What's Eric Eating

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Jonathan Horowitz of the Houston Hospitality Alliance. Jonathan speaks with Eric about his recent time/career in the hospitality industry, the work he's done with Buffalo Bayou Brewing leading him to what he's currently doing with the Houston Hospitality Alliance, what the Houston Hospitality Alliance is, what they're trying to accomplish, his role as the president of HHA, how they're looking to bring all the different corners of Houston's hospitality industries together, the issues the city of Houston has from a hospitality business standpoint, what they are looking to do to change some of that, his future goals, where he would like the organization to be a year from now, and why their common goal of improved business in Houston is so important. Plus, Eric gets Jonathan's thoughts on the overall state of Houston restaurants and where some of his biggest concerns are. Also the sudden surge of seafood spots in Houston and what is on the horizon for food and hospitality in Houston.

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On today's episode of the podcast Eric is joined by Linda Salinas to discuss some of the latest from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair discuss their expectations for the future of the Thompson Hotel (set to open in December) following their partnership with TableOne Hospitality, speak about KP's Kitchen opening their 2nd location in the Bellaire Triangle, and break down the impending move for Rice Village Italian staple Prego. In the Restaurants of the Week section Annabelle Brasserie is featured.

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:

Eric is joined today by Keath Jacoby and Leila Ortiz of Hotel Lucine in Galveston. Keath and Leila speak with Eric about the inspiration behind Hotel Lucine, why open the boutique hotel in Galveston, why this was the right next step for Leila, what patrons can expect from the Fancy, the Fancy being available to hotel guests and the Galveston community at large, how the Den differs, the flavors/style that Leila is bringing to the menus, the amenities for guests, working with Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu earlier in the project, how leading the kitchen has shown Leila a lot about herself, visions of the future for their area of the island, how they're both feeling 2 weeks ahead of opening, and much more!

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:

On today's episode of the podcast Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer to discuss some of the latest from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair dive into the Houston Chronicle's top 100 restaurants of 2023 list, speak about Kaiser Lashkari opening up his own cooking school, and Street to Kitchen's new location being set to open on November 11th. In the Restaurants of the Week section Coastline Artisan Pizzeria is featured. 

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:

Andrew Smith of Savory Fund joins the show today. Andrew speaks with Eric about the creation of Savory Fund, going from a few units to over 100 in a span of 10 years, identifying what brands are good to become a Savory Fund restaurant, how the process works, discovering Saigon Hustle through their $1 million restaurant launch, Savory Fund restaurants coming to Houston, why Houston was a good fit for the restaurants brand they're bringing to the city, bringing multiple VIA313 locations to Houston, deciding to bring Hash Kitchen to Houston amidst a competitive breakfast concept landscape in Houston, how Savory Fund is different when compared to VC's that buy restaurant brands that then focus on cost cutting rather than delivering high quality food to consumers, what's next for Savory Fund, 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 articles at Culturemap.com:

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Monica Danna to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The pair speak about City Cellars HTX opening it's new location in the massive scale East River development, Agricole Hospitality opening it's new bar concept Lightnin’s Good Times in EaDo, and new pop up bar Cursed Cauldron occupying Ninja Ramen through Halloween. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Norigami is featured.

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:

Eric welcomes Rob Wright and Jabril Riddick of Rockhouse Southern Kitchen to the podcast today. Rob and Jabril speak with Eric about getting Rockhouse Southern Kitchen started, Jabril's early career, what brought Jabril to the project, how the concept has evolved since opening, the menu they've developed, the live music aspect of Rockhouse Southern Kitchen, how the Cedric the Entertainer event came together, the gameday viewing experience for the sports fans that come to Rockhouse, how has operating a sports bar evolved over Rob's time, how Prospect Park shaped the game for sports bars, what makes a good wing, what's next, and much more! 

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:

Linda Salinas joins Eric on the podcast today. The duo discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including La Cruderia coming to Spring Branch for their 2nd location, Dumpling Haus closing in Sawyer Yards, and Jane Wild's new pop-up dinner series. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Dough Zone Dumpling House is featured. 

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:

Reality TV star Washington Ho of House of Ho and one of the co-founders of HoBuzz joins the show today! Washington speaks with Eric about the restaurant that stirred on his love for food, his favorite fine dining experience, how House of Ho got started, showcasing Houston on the show, how he's portrayed on House of Ho, how the show helped him recognize/acknowledge his struggles with alcohol, becoming sober, how HoBuzz came together, meeting his co-founder Tony Buzbee for the first time, learning the beverage industry, how HoBuzz is doing so far 6 weeks into opening, restaurants he's invested in, and much more!

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:

Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson today to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The duo discuss Mandito's Tex-Mex opening a location in Katy, Saint Arnold Brewing Company winning at the Great American Beer Festival, and Saint Arnold hiring Chase Reid as their new executive chef. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Barcelona Wine Bar and Nobie's are featured.   

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: