houston's star chefs

Houston's hottest rising star chefs shine at prestigious awards gala

A national organization that seeks to identify future culinary leaders shines its spotlight on Houston this week. StarChefs, an organization dedicated to celebrating up-and-coming culinary talent, will host a gala Tuesday, December 10 to celebrate its 2019 class of Houston rising stars.

The winners, listed below, constitute a mix of prominent names in Houston’s contemporary restaurant scene as well as promising culinary talent who may still be flying a little under the radar while they work for more prominent chefs and restaurant groups. StarChefs’ managing partner Will Blunt tells CultureMap that the organization spent over three weeks interviewing 70 candidates for its class of 17 announced winners (plus two more that will be revealed Tuesday night).

By coming to the city to meet with candidates for interviews, photoshoots, and tastings, StarChefs sets itself apart from other national awards or lists. These winners might go on to earn more prominent industry awards such as Food & Wine Best New Chef or a James Beard Award.

“Often the StarChefs Rising Stars Award is the first major award or national recognition a young chef, sommelier, bartender, or artisan may receive,” Blunt tells CultureMap in an email. “Because StarChefs is on the ground in restaurants interviewing and tasting with hundreds of chefs and other industry professionals across the country every year, we have insights into the hospitality industry on a micro level. No other publication in the country has been able to do this kind of grassroots work.”

Because the organization is returning to Houston for the first time since 2011, it had a lot of ground to cover. In the rising star chefs category, that means the class includes a mix of veterans like Bobby Matos (State of Grace, La Lucha) and Drake Leonards (Eunice) are paired with newer talents like Kaitlin Steets (Theodore Rex) and Natasha Douglas (Better Luck Tomorrow). While it might have made more sense to recognize someone like Matos earlier in his career — he led Tony Vallone’s casual Italian restaurant Ciao Bello before moving on to Ford Fry’s Houston restaurants in 2015 — Blunt explains the organization didn’t want to punish worthy talents just cause it’s been a little tardy about returning.

Regardless of age or experience, Blunt writes that certain qualities unite all of the winners. “What makes the winners standout, besides delicious food and cocktails etc., is leadership, community participation, and vision. The winners are pushing Houston hospitality forward and are models for others in their city and nationally.”

Back in 2011, the organization did a fairly good job of identifying the chefs and other culinary professionals who are leaders in the scene today, including rising star chefs like Chris Shepherd (then at Catalan), Manabu Horiuchi (Kata Robata), and Seth Siegel-Gardner (then at Kata Robata, recently of The Pass & Provisions). Bobby Heugel (Anvil, etc) earned an award for mixologist, and Sean Beck (Caracol, Hugo’s, etc) won the rising star sommelier award.

Asked to identify which of this year’s winners he thinks is most likely to become the next Shepherd or Heugel, Blunt writes that all of them have potential.

“It’s a toss up because this class is so strong, and they have such great examples in their forebearers like Hori-san or Bobby,” he states. “Each of the 2019 StarChefs Houston Rising Stars has that potential. That’s why we picked them. We believe in them as leaders.”

On Tuesday night, the winners will gather for a gala awards ceremony featuring dishes prepared by the winning chefs paired with cocktails prepared by and wines selected by the rising star bartenders and sommeliers. At the event, the organization will present two additional awards: Arts of Presentation and Mentor.

We’ll predict that former rising star winner Shepherd earns the mentor title. Buy tickets online to attend the event ($85 general admission, $125 VIP).

2019 StarChefs Houston Rising Stars Award Winners

Chefs

Natasha Douglas: Better Luck Tomorrow and Penny Quarter
Drake Leonards: Eunice
Bobby Matos: State of Grace and La Lucha
Kaitlin Steets: Theodore Rex
Nick Wong: UB Preserv

Game Changer Chef

Jonny Rhodes: Indigo

Community Chefs

Patrick Feges and Erin Smith: Feges BBQ

Pastry Chef

Meredith Larke: Uchi Houston

Concept

Jasmine Chida: Sweet Cup Gelato & Sorbet Originale

Bartenders

Tommy Ho: Anvil Bar & Refuge
Westin Galleymore: Underbelly Hospitality

Artisan Baker

Mathieu Cabon: Magnol French Baking

Artisan Roaster

Benji Aguilar & Kaitlin O’Brien: Xela Coffee Roasters

Restaurateur

David Keck: Goodnight Hospitality

Sommeliers

Andres Blanco: Caracol
Lindsay Thomas: Pappas Bros. Steakhouse

Erin Smith and Patrick Feges.

Courtesy of StarChefs

Erin Smith and Patrick Feges.

chefs awards

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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