can't-miss pies
Top Houston chefs fire up new pizza pop-up series for local nonprofit
Nick Wong's honey pecan shrimp pizza will be available this Saturday, August 8.
A Houston pizzeria has recruited some of the city’s top chefs for one-day-only collaborations. Super Pizza Friends will unite Shredders Pizza with five culinary talents — and all the proceeds go to the Southern Smoke Foundation, the Houston-based nonprofit that provides emergency assistance and mental health services to hospitality workers.
Beginning this Saturday, August 8, Shredders will host the following chefs:
- August 8: Nick Wong, Agnes and Sherman
- September 12: Graham Laborde, Winnie’s
- October 10: Lucas McKinney, Josephine’s
- November 14: Evelyn Garcia, Jūn
- December 12: Aaron Bludorn, Bludorn Hospitality
They’re an accomplished group. Garcia and her business partner Henry Lu just won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas for Jūn, the eclectic restaurant in the Heights. Similarly, Wong earned a James Beard Award finalist nomination for Best New Restaurant for Agnes and Sherman, his Asian American diner that’s also in the Heights. Josephine’s and Bludorn hold Recommended designations in the Michelin Guide, and Winnie’s has received multiple nominations in the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.
Guest chefs are given full creative control over their pizzas. They’ll be available in limited quantities, with pre-sales beginning the Thursday before. All of the $30 from each pizza sold will be donated to Southern Smoke.
“This is an idea we’ve had since before we even opened,” Shredders co-owner Benjy Mason said in a statement. “We knew we wanted to build the shop with built in ways to give back to the community, and we love the work Chris and the crew at Southern Smoke are doing.”
Inspired by the honey pecan shrimp toast served at Agnes and Sherman, Wong’s pizza is topped with shrimp, shredded lettuce, honey mayo sauce, candied pecans, and sesame seeds. It’s served with a side of Calabrian chile crisp, and every pizza comes with a collectible, Garbage Pail Kids-style trading card.
“When we opened we decided to really focus on on what we felt like were the pizza delivery classics, your pepperonis and your sausages,” chef and co-owner Jason Kerr added, “but we are also chefs and we can’t turn off all the wacky ideas. This gives us a way to make really fun and exciting pizzas and to work with friends.”
Mason and Kerr opened Shredders in January. The restaurant serves New York-style pizza, salads, sides, and desserts. Primarily focused on delivery and to-go, diners can pair their pizzas with a tidy, well-priced selection of Italian and/or natural wines.
