It's time for Treadsack to come clean. For over a year, the ambitious, Heights-based restaurant group has been telling diners that Foreign Correspondents, its Thai concept led by chef turned fishmonger (turned chef) PJ Stoops, will be opening next to Hunky Dory in an under construction building at the corner of Shepherd and 18th Street.

Instead, the group has quietly been developing a restaurant called Bernadine's for the space that will be led by Kipper Club general manager Graham Laborde. Foreign Correspondents is still on track to open next spring, but it will be at another location that has yet to be revealed.

"Bernadine’s is our love letter to Gulf Coast food," Laborde tells CultureMap. "If you go up and down the I-10 corridor, you get to see all these rural places that are not nearly as celebrated as they should be for the fact that they serve absolutely spectacular food. You look at a smoked sausage place in Iota, Louisiana, a crab shack doing barbecue crabs near Beaumont, a Florida fish shack.

"You take those things, apply modern techniques to them, maybe lighten them up a little bit, make them fresh. You really come up with something spectacular. It’s our tribute to that."

While Laborde didn't make the direct comparison, Bernadine's offers something of a twist on the idea of elevating food with humble roots that Underbelly has employed to so much success. However, instead of taking influences from Houston streets like Bellaire, Long Point and Hillcroft, Bernadine's takes its inspiration from the boudain shacks, oyster dives and fish huts of the extended Gulf Coast.

The restaurant will feature a "fully-stocked raw bar" and serve dishes like grilled oysters, roast duck, BBQ crab, whole fish and house-made boudin. Of course, Laborde will preview some of these items at an upcoming Kipper Club dinner (date TBA).

To the extent that Laborde is known at all in Houston prior to appearing at the Kipper Club, it's from his stint as Jonathan Jones's sous chef at the well-regarded but ill-fated Concepción. However, his resume includes time at fine dining restaurants like Commander's Palace and Stella in New Orleans and The Florence Club, a private hunting lodge in Gueydan, Lousiana.

"There’s not an element of this food that isn’t 100 percent true to who I am. The reason I’m comfortable serving food from this entire region is because I’ve been back and forth across that region driving and stopping at roadside stands to appreciate it," Laborde says.

"I feel like Graham is the Slumdog Millionaire of Bernadine’s — everything he’s done in his life leads up to this awesome project," adds Treadsack co-owner Chris Cusack. "Graham is an amazing problem solver. He’s a great communicator. He’s a really fun person to be around. That was something that we had the opportunity to learn over the last year and a half of getting to know each other."

The Feast Connection — and Challenge

Prior to signing on with Treadsack, Laborde worked for Black Hill Ranch as the operations manager, which is where he met former Feast (and future Hunky Dory) chef Richard Knight. After he worked on a party for Black Hill customers at D&T and alongside Stoops at a pop-up, Cusack and Treadsack director of operations Benjy Mason decided to bring Laborde on board.

"They approached me through Richard," Laborde recalls. "When someone approaches you with your dream job — I’ve said no to executive chef gigs before — but this was just the right time. These guys, I feel like we really share a similar vision for what we want to do and guest experience as a whole. It was no debate, absolutely a go."

Asked about whether Laborde and Bernadine's can hold up to the inevitable scrutiny from both the media and the public that will come from being compared to Knight, a James Beard semifinalist during his time at Feast, Mason is philosophical. "Who was the James Beard Best Chef Southwest four years ago? You don’t remember, and no one else does either," he quips.

"Not to discount the Beard committee, because we all want to be recognized by them at the end," Cusack quickly adds. "I think we’re looking at the long term. I think people will come to Bernadine’s, be excited and want to come back. It’s that simple, and it’s that difficult as far as finding success in the restaurant world."

For his part, Laborde has a slightly different perspective on being compared to his friend. "I am an extremely competitive individual, and I love Richard Knight to death. We are as close as friends can be, but damn I want to show him up. Every chance I get. Why wouldn’t you? This is my passion. This is my life’s work.

"These guys have given me a restaurant. I want to make them proud of me. I want to make them happy."

Bernadine "Bird" Laborde is the matriarch of Laborde's family. A "committee of aunts" had to approve using their mother's name for her grandson's restaurant. "She had nine children. She had 36 grandchildren. She made three meals a day for all of us, for 80 years of her life," Laborde says. "She was an absolute master of production. There was nothing that couldn’t be done with another pot of rice and maybe a glass of Scotch or two."

Beyond giving Laborde his first opportunity to cook, he hopes that his restaurant embodies Bernadine's attitude about the power of food. "She would never turn a guest away. It was hospitality to the nth degree," he says. "I’ve taken that, put more of a fine dining twist on it with my past experiences, but never lost an appreciation for what it takes to just nourish people. Make them leave feeling satisfied and happy."

Cusack notes that he's never heard of a restaurant that tries to synthesize and elevate all of Gulf Coast cuisine. Iconic restaurants like Brennan's of Houston and Gaido's in Galveston represent the New Orleans-based Creole tradition, but Bernadine's has a much broader scope. Can the Slumdog Millionaire chef pull off such an ambitious concept, hold his own alongside one of Houston's most well-regarded chefs and honor his grandmother's legacy?

"I’m driven by a challenge, and I hope to exceed everyone’s expectations," Laborde says.

A rendering of the joint Hunky Dory/Bernadine's complex, known colloquially as "the mothership."

Image courtesy of Bernadine's

A rendering of the joint Hunky Dory/Bernadine's complex, known colloquially as "the mothership."

Houston is undeniably in the middle of a barbecue renaissance. Places like CorkScrew BBQ in Spring and Killen's Barbecue in Pearland can hold their own with the best pitmasters in Texas.

The only problem is that the best option inside the Loop is severely limited. Gatlin's BBQ in the Heights is so small that it's constantly overwhelmed.

If only Gatlin's had a bigger space that was slightly more centrally located. Like in downtown. And what if maybe it could serve burgers, salads and even seafood to satisfy people who don't want meat with a side of meat?

Wouldn't that be great?

Reef owners Bryan Caswell and Bill Floyd certainly think so, which is why they've partnered with Greg Gatlin to launch Jackson Street Barbecue. Set to open in March, the 8,000 square foot restaurant will feature Gatlin's brisket, sausage, ribs and chicken alongside seasonally appropriate seafood from Caswell like barbecue shrimp, crab and crawfish. Burgers and salads will round out the menu. Sides will be developed by both Gatlin and Caswell, but Reef's famous fried mac and cheese will definitely be included.

"We are totally sold on downtown," Floyd tells CultureMap. "Now with the Super Bowl and the increase in residential property, I think downtown is going to catch on."

Floyd acknowledges that Jackson Street might be a little bit ahead of downtown's current level of development, but he sees that as a plus. "We were early in Midtown with Reef and early in Montrose with El Real, and that's worked out well for us."

The location has another benefit in that will serve as the catering kitchen for the company's stands at Minute Maid Park. "It's right behind the loading dock. It couldn't be any more perfect for us," Floyd explains. Instead of having to load up a van with a bunch of food, they'll be able to roll it across the street to the stadium.

Turning to food, Floyd cites places like Louie Mueller, Franklin's, Killen's and CorkScrew as examples. "You line them all up. They're all good. They're all super quality. The difference is personal taste," Floyd says. He sees the ability to serve seafood as a major point of differentiation between Jackson Street and those other restaurants.

"I hope we'll have the best sides in town. Sometimes, they're kind of secondary, in my opinion, and they shouldn't be," he adds.

Jackson Street will utilize a traditional line during the lunch rush but switch to a la carte counter service in the afternoon and early evening. In other words, it won't be a lunch only affair, which will allow people to pick up barbecue and take it home with them for dinner if they choose. The new restaurant will be open even later when the Houston Astros are playing at Minute Maid. The space will also feature a stage, which Floyd anticipates using for live entertainment or to host private events.

Assuming it all goes well, the partnership between Gatlin, Floyd and Caswell could expand to other ventures. "We've done so well at the airport with 3rd Bar. We'd like to expand our footprint with El Real and Jackson Street," Floyd says.

Barbecue in Houston is better now than it's ever been. If Jackson Street lives up to the reputation of its partners, that will only get better.

The Second Ward may not be a culinary destination on the level of Montrose or the Heights, but the neighborhood is rapidly becoming known for more than fajitas (Ninfa's on Navigation, El Tiempo) and breakfast tacos (the peerless Villa Arcos). Moon Tower Inn is a solid craft beer destination that serves excellent burgers and sausages, and Andes Cafe offers a diverse menu of South American dishes.

Now, two chefs are looking to introduce Southern fusion at their restaurant Kitchen 713.

Chefs Ross Coleman and James Haywood met when they worked together at Minute Maid Park. As their friendship developed and they cooked together at each other's homes, they realized they wanted to open a restaurant together.

The union led to the Southern-inspired, Asian-influenced food of Kitchen 713. While the space is nondescript, it isn't short on charm thanks to the hospitality in the dining room and the magic of Coleman and Haywood's cooking.

"We tried to find a little spot we could get into for not as much money as a prime time location and just let the food speak for itself," Coleman tells CultureMap. "We always wanted to do Southern food and (showcase) the world using Southern ingredients."

Haywood cites the country ham dish on the brunch menu as one example of their approach. "We take pork belly and treat it exactly how you would treat a ham, the whole process. Normally, when you serve ham in the south, you get collard greens and corn bread. We took that spin and we also did a cornbread pudding and fermented greens. We use a little kimchi that we do in house from fermented mustard greens."

As demonstrated during a tasting provided by the restaurant, the results are very promising. A trio of boudain (pork, chicken and seafood) each show a good mix of meat and rice, with just enough spice to make lips tingle without being overwhelming; instead of crackers, the homemade links are served with large pork cracklings. Turkey necks, another staple of Southern cooking, arrives in a Vietnamese-inspired lettuce wrap with nuoc cham sauce. An off the menu special takes a turkey leg and covers it in a spot-on Indian-style vindaloo sauce; if it isn't quite as spicy as might be found on Hillcroft, it's a lot more interesting than the usually tough roasted examples found at festivals.

Coleman says the diners who have found the restaurant have given it good feedback. "We're getting pretty good reviews on Yelp," he notes. Members of the Houston Chowhounds Facebook group have also been raving.

The only downside is that the restaurant's lease agreement doesn't permit it to serve alcohol or allow customers to BYOB, "but we definitely plan to revisit that," Haywood says.

For now, the duo's biggest challenge is to draw people far enough down Canal Street for that first visit. "We’re moving in the right direction," Coleman says. "Just about getting people in here and letting them see what we can do."

The restaurant that started at Minute Maid Park isn't a home run (yet). Call it a solid double off the wall. For a rapidly growing neighborhood, that's a good start.

Chicken and sausage gumbo featured a dark roux and mild spiciness.

Photo by Eric Sandler

Chicken and sausage gumbo featured a dark roux and mild spiciness.

The area around Richmond and Montrose has been a hot one for openings in 2014. Revelry on Richmond brought a sports bar with craft beer to the area, BCN: Taste & Tradition is a fine dining rising star with international flair and Pax Americana is one of the most exciting restaurants in the city, period.

Into that mix comes chef Wendell Price.

Price, whose resume includes appearances on the Food Network, cooking for Hollywood celebrities like Kevin Costner and Denzel Washington and restaurants in Houston and Memphis, spent time in jail after being convicted of tax evasion in 2012. Now he's looking for a fresh start with a 40-seat restaurant in a converted Montrose bungalow next door to Brooklyn Athletic Club.

Called Rustic Oak, Price tells CultureMap the restaurant will be "rustic chic" with French-inspired fare. When it opens in January, Rustic Oak will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week from a tidy menu of eight entrees per meal.

"I prayed for a unique spot instead of a strip center," Price says. "I've taken everything I've done for 30 years and pushed it into this building."

While the space doesn't look like much now, Price explains that structural work to replace the roof, support the floor and upgrade the air conditioning has already taken place. An adjacent structure was demolished to create the parking lot. All that's left is to install the bathroom and kitchen equipment.

Plans calls for the space to be decorated with vintage chandeliers, antique furniture and wallpaper. Diners will have a choice of sitting in one of the three dining rooms or at an eight-seat bar facing the exposed kitchen. Behind the house, Price has built a second story space that will house a whiskey bar and cigar-friendly patio.

"I'm the little guy on the block," Price adds.

He understands that he's up against some serious competition but thinks he can attract diners with dishes like barbecue crab, roasted oysters, crab soup and, at breakfast, savory shrimp pancakes. An accessible location just across the street from the Post 510 apartments helps, too.

Price says he has one overriding philosophy for the project. "I'm was like, 'Wendell, keep it simple.'"

If Price is able to stick to that plan and execute in the kitchen, the residents of Montrose and Midtown will have a solid new option. Even Hollywood celebrities need those, right?

Wendell Price has big plans for a new restaurant featuring French-inspired fare.

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Wendell Price has big plans for a new restaurant featuring French-inspired fare.

Chef Dylan Murray of Benjy's and Local Foods must have summoned some sort of vegan voodoo to create his gnocchetti with cauliflower cream, butter beans and broccoli rabe, the richness of the concoction making discerning palates swear the dish had to be doused with melted cheese or something with loads of fat. But alas, not the case.

Using local produce grown by Theresa and Mike Atkinson, owners of Atkinson Farms, Murray wowed gourmands at the Urban Harvest "Chefs Get Fresh" food grazing soirée, a fundraiser that paired creative toques with a bounty sourced from local farms and gardens.

For the al fresco party hosted at Underbelly, chef Chris Shepherd, whose piquant Korean stew with goodies from Plant It Forward Farms warmed the mouth and fed the soul, closed the restaurant to pop up a mini market environment, not so dissimilar to what one would find at the Urban Harvest farmers markets at Eastside. Tents around the parking lot lured some 200 supporters with tastings that bespoke that local is better. It all could potentially be the start of a new dinner series.

The imaginative offerings continued with Soren Pedersen's crusted pumpkin cake topped with jalapeno goat cheese fondue, with the dairy provided by Blue Heron Farms; Ara Malekian's succulent slices of roasted pig, courtesy of Harrison Hog Farm, with pineapple reduction over polenta; and fishmonger P.J. Stoops' beautifully visual som tum salad with veggies from Knopp Branch Farms. Stoops sprinkled his traditional green papaya salad with fish candy and prepared it on site using a kruk, a large clay mortar and pestle popular in Thai and Laotian cuisine.

More food? Kipper Club's Richard Knight, Treadsack Group's Benjy Mason and Sugar and Rice's David Leftwich contributed to the efforts that led to the sweet finale, an inventive persimmon study by German Mosquera with fruit from Lightsey Farms plus a melt-in-your-mouth sweet potato pie thanks to vegan queen baker Dylan Carnes of Sinfull Bakery. Carnes sourced her spuds from Gundermann Acres.

Local wine and local beer? Check.

Participating in the feeding fun alongside Urban Harvest executive director Sandra Wicoff, director of farmers markets Tyler Horne and fiancée Ashley Seddon, development manager Libby Kennedy and board president Scott Howard were Stephanie and Bill Kearney, Jim Petersen, Maureen Croft, Garland Kerr, Ed Smith, Lindsey Brown, Nicole Longnecker and Brad Barber.

Sandy Wicoff, from left, Garland Kerr and Maureen Croft.

Photo by Marisa Brodie

Sandy Wicoff, from left, Garland Kerr and Maureen Croft.