twinkle, twinkle little stars

Houston's rising star chefs shine in national magazine's 2025 awards

A national publication that looks for rising stars in the food world has revealed its latest picks for Houston. In all, StarChefs is giving its Rising Stars Awards to 22 Houston chefs, restaurateurs, and beverage professionals.

Courtesy of StarChefs

Henry Lu and Evelyn Garcia of Jun.

The winners, listed below, constitute a mix of prominent names in Houston’s restaurant scene — including a James Beard Award winner, a Food & Wine Best New Chef whose restaurant holds a Michelin star, and at least 10 former winners of various CultureMap Tastemaker Awards — as well as promising culinary talent who may still be flying a little under the radar. In all, StarChefs conducted interviews and tastings with more than 100 chefs to determine its 22 winners. Ideally, the recognition leads to more national attention and paves the way for other awards such as James Beard nominations or Food & Wine Best New Chef.

“Houston’s hospitality scene thrives on collaboration instead of competition,” StarChefs managing partner Will Blunt said in a statement. “Houstonians spend a greater share of their food budgets in restaurants than residents of any other American city, fueling a community that resists homogenization — where smoke pits stand beside molinos, Gulf fisheries connect directly to the plate, and pioneering pop-ups push the industry forward. Together, they show how Houston is not only holding its own nationally but also reshaping what it means to be a modern American food and beverage city.”

This is the third time StarChefs has recognized Houston, joining classes in 2011 and 2019. Looking back, the organization has a pretty solid track record. The 2019 class includes Bobby Matos, who now oversees all four of Ford Fry’s Houston restaurants (State of Grace, La Lucha, Superica, and Little Rey); Tommy Ho, the general manager of Anvil and Refuge; and Nick Wong, whose new restaurant Agnes & Sherman is one of this year’s buzziest debuts. The 2011 class includes cornerstones of the Houston dining scene such as Manabu Horiuchi (Kata Robata and Katami), James Beard Award winner Chris Shepherd (Southern Smoke Foundation), and Bobby Heugel (Thorough Fare Hospitality).

StarChefs will celebrate its new class with a series of events that will be held from October 1-15. The magazine encourages Houstonians to visit the recognized restaurants and try signature items from each, such as the fried chicken at Jūn or the garlic chive pancakes at Street to Kitchen.

In addition to the winners, StarChefs has designated two bonus stops: Tribute at the Houstonian hotel and Moon Rabbit, a Vietnamese restaurant in the Heights. During the two-week celebration, StarChefs will donate $3 from every Bò Kho Dip sandwich sold at Moon Rabbit to Houston nonprofit PX Project.

2025 StarChefs Houston Rising Stars Award Winners

Chefs

Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu of Jūn
Joseph Boudreaux of Boo’s Burgers
Benchwan Jabthong Painter of Street to Kitchen
Christian Hernandez of Barbacana
Lucas McKinney of Josephine’s
Max Lappe and Jacques Varron of Baso
Adrián Torres of Maximo

Restaurateurs

Sara and Martin Stayer of Nobie’s, The Toasted Coconut, Nonno’s Family Pizza Tavern, and The Road to Nowhere

Game Changer

Nicolas Vera of Casaema

Community

Emmanuel Chavez of Tatemó

Concept

Rafael Nasr of Craft Pita
Ope Amosu of ChòpnBlọk

Bakers

Maham Qureshi of Shakkar
Van Teamer of Pudgy’s Fine Cookies

Bartender

Kristine Nguyen of Bludorn

Pastry Chefs

Marie Riddle of Bludorn Hospitality Group
Micaela Victoria formerly of Goodnight Hospitality

Pitmaster

Cooper Abercrombie of Bar-A-BBQ

Ice Cream Maker

Josh Deleon of Underground Creamery

Mentor

Justin Yu of Thorough Fare

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say hey to Hypsi

Houston chef's hip new Italian restaurant now open in Heights hotel

Photo by Julie Soefer

Hypsi serves pasta and other Itaian-inspired dishes.

A new Italian restaurant is now open in the Heights. Located within the newly opened Hotel Daphne, Hypsi marks chef Terrence Gallivan’s return to professional cooking in Houston.

Known for his time as the co-execuive chef of The Pass and Provisions and owner of ElRo Pizza and Crudo, Gallivan brings strong culinary credentials to Hypsi. Although he isn’t known explicitly for Italian fare, he has significant experience making pizza, pasts, and other Italian-inspired dishes. After closing ElRo last year, the chef says that working for Bunkhouse Hotels, the Austin-based company that operates the Daphne, had a lot of appeal.

“My wife and I always made it a point to stop at their places whenever we’re in Austin. They know how to make cool stuff,” Gallivan says.

Hypsi’s menu includes updated takes on Italian fare begins with starters such as lamb meatballs, black truffle arancini, and Caesar salad. A selection of house-made pastas include squid ink radiatori with rock shrimp, butternut squash tortellini, and lumache with vodka sauce that gets a little heat from nduja. Entree choices include a roast chicken, pork Milanese, and roasted snapper with salsa verde.

The restaurant is also open for breakfast during the week and brunch on the weekends with items such as a panatone waffle, frittata, and breakfast sandwich. Lunch will follow in January.

“We took inspiration from tradition without being traditional,” Gallivan says. Later, he adds, “For me, it’s about balance. You try to please everybody. I want my mom to enjoy herself as much as a 25-year-old foodie. It’s important to hit as many marks as you can.”

One of the restaurant’s signatures will be the mozzarella cart that rolls through its dining room. Gallivan says he’s sourcing a mix of both American and imported Italian cheeses that will rotate every week or two. The cheese is served with a range of pickled fruit and vegetables, olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, focaccia, and more. Of course, seeing a cart immediately grabs diners’ attention, making them want whatever is on offer.

“That’s the beauty of carts,” Gallivan says. “It’s a fun thing to do. I think sometimes we get a little too serious in restaurants. It’s supposed to be fun. People are here to enjoy themselves.”

All that eating and drinking takes place in a dining room that’s inspired by Prohibition-era speakeasies, according to press materials. Details include blueberry lava stone on the bar, vintage velvet chairs, and custom Carimate dining chairs by Vico Magistretti. An outdoor patio features brick pavers, mosaic tables, and sculptures.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Hypsi serves pasta and other Itaian-inspired dishes.

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