Southern Smoke Wrapup

Celebrity chefs go whole hog with smoked brisket and snapper, too, at barbecue street party

Underbelly chef/owner Chris Shepherd had a pretty good Sunday. His beloved Houston Astros defeated the Kansas City Royals in the playoffs and the hated Dallas Cowboys suffered a humiliating 30-6 defeat at home to the New England Patriots. Perhaps most importantly, Shepherd, three visiting celebrity chefs and some of Houston's brightest culinary minds raised almost $184,000 for the National MS Society at the inaugural Southern Smoke charity barbecue event.

James Beard Awards winners like Aaron Franklin of Austin's Franklin Barbecue and Sean Brock of Husk Restaurant (Nashville and Charleston) and McCrady's (Charleston) don't participate in many festivals, but they couldn't say no to Shepherd when he asked for their assistance, along with celebrated South Carolina pitmaster Rodney Scott, to make Southern Smoke a reality.

In addition to the illustrious trio of out-of-towners, a group of Houston chefs — Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan from The Pass & Provisions, Oxheart's Justin Yu and Ryan Pera of Coltivare and Revival Market — joined Shepherd for some elevated riffs on barbecue as part of the debut of the HOUBBQ Collective. The combination of out of star power and high profile Houston chefs set Southern Smoke apart from the annual Houston Barbecue Festival, which focuses on mostly local barbecue talent.

"You know we’re to the point where we could do a festival everyday if we said yes to everything," Brock told CultureMap. "I think at the end of the day one of the great things about being a chef is helping friends when they ask for help, and also to be able to ask for help when you need help. We can do all that through food, and that’s what’s so cool, you know? We’re just cooks, but we’re able to help so many people and we’re very fortunate."

Franklin conceded that "I don't do any festivals," but made an exception for Southern Smoke.

"From time to time, a homie calls (and says), ‘Hey, I want to do this thing. I want to raise money for this. I want to invite this buddy and this buddy. Do you want to hang out?’ 'Absolutely, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.' That’s pretty much all it takes. A homie calling up and saying, ‘do you want to hang out?’ 'Yup, I’ll be there. What day, what time, how many people?'"

Greatest challenge

Scott had perhaps the day's greatest challenge — serving his signature whole hog to Texans who revere beef brisket. "I think we’ll make it," he said with a laugh. "I’ve heard there wasn’t a lot of pork in Texas, but hopefully we’ll start converting them today."

The visiting chefs received help from a high-profile group of culinary assistants including Main Kitchen executive chef Erin Smith, El Big Bad executive chef Jonathan Jones and Prohibition culinary director Ben McPherson. Southern Goods sous chef Patrick Feges furthered the interest in whole hog he demonstrated at the Houston Barbecue Festival by assisting Scott.

"He pays close attention," Scott said of Feges, who won the CultureMap Tastemakers Rising Star Chef of the Year award in May. "He’s learning, and he’s putting in everything he needs to know. He helps both physically and mentally."

In addition to whole hog and a constant line for Franklin's signature brisket, attendees feasted on Brock's snapper on the half shell with ndjua butter, smoked beef shoulder from Underbelly, smoked foie gras mousee and duck from The Pass & Provisions, smoked sticky rice tamales from Yu and smoked tongue and cheek hot dog with chili, chow chow and cheddar from Pera.

For Siegel-Gardner, participating in Southern Smoke is an extension of the way he and Gallivan have been using more smoke at their restaurant. "We’ve tried to smoke just about everything possible. Smoked brats we’ve been doing come out really nice. Smoked short ribs that we’ve been doing with a pepita sauce. We do a lot of smoked vegetables for both The Pass and Provisions," he said.

Those who missed it shouldn't feel too left out. After presenting the MS Society with a check on behalf of sommelier Antonio Gianola, whose MS diagnosis prompted the event, Shepherd vowed to make Southern Smoke an annual festival. We can't wait.

Whitney Mercilus and Chris Shepherd.

Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com

Whitney Mercilus and Chris Shepherd.

celebrities fundraisers barbecue festivals

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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