Houston classic reborn

Classic Creole restaurant makes a splash with new name and new look in Montrose

Crab Danton, oysters Montrose, and pecan-crusted snapper have a new home. Eugene’s Gulf Coast Cuisine recently opened in the former home of Mockingbird Bistro at 1985 Welch St.

The restaurant represents a new chapter for Danton’s Gulf Coast Seafood and Steaks, which served its elevated take on classic Creole cuisine for 13 years. When its previous location in the Chelsea Market was sold and torn down, owner Kyle Teas opted for a new name to go along with the new location.

“It’s named after my dad,” Teas tells CultureMap. “We wanted to honor him. When the situation came about with the shopping center being sold, it’s a good time. Danton’s had a 13-year run of great people and great memories. Let’s start fresh.”

That fresh start includes a comprehensive set of renovations. Teas’ wife, Clare Teas, and sister-in-law, Christa Yates, have decorated the 70-seat oyster bar with vintage family photographs. Antique mirrors from the Teas family help make the 80-seat main dining room feel larger and more open.

While the look and name are new, the food remains the same, which will be good news for Danton’s fans who’ve missed the restaurant’s signature recipes like shrimp Kyle and white chocolate bread pudding. The biggest change is that some whole fish dishes such as halibut and sea bass have been moved off the menu; they’ll be available seasonally based on the restaurant’s ability to source fresh product.

Even better, many of the cooks and service staff from Danton’s have made their way to Eugene’s. The team has a family touch, too, with Teas’ daughter Bailey serving as the restaurant’s marketing and development director.

Teas acknowledges some initial stumbles as the crew adapted to its new home — fans of Danton’s and neighborhood residents overwhelmed the kitchen in the beginning — but service is running more smoothly now. Currently open for dinner, he plans to add lunch in November and brunch shortly after that.

In the last few years, new restaurants have emerged that are putting their own spin on the same style of seafood Eugene’s serves. Teas acknowledges that those establishments have their place, but he’s confident that his classic approach still has its fans. As he notes, diners will always welcome a restaurant that serves good seafood and steaks.

“I’ve been to all those restaurants. I like them,” Teas says. “I think there’s enough distinction in the menus that each one has its own niche. Some have a smaller menu than we do, but what they do, they do well.

“I think we’re going to fit in real well with the neighborhood here.”

A selection of dishes from Eugene's.

Photo by Leah Wilson

A selection of dishes from Eugene's.

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meet the tastemakers

Houston's 11 best chefs of 2026 are leading the city's rise to prominence

Photo by Zachary Horst

Felipe Riccio, March.

We’ve reached the final category in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. These are the nominees for Chef of the Year.

This year’s nominees are an accomplished group. They hold Michelin stars and received Bib Gourmand designations. They are James Beard Award semifinalists, finalists, and winners. They’ve competed on Top Chef.

Of course they all serve consistently well-prepared dishes that keep diners coming back again and again. They’re also leaders and mentors who are guiding the next generation of cooks who will make their own mark on the dining scene. Many are involved in a number of local nonprofits, including I’ll Have What She’s Having and the Southern Smoke Foundation.

Who will win? Find out this Thursday, April 16, at the Tastemaker Awards party at Silver Street Studios. We’ll dine on bites from this year’s nominated restaurants and sip cocktails from our sponsors before revealing the winners in our short and sweet ceremony.

A limited number of tickets remain. Buy yours before they sell out.

Here are the nominees for Chef of the Year:

Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen
The first Houstonian to win the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas, Chef G, as she’s known to friends and supporters, continues to make Street to Kitchen one of Houston’s destination restaurants. Regular travels back home to Thailand inspire new dishes on the menu, and G has also embraced her inner Texan with a rotating selection of steaks and chops. Her warm personality also sets the tone for the friendly service diners can expect at Street to Kitchen.

Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, Jūn
The two friends and business partners have come a long way since their days of serving meals under a tent at area farmers markets. Now, they’re James Beard Award finalists for Best Chef: Texas, Top Chef alumni, and they successfully spun up a daytime concept, Third Place, that hosts the city’s most intriguing roster of pop-ups. If that weren’t enough, they released debuted Loaded Potatoes, a new podcast that showcases their distinct perspectives on food and culture.

Felipe Riccio, March
As the leader of Houston’s one-star, Mediterranean-inspired tasting menu restaurant, Riccio leads the ultra-ambitious team that changes its entire menu twice per year. Not only does this effort require extensive research, training, and preparation, it only requires the discipline necessary to execute at a consistently high level to meet the expectations of diners who are fully aware of the restaurant’s lofty reputation.

Jassi Bindra, Amrina/Kitchen Rumors
Houstonians already knew Bindra could execute fine dining cuisine based on his success at Amrina, but the chef also showcased his adeptness with casual fare at twin concepts Bol and Pok Pok Po. He dialed up the creativity at Kitchen Rumors, bringing Indian flavors to everything from pot roast to ramen. Although his Top Chef experience came to an abrupt end in only this season’s second episode, he’ll remain a local chef whose future projects will always be worth sampling.

Lucas McKinney, Josephine's
Already a winner of Rising Star Chef of the Year, McKinney steps into Chef of the Year consideration after leading Josephine’s to a Recommended designation in the Michelin Guide. The inspectors praises dishes like the crab fat rice bowl and shrimp po’ boy, but they neglected to include McKinney’s world-class crawfish. That just means more for us.

Manabu Horiuchi, Katami/Kata Robata/Sushi Horiuchi
Known to all as Hori-san, your favorite chef’s favorite chef is riding higher than ever. Katami, his ode to contemporary Japanese fine dining, quickly established itself as one of Houston’s most sought after reservations and earned the chef a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for America's best chef. More recently, he opened Sushi Horiuchi, a six-seat omakase counter that gives diners an even most personal experience. While diners should certainly engage with him about the dishes they’re eating, we also suggest asking him about his favorite karaoke songs.

Mayank Istwal, Musaafer
As the leader of Houston’s only Michelin-starred Indian fine dining restaurant, Istwal oversees an impressive restaurant that offers both a la carte and tasting menus. With Musaafer’s recent expansion to New York City, he’s also the only nominee to be dividing his time between two cities. Thankfully, he’s built a strong team who can ensure Musaafer remains consistent even when he’s in the Big Apple.

Nick Wong, Agnes and Sherman
Known for leading UB Preserv to a best new restaurant award from Texas Monthly, Wong returned to the kitchen with this Asian American diner in the Heights, which also earned best new restaurant nods from both Texas Monthly and finalist status in the James Beard Awards. The wide-ranging menu applies his unique perspective to everything from fried chicken and club sandwiches to egg foo young and pasta bolognese — made with Korean rice dumplings, natch. While his commitment to make Agnes and Sherman a good place to work is certainly worthy of respect, he deserves this nomination simply for introducing Houston to cheeseburger fried rice.

Shawn Gawle, Camaraderie
A former Pastry Chef of the Year winner for his work at Goodnight Hospitality, Gawle has been showing off his savory chops at this restaurant in the Heights. The restaurant’s prix fixe menu reflects the style of dining Gawle enjoys the most, where friends share a meal and conversation. Recently, the chef has been inviting guest chefs such as Rebecca Mason and Raffi Nasr in for can’t-miss collabs.

Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast
As the winner of Best Chef: Texas in the 2025 James Beard Awards and a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide, Belly of the Beast no longer qualifies as a hidden gem. Still, Bille isn’t resting on his laurels. He added a tasting menu to Belly of the Beast’s offerings and continues to roll out new dishes that explore the intersection of Mexican flavors with other immigrant cuisines.

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The Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored in Houston by Maker's Mark, Culinary Khancepts, Herradura Tequila, Ritual Zero Proof + Seedlip, Shutto, NXT LVL EVENT, and more to be announced. A portion of proceeds will benefit our nonprofit partner, the Southern Smoke Foundation.

Photo by Zachary Horst

Felipe Riccio, March.

tastemaker awards chefs