What's Eric Eating

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 James Beard foundation's lack of Houston finalists, a recap of CultureMap's Tastemaker awards, and more! In the Restaurants of the Week portion, 1751 Sea and Bar is featured.  In the Guest of the Week segment, Eric is joined by Jason Vaughan and Julia Doran of Nancy's Hustle. Eric, Jason, and Julia discuss what a whirlwind it's been for the 1st year and a half of Nancy's Hustle, Jason getting his start in Chicago, how Julia got started in the restaurant business, how Julia got involved in Nancy's Hustle, the plan going in for Nancy's Hustle, describing the food they serve, growing and changing the menu, the feel of Nancy's Hustle, staying busy 6 days a week, getting industry people out to the restaurant, getting national recognition, making improvements, and more!

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by frequent co-host Rebecca Masson of Fluff Bake Bar to go through some of the latest news to hit the Houston restaurant and bar scene and man is there some news this week. Eric and Rebecca discuss Ronnie Killen's leasing of the old Hickory Hollow space, Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu announcement for a new concept called Penny Quarter, Adam Dorris revealing details about his new project Lotti Dotti, Finn Hall losing it's first tenant, and much more! In a Restaurants of the Week first, the guest's restaurant is featured before the guest of the week with Verandah Progressive Indian Cuisine taking center stage.  In the Guest of the Week portion of the podcast Eric is joined by Anu and Sunil Srivastava of Verandah Progressive Indian Cuisine. Eric, Anu, and Sunil discuss how they met, working together, how Sunil got started in cooking, coming to New York in 2005, choosing to stay in Houston, distinguishing themselves from the competition, starting out with Great W’Kana Café, movi

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Matt Harris to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene. Eric and Matt discuss Cafe Bustelo's pop up in the Montrose area, chef Brandi Key's new gig, the new Common Bond Bakery hitting the medical center area, the newest Bernie's Burger Bus in Missouri City, and more! In the Restaurants of the Week portion Perry's Steakhouse in River Oaks and Katsu Bar and Noodle in Cypress.  In the Guest of the Week segment Eric is joined by Philipp Sitter of King's Bierhaus and the Sitter Group to discuss the latest happenings with the latest King's concepts. Eric and Philipp discuss how Philipp got involved with his father's business, going from a car wash to a full fledged restaurant, coming off St. Patrick's Day weekend, the concepts growing as event spaces, how the Egghouse Gourmet concept came to be, looking at expanding the Egghouse concept, opening King's Bierhaus in League City, why choose to start franchising with the League City location, th

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Felice Sloan of Urban Swank to discuss the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. Eric and Felice discuss  Messina Hof's big plans for Houston, Goodnight Hospitality adds master sommelier June Rodil to it's roster, the opening of The Rice Box, the latest sushi trend hitting Houston, and more! In the Restaurants of the Week, Corky's BBQ, Pepper Twins, and Milano Bar are featured.  In the Guest of the Week portion of the podcast Eric is joined by Alex Padilla and Jason Gould of The Original Ninfa's. Eric discusses with the guys how they both got into the restaurant business, balancing the traditions of Ninfa's with the need for innovation, what Alex and Jason bring to the table, what the nostalgia factor of Ninfa's brings, getting the news about the James Beard Award nominations, the fast casual concept in the works, an update on the Uptown location, TV opportunities, and much more!

Today on What's Eric Eating Eric is joined by Avondale Food & Wine's own Mary Clarkson to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. Eric and Mary discuss the various Houston based nominations for the James Beard Awards, Austin based restaurant P. Terry's possibly coming to Houston, Slowpokes' new location, Uptown Sushi's reopening, and more! In the Restaurants of the Week segment, Nancy's Hustle is highlighted.  In the Guest of the Week portion of the podcast Eric is joined by John Peterson of The Rice Box. Eric and John discuss how John went from cars to food, how the idea for The Rice Box came about, why Chinese-American food, getting the food truck, the evolution of The Rice Box, the cooking style now vs when The Rice Box started, opening their third location, and much more!

On today's edition of What's Eric Eating, Eric is joined by beverage consultant Linda Salinas to go through some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the James Beard Foundation coming to Houston in March, Star Fish closing for remodeling and the name change that goes along with it, Bravery Chef Hall selecting David Cedeno to be their first tenant of it's innovative incubator bar concept, Rhotey Rotisserie closing, and whether media coverage makes or breaks a restaurant. In the Restaurants of the Week section it's all about crawfish spots!  In the Guest of the Week portion, Eric is joined by Jerry Lasco of Lasco Enterprises. Eric and Jerry discuss how Jerry went from the Air Force and flying planes for Continental to being in the restaurant industry, starting out with wine retail, how to describe the tasting room nowadays, understanding the way to truly taste wine, the food program at the tasting rooms evolving, how Max's Wine Dive is a mixture of 2 concepts, the aspirations

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by frequent contributor/co-host Felice Sloan of Urban Swank to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene. Eric and Felice discuss Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu's announcement for their new venture called Squable, La Macro taco truck moving to a new location, Perry's Steakhouse hiring nationally known chef Rick Moonen as Master Development Chef, and craft breweries and beer distributors coming together to support new Texas legislation. In the Restaurants of the Week portion 2840 at Dukessa, Perry's Steakhouse, and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo's Best Bites event are featured.  In the Guest of the Week segment Eric is joined by Dominick Lee of Poitin to discuss the latest happenings at Poitin, how Poitin has done since opening last year, adapting to what the customers want, what has worked for Poitin, taking advantage of their patio setup, the latest events at Poitin, how the cuisine has evolved, combining creativity with what people wa

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Avondale Food and Wine owner Mary Clarkson to go through some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. Eric and Mary discuss Ronnie Killen partnering with Papa Johns pizza for brisket pizzas, Bellaire Food Street development with 13 restaurants heading to Chinatown, the latest details about Politan Row Food Hall coming to Rice Village, and much more! In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Sorriso Modern Italian Kitchen is featured.  In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Ryan Lachaine of Riel Restaurant. Ryan returns with a bang, setting a new record on What's Eric Eating that may never be matched... yeah I think we can safely say it will never be matched. Plus the guys catch up on the latest happenings at Riel, the change in staff, the evolution of the restaurant, part of the story regarding a patron who definitely left a mark at Riel, pushing Houston's food scene forward, being 2 years into Riel, and Eric puts Ryan through the vaunte

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by frequent contributor/co-host Matt Harris to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene. The guys discuss Common Bond Bakery possibliy opening as many as 5 locations in the near future, rumors that Sway might be heading to Houston, the new flagship for Los Tios, HEB finally opening in the Heights, and more! In the Restaurants of the Week, Siu Lap City and La Vibra Tacos are featured.  In the Guest of the Week segment Nicole Bean of Pizaro's Pizza jumps on the podcast. Eric and Nicole discuss how Nicole got into the pizza business, working with family, opening their Montrose location, defining the different styles of making pizza, introducing New York style pizza, jumping into the pizza competition game, being a rising star in the world of pizza, the possibility of a 3rd location, and more!

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Rebecca Masson of Fluff Bake Bar to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene. Eric and Rebecca discuss chef Ross Coleman landing at 2840 at Dukessa, the opening of the new Perry's Steakhouse in River Oaks, the temporary closure of Carmelo's Cucina Italiana for renovations, Julie Julez Houston restaurant bingo cards going viral, and more! In the Guest of the Week segment Eric is joined by Jonny Rhodes of Indigo. Eric and Jonny discuss the type of restaurant that Indigo is, how Jonny got interested not only in what people cooked but the why behind it, how Jonny got started in fine dining, his time in New York, the influences behind Indigo, getting into the history of food, the ideas behind the creation of the dishes, the social history, getting more media attention, the goals for Indigo, expansion ideas, the response from the neighborhood, and much more!

Today on the podcast, Eric is joined by frequent co-host Felice Sloan of Urban Swank. Eric and Felice discuss the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene including chef Cuc Lam's departure from Sing, Shake Shack opening a new location in downtown, Coltivare leasing a neighboring space for a new concept, Pinkerton's BBQ expanding to San Antonio, and more! In the Restaurant's of the Week portion, Killen's TMX and Ishin Udon are featured.  In the Guest of the Week segment Justin Turner of Bernie's Burger Bus joins the podcast! Eric and Justin discuss the opening of the 4th Bernie's Burger Bus location, the differences between other locations to the new location, getting permits, supporting local business, In-N-Out vs Whataburger, ideas for new concepts, the burger scene in Houston, and much more!

On today's edition of What's Eric Eating, Eric is joined by frequent co-host Linda Salinas to discuss the latest from the Houston bar and restaurant scene. Eric and Linda discuss Pax Americana closing it's doors, the owners of the Pit Room acquiring the Cane Rosso space, Dallas concept Magical Dessert Bar heading to Houston, Chris Shepherd's BBQ pit stolen, and more! In the Restaurants of the Week portion of the podcast Eric and Linda discuss Decatur Bar & Pop Up Factory and Fadi's Eatery. In the Guest of the Week segment of the podcast, Eric is joined by Randy Hines of The Kolache Shoppe. Eric and Randy discuss how Randy got into the restaurant business, being a kolache fan, becoming a kolache entrepreneur, his time in DC, the overwhelming offer from the original owner, using the farmers market, adding a 2nd location, experimenting with different types of kolache, kolache versus klobasnek, the thought of possibly opening a 3rd location, and more!

On today's edition of What's Eric Eating, CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler is joined by frequent co-host Mary Clarkson, the owner of Avondale Food & Wine, to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene. Eric and Mary discuss Cane Rosso's closing in Montrose, Canino's Produce Company closing this January, Varra's Sports Bar getting purchased, and more! Plus Eric and Mary react to Andrew Zimmern's... umm... interesting way of eating crawfish on his latest Houston-centric episode of The Zimmern List. In the Restaurants of the Week portion of the podcast Flying Fish and Blood Brothers BBQ are featured.  In the Guest of the Week segment, Eric is joined by Ramon Soriano Tomka of La Calle Tacos & Tortas. Eric and Ramon discuss what made Ramon stay in Houston, how he started out in the restaurant industry, being a 2nd generation restaurateur, putting his La Calle Tacos & Tortas concept together, how La Calle stands out from other concepts, the feel of the restaurant, sta

It's the final episode of What's Eric Eating of 2018! On this special edition Eric Sandler is joined by an all-star panel of co-hosts including Felice Sloan, Mary Clarkson, Matt Harris, Rebecca Masson, and Linda Salinas. Eric and the crew give their favorite new restaurants, favorite dishes, and saddest closings of 2018. The panel also give their picks for restaurant they find they keep going back to, the restaurant they're looking forward to in 2019, and their worst dish of the year! All that plus shenanigans, party horns, and more!

On today's podcast, Eric is joined by co-host Linda Salinas to discuss the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene. Eric and Linda discuss Nobie's new tiki bar concept in Montrose, La Mexicana's Heights location spinoff La Mex, Cloud 10's two new locations, and more! In the Restaurants of the Week Finn Hall and Light Years Natural Wine Shop & Bar are featured. In the Guest of the Week portion of the podcast, Eric is joined by Felipe Riccio and Adam Garcia of Goodnight Hospitality. Eric, Felipe, and Adam talk about Goodnight Hospitality's upcoming concepts, Montrose Cheese & Wine, March, and Rosie Cannonball, as well as their current concept, Goodnight Charlie's. Felipe and Adam give Eric a background of their kitchen careers, their travels, how that led them to their new concepts together and much more!

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by frequent co-host Felice Sloan of Urban Swank to discuss the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene. Eric and Felice discuss Fountainview Cafe closing, the Marquis II recent closing, Baba Yega Cafe closing due to fire damage, Bosscat Kitchen + Libations heading to Katy, the folks behind Adair Kitchen launching a new concept called Betsies, and more! In the Restaurants of the Week Neyow's Creole Cafe, La Table, and a special pop-up are featured.  In the Guest of the Week portion of the podcast, Eric is joined by Martin Stayer, Sara Stayer, and Sarah Troxell of Nobies. Eric, Martin, Sara, and Sarah discuss why Martin came down to Houston, what has kept Sarah at Nobies for so long, the family atmosphere of Nobies, how Nobies has evolved over time, maintaining a happy work environment, increased traction from patrons, being an industry hangout, how Nobies still flies under the radar, being left off Alison Cook's top 100 restaurants of Houston, their new con

Today on What's Eric Eating Eric is joined by frequent co-host Rebecca Masson of Fluff Bake Bar. Eric and Rebecca discuss some of the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene including Paul Qui's restaurant Aqui closing it's doors, the controversy surrounding Paul Qui, Eric's article regarding 24 restaurants opening between now and March, Nancy's Hustle being named to Esquire's best new restaurants list, and more! In the Restaurants of the Week section Ishin Udon and Eunice are featured.

On the podcast today, Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer, co-founder of the Houston Barbecue Festival. Eric and Michael discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu shedding some light on their new project heading ot the Heights area, Snooze opening in the Galleria area in December, The Harp closing it's doors, Ronnie Killen revealing details about the new Killen's Steakhouse location opening in the Woodlands, and more. In the Restaurants of the Week section the guys discuss what new restaurants they would like to revisit.  For this week's Guest of the Week portion of the podcast, Eric is joined by Tony Luhrman of El Topo Food Truck. Eric and Tony discuss Tony's road into the culinary scene, what inspired him to cook, the journey from jobs he hates to opening a food truck, why open a food truck, ending up in Houston, the process in creating good tortillas, the weird Houston food truck rules, the one dish no one ever bought, his goals, whether h

Today on the podcast, Eric is joined by Avondale Food and Wine owner Mary Clarkson to discuss some of the latest Houston restaurant and bar news including the former Moving Sidewalk space converting into a new concept coming in December, Brian Doke assembling a team for new concept Savoir, Chef David Cordua hosting a special program from Houston Public Media called the Houston Cookbook, and the crazy story from ESPN 97.5 host Lance Zierlein regarding his wild night at Riel Restaurant… you don't want to miss this story. In the Restaurants of the Week section, Shun Japanese Kitchen is featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Tasos Katsaounis of The Bread Man Baking Company. Eric and Tasos discuss Tasos' journey into baking, getting a push from his wife to pursue his passion, what sets his bread and company apart from the rest, the types of breads they make, where you can find their bread, trying to deal with Houston's humidity while baking, being gluten friendly versus gluten free, Tasos'

Today on What's Eric Eating, Eric is joined by frequent contributor and co-host Matt Harris to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene. The guys discuss Lyle Bento joining Sambrooks Management Company as culinary director, Maurizio Ferrarese signing on to be the executive chef at Ristorante Cavour at the Hotel Granduca, Finn Hall getting an opening date, California-based sandwich shop Mendocino Farms opening a location in Houston in 2019, and much more! Diana American Grill and B.B. Lemon are featured in this week's Restaurants of the Week segment. In the Guest of the Week section of the podcast, Eric is joined by Jane Wild of the Dunlavy. Eric and Jane discuss Jane's journey into the culinary world, exploring the Art Institute in Houston, moving to Chicago, joining Whole Foods, the dishes at The Dunlavy, creating memorable sandwiches, the response from patrons, other projects that Jane has been involved with, getting more invovled in the Houston food scene, getting know ot