What's Eric Eating Episodes 320 and 321

Meet the dynamic duo behind Houston's rockin' Southern kitchen, plus our trip to Dough Zone Dumpling House

Rockhouse serves an eclectic menu of Southern-inspired dishes.

Photo by Brandon Holmes

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Rockhouse Southern Kitchen chef Jabril Riddick and co-owner Rob Wright join CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss the restaurant, sports bar, and live music venue that opened earlier this year in the former Billy Blues space on Richmond Avenue.

The conversation begins with Riddick discussing his career that included stints at Feast, hotels, and a range of other restaurants. From there, he and Wright discuss the development of Rockhouse, including favorite dishes, its musical lineup, and more.

Rockhouse is one of the nominees in CultureMap’s Ultimate Sports Bar Showdown and will be serving pulled oxtail sliders at the Tailgate, our celebration of sports culture. It’s happening Wednesday, October 25 at Silver Street Studios, and tickets are already on sale.

Sandler asks Wright about operating sports bars. He’s a partner in Prospect Park, the game-changing bar and restaurant that paved the way for a wave of imitators. As Wright notes, being open to a wide variety of fans sometimes brings unexpected results.

“Even with Prospect Park, there may be a thought process that we’re primarily African-American driven, but believe it or not we gave some of the best World Cup events you can imagine,” Wright says. “One of the best events of those nine years is when Brazil played Colombia. You had people walking out there crying after their team lost. It was incredible.”

Listen to the full episode to hear Riddick’s hilarious story about his time at Feast working alongside chef Richard Knight. Wright offers some observations about the future of The Warwick.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Linda Salinas discuss the news of the week. Their topics include La Cruderia opening a new location in Spring Branch; Dumpling Haus closing its location in Sawyer Yards; and chef Jane Wild’s new dinner series.

In the restaurant of the week segment, the two friends share their thoughts about Dough Zone Dumpling House, the Seattle-based restaurant that recently opened its first Houston-area location in Midtown. Listen to hear what they liked and what they think could use improvement.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify. Listen to it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

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green machine

James Beard-winning chef opens 26-seat new restaurant in the Heights

The Green Room restaurant seafood platter

Courtesy of The Green Room

Meals may begin with raw and cold seafood dishes.

An intimate new restaurant with a James Beard Award-winning chef is coming to the Heights. The Green Room will open for dinner on Thursday, March 5.

Located within the same building as Heights & Co. (1343 Yale St.), the Green Room is a 26-seat, fine dining restaurant with a European-inspired menu. Part of Doke Concepts (Heights & Co., Lazy Lane), the restaurant is led by chef-partner Daniel Davidson and chef de cuisine Tom Cunanan, who won Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in the 2019 James Beard Awards for Bad Saint, a pioneering Filipino restaurant in Washington, D.C. Sous chef Skyler Bancroft comes to the Green Room from Bludorn Hospitality.

“We’ve always believed Houston deserves experiences that feel exciting but never intimidating,” co-owner Brian Doke said in a statement. “With The Green Room, we set out to create something ambitious yet approachable, where the food is elevated, the wine over delivers and hospitality feels personal from the moment you walk in.”

The menu includes the chefs’ takes on staples of contemporary fine dining, such as scallop crudo, sliced hamachi, crispy duck, and roast chicken with salsa verde. Other dishes include salmon en croute, smoked bucatini with shrimp, and an heirloom tomato tarte tatin.

In addition to its a la carte menu, the Green Room will offer a five-course Chef’s Dinner Party Menu that will include dishes not on the regular menu and a glass of wine or a cocktail. Both menus are expected to change monthly.

The wine list will include both grower champagne and certified organic producers, most of which will be priced at $100 per less or bottle. A separate Cellar Series will feature premium by-the-glass options. They’ll be joined by a range of classic cocktails.

“It’s no secret that Houstonians are looking for new experiences when dining out,” the restaurant’s partners added. “We’re trying to meet them where they are, where the experience feels curated without being pretentious and elevated without losing warmth.”

In November, Doke and Davidson opened Lazy Lane in Garden Oaks. The neighborhood restaurant serves steak, pizza, pasta, and more.

Courtesy of The Green Room

Meals may begin with raw and cold seafood dishes.

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