A rising star Houston chef and his wife are introducing themselves to Houston with a series of pop-up dinners. The On’ry is a pop-up dinner series and potentially a restaurant from chef Joseph Geiskopf and his wife, Mae-Louise.

Although Geiskopf earned some recognition locally as the opening chef for both Ciel and Credence, the bulk of his experiences comes from California and Washington, D.C. It includes two-star Michelin restaurant Pineapple & Pearls (D.C.), two-star Michelin Vespertine (Los Angeles), two-star Michelin Californios (San Francisco), as well as a year at Noma in Copenhagen, widely considered one of the best restaurants in the world.

Having recently left Credence, the Geiskopfs decided the time was right to leverage their experiences both cooking and serving to open a place of their own. While they search for the right space, The Onry is a way for diners to learn more about their culinary perspective.

“One of the beautiful things about Credence is that it wasn’t tied to one thing,” Joseph Geiskopf tells CultureMap. “What is modern Houstonian food? Those kind of things are really inspiring to me and really made my question my culinary identity.”

He’s finding that identity with dishes such as roasted cabbage, Jidori egg with parmesan foam, diver scallop over lentils, and halibut with greens and caviar. Overall, the chef says he’s been impressed by how many great ingredients from Texas he’s found to cook with.

“For me, it’s the bounty of what we have here. We’ve got the coasts, the fields. We’ve got farms. And no shortage of ranchers and wild games,” he says. “The dining culture is evolving. I feel like a culinary chameleon. I could do anything, but this is trying to hone in on what I’ve done and am inspired by.”

As for the name, it’s a nod to the Waylon Jennings song and album titled “Lonesome, On'ry and Mean.” Geiskopf says his mother routinely played the album for him. It’s also a nod to the couple’s son Henry, who can occasionally be ornery.

Having launched the series with an event at Southern Kindness Gallery in EaDo, the duo will appear this Friday, February 14 at Jenni’s Noodle House in the Heights. The Lovers and Friends dinner will feature a four-course menu that’s priced at $98 per couple plus optional supplements. The meal is also BYOB, allowing attendees to open a special bottle for Valentine’s Day. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.

Photo by Jordan Soto

Joseph, second from left, and Mae-Louise Geiskopf have launched The On'ry pop-up series.