one night only

Chef's Table star Mashama Bailey picks Montrose restaurant for special one-night only meal

The chef and managing partner of one of the South's most acclaimed restaurants will be in Houston for a special, one-night only event. Chef Mashama Bailey and John O. Morisano, partners in Savannah's award-winning restaurant The Grey, will be in Houston at Montrose restaurant Traveler's Table on October 14 as part of a tour to promote their book Black, White, and The Grey.

Bailey scarcely needs an introduction, but let's give her one anyway. A New York chef with Southern roots, Bailey won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2019 and was featured in a season six episode of the Netflix documentary series Chef's Table for her work at The Grey, which Eater selected as its restaurant of the year in 2017.

Black, White, and The Grey tells the story of how Morisano, a white media entrepreneur, and Bailey, a Black chef, overcame numerous obstacles to create a business partnership, a friendship, and one of America's most acclaimed restaurants. For the tour, the duo are visiting 11 restaurants across the South, starting with Poole's Diner in Raleigh on October 6 and ending in Atlanta on October 22. Along the way, they'll make two Texas stops: Dallas's Meridian restaurant on October 13 followed by Traveler's Table on October 14.

Each restaurant will serve a four-course meal inspired by the recipes in Black, White, and The Grey. In a statement provided by Traveler's Table, Morisano explains why he and Bailey selected Thy and Matthew Mitchell's globally-inspired Montrose restaurant as the Houston stop on their trip.

“I think it was really the diversity of the owners’ view on food,” Morisano said. “With Thy growing up as a Vietnamese-American and Matthew being in the business world before he decided to follow his passion into restaurants, there were elements of their story that seemed similar to ours and part of what we are doing on this tour is celebrating other restaurants, cities, and truly unique offerings that have stories that resonate. We are always trying to learn from people and places like that.”

“We all share a passion for exploring the world through food and drink,” Matthew Mitchell added. “It’s a thrill to be collaborating with The Grey where we will be cooking and meeting new friends and fans of their Southern cuisine here in Houston. My team and I have been in conversations with them for weeks as we plan a menu that will compliment theirs. It’s been a lot of fun and I know guests will be blown away by the creativity.”

Attendees have the choice of an either a 6 or 8:30 pm seating. A VIP cocktail reception with Morisano and Bailey will be held at 5 pm. Tickets, $125 for the VIP reception and the 6 pm meal or $85 for the meal, are on sale now via Resy, which is sponsoring the tour. All attendees will receive a copy of Black, White, and The Grey.

True to form, Traveler's Table has brought its eclectic perspective to Bailey's dishes. Here's the menu:

Passed appetizers and cocktails (VIP hour)

Margie's Deviled Eggs: "Jammy" Japanese-style ramen eggs, chicharrones
Fried Viet-Cajun oysters on the half-shell
Paper Plane (Monkey Shoulder gin, Amaro Nonino, Campari, blood orange juice) Blood Orange Juice
The Revolver (Bulleit rye, Licor 43, Kahlua, etc)

Appetizer

Texas Tartare: Akaushi beef, hatch chili seasoning, whiskey vinegar, quail egg, toast points

Second Course

Dirty Rice: Cognac-glazed sweetbreads, duck liver, Louisiana popcorn rice

Entree (choice of one)

Sizzling Smoky Pig: pork knuckle crackling, Steen's Cane jus, Amaretto cornbread, braised collard greens
Whole Grilled Fish: Whole-roasted Branzino, Chermoula marinade, blood orange reduction, harissa carrots

Dessert

Caribbean-spiced honey chess pie, aged rum, almond cookie crust, Velvet Falernum merengue, sweet plantain compote

Even before its recent appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Traveler's Table has been on an upswing. The restaurant raised almost $17,000 for the Houston Food Bank during Houston Restaurant Weeks, making it one the event's largest donations. Matthew Mitchell and executive chef Stanton Bundy have introduced a number of new dishes to the menu, including tea smoked duck, Nigerian-style suya skewers, and a vegan take on chiles en nogada.

Chef Mashama Bailey and business partner John O Morisano will be in Houston next month.

The Grey/Facebook

Chef Mashama Bailey and business partner John O Morisano will be in Houston next month.

books news-you-can-eat chefs

say hey to Hypsi

Houston chef's hip new Italian restaurant now open in Heights hotel

Photo by Julie Soefer

Hypsi serves pasta and other Itaian-inspired dishes.

A new Italian restaurant is now open in the Heights. Located within the newly opened Hotel Daphne, Hypsi marks chef Terrence Gallivan’s return to professional cooking in Houston.

Known for his time as the co-execuive chef of The Pass and Provisions and owner of ElRo Pizza and Crudo, Gallivan brings strong culinary credentials to Hypsi. Although he isn’t known explicitly for Italian fare, he has significant experience making pizza, pasts, and other Italian-inspired dishes. After closing ElRo last year, the chef says that working for Bunkhouse Hotels, the Austin-based company that operates the Daphne, had a lot of appeal.

“My wife and I always made it a point to stop at their places whenever we’re in Austin. They know how to make cool stuff,” Gallivan says.

Hypsi’s menu includes updated takes on Italian fare begins with starters such as lamb meatballs, black truffle arancini, and Caesar salad. A selection of house-made pastas include squid ink radiatori with rock shrimp, butternut squash tortellini, and lumache with vodka sauce that gets a little heat from nduja. Entree choices include a roast chicken, pork Milanese, and roasted snapper with salsa verde.

The restaurant is also open for breakfast during the week and brunch on the weekends with items such as a panatone waffle, frittata, and breakfast sandwich. Lunch will follow in January.

“We took inspiration from tradition without being traditional,” Gallivan says. Later, he adds, “For me, it’s about balance. You try to please everybody. I want my mom to enjoy herself as much as a 25-year-old foodie. It’s important to hit as many marks as you can.”

One of the restaurant’s signatures will be the mozzarella cart that rolls through its dining room. Gallivan says he’s sourcing a mix of both American and imported Italian cheeses that will rotate every week or two. The cheese is served with a range of pickled fruit and vegetables, olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, focaccia, and more. Of course, seeing a cart immediately grabs diners’ attention, making them want whatever is on offer.

“That’s the beauty of carts,” Gallivan says. “It’s a fun thing to do. I think sometimes we get a little too serious in restaurants. It’s supposed to be fun. People are here to enjoy themselves.”

All that eating and drinking takes place in a dining room that’s inspired by Prohibition-era speakeasies, according to press materials. Details include blueberry lava stone on the bar, vintage velvet chairs, and custom Carimate dining chairs by Vico Magistretti. An outdoor patio features brick pavers, mosaic tables, and sculptures.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Hypsi serves pasta and other Itaian-inspired dishes.

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