What's Eric Eating

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson. The pair go through some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Ana Beaven opening a new breakfast concept with business partner Charlie McDaniel, Agricole Hospitality opening a 2nd location of Eight Row Flint in a familiar space, and Blood Bros. are bringing in some top Houston talent for their latest concept. In the Restaurants of the Week portion il Bracco and Cafe Louie are featured. In the Guest of the Week section of the podcast this week, Eric is joined by Bun B and Andy Nguyen of Trill Burgers. The guys speak with Eric about their plans for Trill Burgers, how Bun got interested in fine dining/the food scene, the culinary scene in Houston, how Andy became the mashup king, how Andy made the jump from the apparel industry into the restaurant industry, how the pair got connected for the burger concept, why a burger concept was the right choice, why a smashburger, what the different popups have taught them, getting the bu

On this week's edition of the podcast Eric is joined by Linda Salinas. The pair go through some of the latest news happening in the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the sudden closure of The Branch in Spring Branch, Mandito's is heading to Bellaire, and a new nightclub hitting Midtown. In the Restaurants of the Week Dinette and Quiote are featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Matthew Massey of Champagne Madame Zéro. Matthew speaks with Eric about how he got interested in wine, how working at the San Luis Hotel in Galveston led to Matthew to working the restaurant industry, working in the energy industry, transitioning from loving wine to creating his own winery, their process, how things have been going, their flavor versus classic champagne, places to find their wine, why it pairs so well with food, future plans for their products, and much more! Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter, plus check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: 7 Things to Know in Houston F

On this week's pod Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer to discuss the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene including some recent closings like The Tasting Room and Revival Market, plus some openings like the 2nd location of The Taco Stand. In the Restaurants of the Week portion the guys highlight Gatlin's Fins & Feathers and Brett's BBQ Shop. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by David Skinner of eculent. David speaks with Eric about his long winding career before his time in working in food full time, where the name for eculent comes from, why Kemah, what he did to prepare to open eculent, where the idea for eculent came from, how eculent has evolved over the years, teaching his staff, the ways that they pushed boundaries early on, the idea behind the forest dish, coming up with dishes you won't see anywhere else, the Washington Post review, and much more!  Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter, plus check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Cherished Trio of Mo

On this week's edition of the podcast Eric is joined by Matt to discuss the latest from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the huge shocker that Chris Shepherd is leaving Underbelly Hospitality, Goode Co. announces it's bringing it's Tex-Mex concept Kitchen & Cantina to the Heights, and Blossom Hotel's announces some new details regarding their dining program. In the Restaurants of the Week portion eculent is featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Ryan Lachaine and Derek Brown of Riel. Eric catches up with the duo from Riel about a multitude of things including how things are at Riel, the challenges they've run into, how Derek got started in bartending, what brought Derek to Houston, what Derek's approach is with the bar program at Riel, working with executive chef Peter Nguyen, what on the menu has them excited nowadays, the customer base, building your bar regulars, what the future holds, Ryan's upcoming pop up with Brandon Silva, and much more! Follow Eric on Instagr

No guest this week so on today's podcast it's all Eric and Fe! Eric is joined by the Swanky Maven herself Felice Sloan to discuss the latest happenings in the Houston restaurant and bar scene including a chef duo coming together to create a tapas restaurant in Kemah, James Coney Island closing it's last inner loop location, and the newest food festival coming to Houston this fall. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Blue Sushi Sake Grill is featured, plus Houston Restaurants Weeks strategies for diners to consider when deciding where to go.  Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter, plus check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Dynamic Dining Duo Cook Up Plans for Experiential Tapas Restaurant in Kemah Iconic Houston Hot Dog Restaurant's Last Inner Loop Location Quietly Closes Houston's Top Chefs Star in New Fall Food Festival Restaurant Shocker: Chris Shepherd Departs Company He Founded to Focus on Nonprofit Endeavors Edgy Portland Doughnut Chain Casts a Spell in Katy with Creative and Scan

On today's show, Eric's co-host is hospitality veteran and co-founder of the Houston BBQ Festival Michael Fulmer. They kick things off with Houston's Restaurant News of the Week in which they discuss an exciting new partnership involving French restaurant La Table ahead of its reopening next Spring, a new brew pub opening in the Bellaire Triangle called CounterCommon Beerworks & Kitchen, and their excitement for Reata Cellars, a new wine shop and bar opening in the Heights. For this episode's Restaurant of the Week, the pair highlight the "new" Georgia James as they discuss their initial impressions of Chris Shepherd's Houston steakhouse in its swanky new location.  In the guest portion of the show, Eric is joined by Norwegian Chef Christopher Haatuft and James Beard Award-winning Chef Paul Qui of Golfstrømmen to discuss the beginnings of their unlikely partnership, how their restaurant came to be, why sustainability is so important to what they’re trying to do, how the restaurant has fared compared to

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Linda Salinas to discuss the latest happenings in the Houston restaurant and bar scene including 2 Houston food vets coming together for a new Italian concept, Rise Soufflé is coming back to the Houston area, and a new brewery opening in Hardy Yards. In the Restaurant of the Week portion Amrina. In the Guest of the Week section, for the first time ever on the podcast, Eric is joined by Justin Yu of Theodore Rex and Thorough Fare Hospitality. Justin speaks with Eric about what he remembers about starting Oxheart, working with Kaitlin Steets at Theodore Rex, what Justin's day to day schedule is like, stepping back at Better Luck Tomorrow, working with Michael Connor, how did the business relationship with Bobby Heugel evolve into what it is today, how did the hotel project come about, what makes Galveston appealing for this project, what to expect from The Fancy food wise, the current state of the James Beard Awards, and more! Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter, plus c

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including further discussion/celebration of Alba Huerta's James Beard award, Agricole Hospitality announces their plans for a new lounge concept, promising self-serve concept Shoot the Moon closing it's doors permanently, and March being named one of the best new restaurants of 2022. In the Restaurants of the Week section Street to Kitchen is featured. In the Guest of the portion Eric is joined by Jason Andaya and Cole Hoang of Dinette. Jason and Cole speak with Eric about the new concept Dinette, why a Vietnamese restaurant concept was the next step for Jason after Hando, the evolution of Vietnamese food in the city, dishes people will see on the menu, what the Dinette twist is on Vietnamese food, the offerings that will be at Dinette, what Cole learned from his time working with Christine Hà, how things are going at Hando, what Jason attributes Hando's success to, why now was the

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Matt Harris to discuss the latest happenings in the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the James Beard Awards announcing their winners for 2022, Phat Eatery announcing a 2nd location, Willow Villarreal and Jasmine Barela working with Killen's restaurants now, and Nando's Peri-Peri is coming to Houston. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Hugo's is featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Top Chef finalist Evelyn Garcia. Evelyn speaks with Eric about what motivated her to join the show, the preparation that she did to prepare for the show, finding out the show was going to be set in Houston, her favorite challenges that she went through on the show, when did she start thinking of ideas for the final 4 course meal for the finale, what was going through her mind walking up to the judges in the finale, getting to know her fellow contestants, letting her emotions show on camera, how life has changed for her since being on the show, has the show

No guest on the show this week so Eric and cohost Michael Fulmer catch up on the latest happenings in the Houston restaurant and bar scene including what they thought of Top Chef season 19 which filmed here in Houston, did it depict the city well? Plus Evelyn Garcia's run in the competition and how she represented the city. The guys also discuss Greg Gatlin and Michelle Wallace opening a new comfort food concept and the family behind Rice Epicurean Market closing it's last location. In the Restaurants of the Week section 1751 Sea & Bar and Flying Fish are featured.  Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter, plus check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com, such as: Top Chef Recap: And The Winning Cheftestant Is... Star Houston Pitmaster Reveals New Fried Chicken, Seafood, and Comfort Food Restaurant Houston's Oldest Family-Owned Grocery Store Announces End of an Epicurean Era Rockin' New Girl-Powered Food and Music Fest Stars Houston's Top Chefs New Orleans Bar Bringing Big Easy Chill to Houston

On today's edition of What's Eric Eating, Eric is joined by Linda Salinas to discuss some of the latest happenings from the Houston bar and restaurant scene including recapping the winners from this year's Tastemaker Awards, Austin bar Nickel City coming to Houston, and Robert Del Grande announcing that he's taking a step back. In the Restaurants of the Week section Height's & Co. is featured. Then in the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Nicole Morris of Lucy Pearl's. Nicole speaks with Eric about how she first got interested in baking, getting started in the farmers market, how she got connected with Post Houston, learning from the family, figuring out the family recipes, why the counter/open kitchen are key parts of the design for Lucy Pearl's, what customer's are asking, meeting Eric, what Lucy Pearl's menu has to offer, the non cake options, the wild cake sales numbers, developing the different options for customers, making connections with other vendors at The Post, future plans, and much

On today's edition of What's Eric Eating, Eric is joined by Felice Sloan to discuss the latest from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu opening a new concept in Galveston, the "world's biggest pizza slice" coming to Houston, and Zach Harris' newest concept coming to the Shady Acres area. In the Restaurants of the Week Uchiko is featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Brian Doke of Savoir, Pattons, and Heights & Co. Brian speaks with Eric about how Brian got into the hospitality industry, how he grew at Tiny Boxwoods, deciding to go out on his own, the vision behind Savoir when starting it out, working his chef Eric Johnson, why he decided to with a steakhouse as his second concept, how Patton's has been going so far, what feedback he's gotten from customers, developing the idea behind his newest concept Heights & Co., what they do at Heights & Co. to separate themselves from the competition, how he'd like to see Heights & Co. evolve, d

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson to discuss some of the latest happenings in the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Loro's 2nd location being revealed, Bobby Heugel's new bar opening this week, and a 2nd location of Hando heading to Spring Branch. In the Restaurants of the Week Hamsa and Cafe Louie are featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined in studio (yes in studio for the first time since March 2020) by Will and Nichole Buckman of CorkScrew BBQ. Will and Nichole speak with Eric about the state of CorkScrew BBQ, retaining staff through the past difficult 2 pandemic years, why they're always present, ways they have grown, the possibility of opening another restaurant in the future, the idea of relevance when it comes to restaurants, whether they cared about falling out of Texas Monthly's Top 10 BBQ places, the most overlooked item, speaking with Daniel Vaughn, what shows they're binging, why they don't mix barbecue and politics, Will's hobbies, and much more! Fol

Instead of doing the normal format Eric is switching things up today with a special edition of the podcast, it's the Ultimate Houston Barbecue Draft. Eric has assembled a panel of barbecue lovers to pick the ultimate barbecue plate. Then Dozier's Barbeque pitmaster Jim Buchanan looks over the selections to decide who assembled the ultimate BBQ plate. What goes number 1? Whose draft strategy will prove best? Who reached with their selection? Which items got snubbed? Find out all of that and more on this special edition of the podcast! Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter, plus check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com, such as: Rising Star Houston Pitmaster Brings the Heat on Food Network BBQ Competition Show Aaron Franklin and Tyson Cole Reveal Second Houston Location of Their Asian Smokehouse Smash Ice Cream Doughnut Shop from Miami Bringing Cool Spot to Houston Area Mexico City Inspired Taqueria Unrolls Third Houston Location in Garden Oaks Area Houston's Whiskey-Obsessed Restaurant to Open

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson to discuss the latest in restaurant and bar news from the Houston area including Bellaire Broiler Burger making it's long awaited return, Lankford Grocery opening a second location, and Uchiko announcing it's opening date. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Marmo is featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Paul Miller of Gr8 Plate Hospitality. Paul catches Eric up on what's been going on with Gr8 Plate Hospitality since he was last on the podcast, what he's learned about operating a business such as his during these past 2 years in the pandemic, wanting more staff, how he's adapted the business these past 2 years, why he decided to open the new Italian concept Passerella, what type of Italian style does Passerella bring to the market, developing the menu for the new concept, the dishes he's excited for people to try, the future for Gr8 Plate, when Passerella is launching, and much more! Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter, plus ch

It's a celebration! Not just because it's a new episode of the podcast but because today marks the 5 year anniversary of What's Eric Eating! A huge thank you to everyone that listens, shares, subscribes, reviews, or however you engage with the podcast. We wouldn't be able to do this for the 5 years and running without you all. A huge thank you as well to all of the great cohosts and guests over the years. It's been an amazing ride and we look forward to providing more great podcast content to you all! Now for today's podcast Eric is joined by Linda Salinas to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston bar and restaurant scene including Uchi announcing a new dedicated omakase space, Chris Shepherd's shake up at the tavern formerly known as Georgia James, and a new nightclub popping up in the Heights area. In the Restaurants of the Week section Reikina and The Warwick are featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Tasos Katsaounis and Drew Gimma of Bread Man Baking Company. Tasos and D

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Matt Harris to discuss the latest news from the Houston restaurant and food scene including the shocking shake up with J-Bar-M Barbecue, Craft Pita getting a new location, and Chris Shepherd's big Southern Smoke Festival. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Tatemó is featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Scott Sulma of the Atlas Restaurant Group. Scott speaks with Eric about how he got into the restaurant industry, what he learned from working with the great Tony Vallone, how he got started with Atlas, his role with the restaurant group, how the group of Atlas restaurants have been doing in Houston so far, why Atlas is bringing the new Italian concept Marmo to Houston, what customers can expect, the menu at Marmo, and much more! Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter, plus check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com, such as: Rising Star Chef Breaks Silence About Sudden Exit from Exciting New EaDo Barbecue Joint Crafty and Healthy Me

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Felice Sloan to discuss the latest happenings from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Three Brothers Bakery adding a new location, Wolfgang Puck returning to Houston with a new concept, and Upside Pub coming to the Garden Oaks/Oak Forest area. In the Restaurants of the Week The Greasy Spoon is featured. In the Guest of the Week section Eric is joined by Tobias Dorzon and Rosea Grady of Thirteen. Tobias and Rosea speak with Eric about how they got into the restaurant industry, what brought them to Thirteen, how they got to know James Harden, how Thirteen came together, what it was like working with James Harden on the concept, how things have gone in the first year, how difficult it was early on after James was traded to Brooklyn, how they describe the food, biggest surprise from their first year, memorable celeb interactions, building the team, goals for year 2, whether we could see more Thirteen's in other markets, and much more! Follow Eric on Instagram an

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson to discuss the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Burger Bodega opening this summer, Benjy Levit's new concept, and Daniel Wolfe's fundraising efforts. In the Restaurants of the Week section BCN and Blue Stone Lane. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by Aaron Franklin of Loro. Aaron speaks with Eric about how Loro came together, his role in shaping the menu, why he decided to come to Houston for this, his approach with Loro with it's vast array of menu options, how the concept is doing so far, feeling the love from locals, whether more locations could be in the cards for the future, building the grill at Wild Oats, Franklin BBQ being back to normal since the pandemic started, his new sandwich shop concept that's in the works, and much more! Follow Eric on Instagram and Twitter, plus check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com, such as: Houston Food Influencer's Smash Burger Pop-Up Finds a Permanent Hom

On today's podcast Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer to discuss the latest happenings from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Cabo Bob's opening 3 new locations in the Houston area, The Chocolate bar returning with a new name and location, and Aaron Bludorn's new seafood concept that's heading to Rice Village. In the Restaurants of the Week Patton's and Roberta's are featured. In the Guest of the Week portion Eric is joined by the team behind The Big Vibe Group. Grant, Josep, and Marc speak with Eric about how this venture came together, what attracted each of them to this partnership since the splitting of Clark Cooper Concepts, the development/aesthetics of Gratify, why now was the right time for Flora, bringing something strong with Flora into the Mexican food scene, Josep's role in developing the menu at Flora, the inspirations for the food, Flora's decor, the focus on cocktails at Flora, how Grant's travels have inspired him, the latest details regarding Graffiti Raw and Daddy's Burgers, possi