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

Alaskan king crab with caviar.

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What's Eric Eating Episode 476

Award-winning Houston chef dishes on season 4 of hit show The Bear

The Bear/Facebook

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On the most recent episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Yu joins CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss season four of The Bear, the FX series set in a Chicago restaurant. It’s become an annual tradition for the two men.

(Spoilers ahead for all episodes of season four of The Bear.)

In season four, which debuted on June 25, the show’s eponymous restaurant is struggling to find its footing after a review in the Chicago Tribune criticized the inconsistencies of chef Carmy Berzatto’s constantly-changing menu. The stressful environment leads chef de cuisine Sydney Adamu to contemplate leaving for a new restaurant. Yu relates to the other chef’s desire to hire Sydney away from The Bear.

“This constantly happens in the restaurant business. We become both friends with and fans of people working under other people. You envision opening something new and having that person work for me. How do we get them to move over,” Yu says. “The ability to create is one thing. Money is a big thing. The promise of work-life balance is one thing. Those are ways to get people to move from one place to another.”

The duo also take up the topic of sous chef Tina Marrero’s struggles to get the timing down on the pasta course that’s part of The Bear’s tasting menu. Sandler asks Yu about encouraging cooks to improve their skills

“It’s trust but also training and the ability to have them understand what each dish means, the way it should taste and why, and how fast or slow it should go. A long time ago when we were being trained, we were told to cook the food and not given a reason for why it should be done that way. Whereas, we try our very best these days to explain the reasoning behind having a dish with fewer components so it can be plated up more quickly to get another turn on a table.”

Listen to the full episode to hear Yu’s thoughts on Carmy’s decision to step away from The Bear. He also provides an update on some big changes come to the menu at Theodore Rex, his restaurant in downtown Houston’s Warehouse District that earned a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide.

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