What's Eric Eating

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Avondale Food & Wine owner Mary Clarkson to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Post Houston revealing 11 new vendors, a new Italian concept hitting Houston from Jessica Biondi, and a trio of chefs uniting for a midtown patio bar. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Gratify and Night Shift are featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Aaron Bludorn of Bludorn. Eric speaks with Aaron about how the first year of Bludorn went, what Aaron expected versus what he encountered during his first year, where did the Lobster Pot Pie dish come from, keeping their preparations fresh, the hot sauce being a hit, assembling the team he has, how's brunch at Bludorn's, cheat code to getting a table reservation at Bludorn, ideas about another concept, advice for people on what to get when they go to Bludorn, and more!

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer to discuss the latest happenings from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including 2 big restaurant closings, Luby's not going away after all, and more! In the Restaurants of the Week portion Feges BBQ is featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Top Chef Season 18 finalist Dawn Burrell of Late August. Eric speaks with Dawn about why she decided to do Top Chef, the experience of doing the show, her potrayal on season 18, where she started to find her stride in the competition, her favorite challenge, whether she was disappointed with not winning in the end, the controversy around Gabe Erales, her social media blowing up following her appearance on the show, her plans for her new restaurant Late August, becoming business partners with Chris Williams on the project, how he talked her into the idea of Late August, why having an ownership stake and the creative freedom came at the right time in her career, and more!

Today's podcast is a little different compared to other episodes. No news or restaurants of the week this time as this episode is dedicated to Commune, the large ambitious food event happening in Houston at the Heights House Hotel from August 21st through September 5th. Eric is joined by the minds behind the event; Grover Smith, Brett Cooper, and Tim Ma. Eric speaks with the guys about what exactly is Commune, how it got started, what makes this event so appealing to chefs, the event benefiting Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate, what the guys have planned for the event, the chef lineup, who the guys are excited to see, evaluating participants beforehand, amenities for diners, taking over the Heights House Hotel, and much more!

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Matt Harris to discuss some of the latest happenings in the Houston food scene including Bojangles heading to Houston next year, plans for Grease Monkey, and a Chicago based Italian restaurant opening in the Texas tower. In the Restaurants of the Week section Agnes Café & Provisions and NoPo Café, Market & Bar are featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Michelle Wallace and Greg Gatlin of Gatlin's BBQ. Eric speaks with Michelle and Greg about Michelle's role as executive chef at Gatlin's, the point when Greg knew he needed to add to the staff, how Gatlin's food has developed over time, what makes them unique in the BBQ world, Michelle's previous experiences in the restaurant industry, Gatlin's being featured on Netflix's High on the Hog, whether there are more TV opportunities in the future, their new concept Fins & Feathers, when we can expect the new concept, Michelle's Tastemakers nomination, and more!

Episode 197 - Erin Smith of Feges BBQ

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Avondale Food & Wine owner Mary Clarkson to discuss the latest happenings in the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Atlas Restaurant Group bringing a new Italian concept to Montrose, Tilman Fertitta's new Mastro's restaurant opening in The Woodlands, and multiple new restaurants opening. In the Restaurants of the Week section Le Jardinier is featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Lance Fegen of Fegen's. Eric speaks with Lance about why Fegen's made sense as Lance's next move, his thought about putting his career to the side, the menu at Fegen's being more Italian, old guys still having it, how Fegen's is going so far, how The Heights has changed over the years, living in Galveston now, goals for Fegen's, learning how to trust people, what motivated him to pursue a psychology degree recently, his previous problems with alcohol, stopping the cycle, being a certified coach/recovery coach, and more!

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by a loopy Michael Fulmer to discuss some of the latest happenings in the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Chris Shepherd's new burger joint, a new upscale burger spot coming to Houston, and the return of Houston Restaurants Weeks. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Gatsby's Prime Steakhouse and Mastrantos are featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Donnette Hansen of Rainbow Lodge. Eric speaks with Donnette about how she knew from an earlier age that she wanted to be in the restaurant industry, coming in a time when there weren't many women chefs/owners, becoming the owner of Rainbow Lodge, how she flipped it to reflect more of her personality, when she shifted into more of a restauranteur role, how the food has changed over the years, what inspired her to move Rainbow Lodge to Ella, pivoting during the pandemic, getting back to normal, changes to the space over the years, goals for Rainbow Lodge, and more!

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Matt Harris to discuss some the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Romano's Pizza reopening, Veronica and John Avila bringing a classic soda fountain to the Old Sixth Ward, and California based Dave's Hot Chicken coming to Houston with big plans. In the Restaurants of the Week section, Da Gama Canteen is featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Diane and Willet Feng of burger-chan. Eric speaks with the couple about the 2 met, what took them from their respective original paths to the restaurant industry, living overseas, what inspired them in creating burger-chan, starting the business, expansion, what to expect from the new location, a podcast exclusive reveal about their french fries, how the partnership with Click Virtual food hall is going, how they grew their menu, starting Food is Love, and much more!

No guest on the show this week so instead it's all about Fe! The Swanky Maven herself Felice Sloan joins Eric this week to discuss the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene including chef Richard Sandoval bringing Toro Toro to Houston as it replaces Quattro in the Four Seasons, The Roastery closing all 4 of it's locations, the new concepts coming to The Cannon, and Yia Yia Mary's Mediterranean Kitchen getting revived as Yia Yia Pappas. In the Restaurants of the Week section Acme Oyster Company and MAD are featured.

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Linda Salinas to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Guy Fieri's recent appearance in the H, alcohol to go becoming permanent in Texas, and the recent launch of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. In the Restaurants of the Week section Tonight & Tomorrow and Space Cowboy are featured. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Eric is joined by Jason Cho of Dak & Bop, Tom N Toms Galleria, and the new concept on the way Karne. Jason speaks with Eric about how he got into the restaurant business, the opening of the original Dak & Bop, explaining Korean fried chicken to people, ignoring the negative comments during the opening of Dak & Bop, Dak & Bop's success, the changes made with the new location for Dak & Bop, closing the original Dak & Bop location, how the opportunity with Tom N Toms came about, plans for his new concept Karne, partnering with YouTuber Mike Chin for Karne, and much more!

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Matt Harris to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the newest bars/clubs opening soon, BCK becoming something new, and Matt Staph joining Brennan's of Houston. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Zaab Der and Trinity Street Food are featured. In the Guest of the Week section, Eric is joined by Alba Huerta of Julep. Alba returns to the podcast for the first time since her appearance on episode 46 way back in 2018! Eric speaks with Alba about the reopening of Julep this weekend, how the idea for the cocktail truck came about, how much of their menu they're able to offer from the cocktail truck, adapting during the pandemic, what people can expect from Julep's big return Kentucky Derby party this weekend, the proper derby party attire, what Julep's plans are in their reopening post Derby party, what changes have been made to Julep, the bottle shop idea, a big tease of future plans, and much more!

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Avondale Food & Wine's own Mary Clarkson to discuss some of the latest happenings in the News of the Week section. In the Restaurants of the Week portion March is featured. Then in the Guest of the Week section, Eric is joined by Jonathan Benno of Cafe Leonelli. Eric speaks with Jonathan about how Jonathan became interested in cooking, where his career has taken him, how his experiences have guided/formed his culinary philosophy today, how much he's learned about Houston, the ingredients and vendors from the area that have impressed him, what customers can expect from Cafe Leonelli, how the opportunity to open Cafe Leonelli at MFAH came about, the reaction to the cafe so far, the other concepts that at MFAH, what opportunities are available in Houston, what restaurants have impressed him so far in Houston, and much more!

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Felice Sloan to discuss the latest happenings in the Houston bar and restaurant scene including Blood Bros. BBQ operators Quy Hoang, Robin and Terry Wong teaming up with pastry chef Alyssa Dole to launch Luloo's Pantry, Brandi Key joining Five 12 Restaurant Concepts, and Acme Oyster Co. opening in Houston. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Thirteen by James Harden and Littlefoot are featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Otto Sanchez and Matthieu Cabon of Magnol French Baking. Eric speaks with Otto and Matthieu about how the two of them met and came together on this project, how their initial wholesale plan quickly changed, what they're doing differently from other bakeries, the customer response so far, why Matthieu decided to leave France for America, what they make by hand, why organic bread is better, the challenges of baking while dealing with Houston's humidity, what their future plans are, and more!

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer to discuss this week's latest happenings in the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Ritual transforming into a new concept, Fusion Eats opening a 3rd location, and Layne's Chicken Fingers is coming to the Houston area. In the Restaurants of the Week section King Ranch Texas Kitchen and a new pop up in the area. In the Guest of the Week section, Eric is joined by Greg Perez and Lyle Bento of Night Moves Hospitality. Eric speaks with the guys about a multitude of things including how Greg got into the restaurant business, all the places Lyle has been, how Night Moves came together, what about this opportunity appealed to Lyle, what to expect from their new concept Space Cowboy, whether Space Cowboy is a tiki bar (spoiler no), what type of food to expect, having fun at the pool, their other concept Trash Panda Drinking Club, why the love for racoons, type of food at Trash Panda, whether more are coming, and much more!

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Linda Salinas to discuss the latest batch of new restaurants announced that are on the way to the Houston area and in one case the Las Vegas area... and let's say it's a lot of new restaurants on the way. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Tiny Champions is featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Warren Luckett of Black Restaurant Week. Warren speaks with Eric about how he started Black Restaurant Week, how does Black Restaurant work for the different restaurants that partcipate, how many are partcipating this year, the diverse spots that Black Restaurant Week highlights, taking Black Restaurant Week not only nationally but internationally, how they responded during the pandemic, offering business support, sponsor relationships, the culinary education compenet, the current state of black owned restaurants, where Houston ranks in terms of black owned restaurants, and much much more!