What's Eric Eating
380 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 66 ratingsEvery week, CultureMap Editor Eric Sandler examines the Houston culinary landscape, giving you the latest news, restaurant reviews, and interviews with some of the most interesting people in the scene. New episodes of the What's Eric Eating? podcast drop every Tuesday and Thursday.
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Episodes
Episode 373 - Brock Wagner of Saint Arnold Brewing Company
May 02, 2024 11:00 - 43 minutesToday on the show Eric is joined by Brock Wagner of Saint Arnold Brewing Company. It's Saint Arnold Brewing's 30th anniversary this year so Brock takes Eric back down memory lane to discuss the early days of Saint Arnold Brewing. The guys talk about how hard it was starting up a craft beer company 30 years ago, doing tastings at grocery stores, when Brock knew he had something with the company, making the move to downtown, getting the law changed to be able to sell directly to customers, ope...
Episode 372 - MF Lobster & Ceviche
April 30, 2024 11:00 - 33 minutesOn today's episode Eric is joined by the Swanky Maven herself Felice Sloan to discuss some of the latest happenings in the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The duo speak about the new concept coming from Aaron Bludorn and his team, Gold Tooth Tony's heading to Bellaire for it's second location, Prego's surprising announcement that they will now close instead of relocating, and Craft Burger in Katy being taken over by a blue hedgehog... yes that blue hedgehog... gotta go fast! In the Restaur...
Episode 371 - Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee of Duckstache Hospitality
April 25, 2024 11:00 - 34 minutesToday on the podcast Eric is joined by Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee of Duckstache Hospitality. The guys speak with Eric about how they got into their respective culinary careers, what brought them together, how they came up with the idea for Kokoro, why Kokoro has proven to be a staple of Bravery Chef Hall while other concepts in the food hall have come and gone, developing Handies Douzo, what they do different with their menu at Handies Douzo compared to other handroll concepts, the secret d...
Episode 370 - Little Rey and Maximo
April 23, 2024 11:00 - 44 minutesOn today's edition of What's Eric Eating, Eric is joined by Monica Danna to discuss some of the latest new from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. Monica and Eric discuss Vibrant's new location in Memorial Park, the soon to be open restaurant called Blue Tuba that's not quite like anything Houston has seen before, and the new cocktail lounge called Plume that's opening soon in Shady Acres. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Little Rey and Maximo are featured. Follow Eric on Instag...
Episode 369 - Nina Quincy and Sarah Dowling of Underbelly Hospitality
April 18, 2024 11:00 - 46 minutesToday on the podcast Eric is joined by Nina Quincy and Sarah Dowling of Underbelly Hospitality. Nina and Sarah speak with Eric about how their respective career paths that led them to Underbelly Hospitality, what the transition period was like at Underbelly following the departure of Chris Shepherd, the current state of Underbelly Hospitality, how things have changed at Georgia James with their new chef making the restaurant more approachable, Sarah's amazing ability to pick the right wine e...
Episode 368 - EMA
April 16, 2024 11:00 - 33 minutesOn today's podcast Eric is joined by Chelsea Thomas of The Infatuation Houston to dive into some of the latest happenings from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. Eric and Chelsea discuss Magnol French Baking's announcement of their new location in the Heights, Arizona based breakfast concept Hash Kitchen bringing multiple locations to Houston, and Bazaar Food and Wine, Houston's newest food festival, debuting with more than 30 Houston area chefs. In the Restaurants of the Week section, EM...
Episode 367 - Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu of JŪN
April 11, 2024 11:00 - 39 minutesToday on the podcast Eric is joined by Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu of JŪN. Evelyn and Henry speak with Eric about why the spot on 20th street was the right location for JŪN, what convinced Henry to come to Texas for this concept, the development of the menu, their time working pop-ups together, the moment things got real for them, what Henry has learned so far about the Houston culinary scene as well as what rodeo season means for businesses, how they've appealed to the neighborhood, Evelyn's...
Episode 366 - Bar Bludorn and Magdalena's Trattoria & Pizzeria
April 09, 2024 11:00 - 33 minutesOn the podcast today Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson to go through some of the latest news hitting the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair discuss Emmanuel Chavez of Tatemó being the only chef of the 11 Houston semifinalists to be named a James Beard award finalist this year, the announced 2nd location of Pinkerton's Barbecue, and Ben Berg's big push into downtown with 3 new restaurants. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Bar Bludorn and Magdalena's Trattoria & Pizzeria are featur...
Episode 365 - Remembering Alex Au-Yeung, Uplifting Others and His Lasting Legacy
April 04, 2024 11:00 - 36 minutesLast week the Houston culinary scene lost one of it's most prominent chef's, Alex Au-Yeung. Alex, the owner of Phat Eatery, passed away due to cancer on March 21st at the age of 52. Today's episode is dedicated to him and celebrating his memory. Eric alongside Terry Wong, Stevie Vu, Isabel Protomartir, Felice Sloan, Thomas Nguyen, and Abbas Dhanani, share stories and memories of Alex. Plus they discuss his focus on community, uplifting others, his lasting impact on the Houston food scene, an...
Episode 364 - Prime 131 and Pizzana
April 02, 2024 11:00 - 39 minutesToday on the podcast Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer from the Houston BBQ Festival! Eric and Michael discussed... The results of the 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards The opening of Houston restaurant Late August What they expect from Bar Bludorn Plus reviews of Houston restaurants including Prime 131, and Pizzana! Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at [email protected]. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Sup...
Episode 363 - Travis Tober and Karole Hardwick of Nickel City
March 28, 2024 11:00 - 34 minutesToday on the podcast Eric is joined by Travis Tober and Karole Hardwick of Nickel City. The pair speak with Eric about their respective careers in the bar industry, how Travis' travels with Aviation Gin influenced his idea for Nickel City, why they decided to bring Nickel City to Houston, opening the first Nickel City in Austin, Karole's biggest adjustment coming from a fine dining steakhouse to Nickel City, developing the beverage program, keeping up in these agave times, the cheese curds, ...
Episode 362 - Duchess
March 26, 2024 11:00 - 34 minutesIt's a swanky feeling kinda day as Eric is joined by the Swanky Maven herself Felice Sloan to discuss the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. Felice and Eric discuss Dozier's BBQ & Meat Market closing at the end of March, the closure of Pastore Italian Kitchen, and L.A. based Pizzana opening it's first location in Houston. In the Restaurants of the Week section Duchess is featured. Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at...
Episode 361 - Jacques Varon and Max Lappe of Baso
March 21, 2024 11:00 - 50 minutesOn today's podcast Eric is joined by Jacques Varon and Max Lappe of Baso. The pair speak with Eric about how they both got into professional cooking, how they first began working with each other, their time in California working at Angler, coming to Houston to open their own restaurant, why they decided to go with a basque style of cooking at Baso, what basque cooking means, the philosophy behind basque style cooking, why limitations work better for Max's style, what Max has learned so far i...
Episode 360 - PostScript and Le Jardinier
March 19, 2024 11:00 - 41 minutesEric is back on a regular podcast schedule this week and today he's joined by the returning Monica Danna to discuss the latest happenings from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair discuss Alex Padilla leaving The Original Ninfa's after 18 years, Portillo's opening soon in Houston with 2 locations, and a new cocktail bar called High Five Mini Bar heading to the Stomping Grounds in Garden Oaks. In the Restaurants of the Week portion PostScript and Le Jardinier are featured. Follow ...
Episode 359 - Ricardo Molina of Molina's Cantina
March 14, 2024 11:00 - 35 minutesOn today's podcast Eric is joined by Ricardo Molina of Molina's Cantina. Ricardo speaks with Eric about his family's history in the restaurant business, starting the business back in 1941, the changing of locations over the years, keeping a balance between staying current but also paying homage to the restaurant's roots, the evolution of the drink program, not being able to say "ice cold" on their marquee (oh TABC), opening their Fulshear location during the height of Covid, the possibility ...
Episode 358 - Cinda and Armando Palacios of Palacios Murphy Hospitality
March 07, 2024 12:00 - 43 minutesToday on the podcast, Eric is joined by Cinda and Armando Palacios of of Palacios Murphy Hospitality. Cinda and Armando speak with Eric about how they first met, where the idea of combining Tex-Mex with fine dining came from, the story behind Armando getting fired from Ninfa's for giving out sopapillas, starting Armando's Restaurant, developing the "you gotta be at Armando's" environment early on, Thursday nights at Armando's, the story behind the Billy Gibbons and Lionel Ritchie photo, why ...
Episode 357 - Sorrento Ristorante
March 05, 2024 12:00 - 20 minutesOn today's edition of the podcast CultureMap Editor Eric Sandler is joined by Mary Clarkson to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair speak about Tilman Fertitta's recent multimillion dollar development purchase, Harold's in the Heights shuttering after 10 years, and Tacos Doña Lena opening it's 2nd location in the former Dak & Bop space on W. 18th street. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Sorrento Ristorante is featured. Follow Eric on I...
Episode 356 - Jason Ryczek of Little's Oyster Bar
February 29, 2024 12:00 - 34 minutesToday on the podcast CultureMap Editor (yeah that's right someone got a promotion) Eric Sandler speaks with Jason Ryczek of Little's Oyster Bar. Eric and Jason discuss how Jason's culinary career first began, how his time in San Francisco helped shaped him, what got Jason into caviar, coming to Houston, working with Pappas, developing the menu, keeping the menu dynamic, becoming a big fan of yellowedge grouper, what being named the best restaurant in Houston by the Houston Chronicle did for ...
Episode 355 - Amrina and Himalaya Restaurant
February 27, 2024 12:00 - 32 minutesToday on the podcast CultureMap Editor (yeah that's right someone got a promotion) Eric Sandler is joined by Michael Fulmer to dive into the latest happenings from the Houston restaurant and bar world. The guys discuss Katami topping Texas Monthly's Best New Restaurants in 2024, Houston's newest food hall Conservatory Galleria opening it's doors, and Eric getting stepping into his new role at CultureMap. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Amrina and Himalaya Restaurant are featured. ...
Episode 354 - Julia and David Grossman of Fusion Eats & Fusion Taco
February 22, 2024 12:00 - 25 minutesOn today's podcast Eric is joined by Julia and David Grossman of Fusion Eats and Fusion Taco. Julia and David speak with Eric about how they met, what brought David back to Houston from New York, Julia's interest in the food truck scene early on in her career, the early food truck days, David's time at Branch Water, transitioning from food trucks to brick and mortar, how their menu has evolved, the opening of their new location in Montrose, menu recommendations for new customers, their aspir...
Episode 353 - Baso
February 20, 2024 12:00 - 36 minutesToday on the podcast Eric is joined by Chelsea Thomas of The Infatuation Houston to go through some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair discuss the opening of PostScript which features the return of chef Bryan Caswell, the opening of MF Lobster & Ceviche by the team behind MF Sushi, the recently shuttered coffee shop The Tipping Point getting a second life by operating out of 93' Til, and Winfield's Chocolate Shop partnering with Kroger. In the Restaurants ...
Episode 352 - Jason Gould of Common Bond and 1891 American Eatery & Bar
February 15, 2024 12:00 - 28 minutesOn this week's episode, Eric speaks with Jason Gould of Common Bond, and 1891 American Eatery & Bar! They discussed bringing the first classic croissant to the Houston restaurant scene, the decision to close the downtown Brasserie, trying to change the way we think about sports bars, expanding the Common Bond brand, and how the Houston restaurant scene has changed over the last 20 years! Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturem...
Episode 351 - Artisans
February 13, 2024 12:00 - 27 minutesWe're back to normal programming this week as Eric is joined by regular cohost Mary Clarkson to dive back into the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. Eric and Mary discuss the bagel drama happening with Space City Bagels formerly known as Brazos Bagel just a short time ago, Dominick Lee returning to Houston with the upcoming opening of his new restaurant Augustine's, and Sorrento Ristorante's makeover courtesy of it's new owners. In the Restaurants of the Week, Artisans i...
Episode 350 - The Ultimate Houston Date Night Draft Winner Reveal with June Rodil of Goodnight Hospitality
February 08, 2024 12:00 - 19 minutesTime to find out who won The Ultimate Houston Date Night Draft! To determine our winner, Eric has enlisted the help of June Rodil of Goodnight Hospitality. Listen as June reveals the winner of the Date Night Draft, why [redacted]'s lineup won her over in the end, what she would have selected if she had participated, Eric's team 7 picks, and more! Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at [email protected]. Check out some of his latest artic...
Episode 349 - The Ultimate Houston Date Night Draft
February 06, 2024 12:00 - 51 minutesYou know what your special someone deserves from you for Valentine's Day this year? You to listen to this episode of What's Eric Eating because then you'll be fully prepared to plan the best possible date night. That's right, it's the Ultimate Houston Date Night Draft on today's edition of the podcast. Join Eric Sandler, Felice Sloan, Rafael Nasr, Justin Yu, Mary Clarkson, and Evelyn Garcia as they select their ultimate date night. Here's what the teams will be drafting: a cold appetizer, ...
Episode 348 - Ernest Servantes of Burnt Bean Co. Barbecue and Robert Jacob Lerma
February 01, 2024 12:00 - 1 hourToday on the podcast Eric is joined by Ernest Servantes of Burnt Bean Co. Barbecue and Robert Jacob Lerma. The guys speak with Eric about how they first became friends, eating birria tacos in Robert's backyard before it was cool to eat birria tacos in your backyard, how Ernest got started in competition barbecue, transitioning away from competition barbecue, why Seguin was the right spot for Ernest to setup shop, doing whatever Ernest wants to do at Burnt Bean Co., the Sunday service at Burn...
Episode 347 - Tavola
January 30, 2024 12:00 - 32 minutesThe Swanky Maven herself Felice Sloan joins Eric on today's podcast to go through some of the latest happenings from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. Eric and Felice discuss the 11 Houston restaurants/chefs named James Beard Award semifinalists, the sudden closure of Buffalo Bayou Brewery, and saying their goodbyes to Clare Smith's Alice Blue. In the Restaurant's of the Week portion Tavola is featured. Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing ...
Episode 346 - Felipe Riccio and Austin Waiter of Goodnight Hospitality
January 25, 2024 12:00 - 40 minutesOn today's edition of the podcast, Eric is joined by Felipe Riccio and Austin Waiter of Goodnight Hospitality. The pair speak with Eric about the vision for Goodnight Hospitality's new concept The Marigold Club, the status of the concept currently, what exactly is continental cuisine, the type of food customers can expect from the concept, the service experience at The Marigold Club, lunch/dinner plans, and more. Plus the guys speak about the upcoming reopening of March, the new menu debutin...
Episode 345 - 1891 American Eatery & Bar
January 23, 2024 12:00 - 25 minutesOn today's edition of the podcast Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer to dive into some of the latest happenings from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. Eric and Michael discuss Common Bond claiming a spot in Tanglewood for their 5th bistro location, Layne's Chicken Fingers opening their third Houston area location, and the opening of Hando's new second location in Spring Branch. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, 1891 American Eatery & Bar is featured. Follow Eric on Instagram/Threa...
Episode 344 - Morgan Weber of HiWay Cantina
January 18, 2024 12:00 - 45 minutesToday on the podcast Eric is joined by Morgan Weber of HiWay Cantina. Morgan speaks with Eric about why he and the rest of the team at Agricole Hospitality decided to change things up in the east end of Houston by closing Indianola and Miss Carousel, coming up with the ideas for HiWay Catina and Lightnin's Good Times, the development process for HiWay Cantina, making HiWay's menu items distinct from Eight Row Flint's items, how things have gone since opening, the style of fajitas, the drink ...
Episode 343 - Belly of the Beast and Mi Tierra Mexican Kitchen
January 16, 2024 12:00 - 38 minutesIt's Tuesday, which means it's time to dive into the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene with Eric Sandler and this week's cohost Monica Danna. Eric and Monica talk about ChópnBlọk opening its first brick and mortar location, the new wine bar from Gr8 Plate Hospitality, and since Monica missed the annual Year in Review podcast she gives her picks for some of her favorites from 2023. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Belly of the Beast and Mi Tierra Mexican Kitchen are...
Episode 342 - Benchawan Painter a.k.a. Chef G and Graham Painter of Street to Kitchen
January 11, 2024 12:00 - 45 minutesToday on the podcast Eric is joined by Benchawan Jabthong Painter and Graham Painter of Street to Kitchen. The couple speak with Eric about how they first met, coming to American from Thailand, the story of Chef G's braised green curry brisket that ended up leading her to SaltAir Seafood Kitchen, Chef G's experience working at SaltAir, how Graham's stepmom got them introduced to Justin Yu, joining Theodore Rex, developing the Street to Kitchen concept, growing Street to Kitchen from pop-ups ...
Episode 341 - Street to Kitchen and Makiin
January 09, 2024 12:00 - 34 minutesEric's back! The first podcast of the new year is here and on this episode Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson to catch up on the news that we missed during the holidays from the Houston bar and restaurant scene. The pair discuss Aaron Bludorn's announcement of Bar Bludorn, Kaitlin Steets leaving Theodore Rex after 8 years, and the new upscale Japanese restaurant concept taking over the former One Fifth space in Montrose. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Street to Kitchen and Makiin are f...
The Ultimate Houston Burger Draft (Reair)
January 04, 2024 12:00 - 58 minutesWe're doing things a little differently. The podcast is taking time off until January 9th, but that doesn't mean no episodes until then. Eric is bringing back some of his favorite episodes to your feeds while the podcast is away. Today's episode is a reairing of Episode 310, originally released September 5th, 2023. In this episode, join Eric Sandler, Mary Clarkson, Michael Fulmer, Monica Danna, Ryan Lachaine, and Bobby Matos as they select their ultimate burger lineup! Here's what the team...
A Conversation with Emmanuel Chavez of Tatemó (Reair)
January 02, 2024 12:00 - 43 minutesWe're doing things a little differently. The podcast is taking time off until January 9th, but that doesn't mean no episodes until then. Eric is bringing back some of his favorite episodes to your feeds while the podcast is away. Today's episode is a reairing of Episode 266, originally released January 12th, 2023. In this episode, Eric is joined by Emmanuel Chavez of Tatemó. Emmanuel spoke with Eric about how he first got interested in becoming a chef, getting an ultimatum from his family af...
The Ultimate Houston Tex-Mex Draft (Reair)
December 28, 2023 12:00 - 1 hourWe're doing things a little differently. The podcast is taking time off until January 9th, but that doesn't mean no episodes until then. Eric is bringing back some of his favorite episodes to your feeds while the podcast is away. Today's episode is a reairing of Episode 271, originally released February 16th, 2023. In this episode, Eric assembled a panel of Tex-Mex aficionados for the Ultimate Tex-Mex Draft. Eric alongside David Cordúa, Bryan Caswell, Mary Clarkson, Matt Harris, and Michael ...
The Ultimate Houston BBQ Draft (Reair)
December 26, 2023 12:00 - 57 minutesWe're doing things a little differently. The podcast is taking time off until January 9th, but that doesn't mean no episodes until then. Eric is bringing back some of his favorite episodes to your feeds while the podcast is away. Today's episode is a reairing of Episode 240, originally released May 12th, 2022. In this episode, Eric assembled a panel of barbecue lovers to pick the ultimate barbecue plate. Plus, Dozier's Barbeque pitmaster Jim Buchanan looks over the selections to decide who a...
Talking The Bear Season 2 with Justin Yu (Reair)
December 21, 2023 12:00 - 37 minutesWe're doing things a little different. The podcast is taking time off until January 9th, but that doesn't mean no podcast episodes at all. Eric is bringing back some of your favorite episodes to your feeds while the podcast is away. Today's episode is a reairing of Episode 294 with Justin Yu, originally released July 11th, 2023. Eric and Justin dove into full spoilers about The Bear season 2 including how it compared to the real life culinary world, how Justin's own culinary journey compared...
Episode 340 - 2023 Year in Review
December 19, 2023 12:00 - 1 hourIt's that time of year again! It's time to look back at the year that was in Houston food, it's the What's Eric Eating Year in Review - 2023 Edition. For this go around Eric is joined by Felice Sloan, Mary Clarkson, and Michael Fulmer to look back at some of the biggest stories, best dishes, saddest closures, best new restaurants, old favorites, and more! Plus, the group discuss ideas for food draft episodes in 2024. Pizza draft?! Seafood Boil?! Tacos!? Listen to find out! Follow Eric on In...
Episode 339 - Aaron Bludorn and Alexandra Peña of Bar Bludorn
December 14, 2023 12:00 - 42 minutesToday on the show, Eric is joined by Aaron Bludorn and Alexandra Peña of Bar Bludorn. The trio discuss how the new Bar Bludorn concept came to be, coming up with the name, what type of food customers can expect, the design, the reactions they're getting from deciding to open in the Memorial area, and more. The group also discuss Alexandra's story of discovering Bludorn, Alexandra's experience opening Navy Blue, how things have gone in Navy Blue's first year, how the Navy Blue menu has evolve...
Episode 338 - Cocody Restaurant & Bar and La Griglia
December 12, 2023 12:00 - 43 minutesEric is joined on today's edition of the podcast by Mary Clarkson to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair react to the recent closings of Acme Oyster House and Common Bond's brasserie location. Plus, Eric and Mary discuss Ben Berg's announcement of the opening date of his new concept Tavola and Matt Pak and Shawn Bermudez announcing their new pizza concept. In the Restaurants of the Week section, Cocody Restaurant & Bar and La Griglia are featur...
Episode 337 - Tony Nguyen of Xin Chao and Saigon House
December 07, 2023 12:00 - 29 minutesOn today's edition of What's Eric Eating, Eric is joined by Tony Nguyen of Xin Chao and Saigon House. The guys speak about how Tony got into the restaurant business, starting Wokker, why Tony got a cease and desist letter from Chuck Norris... yes that Chuck Norris, how he started Saigon House, where Tony first got his name on the map, moving Saigon House to the northside of Houston, what they're doing at Saigon House now, how Tony came to know Christina Ha, how the idea for Xin Chao came abo...
Episode 336 - Mi Cocina
December 05, 2023 12:00 - 30 minutesOn today's podcast Eric is joined by Monica Danna to discuss some of the latest happenings from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair speak about Nonno's Family Pizza Tavern being named Pizza Joint of the Year as part of Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America list, Michael O'Connor being named the new executive chef at Andiron, and the opening of 1891 American Eatery & Bar in The Heights. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Mi Cocina is featured. Follow Eric on Instagram/T...
Episode 335 - Kyle Noonan of Free Range Concepts
November 30, 2023 12:00 - 36 minutesToday on the podcast, Eric is joined by Kyle Noonan of Free Range Concepts. The pair dive into how Kyle got into the hospitality business, everything that went into starting up Free Range Concepts, creating The Rustic, working with Pat Green, developing The General Public, how they expanded their portfolio in Houston, Kyle's observations of the different areas in the city, how the different concepts fit those areas, whether we could see either MUTTS or Joe Leo in Houston, potentially growing...
Episode 334 - Rumi's Kitchen, Comalito, and Burnt Bean Company
November 28, 2023 12:00 - 32 minutesOn today's podcast Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer. The pair dive into some of the latest happenings from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the opening of Dallas-based Tex-Mex staple Mi Cocina in the River Oaks area and the beloved El Bolillo Bakery opening up their 4th location in the Mission Bend neighborhood. In a packed Restaurants of the Week section; Rumi's Kitchen, Comalito, and Burnt Bean Company are all featured. Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can...
Episode 333 - Deets Hoffman of Leaf & Grain
November 22, 2023 12:00 - 34 minutesToday on the show Eric is joined by Deets Hoffman of Leaf & Grain. Deets speaks with Eric about his high school sandwich shack dreams, his early culinary career, underestimating the day to day prep of a restaurant, the idea behind Leaf & Grain, what the first year taught him, how things work at Leaf & Grain, when it became clear that they could expand to more locations, coming up with the core menu items, adding dinner as an option for diners in West U., making the concept more family friend...
Episode 332 - Hotel Lucine, The Fancy, Katami, Hudson House, and Catbirds
November 21, 2023 12:00 - 38 minutesOn today's podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson. The pair dive into some of the latest happenings from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Seth Siegel-Gardner becoming the new culinary and creative director for Benjy Levit's restaurants and rising star chef Tim Reading heading to Leo's River Oaks. In a jam packed Restaurants of the Week section; Hotel Lucine, The Fancy, Katami, Hudson House, and Catbirds are all featured. Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can...
Episode 331 - Paul Petronella & Elyse Wilson of Camerata
November 16, 2023 12:00 - 41 minutesToday on the podcast Eric is joined by Paul Petronella and Elyse Wilson of Camerata. Paul and Elyse speak with Eric about a multitude of topics including Paulie's being a staple in the Houston restaurant scene 25 years later, what brought Elyse to Camerata, Elyse's culinary career before Camerata, the sorcery of sommeliers, how Camerata has stood out since it's opening 10 years ago, bringing back the pop-ups at Camerata, the one rule about doing pop-ups, how things are going at Paulie's, why...
Episode 330 - Auden and State of Grace
November 14, 2023 12:00 - 43 minutesOn today's podcast Eric is joined by Monica Danna! The pair dive into some of the latest headlines from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Jonathan Levine's announcement that a second location of Jonathan's the Rub is opening in the East End, the new Washington D.C. based concept Medium Rare coming to Houston with their first location, and The Flat adding a coffee shop and cafe. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Auden and State of Grace are featured. Follow Eric on Instag...
Episode 329 - Dany Kamkhagi of Mostly Chocolate & Catering
November 09, 2023 12:00 - 42 minutesToday on the podcast Eric is joined by Dany Kamkhagi of Mostly Chocolate & Catering. Dany speaks with Eric about his family's history in the chocolate business, working with his parents early on, becoming a chocolatier, the apprenticeship that changed his perspective, changing the way they operated, how they grew the business, the Rodeo Best Bite competition, the current state of Mostly Chocolate, what they have going on for the holidays, and much more! Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @eri...