What's Eric Eating

ICYMI: The What’s Eric Eating podcast is now two episodes per week, with the news and restaurants of the week section dropping on Tuesdays and the guest of the week section on Thursdays. Have feedback on the change? Message Eric on his socials linked below, or email him at eric@culturemap.com. After a few years since being on the podcast, Eric checks in with Alex Au-Yeung, chef-owner of Phat Eatery. The two discuss the opening and closing of Yelo, his Vietnamese sandwich concept, and Phat Eatery’s upcoming Woodlands location. Au-Yeung also reflects on his 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist nomination, the state of Katy’s growing Asian town, future plans for Phat, and more.  Follow Eric on Instagram and on Twitter, plus check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Celebrated Houston Top Chef Finalist and Olympian Suddenly Departs Anticipated New Midtown Restaurant Blockbuster Beer Paradise Raises Katy's Scene to Bavarian Brew Garden Levels, with a Texas Twist New York Times Showcases 5 Smokin'

ICYMI: The What’s Eric Eating podcast is now two episodes per week, with the news and restaurants of the week section dropping on Tuesdays and the guest of the week section on Thursdays. Have feedback on the change? Message Eric on his socials linked below, or email him at eric@culturemap.com. Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson to discuss the latest happenings in the world of Houston bars and restaurants. The pair discuss Chris Shepherd's new show on KRPC, Dandelion Cafe nearly winning Good Morning America's United States of Breakfast competition, and Scott Sulma's new hospitality consulting company. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Elro Pizza + Crudo is featured.  Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter and check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Chris Shepherd Hosts New TV Show Spotlighting Local Hot Spots, Hidden Gems, and Personalities Blooming Bellaire Cafe Gets Edged Out by Philly Eatery on Good Morning America's Big Breakfast Battle Finale Distinguished Hous

ICYMI: The What’s Eric Eating podcast is now two episodes per week, with the news and restaurants of the week section dropping on Tuesdays and the guest of the week section on Thursdays. Have feedback on the change? Message Eric on his socials linked below, or email him at eric@culturemap.com. This week, Eric invites James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd onto the podcast to talk about life since stepping away from Underbelly Hospitality last year and behind-the-scenes scoop on his TV show, “Eat Like a Local,” premiering this September. They also discuss the Southern Smoke Foundation and festival, his bi-monthly “Wine Guy” column for CultureMap, consulting for other restaurants, whether he plans to return to the restaurant business, and much more.  Follow Chris on Instagram and check out his CultureMap Wine Guy Wednesday columns here.  Read more about "Eat Like a Local" here.    Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter and check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Distinguished Houston H

On today's podcast Eric is joined by Linda Salinas to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair discuss the major changes coming to El Topo, the announcement of a 4th location of The Burger Joint coming to Kirby next year, and the closure of CounterCommon Beerworks & Kitchen after 1 year. In the Restaurants of the Week segment, Citizens of Montrose and Musaafer are featured.  Let us know what you think of the new podcast format! The podcast is now split into 2 episodes each week. The first episode of the week now releases on Tuesdays and is dedicated to the News/Restaurants of the Week, then the 2nd episode releases on Thursdays and contains the Guest of the Week interview. You can reach out to Eric on social or email him at eric@culturemap.com. Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter, plus check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Under the Radar West U. Restaurant Reboots via New Partnership with Local Foods Owner Red-Hot Houston Burger Joint and

ICYMI: Beginning this week, the What’s Eric Eating podcast is releasing two shorter episodes per week, with the news and restaurants of the week section dropping on Tuesdays and the guest of the week section on Thursdays. Have feedback on the change? Message Eric on his socials linked below, or email him at eric@culturemap.com. In this week’s guest episode, Eric catches up with Chef Jane Wild on what she’s been up to since leaving the Dunlavy. Wild does it all, from markets to private chef work to cooking for special events like her open-fire dinner at the regenerative Synergos Farms this weekend. She and Eric discuss pivoting her business model post-COVID, growing her personal brand, the positive aspects of serving her sweet and savory baked goods at farmer's markets across town, details about her event at Synergos Farms this weekend and more!  Buy tickets to Regeneration Weekend at Synergos Farms here and follow Chef Jane Wild on Instagram @janeandthelion and her market account @janewildmrkt.  Follow Eri

Wait, it's Tuesday and there's a What's Eric Eating Podcast available? Yep that's right, beginning this week What's Eric Eating is releasing episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays now! Moving forward, the news and restaurants of the week section will be their own episode that's released on Tuesdays. Then the guest of the week portion will be its own episode that's released on Thursdays. So instead of one-hour long podcast released on Thursdays, you're now getting 2 shorter episodes released on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Let us know what you think of the change, just message Eric on social. Find his social media linked below. You can also email him at eric@culturemap.com.  Now on to today's episode, Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer to discuss the latest happenings in the news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair discuss 2 of Houston's top restaurants being named to the Robb Report's best new restaurants in America list, the new fast casual concept that will make its debut in the old Cherry Block Smok

On today's edition of the podcast Eric is joined Mary Clarkson to discuss some of the latest headlines from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair discuss Chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter taking home the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas, Bun B opening the first brick-and-mortar location for Trill Burgers, and the trio of French culinary industry professionals who are opening a Fre... wait... they're not opening a French restaurant? In the Restaurants of the Week section Albi and The Chelsea are featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Andrew Geisel of Citizens of Montrose joins the show. Andrew speaks with Eric about his career, what's led him up to this point, how the relationship with his other co-owners started, how that relationship has grown over time, how he would describe the concept of what they're doing with Australian Cafes, the idea behind their menu, expanding their brand outside of New York City, why Houston was the right choice for their next city, how they've been received so far

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by the Swanky Maven herself, Felice Sloan! The pair discuss the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Atlas Restaurant Group revealing what it has planned for the former Ouzo Bay space (spoiler alert Eric was right), Culinary Khancepts unveiling big plans for The Woodlands, and EZ's Liquor Lounge being named to Esquire's 2023 list of the Best Bars in America. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Little's Oyster Bar and Viola & Agnes’ Neo Soul Cafe are featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Joshua Weisman of Construction Concepts. Joshua speaks with Eric about what he did before getting into the construction industry, how he started Construction Concepts, why he liked commercial construction better, making the transition from club construction to restaurant construction, how the business evolved, some of the first jobs his company worked on, some of his favorite projects they've worked on, how things have gotten more diff

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Becky Masson of Fluff Bake Bar to discuss the latest headlines in the Houston restaurant and bar world. The pair discuss the team behind Nobie's opening a new pizza tavern concept in Montrose, the new spacey bar coming to Montrose as well but from the team behind The Burger Joint, the NY based cake bakery that has made it's way to the Galleria area, and this year's iteration of the Hot Luck Festival. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Triola's Italian Kitchen and Bari are featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Mary Cuclis of Kriti Kitchen. Mary speaks with Eric about how she got into the world of professional cooking, her time in Hong Kong, how she made her way to Pondicheri, what about Pondicheri has resonated for people over the years, how she came to the decision to move on from Pondicheri to create her own business, how the pandemic caused a switch in her initial plan, what she learned about people's expectations for Greek food in Houston,

On today's podcast Eric is joined by Linda Salinas to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The duo discuss the new owners of Weights + Measures trying to rejuvenate the well-known brunch spot, the Australian inspired NYC café coming to Houston, and Bobby Heugel's cocktail bar Refuge adding coffee/wine to the menu. In the Restaurants of the Week section Ojo de Agua is featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Ben Berg of Berg Hospitality. Ben and Eric rundown the entire list of concepts coming from Berg Hospitality Group. Ben gives updates on everything from La Table to Turner's Cut and more! Listen as Eric and Ben have an extended conversation about all the concepts from Berg Hospitality Group. Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter, plus check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Popular Heights Restaurant Owners Revive Midtown Brunch Favorite Weights + Measures with Big Purchase Aussie-Inspired Coffee Shop Brings Brekkie, Burgers, and G

Mary Clarkson joins Eric on today's podcast to go through some of the latest headlines from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair discuss a new taqueria concept from State of Grace owner Ford Fry coming to Houston in 2024, the new IG-worthy Dallas concept that's coming to Houston this fall, and Pappas Restaurants opening Little's Oyster Bar. In the Restaurants of the Week portion The Preserve and Andiron are featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Adyson Alvis and German Mosquera of Wild. The guys speak with Eric about how they got into the culinary world, how German came to Houston, how Adyson went from Grinder coffee to Wild, why they're taking on this larger type project with Wild, why this was the right next move for German, coming up with the menu, the story they want to tell with the food, how cannabis factors into the menu, what customers have been enjoying the most so far, how they've integrated cannabis into the food, the difference in adding CBD to drinks compared to fo

On today's edition of the podcast Eric is joined by the Swanky Maven herself, Felice Sloan to discuss the latest headlines from around the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair discuss Ouzo Bay's closure, Concura Italian Bites shuttering to transform into a new concept under new ownership, and the closing of New York Eatery in Bellaire. For the Restaurants of the Week section of the podcast, Graffiti Raw is featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Dan Mesches of Picnik. Dan speaks with Eric about how he got started in the hospitality business, working with the Hopdoddy Burger brand, how he got started with Sprinkles, where did the connection between Picnik and Sprinkles come from, the decision to come to Houston, the neighborhood they're in, how he defines Picnik, offering comfort food that's good for you, how people should approach the menu, the beverage options, why butter coffee, how things are going at Picnik so far since opening, how they differentiate themselves in the market, s

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer to discuss the latest from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The two speak about Izakaya transforming into a new gulf coast seafood concept, historic Houston area barbecue restaurant The Swinging Door closing it's doors permanently, and acclaimed Houston chef Anita Jaisinghani's James Beard nomination for her cookbook. In the Restaurants of the Week section Mandito's and Verde Garden are featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Josh Deleon of Underground Creamery. Josh speaks with Eric about the decision behind making his own ice cream, starting out with ice cream equipment from the likes of Amazon, the initial recipes, sharing it with others, how his style has grown, getting to the point of joining a commercial kitchen space with Emmanuel Chavez, selling discreetly, how the company was born from a call about the Health Department, moving into a dedicated space, developing the ideas for the different ice cream flavors,  balancing cu

Today on the podcast, Eric is joined by Linda Salinas to discuss some of the latest news happening in the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair discuss restaurateur Chris Williams' new concept opening in the historic Eldorado Ballroom in Third Ward, Seattle based restaurant Dough Zone Dumpling House coming to Houston with 2 locations, and the Kirby Group's new Tex-Mex concept called Verde Garden. In the Restaurants of the Week section, March and Mimo are featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Peter Nolan of Permission Whiskey. Peter speaks with Eric about how he started his career in the hospitality industry, shaping the program at Federal American Grill, opening Permission Whiskey during the pandemic, the challenges he faced, the atmosphere they create at Permission Whiskey, the neighborhood, the cocktail program offerings, what it's been like hosting celebrities promoting their liquor brands at Permission Whiskey, what they do for their signature Derby Day Party, future plans, and

On today's podcast Eric is joined by Matt Harris to discuss the latest happenings in the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The guys discuss this year's CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, Angelo and Lucianna Emiliani changing things up at Louie's Italian American, and the surprising announcement from Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Oheya by Uchi and MUSE are featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by William Farley and Nick Nguyen of Padre's Wine Shop + Bar. The guys deep dive with Eric about South American wines plus what brought them together for Padre's, how William went from the energy/investment banking industries to the wine business, why this was the right next step for Nick, why William wanted to do a retail space rather than doing wholesale, what people can expect when they visit Padre's, how Padre's stands out in the market, customer response so far, being located in a unique bar/restaurant area, the food offerings at Padre's, what customers have been

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer to go through some of the latest headlines from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The guys discuss MF Sushi chef/owner Chris Kinjo's announcement of 2 new concepts that he's bringing to the city, the debut of Mandito's Tex-Mex from the Palacios Murphy Hospitality group, and Dish Society's expansion into Austin. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Eau Tour is featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Alec Varnell and Hoffie Ferreira of J-Bar-M Barbecue. The guys speak with Eric about the unexpected changes at J-Bar-M last year, how they've kept things rolling after the major changes, Alec's background in the restaurant industry, Hoffie's road to J-Bar-M, why they like doing more things compared to what other BBQ restaurants offer, changing how they do their steaks, rolling out their new brunch menu, making J-Bar-M more of an oasis for a broader audience than just a BBQ place, how they would like to see J-Bar-M evolve, goals for th

On today's edition of the podcast, Eric is joined by the Swanky Maven herself Felice Sloan to go through some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair discuss the 3 Houston chefs/restaurants that were named James Beard finalists, the upscale tavern concept coming to the Memorial area from Aaron Bludorn,  the announcement of the New England seafood concept coming from Ben Berg, and the Top Golf of baseball opening it's first location in Houston. In the Restaurants of the Week section Kuji Kitchen is featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by June Rodil and Felipe Riccio of Goodnight Hospitality. The pair speak with Eric about how March has evolved in the 2 years since it's been open, the service experience for diners at March, collaboration that goes on at March, why Felipe is the Dave Grohl of March, what June's day to day is like as CEO, what was the inspiration for The Marigold Club, the criticism that's thrown at fine dining, why Houston is right for their co

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson to discuss the latest happenings from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the new grocery store chain that's making it's debut in Houston, Dessert Gallery set to open a new location in The Woodlands, and Muse from the Sundown Entertainment Group opening in the former Emmaline space. In the Restaurants of the Week section PS21 and Theodore Rex are featured. In the Guest of the Week portion, Eric is joined by Lindsay Burleson of I'll Have What She's Having. Lindsay speaks with Eric about what I'll Have What She's Having is, what the organization does, how prevalent the healthcare problem is in the hospitality industry, the initiatives they focus on, expanding their help men's health as well as women's health, programs they've started following SB 8, other organizations they work with, having mental health discussions, what the process is like for people seeking preventative healthcare, they're upcoming events, and much more! To learn more about the

Today's podcast opens on a sad note, Eric Sandler alongside Michael Fulmer and Matt Harris remember longtime Houston restaurateur Lee Ellis who passed away last Monday (3/6) at the age of 63. The guys reflect on Lee's career, his impact on the Houston restaurant scene, and share their memories of Lee. Eric and Matt get into other news from the week that was including Hobby airport's new concessions contract that has Killen's BBQ among it's new options for food and Kraftsmen Café closing in The Heights. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Jun is featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Pace Webb of Daddy's Chicken Shack. Pace speaks with Eric about getting into the food business, coming from a family of entertainers, becoming a chef, the life changing events that led her to the culinary world, making the leap from catering to leaning into the chicken sandwich side of things, the early chicken sandwich grind, how their chicken sandwich is different, developing the different types of sandw

On the podcast today Eric is joined by Linda Salinas to discuss the latest happenings from the restaurant and bar scene in Houston. The two discuss Sébastien Laval and Philippe Schmit pairing up for a new concept called PS21, the new bar and lounge concept Best Regards making it's home in the space that formerly housed Chivos, and Dallas based restaurant group FB Society bringing it's concept Haywire to Houston for the restaurant's third location. In the Restaurants of the Week portion PrimoHoagies is featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Justin turner of Bocca Italian Kitchen. Justin speaks with Eric about returning to the podcast for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic back in 2020, reflecting on the decision to close Bernie's Burger Bus amid the pandemic, getting connected with McCord Development, being part of the Generation Park development project, taking on the challenge of an Italian concept, what he's learned about Italian cooking during his time with Bocca, the