On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” chefs Ford Fry and Bobby Matos join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss their Houston restaurants. Fry, the founder of Rocket Farm Restaurants, recently updated his River Oaks restaurant State of Grace and opened Little Rey’s, a family friendly taco restaurant.
The conversation begins with a deep dive into the decision to make changes at State of Grace. Formerly a restaurant that was primarily devoted to Gulf Coast seafood, State of Grace 2.0 takes inspiration from Continental cuisine and dining traditions of the ‘70s. The restaurant’s waiters are more dressed up than before, and they’re being tasked with tableside touches such as making Caesar salad dressing from scratch. After nine years, the time had some to shake things up.
“Part of my job is making sure things are fresh, that we’re keeping the facility’s up, that we’re keeping the style of service current, and also keeping things fresh so we don’t get bored or complacent,” Fry says. “It’s just that gut feel of when do we feel like we’re ready for a shakeup. We don’t want to kill the things they’ve come to know us for. It’s really about staying on top of things and what’s going to be fun for us.”
Turning to Little Rey’s, Fry explains that the restaurant is a more Mexican companion to Superica, the company’s Tex-Mex establish in the Heights. Its fast casual service model makes it appealing to families with young kids who appreciate how quickly the food is served.
“To me the biggest selling point is I can drop in with my family, we can sit down in the restaurant, eat our meal in under 30 minutes and be home,” Matos says. “That’s a huge plus for anyone with kids who’s in between soccer games or coming after school.”
Listen to the full episode for an in-depth conversation about the food at both restaurants. Fry and Matos also hint that a similar refresh is coming soon to Superica.
In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Monica Danna discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Ronnie Killen’s decision to close Killen’s STQ, his live fire steakhouse in Briargrove; Katz’s choosing Memorial for its next location; and Loro opening a new location near Rice Village.
In this restaurants of the week segment, the hosts discuss their recent visit to Drake’s Hollywood, the posh Dallas import that recently claimed the former Underbelly space on Westheimer. Then, they share first impressions of Okto, the new Mediterranean restaurant from the team behind Doris Metropolitan and Hamsa.
State of Grace has undergone a major refresh.
