By any measure, 2024 has been an excellent year for new restaurants with any number of prominent arrivals that have quickly drawn attention. But in the spirit of Jed Bartlet, the fictional president at the heart of early aughts television drama The West Wing, the time has come to ask, “What’s next,” by starting to look towards the restaurants opening in 2025.

One early contender for next year’s best new restaurant will be Camaraderie. Coming to the Heights early next year (608 W. 11th St.), Camaraderie is the first solo project from chef Shawn Gawle. Best known locally as the executive pastry chef for Goodnight Hospitality — where he won Pastry Chef of the Year in the 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards — Gawle played a significant role at some of America’s best restaurants prior to moving to Houston.

After beginning his career at his father’s deli in Boston and attending culinary school, Gawle worked at Michelin-starred restaurants across the country. He’s served as a pastry chef at Chicago’s acclaimed seafood restaurant L20 shortly before it earned three stars, and at Veritas in New York when it earned one. During his time in San Francisco, he worked at both Saison and Quince when they moved up from two stars to three stars.

All those experiences will inform his restaurant in the Heights. Gawle’s announcement doesn’t provide about what kind of food Camaraderie will serve, but it does go into quite a bit of detail about the ethos with which he intends to operate his “fine-casual neighborhood restaurant.” For example, the restaurant’s employees will receive the same hourly wage, with tips distributed equally between cooks and servers.

“Connecting with people brings me joy, whether through the intimate experience of sharing food or the rewarding process of mentorship, I thrive on these interactions,” Gawle said in a statement. “Opening Camaraderie represents my vision of creating a welcoming culture where I can help others grow and share my passion for hospitality. My goal is to make people happy, not just through great food, but by fostering genuine connections within a vibrant community.”

Houston-based Schaum Architects is designing the restaurant. It will feature an open kitchen and, as illustrated in the rendering above, a covered patio.

Expect more details, including staff announcements and menu details, as the “early 2025” opening date draws closer.

  

Photo by Arturo Olmos

Chef Shawn Gawle brings an impressive resume to Camaraderie.