Houston Meat Master Felix Florez Parts Ways With Ritual—Updated

Felix Florez of Black Hill Meats is no longer affiliated with Ritual at 602 Studewood, the restaurant he co-founded with Delicious Concepts. The latter company is helmed by businessman Ken Bridge and it also owns Republic Diner + Noodle Bar, Lola Diner and Shepherd Park Draught House. All of those restaurants are in the Heights neighborhood of Houston.

The statement from Florez is as follows:

“Ken and I have decided to part ways. As of February 13, I no longer have involvement at Ritual. Ken and I are very different and the belief is that we are better off working separately. I’m very proud of the Ritual team and will support them in any way I can… always.”
Butcher's Cut steak at Ritual
The Butcher’s Cut at Ritual (in this particular instance, a 44 Farms New York strip) was just one of the dishes that reflected Florez’s ranch-to-table perspective.

Ritual opened in mid-2016, originally with executive chef Jordan Asher and Florez at the helm. Asher soon moved on and next was chef Alberto Vasquez. He was then followed by Crash Hethcox who soon left for “personal reasons.” At that point, Florez and Bridge decided to work directly with their sous chefs and lead the kitchen themselves.

Florez, a former sommelier for Brennan’s of Houston, is already on to his next endeavor: Cherry Block, a “ranch-to-restaurant, wood-burning steakhouse” in the forthcoming Bravery Chef Hall. For those who want a firsthand taste of what’s to come, a pop-up is scheduled on March 21 from 7 to 10 p.m. on the fifth floor of Aris Tower. The address is 409 Travis. Visit the Facebook event page for more details.

Update, 2/14/18, 5:06 p.m.: Florez is also a partner in the forthcoming brick-and-mortar Blood Bros. BBQ restaurant. It’s slated to open later this year in the Bellaire Triangle Shopping Center at 5425 Bellaire.

Houston Food Finder has emailed Delicious Concepts and requested a statement on Florez’s departure. We will update this article should we receive one.

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