This month’s announcement about the Pilot Light Restaurant Group signifies incredible things to come for Houston’s shining food scene. We’ve had the good fortune over the past year to get to know one half of the chef duo behind the new venture — native Houstonian Seth Siegel-Gardner — but who is this other guy, Terrence Gallivan?

In short, Gallivan is an honest, soft-spoken guy who likes music, hockey, cooking and a good meatball sub.

Gallivan got into cheffing by accident. Growing up in Fredricksburg, Va., the teenage Gallivan secured a job as a dishwasher at a small tapas place. He liked the practicality of the kitchen atmosphere and soon began to try his hand at food prep. Eventually he moved to a larger French bistro, where a pal noticed his potential and made a suggestion that would change Gallivan’s world: Culinary school.

So Gallivan packed his bags and headed to the New England Culinary Institute (NECI) in Vermont. After culinary school, he made his way to New York, working double shifts six days a week at Charlie Palmer's Aureole, and then joining the opening staff at Danny Meyer's The Modern. Résumé squarely on track, he took up post at Restaurant Gordon Ramsey, where he met Siegel-Gardner on their first day on the job.

The two connected instantly — a good thing, considering the hours. “Gordon Ramsey was amazing and killer. We typically had 300 covers on a Saturday night and worked from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. It’s an intense lifestyle,” Gallivan says — and one they tackled for three years from 2007-2009.

The bond lasted. Last summer the two collaborated (along with chef Justin Yu) on the successful Just August Project. And while that venture was a nanosecond pop-up, they’re now making decisions for the long term. These days Gallivan and Siegel-Gardner are actively looking for their own restaurant space in Houston. They have a few leads, though nothing concrete so far — but the excitement is there.

“Last year during Just 8 I was really blown away by the community here — there’s just a great enthusiasm and receptiveness to new food," Gallivan said.

And they’re worth a bit of a wait. Both chefs are fascinated by the craft — they enjoy working with their hands and using classic techniques. They think creatively about their ingredients, giving their dishes an enviable combination of familiar yet modern and new. Last Saturday’s dinner at Revival Market provided an extraordinary glimpse for a very lucky few. There are additional dinners (already sold out) taking place on the next two Saturdays, and we can expect more such meals to come from these Pilot Light restaurateurs.

Oh yes, the name. Why Pilot Light? Simple: “It’s the one aspect of a kitchen that’s always on,” Gallivan says.

We can’t wait till theirs lights up.