Return of the Cas

Award-winning Houston chef reemerges with new Memorial restaurant

Bryan Caswell is back. Six years after closing Reef, the pioneering Gulf Coast seafood restaurant in Midtown that earned him a Food & Wine Best New Chef award and a James Beard Award finalist nomination, the chef has opened Latuli in Houston’s upscale Memorial neighborhood.

Located just off the Katy Fwy at 8900 Gaylord Dr., Latuli takes its name from the children (Lawson, Tucker and Lillie) of Caswell’s business partner Allison Knight, a former commercial real estate executive turned hospitality entrepreneur who attended culinary school to prepare for opening a restaurant. Described in press materials as serving Gulf Coast cuisine that incorporates Cajun, Mexican, Italian, Asian, and South Texas ranch-inspired fare, Latuli’s menu also includes nods to Caswell’s history of operating restaurants in Houston. In addition to Reef, the chef owned Stella Sola, an Italian restaurant that drew critical acclaim during its two-year run in the Heights, and El Real Tex-Mex Cafe, a Montrose favorite that closed in 2019.

Meals at Latuli could begin with bites from its raw bar such as snapper tiradito, ahi tuna, or shrimp cocktail. Shareable starters include the “Double Dip,” a shareable plate that includes both smoked redfish dip and pimento cheese, heirloom tomato salad, an extra large meatball, and the chicken and hummus that was a favorite at PostScript, the short-lived River Oaks restaurant where Caswell consulted on the opening menu.

Other items on the menu include the crab cake that once earned a shout out from Jay Z, the pork chop that was a Reef staple, wild boar ragu, and wagyu barbacoa. The restaurant will serve steaks from Texas ranches such as 44 Farms, R-C Ranch, and Knight's own Rafter K.

Those dishes will be paired with selections from a 100 bottle wine list chosen by sommelier Jeb Stuart, a Houston hospitality veteran who’s best known for his time as the opening general manager of Coltivare. Similarly, the cocktail program focuses on classics that are designed to pair well with the food.

Knight enlisted New York-based Alfredo Paredes Studio to design the ground-up build. The two-story space includes an upstairs private dining room, a covered patio, and a spacious main dining room. Details include curtains made from vintage blankets, wrought iron signage inspired by Knight’s ranch, and signed Picassos from Knight’s personal art collection.

“This looks and feels exactly as we intended,” Knight said in a statement. “Alfredo and I approached the project with a shared love for spaces that tell a story. Many of the pieces, including a few treasures we found in the nearby antiques mecca of Round Top, carry personal meaning and history. Every aspect of Latuli reflects that sense of warmth and comfort we envisioned from the start.”

Photo by Frank Frances

The restaurant occupies a ground-up build.

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One Day Only

Chef of Michelin-starred Texas BBQ joint pops up at Houston crawfish favorite

Photo by Quit Nguyen

Join Lucas McKinney for a crawfish pop-up this Sunday, May 17.

The pitmaster behind one of Texas’ Michelin-starred barbecue joints will be in Houston for a one-day-only crawfish boil. Evan LeRoy, chef and co-owner of Austin’s LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, will be at Josephine’s this Sunday, May 17 from 2-6 pm.

Part of the restaurant’s Backyard Boil pop-up series, LeRoy and Josephine’s executive chef Lucas McKinney have collaborated on a four dishes that will be served at the pop-up, which will take place on Josephine’s patio. They are:

Smoked Crawfish Boil Sausage on a Stick: andouille flavored pork sausage with crawfish, corn, and potatoes
Brisket and Cheddar Croquettes: Chopped brisket and cheddar cheese in a creamy bechamel. Scooped, breaded in panko, and fried til crispy
Oysters on the Half Shell: Pickled Onion Mignonette, Smoked Jalapeno Salsa, Kimchi Elote
Smoked Salsa Macha with Beef Tallow: Guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles, lime, soy, garlic, onion, pepitas, and pecans

The pop-up is part of LeRoy’s tour for his new book, New School Barbecue: Recipes for Next-Level Smoking and Grilling, which he co-wrote with Texas Monthly restaurant critic Paula Forbes. Released this week, the book contains almost 100 recipes for mains, sides, and desserts.

LeRoy & Lewis Evan Leroy ATX Evan LeRoy is coming to Houston this weekend. Photo by Briana Balducci

“Lucas asked me to participate in a crawfish boil this year, and it happened to line up with the release of the book, so I said yes,” LeRoy tells CultureMap. “The event format centers around a crawfish boil, along with some fried items and oysters, so it doesn't necessarily reflect the recipes in the book. Instead, we decided to bring a few dishes we’ve been working on over the past year or so, including the brisket and cheddar croquettes — which will definitely make it into my next cookbook.”

McKinney has already hosted pop-ups with the likes of ChòpnBlọk chef-owner Ope Amosu and Mike Pham of Trill Burgers.

“With these crawfish boils, I want each chef to bring their own perspective and let the menu reflect their personal style of cooking,” McKinney adds. “Events like this are really centered around community, collaboration, and introducing something fresh and exciting to Houston each time.”

LeRoy and Lewis has earned wide acclaim for its “new school” barbecue. In addition to being one of only four Texas barbecue joints to hold a Michelin star, it ranked No. 2 on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s 50 best barbecue joints. McKinney began patronizing the restaurant when his friend, pitmaster Cole Parkman, worked there.

“It’s incredibly good,” McKinney says. “Eating there feels like they’re telling you, ‘I know you think you like brisket, but this is what you should really like.’ I really respect that they’ve planted their feet firmly in the ground and committed to doing things differently. It all makes so much sense — and it’s delicious.”

Reservations (free) are required to attend the Backyard Boil at Josephine’s; both 2 pm and 4 pm seatings are available. Attendees will purchase food and drinks a la carte. Josephine’s regular menu will not be available at the pop-up. Copies of New School Barbecue will also be available for purchase.

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