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    Houston Chef Wins Chopped

    Latest Houston Chopped champ creates feast from deadly animals; eyes new restaurant with winnings

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 2, 2016 | 2:06 pm
    Erin Smith Chopped Pappa Charlies
    Erin Smith is Houston's newest Chopped champion.
    Photo by Eric Sandler

    Another Houston chef has triumphed on Chopped. Erin Smith, formerly the executive chef at Main Kitchen in the JW Marriott downtown, won $10,000 on the show Tuesday night, joining Justin Turner (Bernie’s Burger Bus) and Shannen Tune (Craft Burger Truck) as local Chopped champions.

    During an episode titled "Deadliest Baskets" for its use of ingredients from either dangerous animals or that could be poisonous if not prepared properly, Smith made a salad with rattlesnake, an entree with alligator and pound cake with huitlacoche (corn mushroom) sauce.

    After being encouraged to apply by her father and her fiancé, Southern Goods sous chef Patrick Feges, Smith tells CultureMap that she didn’t do much to prepare for her reality TV moment beyond watching a few episodes on her flight to New York. Knowing dessert would be a possibility, she worked with Underbelly pastry chef Victoria Dearmond to memorize a pound cake recipe.

    “That was the one thing that I where I thought, ‘Okay, if I make it to that round, I need to know what to cook,’” she says. “I was going to make a pound cake no matter what the ingredients were.”

    Smith’s narrative in the story focused on her relationship with Feges and their plans to open a restaurant together someday. Using the money she won as part of an their initial investment, Smith says they’re serious enough about the idea to have begun looking for spaces.

    “That’s definitely what we want to do, so I have no doubt it will happen,” she says. "I think we’re just struggling with getting over that first hump of, how do you initiate this? What do you do first . . . Asking questions to all our friends who’ve done this before."

    Opening a restaurant also drove Smith’s decision to begin working as a bartender at Montrose wine bar Camerata. Since she’s always been in the kitchen, her new position gives her the opportunity to interact with patrons and build her wine knowledge.

    “I don’t know that I would say I have aspirations for a wine career, but I think it’s all part of the same career (in the restaurant industry),” she says. “I’ve always felt like chefs really need to understand beverages. I feel a lot more comfortable (now). If I was to go back to the culinary side and look over a wine list, I would feel just as much ownership as I do over the menu. That’s always been important to me.”

    A restaurant that brings Camerata-backed wine knowledge with a menu that mixes Smith's interest in vegetables with Feges's skills as a pitmaster would be a must-visit addition to Houston's restaurant scene. If the boisterous crowd of friends, family, and colleagues that cheered Smith on during a watch party at EaDo barbecue joint Pappa Charlies is any indication of the future restaurant's prospects, it will open with a devoted following.

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    Drop it like it's hot

    Houston farmers market adds new indoor pickleball court with food and cocktails

    Brianna Griff
    Jun 18, 2025 | 1:00 pm
    Drop Shots HTX indoor pickleball courts
    Photo by Abante Photography
    Drop Shots HTX celebrates its grand opening this Saturday, June 21.

    Pickleball isn’t going anywhere — the racquet sport continues to score with Houstonians. The newest player on the city’s crowded court, Drop Shots HTX, stands out for one big reason: it’s entirely indoors.

    Drop Shots HTX indoor pickleball courts
      

    Photo by Abante Photography

    Drop Shots HTX celebrates its grand opening this Saturday, June 21.

    Opening June 21, Drop Shots HTX is the brainchild of hospitality veterans Roveen Abante (Conservatory Galleria, Duchess), Chase Lovullo (Conservatory Galleria), and Shawn Outlaw.

    “We didn’t just want to open a bar,” co-founder Roveen Abante said in a statement. “We built a space where people connect, whether they’re playing or not. There’s something for everyone here.”

    Drop Shots HTX is marking its grand opening on June 21 from 12-11 pm, offering all-day open play for $5 along with $5 food and drink specials. Live DJs and giveaways will add to the experience.

    Patrons can soak up the A/C while slapping balls across one of the six professional-grade indoor courts. Off the court, guests can engage in friendly competitions of skee-ball, ping pong, arcade basketball, and cornhole in the second-floor lounge. Nine screens make up one wall in the mezzanine, ideal for catching the latest game, or can be expanded into one 195-inch television.

    Clutch City Kitchen will keep the players' appetite at bay with pizzas, sandwiches, and acai bowls. For hydration, an indoor/outdoor full bar will have 10 signature pickleball-themed cocktails, mocktails, and fresh juices crafted from local fruits and veggies.

    “Some venues lean into serious competition, we lean into fun,” added co-founder Shawn Outlaw. “We’re the only indoor pickleball facility inside the Loop with a full bar, kitchen, lounge, and patio. But more than that, we’re the only one that feels like your new favorite neighborhood hangout, even if you never touch a paddle.”

    Events like Glow-in-the-Dark Fridays, Tacos and Tequila Saturdays, and Pancakes and Pickball mornings add a twist to the typical pickleball match. Bring the kids—the venue is family-friendly until 10pm.

    “We created Drop Shots HTX because we fell in love with a game that brings generations together,” Outlaw said. “From our 10-year-olds to our 65-year-old parents, pickleball is for everyone. And so is this space.”

    Drop Shots HTX is located at 2520 Airline Drive, Building A, Suite 100. It’s open Monday through Thursday from 12-11pm, Friday from 12 pm-12 am, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 am-11 pm.

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