Kitchen 713 shutters

Washington Avenue's acclaimed global soul food spot suddenly shutters

Houston, fried chicken, July 2017, Kitchen 713

Kitchen 713 has closed.

Photo by Lisa Nguyen

One of Houston's most acclaimed restaurants has served its last meal. Kitchen 713 closed on Sunday, October 28, chef and co-owner James Haywood tells CultureMap.

"It wasn't an easy decision, but we've come to the conclusion this is the best time to shutter," Haywood says.

The restaurant, which tagged itself as serving "global soul food," moved to a new location on Washington Avenue in December 2016 that allowed it to expand its menu and serve alcohol. Since then, the restaurant has become known for Coleman and Haywood's eclectic cuisine, which blends traditional Southern fare with a wide range of influences — everything from Vietnamese to Ethiopian. It also became known for its lively brunch and world-class fried chicken. Still, those accolades weren't enough to sustain the concept.

"We just saw an opportunity to start fresh," Haywood explains. "We’re a little burned out. We want to explore new avenues. There’s only so much we can do under the Kitchen 713 banner. We want to explore new cuisines."

Those cuisines include exploring the West African influences they demonstrated in a four-course tasting menu that they had planned to serve at the restaurant. Instead, Haywood says diners should expect to see it at pop-ups around town (Haywood promises an update on those plans once they're finalized).

This news will undoubtedly disappoint the chefs' fans, including professional critics. Eater's Bill Addison writes that the chefs "prove exceptionally adept at distilling a worldwide array of tastes and textures into dishes that leave you invigorated." His support helped Coleman and Haywood earn a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for Best Chef: Southwest and a spot on Eater's list of Texas' 38 essential restaurants.

Haywood says and his business partner are looking forward to taking a little time off and traveling a bit. The chefs are even considering a trip to West Africa to learn more about the region’s cuisines. Those trips, and a mental break, will help inspire whatever's next for the duo.

"We’re still trying to come to that now," Haywood says. "Nothing’s solidified as far as the concept’s concerned. Definitely want to go the Heights area. We’ll see what comes up."

closings chefs

no cap

Chef-backed nonprofit will train the next generation of Houston hospitality

Courtesy of Culinary Careers Program

Aaron Bludorn has been involved with Culinary Careers Program for many years.

A culinary training program founded by one of America’s most prominent celebrity chefs is coming to Houston. Culinary Careers Program (C•CAP) will launch in Houston with a sold out dinner this Wednesday, September 16.

Founded by multiple time James Beard Award winner Marcus Samuelsson, Culinary Careers Program is a national workforce development nonprofit that partners with public schools to provide under-resourced students with the skills they need to succeed in jobs in the hospitality industry.

The nonprofit provides education, job training, apprenticeships, scholarships, and career opportunities that both help students find good jobs and supply restaurants with well-trained, highly-motivated employees.

To date, Culinary Careers Program has reached close to 400,000 students across the United States and awarded $79 million in college scholarships.

Houston chef and restaurateur Aaron Bludorn became involved with C•CAP when he served as executive chef of Cafe Boulud in New York City. He’s leading the charge to bring the program to Houston by hosting a sold out fundraiser at Bar Bludorn this Wednesday in collaboration with chef Nick Wong (Agnes and Sherman) and Leonard Botello IV (Truth BBQ).

“It’s so important that C•CAP comes to Houston. I think it’s very similar to, if we’re going to get good at soccer in the United States we need to focus on youth soccer and getting kids interested early,” Bludorn tells CultureMap.

“For Houston to continue to become a major culinary city in the United States, it’s important to focus on the next generation of chefs. C•CAP gives that opportunity to high school students to have on the job training while still being in school.”

As the owner of a growing group of restaurants, Bludorn recognizes that businesses need a steady stream of people. C•CAP participants arrive with basic skills that allow them to get up to speed more quickly than other applicants.

“It provides chefs with young talented cooks that have been vetted and given proper training. You’re not taking a guess on someone,” Bludorn says.

Botello IV’s participation shows that C•CAP is adapting to Texas. Students will have the opportunity to work at Truth BBQ, a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient that Texas Monthly ranks as the state’s 10th best barbecue joint.

“There will be opportunities to become a chef or a general manager, but also to learn barbecue and get your foot in the door at a place like Truth and become a pitmaster. That on-the-job training is the most valuable,” Bludorn says.

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