local eats at HOU

Hobby Airport takes off with 10 new favorite Houston restaurants, from farm-to-table to 'fat' ice cream

Dish Society is coming to Hobby.

Photo by Kimberly Park

Visitors to Hobby Airport will soon be able to get a true taste of Houston during their layovers. This week, Houston City Council approved a new, 10-year contract that will bring 10 new restaurants to the airport.

LaTrelle’s Galley, LP., a division of Houston-based LaTrelle’s Management, has partnered with local restaurants, including:

Dish Society, a casual, farm to table restaurant
Common Bond, the bakery and cafe known for its pastries and sandwiches
The Rustic, the Texas comfort food bar and restaurant that counts musician Pat Green as an owner
Velvet Taco, the Dallas-based restaurant known for its creative combinations
Pinks Pizza, a Houston pizzeria with seven locations
Fat Cat Creamery, the retro-inspired ice cream shop that uses Texas eggs, dairy, and produce

National brands coming to the airport consist of Peet’s Coffee, Jersey Mike’s, Wendy’s, and Dunkin’.

Each restaurant in the 17,000-square-foot space will have branding and signage consistent with its other locations. For example, The Rustic will have a stage for live music performances. Overall, the renovations are expected to take approximately two years to complete. Food service will not be disrupted by the construction.

Hobby Airport pinks pizza rendering Each brand will feature distinctive signage. Courtesy of Houston Airports

LaTrelle’s Management started its airport business in 1985 with a bakery at Hobby. Now, it operates more than 30 restaurants in airports across the country, according to a release.

“We are bringing ourselves to this project, and we are Houston,” LaTrelle’s operations director Cameron James said in a statement. “We put together a proposal that aims to do right by our restaurant operators and the airport alike — everyone wins. When a local, family-owned and operated business like us is given the opportunity to spearhead a venture like this, it also sends an important message to other entrepreneurs: This is something that can happen in this city.”

The new restaurants should help Hobby Airport maintain its prestigious reputation. Last year, it became the first airport in North America — and one of only 16 in the world — to receive a prestigious 5-star rating from the Skytrax World Airport Star Rating.

“As the first and only 5-Star airport in North America, it’s imperative that Hobby Airport continues to elevate the passenger experience through unique, diverse, and delightful culinary options,” Houston Airports COO Jim Szczesniak stated. “Because LaTrelle’s is rooted in Houston, I am confident that the variety of local, regional and national concepts will raise the bar on our world-class customer experience while ensuring all of our guests experience the ‘‘Houston friendly’ hospitality that comes with Hobby Airport being a five-star global service gateway.”

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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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