given Shepherd's high-flying national reputation as both a James Beard Award winner and an unofficial face of Houston's culinary scene to the rest of the country — including a star turn in Chang's Houston-oriented episode of his Netflix series Ugly Delicious — no one should be surprised that he's attracted some of the hottest names in American food to attend this year's event, which take place Sunday, September 30, from 4 pm to 8 pm.

"This year, I chose to invite friends from outside the South for a few reasons—to give our guests the opportunity to meet some new people that they may not be familiar with and to give these chefs the opportunity to see Houston," Shepherd tells CultureMap in an email. Quite a few of them haven’t been here before, and if they have, it’s been a long time or they were just passing through. Southern Smoke, to me, is just as much about showcasing Houston to the visiting chefs as it is about showcasing the visiting chefs to Houston.”

Once again, Aaron Franklin headlines the lineup. At this point, the Austin-based pitmaster-owner of Franklin Barbecue needs no introduction or explanation, but it's worth noting that Loro, the restaurant he opened in partnership with Uchi chef-owner Tyson Cole, has debuted to rave reviews. Other returning chefs include Ryan Prewitt of acclaimed New Orleans restaurant Peche and the HOUBBQ collective, which this year includes Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan (The Pass & Provision), Hugo Ortega, Justin Yu, Ryan Pera, and more.

Of the newcomers, Seattle's Edouardo Jordan brings the highest profile. He became the first African American chef to win the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in America for his Southern-inspired restaurant JuneBaby; in addition, he also won a Best Chef Northwest award for his restaurant Salare.

Other names of note include: Chris Bianco, the famous pizzaiolo behind acclaimed Phoenix restaurant Pizzeria Bianco; Billy Durney, the pitmaster-owner of Hometown Bar-B-Que in Brooklyn; Daniela Soto-Innes, the former Houstonian who now serves as the James Beard Award-winning chef de cuisine at superstar Mexican chef Enrique Olvera's two New York restaurants, Cosme and Atla; Vivian Howard, the award-winning chef, cookbook author, and star of the PBS series A Chef's Life; and Jason Vincent, the chef-owner of Giant restaurant in Chicago, which earned a spot as one of Bon Appetit's best new restaurants in 2017.

While Rodney Scott isn't returning this year, Shepherd has found two more whole hog specialists by inviting Pat Martin of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in Nashville and Sam Jones of Sam Jones BBQ in Winterville, North Carolina. So yes, there will be a whole lot of smoked pig.

All of this culinary talent assembles to benefit two very worth causes. Last year, Southern Smoke raised $501,000 to benefit 139 members of the Houston culinary community who suffered financial losses as a result of Hurricane Harvey. This year's event will return to the original mission of raising money for the National MS Society — Shepherd has set a goal of $300,000 — while also working to establish a permanent emergency assistance fund for people in the food and beverage industry.

Tickets — $200 general admission, $350 VIP, and $1,000 Super VIP (includes a culinary tour Friday night) — go on sale July 10. Expect them to sell quickly. No other Houston food event attracts this level of high-profile, out-of-town talent.

Aaron Franklin and his brisket.

Southern Smoke 2017 Aaron Franklin barbecue brisket

Photo by Emily Jaschke

Aaron Franklin and his brisket.

fundraisers chefs

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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