On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” chef Emmanuel Chavez joins CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss Tatemó. The corn-focused Mexican restaurant has been attracting significant critical praise, including a spot on Esquire’s list of America’s best new restaurants.

The interview begins with Chavez sharing the story of his career. After starting out as a dishwasher in a Tex-Mex restaurant, he entered the world of fine dining in Seattle. A wake-up call from a mentor prompted him to begin researching the process of making traditional corn tortillas through the process of nixtamalization. Ultimately, he moved back to Houston and started selling tortillas at the Urban Harvest farmers market.

People frequently describe Tatemó as a Mexican restaurant. While Chavez acknowledges his cooking is rooted in Mexican techniques and corn that's imported from Mexico, he tells Sandler he sees the restaurant more broadly.

"We're not a Mexican restaurant. We're a Houston restaurant," he says. "Everything we source, as far as produce, is from within the city. Other than caviar and kampachi from California, it's Texas produce. It's a Texas restaurant inspired by maize. It's maize driven. That's how we like to identify ourselves."

Prior to the interview, Sandler and co-host Felice Sloan discuss the news of the week. Their topics include: Common Bond’s new partnership with the owners of El Bolillo Bakery; chef Michelle Wallace departing Gatlin’s BBQ to launch a sandwich pop-up; and Pappas Restaurants’ plans to open Little’s Oyster Bar, a new seafood restaurant in the former Little Pappas space.

In the restaurants of the week segment, Sloan and Sandler share their impressions of Ciel, the recently opened restaurant that offers both elevated cuisine and a lively atmosphere that includes singers and dancers. Listen to hear their assessment of how these elements come together.

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