good news unfolding
Gordon Ramsay-approved tortilleria flips into permanent Houston home
One of Houston's most acclaimed restaurant startups has found a permanent home. Tatemó has leased a space near Karbach Brewery at 4740 Dacoma St., chef and co-owner Emmanuel Chavez tells CultureMap.
The intimate, 1,100-square-foot space comes with the benefit of having previously been a restaurant, which should speed up the process of getting it ready for service. If all goes according to plan, Tatemó will be operating from its new home in late October.
Founded by Chavez and his business partner Megan Maul, Tatemó sells artisan tortillas made from heirloom corn imported from Mexico at the weekly Urban Harvest Farmers Market as well as to several local restaurants. Chavez makes his tortillas using a traditional nixtamalization process that gives the finished product textures and flavors that aren't possible otherwise.
In addition, Chavez serves prepared items at the market as well as a chef's tasting menu built around different corn dishes at his current space, which is the former home of shuttered British pub the Black Labrador.
Tatemó has already drawn considerable buzz, earning a nomination for Best Pop-Up/Startup in the 2021 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. Chavez made tortillas for a Texas-themed episode of the National Geographic series Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted.
As noted in an Instagram post announcing the lease, moving from its current home in Montrose to a permanent space comes with a number of benefits. First, Chavez will be able to increase the number of diners at his tastings from six to 12. In addition, Tatemó will be able to offer prepared items to-go and add weekend brunch service. The chef has been testing dishes such as masa pancakes at the weekly market.
"Nothing says Houston more than opening a micro establishment next to a doughnut shop across the street from one of the most celebrated breweries in our city," Chavez writes in a text. "Having Karbach across the street played a big part in why we [plan] to offer brunch with dishes that people already visit us at the markets for."
