The Chef Is NOT In: The Arguments For And Against A “Name” In Restaurant Kitchens—Updated
Most restaurants aim to provide fantastic food, drinks and environment at a fair value. However, with the “celebrity chef” trend that started a few decades ago, diners often want something more: a well-known chef in the kitchen. An executive chef lends a certain amount of credibility or cachet; someone who is perceived as having formal education in the culinary arts, many years of experience and exceptional creativity. “I feel that it is important to have a chef,” said Shanon Scott of Sud Italia, where Sandro Scarafile oversees the kitchen. “A chef brings his own family recipes and considers each dish a reflection […]
Opinion: Houston Gets Short Shrift In 2017 James Beard Award Finals
Out of eight James Beard Award semifinalist candidates Houston ties, only two made it to this year’s James Beard Award semifinals. Considering the well-regarded food mecca that the Bayou City has become, that’s too few to be fair. This is similar to last year, when only two of 10 nominees made it to the finals. In an entirely expected (and well-deserved) development, chef Hugo Ortega was selected as a Best Chef Southwest finalist for the sixth year in a row. (By the way, let’s remember that the annual pilgrimage is an honor, but it is not free.) In a more surprising […]
Ming Tsai On Houston Restaurants, Kitchen Tools and The Cause Dear To His Heart
Celebrity chef Ming Tsai was in Houston on Monday for a Macy’s Culinary Council cooking demo and signing of his fifth book, Simply Ming In Your Kitchen, which Tsai says encourages home cooks to customize the recipes to their preferences. “A cookbook should not be gospel,” he explained. “It should be the base of inspiration for everyone who wants to cook. What I mean by that is there could be a chicken satay recipe. You need to buy chicken for that as the base, but if you’re Mexican, throw in some jalapenos. If you’re Chinese, put in red chilies. If […]
Join My Table and Houston Food Finder For Sunday Supper!
The people at My Table and Houston Food Finder have a lot in common, including a passion for introducing readers to restaurants that we think are simply top notch. We are proud to announce our first joint dinner for readers is at Chef Adison Lee’s Japanese restaurant, KUU on Sunday, December 4 at 5 p.m. It is going to be a wonderful way take a break from the frenetic holiday season. (It also gets dinner out of the way early so readers can prepare for the week ahead.) Chef Lee’s fine Japanese fare will also be a welcome respite from […]
The Houston Food Finder Guide To Holiday Merriment
It’s the holidays, which means a ton of festive events are happening all around Houston. We’ll be updating this guide through the end of the year, so you might want to just bookmark this or set it as your browser startup page to keep up with the latest. More to come! If you’d like your event considered for inclusion in this guide, please email us. Last updated 11/27/16, 9:01 a.m. Sunday, November 27 Whiskey & Knives Pop-Up At Public Services This event at Public Services Wine & Whisky sounds like a great way to both get some down time and get […]