What's Eric Eating Episode 108

Award-winning chef dishes on downtown's stylish cafe, plus a new foodie warehouse

On this week's episode of "What's Eric Eating," chef Adam Dorris joins CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss his many projects. Best known for his work at Pax Americana and Presidio, Dorris recently began consulting at Coterie, the stylish downtown cafe from Southside Espresso owner Sean Marshall.

The conversation begins with Dorris tracing his professional journey from the Four Seasons hotel to the Omni, Voice at the Hotel Icon, Branch Water Tavern, Stella Sola, and Revival Market. He earned wide acclaim for Pax Americana, including a CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Chef of the Year in 2016. Presidio, his more casual Heights restaurant, seemed to be on the right track before fire damage caused it to close permanently. At Coterie, he's installed a new menu, hired and trained the kitchen staff, and added more elements to bring the restaurant into line with Marshall's vision for a casual, French-inspired cafe.

Facing those personal and professional challenges has caused Dorris to shift his priorities. Rather than spend every waking moment working, he's trying to find a better balance that allows him more time with his wife and daughter. With Coterie currently open from 7 am to 4 pm daily, he's able to be home for dinner.

"You get to a certain point where you've worked so much and put everything else on the back burner where you go, 'shit, what am I left with,'" Dorris says. "With Presidio opening up, I lost my father right at the beginning, I had a one-year old daughter, everything went kind of crazy. What's going on? What am I working for? If I'm just making food that people like for 15 minutes, that's one thing, but if I'm looking to better my family's life, better my life, better those around, I probably want to do that more."

Prior to Dorris' interview, Felice Sloan of Swanky Maven joins Sandler to discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Memorial Trail Ice House's plans to bring a massive new patio bar to the area near Memorial Park, Federal Grill's second location that will open next year, and the Food Apartheid Dinner Series that unites four of the city's most-talented chefs.

In the restaurants of the week segment, the hosts share very different experiences at Warehouse 72 — his far more successful than hers — the recently opened Italian restaurant inspired by Spaghetti Warehouse. Then, they offer their opinions about the strengths and weaknesses of downtown's four food halls.

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Dishes from Dorris' new menu at Coterie.

Photo by Micahl Wyckoff & Ted Neben

Dishes from Dorris' new menu at Coterie.

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Bernadine's Revived?

Houston chef takes flight with new Gulf Coast seafood spot in the Heights

Southern Smoke Festival 2022 Graham Laborde Paige Gallaspy Laborde

Photo by Emily Jaschke

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Everything old is new again for Graham Laborde. The chef, a co-owner of Midtown sandwich favorite Winnie’s, will open a new, Gulf Coast-inspired seafood restaurant in the Heights called Little Bird.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because Laborde once led Bernadine’s, a “love letter” to Gulf Coast cuisine that operated in the Heights from 2015 until 2017. While Little Bird is a distinct restaurant with its own identity, diners with a long enough memory will certainly see some commonalities between the two restaurants.

“I’m a firm believer in playing to my strengths, I don’t think any of the cooking I’ve done either at Bernadine’s or Winnie’s or Little Bird, which you’ll soon see, does anything but play to my strengths,” Laborde tells CultureMap. You can’t change who you are. This is the cuisine I know and love. It’s what I’m best at. I’m excited to do it.”

Laborde has claimed the former Flying Fish/The Kid space (1815 N. Durham) for Little Bird, which is just around the corner from where Bernadine’s used to be (it’s now Star Rover). Plans call for about 150 seats, private dining rooms, and an air-conditioned patio. Details include a hand-carved wooden oyster bar and a mural by Houston artists Whitney Garrett-Yarbrough and Dayle Booth.

The menu is still under development, but don’t be surprised if at least a couple of Bernadine’s dishes show up. “I’ve grown a lot over the last 10 years. I think that my style, my palate has grown a lot, too. The menu is a work in progress, but I’m excited to hammer it out,” he says.

Adding to the “getting the band back together” vibe are some of the people helping Laborde bring Little Bird to life. Julia Doran, who served as Bernadine’s pastry chef before a length stint at Nancy’s Hustle and Tiny Champions, is consulting on the dessert program. Chelsea Thomas, formerly Bernadine’s assistant general manager, will serve as general manager at the new restaurant (full disclosure: Thomas is a regular contributor to CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast). Bartender Justin Ware, director of operations for Winnie’s, Johnny’s Gold Brick, and Starduster Lounge, will oversee Little Bird’s beverage offerings.

The chef is excited to be back in the Heights, a neighborhood he knows well.

“I first moved to the Heights straight from New Orleans. I noticed Heights Blvd had a middle ground. It made the transition so much easier,” Laborde says. “I’ve lived in the Heights and Garden Oaks for 16 years. It’s my home. I’m thrilled to be back here.”

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