Ben's Busy Week

Ben Berg unveils ultra luxurious steakhouse and new downtown bistro

Even by his prolific standards, Ben Berg is having a busy week. His company, Berg Hospitality Group, is opening two new restaurants in Houston this week. They are:

Turner’s Cut: A luxurious steakhouse in the Autry Park mixed-use development
The Sylvie: A European-inspired all-day cafe in downtown’s Texas Tower high-rise

Intended to be Houston’s most luxurious steakhouse, Turner’s Cut takes inspiration from Gilded Age style and the exuberance of America after its victory in World War II. Berg worked with Gail McCleese of hospitality design firm Sensitori to create the space, which is divided into four rooms: the State Room, a 24-seat private dining room; a 15-seat bar; an enclosed patio with seating for 30; and a main dining rooms that features soaring ceilings and antique chandeliers.

$Chelsea Cummings Pablo Pen\u0303alosa Turner's Cut$ Executive chef Chelsea Cummings and regional culinary director Pablo Peñalosa.Photo by Brian Kennedy

Berg really has gone all out in his pursuit of ultimate luxury. Even the restrooms come equipped with luxurious soaps and an attendant who will offer diners a sip of wine or a nip of MacAllan 12-year Scotch as they head back to their seats.

Turning to the food, Berg Hospitality COO Franck Savoy, son of renowned French chef Guy Savoy, worked alongside the company’s corporate chefs and executive chef Chelsea Cummings on a menu of equally lavish dishes. Those who want to follow a set track may choose from five or eight-course tasting menus. Priced at $165 and $235 respectively, the tasting menu includes dishes such as foie gras terrine, kobe beef tartare with langoustine and quail egg, Dover sole, and American wagyu with celeriac puree.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a steakhouse without a la carte options. Diners may start their meal with selections from a raw bar cart loaded with oysters, tuna sashimi, king crab, lobster tails, and caviar. Cold appetizers include dishes such as salmon tart, the foie gras terrine and beef tartare from the tasting menu, and a Caesar salad that’s prepared tableside.

Entree choices include truffle and mushroom risotto, lamb chops, and two tableside preparations — beef short rib Wellington and Dover sole. Steak lovers will find a range of options, included dry-aged USDA Prime, American wagyu, Australian wagyu, and Japanese Kobe beef served in four and six-ounce portions.

“I am so excited to celebrate the opening of Turner’s Cut, a project that has been four years in the making,” Berg said at the restaurant’s invite-only VIP preview party. “We've created a world of extravagance and opulence, where people can come and feel as if they’re living in New York City during The Gilded Age, while eating some of the best food in Houston.”

Turning to the Sylvie, the all-day concept caters to downtown office workers by opening at 7 am Monday-Friday. Those looking for something quick to start their morning will find grab-and-go options as well as breakfast sandwiches and smoothies.

At lunch and dinner, look for options such as salads, pizzas, sandwiches, and light entrees like a mezze platter, Caesar salad, lamb meatballs, and roasted chicken breast.

The approximately 3,300-square-foot restaurant seats 85. Later this year, it will be joined in the Texas Tower by Dune Road, a new restaurant devoted to New England-style seafood.

Berg Hospitality also opened Soy Cowboy, a pan-Asian restaurant in the Dallas suburb of Arlington. Located at the Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center, the restaurant serves dishes inspired by Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other cuisines with dishes that include sushi, tempura, Korean barbecue, and dim sum.

Photo by Brian Kennedy

The bar seats 15.

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What's Eric Eating Episodes 474 and 475

Houston chef dishes on his comeback restaurant in Memorial

Photo by Frank Frances

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On the most recent episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” chef Bryan Caswell and his business partner Allison Knight join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss Latuli, their new restaurant in Memorial.

Open since late May, the new establishment is a bit of a comeback for Caswell, the Houston chef who earned a James Beard Award finalist nomination and a Food & Wine Best New Chef Award for Reef, his pioneering Gulf Coast seafood restaurant. He also operated Stella Sola, an Italian restaurant, and El Real Tex-Mex Cafe.

Caswell discusses the way that all of those influences play out on Latuli’s menu. “At the end of the day, you want to give people what they what. Some of those are things I love. They’re a huge part of my life. There are stories and anecdotes that go along with the crab cake or the mac and cheese, all those different things that I had throughout my career that people love. I wanted to have some of that,” he says.

“What people don’t see is the evolution of those dishes. Even though they might have had them at one point, they’ve still been tweaked and perfected along those 15 to 20 years. A lot of them we’re doing differently, or we’ve added something.”

Knight brings a background in both finance and commercial real estate to the restaurant. Sandler asks her about the restaurant’s size, which includes a spacious dining room, an adults-only bar and lounge, a covered patio, and a second-floor private dining room.

“Part of it was a function of the real estate. We did purchase the real estate,” she says. “Before that, we had to make sure we’d generate enough revenue to support the costs, which meant a certain number of seats. Starting from scratch gave us the opportunity to do what is right for the restaurant, rather than trying to fit a square peg in a round hole . . . It was a larger project than I intended, but it gave us the opportunity to check a lot of boxes.”

Listen to the full episode to hear Caswell talk about the lessons he’s learned that throughout his career that have been applied to Latuli. Knight also shares her vision for the restaurant’s future.

In another recent episode, Sandler and co-host Chelsea Thomas discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Thomas Bille winning Best Chef: Texas in the James Beard Awards, Tristen Epps winning Top Chef, and Austin’s Emmer & Rye Hospitality’s plans to open a restaurant in Houston.

In the restaurant of the week segment, Thomas and Sandler recap their meal at King Steak, the new, casual steakhouse near the Galleria. They find some highs as well as areas for improvement.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

Latuli is now open in Memorial.

Photo by Frank Frances

Latuli is now open in Memorial.

interview bryan caswell openings podcast latuli