What's Eric Eating Episodes 366 and 367

Dynamic chef duo dishes on their successful first year in the Heights

Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu are this week's guests.

Courtesy of Jūn

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” chefs Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu join CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss Jūn, their restaurant in the Heights. The chefs celebrated their restaurant’s first anniversary in February.

The conversation begins with Garcia, who reached the finals of Top Chef’s Houston season, recalling how she and Lu settled on Jūn’s location in the Heights. Lu shares the various factors that inspired the life long New Yorker to move to partner with Garcia and move to the Bayou City.

From there, the chefs discuss the lessons they’ve learned from their first year in business. Sandler asks what they’ve done to build a solid group of neighborhood regulars.

“Our atmosphere that we created, the staff is so welcoming, so knowledgeable. We work on this mentality where you don’t have to ask for a manager. Our staff has all the answers,” Lu says. “They can adjust your experience. We try to make sure it felt like a second home to any diner. Everyone feels seen, which is really nice. Our staff says people see themselves in the food, which is wild, because our food is such a personal story, yet other people see themselves in it, too.”

“That has a lot to do with finding people that care. We ask a lot from them. In the style of service and the way we position our team, I know it’s not very [familiar] in Houston, but it makes sense in our building and the kind of experience we’re trying to create,” Garcia adds.

Listen to the full episode to hear the chefs’ reaction to earning a semifinalist nomination for Best New Restaurant in this year’s James Beard Awards. They also discuss their monthly guest chef dinners that feature both Houston chefs and some of Garcia’s fellow Top Chef alumni.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Emmanuel Chavez earning a James Beard Award finalist nomination for Best Chef: Texas; Pinkerton’s Barbecue opening a second Houston location in Upper Kirby; and Ben Berg’s plans to open three new restaurants in downtown.

In the restaurants of the week segment, the friends discuss their meal at Bar Bludorn, the newly opened tavern in Memorial from the team behind Bludorn and Navy Blue. They also share thoughts on Magdalena Trattoria & Pizzeria, the new Italian restaurant from longtime Da Marco general manager Nicolas Nikic.

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blooming orchard

East End move powers growth for popular Houston cider maker

Courtesy of City Orchard

City Orchard's current taproom will close on November 22.

Houstonians’ love for cider has prompted a local brewery to make a big move. City Orchard is relocating its brewery from Sawyer Yards to a new facility in the East End, but it will maintain a presence in the area.

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Beginning in January, City Orchard will move to the Gulf Coast Distillers complex (5610 Clinton Dr.) where it will have both a production facility and a new taproom. Its ciders will also be available at Tejas Brewery, the Sawyer Yards facility that’s also owned by Gulf Coast Distillers. In addition to a larger room and increased capacity, the move will allow customers to taste different combinations of cider, beer, and spirits at both locations.

City Orchard will remain at its current location through the weekend of November 21 and 22. Its new East End facility will open on January 15, 2027, which also marks its seventh anniversary.

“Our growth across Texas means we need a larger production facility, and this move gives us room to expand our capabilities with a partner that also has a passion for craft beverages,” co-founder Patrick Kwiatkowski said in a statement. “Moving production also means finding a new home for our taproom. We’re excited to partner with Tejas Brewery to bring our flagship taproom to Summer Street and to welcome guests at our East End taproom at Giant Texas Distillers. These partnerships give us more ways to share our ciders and connect with our customers.”

Kwiatkowski and Mat Smith founded City Orchard in 2020. Its current, 8,000-square-foot facility offers 82 seats; a 50-foot, marble-top bar; and 24 taps pouring cider and beer. Its ciders use fruit grown on family-owned farms in West New York’s apple country. Its core menu also includes Mr. Green, a single-varietal cider made with Rhode Island Greening apples.

Gulf Coast Distillers opened Tejas Brewery in 2024. Its located at 2101 Summer Street, formerly home to Buffalo Bayou Brewery. Even with the move, City Orchard remains an independently-owned business, according to a release.

“We’re proud to welcome City Orchard and bring more of Houston’s craft beverage talent together. We see tremendous opportunity to grow alongside one another and give our guests even more to come out and enjoy,” said Carlos de Aldecoa, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Distillers.

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