Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast returns to the podcast after 5 long years and a James Beard Award win. Thomas shares with Eric why he decided to put a pause on the initial version of Belly of the Beast, what he took away from his experience of Chivos, why Spring was the right place for the new version of Belly of the Beast, looking at spaces in Houston initially, the vision for the new iteration, how it all came together, the menu this time around, taking time to get into a rhythm, what being included in the Michelin Guide did for the restaurant, being part of the new modern version of Mexican food movement in the city, what it was like hearing his name for the James Beard award, the amount of flowers he's gotten since winning (it's a lot), how serious a Belly of the Beast 3.0 with a live fire grill is, details of his upcoming pop-up, what life has been like since the James Beard awards, and much more!     

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Eric is back again with another edition of the podcast. For this week's news and restaurants of the week, he is joined by Michael Fulmer, a co-founder of the Houston BBQ Festival. In the news, Eric and Michael discuss CASAEMA being named to Bon Appétit’s best new breakfast spots list, a 3rd location of Handies Douzo coming to Spring Branch, and the opening of a new Memorial City location of Katz's. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Yiayia’s Greek Kitchen is featured. 

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Today on the podcast Eric is joined by chef Luis Robledo Richards of Mayahuel. Luis speaks with Eric about how his career got started, where his career has taken him, what drove him to pursue learning about being a pastry chef, working at Le Cirque, the creation of Tout Chocolat, how Tout Chocolat was unlike any other, being named the best pastry chef in Latin America, what brought him to Houston, restaurants he first visited in the city, Houston still being an underrated food destination, what went wrong with Comalíto Taqueria, why was a better fit Mayahuel for Houston, why finding the perfect partner in Houston was extremely important for Mayahuel, how the restaurant fits in Houston, the core principles of the concept, what went into developing their top tier cocktail program, bringing in experts, the staff, some of the standout dishes, customer feedback so far, whether he would bring any other concepts to the city, and much more!

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Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson of Heights Grocer to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The duo discuss the Michelin Guide's incoming announcement of Texas' second class of establishments selected for the guide and the 2nd location of The Woodlands area high profile restaurant The Audrey coming to the Galleria area. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Flora Mexican Kitchen, MAD, and Riel are featured. 

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On today's episode, Eric is joined by Chris Cusack of Betelgeuse Betelgeuse. Chris speaks with Eric about creating the first Betelgeuse Betelgeuse, their style of pizza, how they were able to open a 2nd location so quickly, why the Montrose area was appealing, how things are going with Betelgeuse Betelgeuse, how Soluna came together (and went), why restaurants are like rock bands, how the initial idea for Endless Bummer came about, entering the world of Tiki, working with artist Brian Dibala, how the customers have responded to Endless Summer so far, restaurant theories, thoughts on expansion, and much more!

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A new cohost has entered the chat, as chef Raffi Nasr of Craft Pita joins Eric to go through some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. Raffi and Eric discuss the closure of Picos, the reopening of Savoir under new leadership, and chef Ryan Hildebrand's return to Houston. Plus, Raffi catches us up on the latest happenings with Craft Pita. In the Restaurants of the Week Agnes and Sherman is featured.

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Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Joseph Boudreaux of Boo's Burgers. Joseph speaks with Eric about how he got into the culinary industry, why he decided to transition away from the corporate world, where his culinary journey took him before Boo's Burgers, what he learned from Jason Vaughn, starting Tipping Point Coffee, when word starting getting out about Boo's Burgers, why he decided to grind his own patties, how the burgers have evolved, doing things different with their toppings, why the time was finally right for a brick + mortar, how things are going so far a week into opening, why keeping the momentum is always on his mind, why he decided to do an oyster/mushroom sandwich as a companion to the beef burger, possible expansions to the menu, whether he'd ever want to have a 2nd location, and more!       

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On today's episode Eric is joined by a newcomer to the podcast, as he's joined by CulutureMap contributor Brianna McClane. Brianna shares a bit about her background, then the pair dive into some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the closure of Riel and Shipley Do-Nuts being acquired by a California based private equity firm. Plus, the duo give some picks for restaurants to check out during Houston Restaurants Weeks. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Kitchen Rumors and Alora are featured.   

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Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Nilesh Ranchod and Rajen Giga of 2 Phat Bastard Pies. Nilesh and Rajen speak with Eric about how they first became friends, coming to Houston from Zimbabwe, moving from environmental company work to the food industry, their fusion approach with their savory pies, how they're pies are different, flavors that were inspired by Houston, transitioning from catering to an everyday business model, opening inside The Post, the spicy options they offer, dishes they're developing, and more!  

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The Swanky Maven Felice Sloan makes triumphant return to the podcast! Eric and Felice discuss some of the latest happenings in the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the opening of the new permanent location of the cult-favorite burger concept Boo's Burgers, the debut of a new limited time pop-up cocktail bar Navi's at The Post Oak Hotel, and the reopening of the Colorado Club. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Latuli is featured. 

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