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    meet the tastemakers

    Meet the 13 rising star Houston chefs heating up our vibrant restaurant scene

    Eric Sandler
    Mar 1, 2023 | 5:55 pm

    The time has come to begin celebrating the nominees in this year’s CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. As always, we begin with Rising Star Chef of the Year.

    This category covers a diverse range of chefs. Some of this year’s nominees own and operate their own restaurants. Others work in prominent roles for some of Houston’s most dynamic restaurant groups. Some have already received regional and national attention, while others are still flying a little under the radar (but not for long).

    Either way, they’re all worth getting to know, because our panel of judges think these are the chefs who will be leading Houston’s culinary scene in the years to come. Whether they’re serving diners an elaborate omakase or an expertly executed mushroom-Swiss burger, visiting these chefs comes with more immediate rewards, too.

    Who will win? Find out April 13 at our Tastemaker Awards ceremony. Dine on bites from this year’s nominees, sip cocktails from our sponsors, and witness as we reveal the winners. Buy your tickets now. VIP tickets are almost sold out, and general admission isn’t far behind.

    Angelo Emiliani - Louie's Italian American
    After bursting onto the scene with his Angie’s Pizza pop-up, chef Emiliani earned widespread praise for Cafe Louie, the Mediterranean-influenced all-day concept he opened with his sister, pastry chef and fellow Tasetmaker Awards nominee Luciana Emiliani. When that didn’t find the audience he hoped for, the chef leaned into his Italian American heritage with a red sauce concept that showcases his considerable pasta making skills — along with a crave-worthy chicken parm.

    Emmanuel Chavez - Tatemó
    Already known for the heirloom corn tortillas and brunch items he served at the Urban Harvest farmers market, chef Chavez announced his presence on the Houston scene with Tatemó’s brick and mortar location. In the intimate, 13-seat room, Chavez and his team serve tasting menus built around different preparations of heirloom corn varieties he imports from Mexico. A seven-course meal could include a quesadilla, ceviche with corn milk, and a corn consomme, among others. While Chavez has already been recognized by both Esquire magazine and the James Beard Foundation, his affordable Saturday lunch and Sunday brunch services allow more people to experience his modern Mexican cuisine.

    Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu - Jūn
    This dynamic chef duo met when working at some of New York City’s top restaurants. When the pandemic forced Garcia to pivot — first by closing her stand at the Politan Row food hall and then by joining Top Chef’s Houston-based season — she invited Lu to join her in Houston. Garcia initially earned attention for her Thai-inspired dishes, but adding Lu’s Chinese-American heritage to the mix allows Jūn to incorporate a more diverse set of influences. Although the restaurant is new, it’s earning raves for everything from its Gulf shrimp aguachile to fried chichen that's marinated in shrimp paste and other spices.

    Jacob Coronado - Nobie's
    Anyone who’s been to Nobie’s knows that it feels like a bit of a house party, and Coronado makes sure everyone has a good time. “Every night he laughs and dances and makes sure the guests at the house party are full,” chef-owner Martin Stayer tells CultureMap. When he’s not dancing, Coronado oversees a kitchen that turns out the housemade pastas, craveable vegetables dishes, and snackable items that keep the party going all night long.


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    Jerrod Zifchak - Navy Blue
    Aaron Bludorn didn’t have to look too far into his past to find a chef to lead Navy Blue, his seafood restaurant in Rice Village. Not only did Zifchak succeed him as the executive chef of New York’s Cafe Boulud, he also worked as a chef at legendary three-star Michelin seafood restaurant Le Bernadin. At Navy Blue, Zifchak shows off his French skills with dishes like swordfish au poivre and the puff pastry-topped mussel bisque. He’s also embracing his new home on the Gulf Coast with credible takes on blackened snapper and New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp.

    Madalyn Lester - Quiote
    A veteran of restaurants such as Theodore Rex and Nancy’s Hustle, chef-owner Martin Stayer hired Lester to execute the mostly raw seafood dishes that are served at this intimate mezcal bar inside the Toasted Coconut. By blending her Mexican heritage with her professional experiences, Lester serves menu staples like a sweet potato tostada and scallop crudo as well as creative specials like king crab tamales.

    “Madalyn literally makes every dish,” Stayer says. “She conceptualizes, preps, prepares and serves every dish going out, and not many chefs or restaurants can claim the same thing. It’s pretty awesome.”


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    Matthew Young - 1751 Sea & Bar
    A veteran of one-star Michelin restaurant Mina and three-star Michelin restaurant Alinea, Young came to this Heights-area seafood restaurant after stints at Guard & Grace and Sixty Vines. The chef brought a fresh perspective to the restaurant’s menu by adding dishes such as a whole fish special that rotates based on the day’s catch. Although 1751 is closing this week, he’ll play a key role in assisting Sambrooks Management with the openings of Andiron, a live fire steakhouse, and the Memorial location of The Pit Room.

    Michael O'Connor - Better Luck Tomorrow
    “Rising star” may be a bit of a misnomer for this veteran chef, whose resume includes time working for Bryan Caswell and as the longtime executive chef of Vic & Anthony’s. Still, he’s shown a more creative side of his culinary personality while leading the kitchen at Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu’s casual bar in the Heights, such as running a Windy City-worthy Italian beef sandwich that appeared on the menu when The Bear went viral.

    “He’s able to intertwine use of his very rigorous years of classical training mixed in with his love of cuisines from different cultures and his understanding of our kitchen from being a patron for so many years at BLT to make something both fun enough for a bar setting, unique to our city, and reliable for the Heights,” Yu tells CultureMap. “It’s been a joy to see him undertake these new endeavors as part of his long, storied career in Houston.”

    Luis Mercado and Paolo Justo - Neo
    Building on their win for Best Pop-up/Start-up in last year’s Tastemaker Awards, Mercado and Justo continued to develop Neo into one of Houston’s most sought after bookings. Sometimes, the Uchi veterans explore the intersection of Japanese techniques with Mexican flavors, as they did when they collaborated with former Pujol head chef Alex Bremont on a sold out dinner series — think a kampachi crudo with grilled pineapple that nods to al pastor. Or they can bust out a purely delicious butter-basted hen of the woods mushroom packed with umami. Either way, diners always leave delighted.

    Tim Reading - GJ Tavern
    Initially, the East Coast native moved to Houston to work for Hugo Ortega at Caracol. From there, he made a splash at Ixim at Bravery Chef Hall, but he’s found a home at Underbelly Hospitality’s casual downtown restaurant. A decadent mushroom-Swiss burger demonstrates that the chef isn’t afraid to go retro, and his crispy roast chicken and toothsome mushroom cavatelli demonstrate his sound culinary techniques. Beyond his skills in the kitchen, Reading’s entertaining carpool karaoke sessions make him an entertaining Instagram follow.

    Victoria Elizondo - Cochinita & Co.
    If there’s one work that describes this chef, it’s her resiliency. When Politan Row closed, she developed a line of tamales that could be sold in area markets and found a new home at Kickin’ Kombucha in the East End. Her flavorful tacos — served on housemade, nixtamalized tortillas, natch — put a fresh spin on traditional preparations like cochinita pibil, barbacoa, and mole almendrado. That cuisine would be more than sufficient to earn this nomination, but Elizondo goes above and beyond by serving as an advocate for her fellow DACA recipients and sharing some of culinary secrets via a cookbook titled Taco-tastic.

    Emmanuel Chavez Tatemo
      
    Courtesy of Tatemó

    Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó.

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    Where to eat lunch now

    7 new luxe Houston lunch deals that make the midday meal memorable

    Brianna Griff
    Apr 25, 2025 | 4:00 pm
    hamsa lunch houston
    Kristen Gilliam
    At Hamsa, diners can select two salatim to begin their prix fixe lunch.

    A luxury lunch doesn’t always require a splurge — at least not a major one. These Houston restaurants’ prix fixe menus and bento boxes allow diners to sample curated, high-caliber cuisine for a fraction of the cost of a full dinner. Whether someone is entertaining a client, catching up with a colleague, or simply treating yourself to something special midweek, these prix fixe offerings deliver flavor, efficiency, and just the right amount of indulgence.

    Barbacana
    The downtown endeavor by chef-owner Christian Hernandez serves a prix fixe lunch that leans upscale at $50, but also delivers a quick introduction to his mashup of Houston’s diverse cuisine scene. Begin with a jicama or cauliflower salad, followed by a choice of a fried grouper sandwich, a veggie sandwich, or a mushroom donburi with confit egg yolk. Pair it with a creative side of Greek potato pave, crispy sunchokes, or brassica pickle chips. The price includes a glass of wine, beer, or a non-alcoholic beverage. Lunch is served Tuesday through Friday from 11 am-3 pm.

    Doko
    One of the newest establishment on this list, Doko is Duckstache Hospitality’s intimate Japanese concept in the Autry Park mixed-use development. A midday visit invites diners to explore the creations of chefs Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee through three sushi sets. Set A ($19) has a makimono roll of your choice and three pieces of nigiri—akami (lean tuna), masu (trout), and hamachi (yellowtail). Set B ($25) expands the nigiri selection with madai (sea bream) and kanpachi (amberjack), while Set C ($32) adds the popular chicken fat rice with jidori chicken and a fried egg. With just 50 seats, reservations are recommended. Lunch is served daily starting at 11 am.

    Hamsa
    This Rice Village restaurant’s $25 prix fixe lunch menu highlights the bold, colorful flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean. Start with two salatim, such as baba ganoush, shaved tomato and feta, or classic hummus. For the main, choose from entrees like a falafel sandwich with tahini, or a chicken thigh skewer served with a parsley-red onion salad and a side. It’s $10 more to upgrade that chicken thigh to ribeye. End on a sweet note with one of three desserts: basboosa malabi (a cake-pudding hybrid), petite beurre shortbread layers, or dark chocolate halvah. Add a glass of wine for $10. Lunch is served Tuesday through Friday, 11:30 am-2:30 pm.

    Kata Robata
    Chef Hori-san recently updated the lunch offerings at this Houston institution, including changes to the restaurant's popular bento boxes. Featured main options are shrimp tempura ($19), miso-marinated Alaskan black cod ($25), or Texas wagyu ($23). Each box comes with miso soup and a choice of chicken teriyaki or crispy karaage. Round out the meal with optional add-ons such as sashimi ($6), kakuni pork belly ($5), or a snow crab California roll ($4). Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11:30 am-3 pm.

    Perseid
    Hotel Saint Augustine is already racking up the accolades, with that excitement extending to Perseid, the first all-day concept from Bludorn partners Aaron Bludorn and Cherif Mbodji. The French-inspired menu reflects the hotel’s proximity to the Menil Collection, with a Gulf Coast influence woven through every dish.

    “From the outset, we wanted to create a neighborhood restaurant in a hotel, rather than a hotel restaurant, and that means making it accessible to neighbors and businesspeople in equal measure,” Bludorn tells CultureMap. “You can come for a lunch meeting with a colleague and be finished in an hour, or you can come for a leisurely birthday party and stay all afternoon.”

    The $35 prix fixe menu starts with an appetizer: Caesar salad with boquerones, carrot soup with falafel, or a smoked salmon dip served alongside homemade potato chips. For the entrée, choose from potato gnocchi with asparagus, steelhead trout with Romano beans, or chicken paillard with fingerling potatoes. Desserts are either a trio of sorbets or a chocolate entremet with salted caramel. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11:30 am-2 pm.

    Tavola
    This Uptown spot from the company behind Michelin-starred Le Jardinier offers a $28 executive lunch that’s both polished and efficient. Start with the baby spinach salad with walnuts and shaved pear, the house Caesar, or the soup of the day. For the main course, choose from one of four entrées: spaghetti cacio e pepe, a spicy cavatelli in arrabbiata sauce, crispy chicken parmigiana, or — for a lighter option — the avocado cucumber salad with either salmon or chicken. Cap it off with tiramisu or creamy vanilla gelato for an additional $8. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11:30 am-2 pm

    Tony's
    Fans of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion will get a chuckle when they order lunch at this fine dining institution in Greenway Plaza. Chef Kate McLean’s Romy and Michele’s Business Woman’s Special ($35) is a playful nod to the cult film with two Tony’s cheeseburgers with double 44 Farms patties, fries, and Diet Cokes. It’s available for dine-in or to go.

    For more variety, try the Greenway Express prix fixe ($35), which includes soup or salad, a main dish (chicken sandwich with French onion dip, short rib cappelletti, or roast hen salad), and a scoop of the day’s gelato. Pair it all with one of Tony’s lunch spritzes, such as the Front Porch Swinger ($15), a mix of Amaro Montenegro, St. George’s NOLA, and lime. Lunch is served from Tuesday through Friday, from 11 am-3 pm.

    hamsa lunch houston
      

    Photo by Kristen Gilliam

    At Hamsa, diners can select two salatim to begin their prix fixe lunch.

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