Young Chef Mourned

Houston food community mourns unexpected death of talented young chef

Update (Aug 29): The Harris County Medical Examiner's office has ruled that suicide is Grant Gordon's cause of death. At his funeral on August 28, rabbi David Lyon of Congregation Beth Israel told mourners that Gordon had been suffering from depression after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis over six months ago. The Edmont, the restaurant Gordon intended to open in Montrose, has been canceled. In his obituary, Gordon's family requests donations be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

---------------------------

CultureMap has learned that former Tony's chef Grant Gordon passed away unexpectedly Monday night at his apartment. Gordon was 28. The cause of his death has not been determined.

The chef revealed last week that he had partnered with Paulie's owner Paul Petronella and Camerata sommelier David Keck on a new restaurant called The Edmont that was expected to open in 2016.

The news of Gordon's death has shocked Houston's food community who knew Gordon for his outgoing personality, prodigious talent and commitment to excellence. The food world had been buzzing with news about The Edmont, which was expected to be a top restaurant given the talent of the three men at its core.

A native Houstonian and Memorial High School grad, Gordon left Houston to attend the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. Upon his graduation in 2006, Gordon took a position at Cafe Boulud in New York City, where he was part of a team that earned a coveted three-star rating from the New York Times. From there he moved on to the two-star Michelin restaurant Cyrus in California, where he worked alongside fellow Houstonians Matt Marcus (Eatsie Boys) and Roy Shvartzapel (Common Bond).

Upon his return to Houston five years ago, Gordon accepted a position at Tony's, where he quickly rose through the ranks. By his 25th birthday, he had earned a four-star rating from Chronicle critic Alison Cook, who praised the way Gordon worked "with a discipline and assurance beyond his years." Under Gordon's direction, the consensus seemed to be that one of Houston's oldest and most well-regarded fine dining restaurants again had food that matched its service and atmosphere. Gordon's work at Tony's landed him on the Forbes magazine 30 under 30 list of rising stars in the food and beverage world.

"It's very tragic. My thoughts and prayers are with his family," Tony's owner Tony Vallone tells CultureMap about Gordon's death. "It's a shock to everyone."

No information was immediately available about funeral services. CultureMap will update this article when Gordon's family releases any information on his passing. Our thoughts are with them, as well his many friends throughout the area.

Update: The funeral will be held Thursday August 28 at 1 p.m. at Congregation Beth Israel 5600 North Braeswood Blvd.

unspecified

an offer he couldn't refuse

Exclusive: Killen's Barbecue will soon shutter in The Woodlands

Killen's barbecue meat platter with sides

Photo by Robert Jacob Lerma

undefined

Fans of Killen’s Barbecue’s location in The Woodlands have a days to make one last visit. The restaurant will close this Sunday, December 7, chef-owner Ronnie Killen tells CultureMap.

Open since 2021, Killen says that he’s in final negotiations to sell the location at 8800 Six Pines Dr. to Whataburger for a new location of the iconic Texas fast food restaurant. Neither the original location of Killen’s Barbecue in Pearland nor its Cypress location are affected by the closure of The Woodlands and will remain open.

“Whataburger made me a deal I couldn’t pass up. It would take 10 years to do that kind of revenue,” Killen writes in a text, adding that the company recently made a significant payment to keep the deal’s window open through the end of the year.

He added that the costs to operate the restaurant have gone up significantly. As one example, a cord of wood cost $175 when he opened the first Killen’s Barbecue in 2013. It costs $475 now, he writes.

If the deal falls through, Killen states that he could look for a new buyer or convert the restaurant into a second location of Killen’s Burger, the retro-styled burger joint he operates in Pearland.

The restaurant’s closure had been expected since February, when Killen sold The Woodlands’ location of Killen's Steakhouse. At the time, Killen said he also planned to find a buyer for his barbecue joint in the bustling suburb. He cited the driving distance from Pearland to The Woodlands as one reason he chose to divest both locations. He still operates Killen's Steakhouse in Pearland, comfort food restaurant Killen's near the Heights, Killen's Burger, and three other locations of Killen's Barbecue.

As it approaches its 13th anniversary in the spring, Killen’s Barbecue remains a vital part of Houston’s barbecue scene. The restaurant recently earned an honorable mention from Texas Monthly and holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide. In July, it opened a new location at Hobby Airport.

closings barbecue the-woodlands