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    Southern Smoke 2018

    Southern Smoke Festival serves up culinary star power, fab fare, and goodwill

    Eric Sandler
    Oct 1, 2018 | 10:51 am

    If brevity is the soul of wit, than Chris Shepherd is Houston’s Jon Stewart.

    As he took the stage to present the donation checks at the fourth annual Southern Smoke Festival, the James Beard Award winner saluted the crowd for another impressive donation total.

    “You guys fucking rocked it! $425,000,” Shepherd exclaimed.

    Three worthy causes will benefit from the money. The National MS Society will receive $200,000, and Hurricane Florence relief efforts will receive $10,000. The remaining almost $215,000 will go to the Southern Smoke Emergency Relief Fund, a charity formed after Hurricane Harvey that provides financial assistance to people in the restaurant industry. The September 30 total means the event has raised close to $1.5 million dollars in four years.

    Intermittent rain showers couldn’t dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm — or the line for Franklin Barbecue. As always, many of the 1,500-plus attendees waited an hour or more for bites of brisket, sausage, and pimento cheese from the world-renowned Austin barbecue joint.

    But why stand in line for brisket when so many other chefs from across the country delivered such tempting bites? Highlights included Brooklyn pitmaster Billy Durney’s smoked ribeye tacos, Sam Jones’ Carolina-style whole hog sandwiches with crispy pork skin, Chicago chef Jason Vincent’s swordfish with smoked chickpeas, and Seattle chef Edouardo Jordan’s jerk chicken with peas and rice.

    James Beard Award-winning pizzaiolo Chris Bianco served up a Texas version of his signature Wise Guy pizza that used Texas-milled flour from Barton Springs Mill and bacon sausage made by Shepherd. Daniela Soto-Innes, the Beard Award-winning chef de cuisine of acclaimed New York Mexican restaurants Cosme and Atla who previously worked for Shepherd at Underbelly, impressed with her grilled octopus skewer with pineapple salsa.

    Houston chefs delivered plenty of culinary delights, too. Hugo Ortega (Hugo’s, etc.) served huitlacoche tamales, and Kata Robata chef Manabu Horiuchi put his signature spin on Japanese-style skipjack tacos. Justin Yu (Theodore Rex) collaborated with Feges BBQ owners Patrick Feges and Erin Smith on smoked beef cheeks with noodle salad. Agricole Hospitality (Coltivare, Revival Market, etc.) took the unofficial award for the day’s most Instagrammable dish with a Steampunk-looking trompo spit that rotated eight spits of pork and chicken for tacos.

    Attendees could pair that food with any number of beverage options, including cocktails from sponsor Knob Creek, beer from Sierra Nevada, and a wide range of wines. Silent auction items that fetched top dollar included a private dinner for six prepared by Shepherd and New Orleans chef Ryan Prewitt ($33,500), a photo shoot dinner for Shepherd’s upcoming cookbook ($10,500), a trip for four to Burgundy, France with sommelier Antonio Gianola ($10,000), a private dinner for 12 prepared by celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern ($6,000), and the velvet painting of Tom Selleck that hung in One Fifth Romance Languages ($2,125).

    Attending today or not, you can still bid on this treasure. https://t.co/FNf3J4m1rG. You’re welcome. pic.twitter.com/bV4c1RMvj3

    — Southern Smoke (@SouthernSmokeTX) September 30, 2018

    Musical performances by the Bayou City Brass Band, Mariachis Los Gallitos, and Neon Rainbow kept the crowd entertained. VIP attendees could grab a seat in the Lexus lounge or head inside to Hay Merchant.

    The crowd event got a sneak peek at the new interior for Georgia James, the steakhouse Shepherd will open next month. New brick, wood, and lights constitute a total change from the space's previous iteration as Underbelly, but it's a relocated bar that looks to be the biggest change.

    Taken together, this year’s combination of culinary star power, drinks, and entertainment establishes this year’s Southern Smoke as the best one yet. Shepherd and his crew will have to work hard to top it in year five. We can’t wait to see what they come up with.

    Edouardo Jordan and Chris Shepherd.

    Southern Smoke 2018 Edouardo Jordan Chris Shepherd
      
    Photo by Emily Jaschke
    Edouardo Jordan and Chris Shepherd.
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    Where to Eat Now

    13 Houston eateries celebrating summer with peach-based bites and sips

    Brianna Griff
    Jun 24, 2025 | 12:15 pm
    ​Brasserie 19's Chamomile panna cotta
    Photo by Michael Hoffman
    Brasserie 19's Chamomile panna cotta is layered with Texas peach and bourbon jam, almond florentine, and orange mint.

    Peak peach season is in full bloom, with Houston restaurants placing the stone fruit front and center with dishes and drinks. From savory salads to decadent desserts, here’s where you can celebrate peach season across the city.

    Barbacana
    At chef Christian Hernandez's downtown restaurant, pastry chef Priscilla Treviño puts an elevated spin on peaches and cream with a plate of semifreddo, peach sauce anglaise, and a delicate peach tuile.

    Baso
    The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards’ Restaurant of the Year brings a Basque-inspired twist to peach season. Its endive salad balances the vegetable’s slight bitterness with the sweetness of fresh peaches.

    Brasserie 19
    For a decadent treat, the River Oaks staple is elevating its classic Chamomile panna cotta by layering it with Texas peach and bourbon jam, almond florentine, and orange mint.

    Good God, Nadine's
    The recently-opened cocktail bar near Washington Avenue uses peaches from Lightsey Farms in Mexia for its Peach Whiskey Smash. The cocktail is made with Jameson whiskey, muddled peaches, mint, lemon juice, simple syrup, and walnut bitters.

    Guard and Grace
    The modern steakhouse in downtown is peach-focused this summer. Highlights include oak-grilled king crab with a watercress and peach salad, yellowtail sashimi with peach, Benton’s ham carpaccio with Palisade peach salsa, and oak-grilled pork tenderloin with grilled peaches and tomatillo farro risotto. Sip on a smoked peach bourbon cocktail or a jalapeno peach mojito to complete the experience.


    Honeychild's Sweet Creams peach ice creamHoneychild's Sweet Creams will be serving a range of peach-based flavors this summer.Courtesy of Honeychild's Sweet Creams

    Honeychild's Sweet Creams
    The Heights’ M-K-T creamery is serving a refreshing peach bay leaf sorbet, with more seasonal offerings coming soon, such as peach cobbler ice cream, white peach shortbread, peach ring ice cream with house-made chamoy, peach jam, caramelized peaches, and candied peaches.

    House of Pies
    Houston’s pie destination packs fresh, yellow California peaches into a pie crust, crowned with dollops of whipped cream. The pie will be available until mid-July, while supplies of peaches last.

    Jane and the Lion Bakehouse
    Already a favorite, the newly opened Heights bakery and cafe is taking full advantage of peach season, packing fresh fruits from local growers into numerous baked goods. Peach-forward bites include: spiced peaches and cream hand pies, peach bread pudding, and peach-strawberry gluten-free muffins.

    On the savory side, diners will find a Texas peach and pecan sourdough with bacon and peaches, basil focaccia, and the ricotta getaway toast with basil pesto and peach on sourdough. For a summer entrée, select the Panzanella Peach, which combines tomatoes, radicchio, peaches, and sourdough.

    Latuli
    Chef Brian Caswell’s newest addition to the Houston dining scene is already making waves, serving peach-focused plates, including a roasted grouper with peach and a peach cobbler for dessert.

    Leaf and Grain
    A fan-favorite seasonal salad, the Peach Panzanella features roasted chicken thighs, croutons, Danish feta, and a honey-white balsamic vinaigrette.

    The Marigold Club
    Goodnight Hospitality’s French-inspired restaurant offers a refined ode to the classic peach Melba. The treat is composed of vanilla gelato, peach-whipped ganache, peach compote, and a raspberry sauce, then finished with a delicate rosemary tuile.

    Pizaro's Pizza
    Starting July 1, patrons can pair one of the restaurant's pizza with a peach caprese salad. The dish features a bed of spring mix greens, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze, topped with fresh-cut peaches, imported Italian stracciatella, and pistachios.

    Relish
    At both locations of the popular comfort food restaurant, diners can dig into a seasonal burrata featuring pickled peaches paired with heirloom tomatoes, tart gooseberries, peppery arugula, prosciutto, and croutons in saba. Follow the salad with the hearty grilled pork chop, accompanied by pickled peaches, brandy cream, parsnip puree, and bacon-braised collard greens.

    \u200bBrasserie 19's Chamomile panna cotta
      

    Photo by Michael Hoffman

    Brasserie 19's Chamomile panna cotta is layered with Texas peach and bourbon jam, almond florentine, and orange mint.

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