What's Eric Eating

On today's edition of the podcast Eric is joined by Tracy Vaught, Hugo Ortega, and Sofia Ortega of H-Town Restaurant Group. H-Town Restaurant Group is the company behind Backstreet, Hugo's, Xochi, Caracol, Urbe, and Zaranda. The family speak with Eric about their new concept Zaranda, why now was the right time for the concept, the inspiration behind Zaranda, integrating different flavors from other cuisines into Zaranda's dishes, Sofia's role, menu development, the signature dessert, how things have been since opening, and more. Plus, Tracy and Hugo share how they first met, their memories of opening Hugo's, their reaction when Hugo's first took off, what Sunday brunch at Hugo's represents, revamping Backstreet, their thoughts on not being included in the Michelin Guide, and Sofia's put to the Lightning Round test.  Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Historic Houston Burger Joint Serves Up New Woodlands Location Street Food-Inspired Houston Restaurant Swaps Counter Service for Servers River Oaks Italian Spot Claims Shuttered Woodlands Steakhouse for New Location Houston Restaurant Veteran Fires Up Pizzas and Steaks in Garden Oaks Food-Focused Houston Nonprofit Rounds Up Top Chefs for Sunday Supper

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson of Heights Grocer and Montrose Grocer and the duo react to the Houston Chronicle's Top 100 Restaurant's list, did the Chronicle get it right? Is Aga's the best in Houston? Is Milton's Top 25? Kata Robata isn't on the list?! The pair explore those questions and more regarding this year's list. Plus, Eric and Mary discuss Bari Ristorante claiming the former Tris space in The Woodlands, Brian Doke's new concept called Lazy Lane, and then how things are going at Heights/Montrose Grocers. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Maison Chinoise is featured.  Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: River Oaks Italian Spot Claims Shuttered Woodlands Steakhouse for New Location Houston Restaurant Veteran Fires Up Pizzas and Steaks in Garden Oaks Street Food-Inspired Houston Restaurant Swaps Counter Service for Servers Food-Focused Houston Nonprofit Rounds Up Top Chefs for Sunday Supper Health-Conscious Houston Sports Bar Sets Woodlands Opening Date

On today's edition of the podcast, Eric is joined by Michael Sambrooks of Sambrooks Hospitality which is behind Candente and The Pit Room. Michael speaks with Eric about the big news that Candente's opening 2nd location will open in Bellaire, how the location popped up on their radar, why Bellaire was the right choice, what they need to do to change the former Mandito's space into Candente, bringing the same Candente experience to the new location, the expected opening date for the new location, what it's been like for both Candente and The Pit Room since they were included in the Michelin Guide, the expansion of The Pit Room's menu options at the 2nd location, the possibility of expanding both concepts, and more! Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Food-Focused Houston Nonprofit Rounds Up Top Chefs for Sunday Supper Health-Conscious Houston Sports Bar Sets Woodlands Opening Date Austin Burger Favorite Will Finally Open First Inside the Loop Location Luxurious Downtown Hotel Elevates with New Rooftop Restaurant Houston's New Retro-Styled Jazz Supper Club Sets Opening Date

Local Houston celebrity Felice Sloan, aka the Swanky Maven, takes time from her busy autograph schedule to join Eric on today's show. The pair discuss some of the latest news including the upcoming opening of Doc's Houston and how things went at the first ever Bites & Beyond Festival this past weekend. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Murray's Pizza & Wine and 93' Til are featured.    Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Houston's New Retro-Styled Jazz Supper Club Sets Opening Date New Houston Food Festival Reveals Stacked Lineup of Restaurants and Music Running List of Veteran's Day 2025 Food and Drinks Deals in Houston Austin Burger Favorite Will Finally Open First Inside the Loop Location Luxurious Downtown Hotel Elevates with New Rooftop Restaurant

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Deets Hoffman of Murray's Pizza & Wine and Leaf & Grain. Deets speaks with Eric about why pizza was the route he wanted to go following the success of Leaf & Grain, why they wanted to go more adult date night forward with Murray's, the wine offerings, his wife's reaction to picking her name for the concept, why they went with sourdough as their choice for pizza crust, their topping options, the small plates they offer, how things have gone in the first few weeks of since Murray's opened, being able to showcase more than they have before, ideas for future concepts, the best way to reheat a pizza, the state of Leaf & Grain, and more!   Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Houston's New Retro-Styled Jazz Supper Club Sets Opening Date CultureMap Editor's 11 Favorite Dishes at Houston Restaurants in October Billionaire Tilman Fertitta Saddles Up for New Rodeo Houston Steakhouse Growing Houston Street-Style Taqueria Rolls into Montrose This Week Prestigious Michelin Guide Selects 44 Houston Restaurants for 2025 Edition

On the show today, Eric is joined by Houston BBQ Festival co-founder Michael Fulmer. Eric and Michael go through some of the latest news from the Houston culinary scene including the surprising closure of Paulie's and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo's fine dining change coming in 2026. Plus, the guys discuss a bit more about the Michelin Guide's announcement from last week focusing on the Houston restaurants that were added this year. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Charm Taphouse & BBQ and Truluck's are featured. Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Beloved Houston Italian Restaurant Will Close After 27 Years in Montrose Prestigious Michelin Guide Selects 44 Houston Restaurants for 2025 Edition Billionaire Tilman Fertitta Saddles Up for New Rodeo Houston Steakhouse CultureMap Editor's 11 Favorite Dishes at Houston Restaurants in October Growing Houston Street-Style Taqueria Rolls into Montrose This Week

Today on the show, Eric is joined by Otto Othman and Adrian Sanchez of PINCHO. The duo speak with Eric about their culinary careers, what got them interested in the culinary scene, where the idea for PINCHO came from, what the name means, developing a family recipe for pincho into a commercial success, the evolution of the burger menu, entering food competitions, having fun with flavors, what people can expect from PINCHO’s burger options, the weirdest combination of burger flavors they tried that didn’t work, working with Savory Fund, why franchising wasn't the right lane for PINCHO long term, why they decided to come to Houston, how things have gone in Houston so far, and much more! Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Prestigious Michelin Guide Selects 44 Houston Restaurants for 2025 Edition Growing Houston Street-Style Taqueria Rolls into Montrose This Week Beloved Houston Italian Restaurant Will Close After 27 Years in Montrose 'Greatest Neighborhood Restaurant' to Open First Houston Location Comforting Houston Seafood Restaurant Sets Rice Village Opening Date

It's year 2 of the Michelin Guide being in Texas and during a special ceremony in Houston on Tuesday night the guide announced the newest recipients of stars, recommendations, and more in Texas. So for this edition of the podcast Eric, alongside June Rodil of Goodnight Hospitality, CultureMap contributor Brianna McClane, and Misha Govshteyn a.k.a. the Michelin Inspector Inspector, react to this years selections. In a roundtable discussion, the group cover what we've learned so far in regards to Michelin's thoughts of Texas in the 2 years they've been here, who the big winners were, the camaraderie displayed during the ceremony, what the Michelin formula seems to be, whether the service experienced is considered during the selection process, when could we expect to see a 2 or 3 star Michelin restaurant in Texas, the fake out 2 star announcement made last week about a Houston restaurant, whether they're surprised that Houston didn't have a new starred restaurant selected, the most surprising omissions, the Houston restaurants added to the guide, and more! Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Prestigious Michelin Guide Selects 44 Houston Restaurants for 2025 Edition Beloved Houston Italian Restaurant Will Close After 27 Years in Montrose 'Greatest Neighborhood Restaurant' to Open First Houston Location Comforting Houston Seafood Restaurant Sets Rice Village Opening Date Stylish New Cocktail Bar Requests Houstonians Dress Up For Drinks 

On today's show Eric is joined by Peter Skountzos and Manuel E. Guzmán-López of Doc's Houston. The duo speak with Eric about their careers leading up to Doc's, the story behind the name, why Houston was the right fit for the expansion of Jazz, TX, what was appealing about the Tower Theater space, the entertainment that patrons can expect, the food offerings at Doc's, the most important aspect of a restaurant, when Houstonians can expect for Doc's to open, and much more!  Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Stylish New Cocktail Bar Requests Houstonians Dress Up For Drinks Growing Houston Group Spins Up a Memorial Pizzeria with Date Night Vibes Pat Green's Massive Restaurant and Live Music Venue Reveals New Houston Home Intimate New Wine Shop and Grocer Coming to Montrose with 4,000 Records New Houston Food Festival Reveals Stacked Lineup of Restaurants and Music

On today's edition of the podcast Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson of Heights Grocer. The pair speak about some of the latest restaurant/bar news from the Houston scene including Mary's own news that Heights Grocer is expanding into Montrose. Mary shares what they'll be able to do with the larger space in Montrose, what she's learned in her first year with Heights Grocer, and the wide selection of products they offer. Mary and Eric also discuss Clare Smith taking over the Menil Collection's campus restaurant space with a new concept called chrôma and the newest concept coming from Hugo Ortega and his wife Tracy Vought called Zaranda. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Late August is featured. Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Intimate New Wine Shop and Grocer Coming to Montrose with 4,000 Records Veteran Houston Chef Claims Menil Restaurant for New All-Day Cafe  Beard Award-Winning Houston Chef is California Dreaming at New Restaurant Pat Green's Massive Restaurant and Live Music Venue Reveals New Houston Home New Houston Food Festival Reveals Stacked Lineup of Restaurants and Music

On today's edition of the podcast Eric is joined by Ryan Lachaine and Bobby Matos of State of Grace. The pair speak with Eric about why Ryan was a fit for State of Grace, why they want to push to be more like the old State of Grace, doing their chefs table dinners, the food forward regulars at State of Grace, what they've added to the menu (mmmm butter burgers), why State of Grace's french fries are the best in Houston (as picked by Eric), the prices of oysters, and much more! Plus, Ryan shares why he decided to close Riel after 10 years, what the last month was like there, being able to focus on being just a chef, and what his go to dishes are at a restaurant. Bobby also discusses the refreshes made at Superica, and Little Rey finding it's audience.  Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Exclusive: New Pub Flies into Familiar Montrose Space with NY-Style Pizza Tex-Mex and Craft Coffee Coming to Historic Heights Development Longtime Houston Kolache Bakery Opens New Memorial Location Veteran Houston Chef Claims Menil Restaurant for New All-Day Cafe I-45 Freeway Project Prompts Houston Vietnamese Restaurant to Close in EaDo

On episode 503 of What's Eric Eating, Eric Sandler was joined by former food critic, and current Director of Events & Catering at Local Foods Group, Chelsea Thomas! They discussed... The unfortunate closing down of Kim Son, and the continued stress put on all businesses around the I-45 expansion The opening of Maison Chinoise A San Antonio based coffee chain opening up a couple locations in Houston Restaurant of the Week - Vida Mariscos A trip out to Connie's Frozen Custard in Cypress for dessert Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Exclusive: New pub flies into familiar Montrose space with NY-style pizza San Antonio-based coffee shop brews up 2 Houston locations for 2026 Houston boutique hotel is only Texas property added to Michelin Key list Dynamic Houston Duo Opening New Neighborhood Restaurant in Montrose Riel Chef Ryan Lachaine Finds New Home at River Oaks Restaurant

On today's podcast Eric is joined by Armando DiMeo of Coastline Pizzeria. Armando speaks with Eric about how he first decided to become a chef, working in the family business, when he knew that pizza was his passion, why decided to focus on Neapolitan pizza, Houston's struggles with Neapolitan pizza, where grilled pizza came from, the creative freedoms of grilled style, the upcoming seasonal menu, how things have gone in the first 2 years, cultivating a strong team culture via listening, the menu development incentive program, the bar program, the possibility of expansion, and more! Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Dynamic Houston Duo Opening New Neighborhood Restaurant in Montrose Riel Chef Ryan Lachaine Finds New Home at River Oaks Restaurant Houston's Rising Star Chefs Shine in National Magazine's 2025 Awards Hit Cooking Competition Show MasterChef Brings Live Tour to Houston Houston Restaurant Group Flies into Upper Kirby with Fried Chicken Pop-Up

In celebration of 500 episodes, Eric is doing something never done before in podcasting ok well at least never been done on this podcast before. For the first time Eric, joined by CultureMap's Home & Design Contributor Emily Cotton, gets out the What's Eric Eating mailbag to answer listener submitted questions. What was Eric's most star struck moment? What's been some of his top, all time favorite meals since he started the podcast? What are the iconic dishes of Houston? He answers those questions and many more on this very special edition of What's Eric Eating. If you enjoyed this episode and what to hear Eric do more of these What's Eric Eating mailbag episodes let him know on Instagram Instagram @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com like: Chris Shepherd's Biggest Food Festival Yet Raises $1.7 Million California-Based Mexican Eatery Returns to Houston with New Humble Spot Houston's Mail-Order Halal Barbecue Company Fires Up First Restaurant Post Houston Hotel Serves Up Italian Twist on Afternoon Tea Service James Beard Award-Winning Taco Master Pops Up in Houston This Weekend

Eric's doing things a little different today for this 500th edition of the podcast (yep 500!). Today Eric is being joined by not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, but 6 of Houston's Rising Stars selected by StarChefs for 2025. Eric visits with Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu of JŪN, Lucas McKinney of Josephine's, Maham Qureshi of Shakkar, Adrian Torres of Maximo, and Kristine Nguyen of Bludorn. Hear their excitement on being selected, what they're up to as of late, and much more on this special edition of What's Eric Eating.  Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Dynamic Houston Duo Opening New Neighborhood Restaurant in Montrose Riel Chef Ryan Lachaine Finds New Home at River Oaks Restaurant Houston's Rising Star Chefs Shine in National Magazine's 2025 Awards Hit Cooking Competition Show MasterChef Brings Live Tour to Houston Houston Restaurant Group Flies into Upper Kirby with Fried Chicken Pop-Up

On today's podcast Eric is joined by one of StarChef's Rising Stars of 2025, Craft Pita's own Raffi Nasr!. Raffi and Eric talk about some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Justin Yu and Bobby Heugel's newest concept coming to Montrose, Ryan Lachaine's new gig, and the StarChefs Rising Stars Houston Class of 2025. In the Restaurants of the Week portion North China is featured. Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Dynamic Houston Duo Opening New Neighborhood Restaurant in Montrose Riel Chef Ryan Lachaine Finds New Home at River Oaks Restaurant Houston's Rising Star Chefs Shine in National Magazine's 2025 Awards Hit Cooking Competition Show MasterChef Brings Live Tour to Houston Houston Restaurant Group Flies into Upper Kirby with Fried Chicken Pop-Up

Today on the show Eric has in depth conversation with Houston hospitality veteran Jonathan Horowitz. The pair discuss Jonathan's leaving from the Houston Hospitality Alliance, how he found his way into commercial real estate, the ramifications of the pandemic on the restaurant industry, the difficulties that are now present within the industry post pandemic, the changes in customer behavior/demand, the "winning the neighborhood" strategy, the desire to stay within your area to eat, how technology has changed tipping culture, the possibility of others stepping in to save a concept that is struggling, the underestimating of the capitalization needed for starting a restaurant, and much more.    Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Riel Chef Ryan Lachaine Finds New Home at River Oaks Restaurant Dynamic Houston Duo Opening New Neighborhood Restaurant in Montrose Houston's Rising Star Chefs Shine in National Magazine's 2025 Awards 20 New Restaurants and Bars Opening in Houston this Fall and Beyond Pioneering Houston Mexican Restaurant Extends Closing Until Next Year

CultureMap contributor Brianna McClane is back on What's Eric Eating. Eric and Brianna discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including Candente claiming the space formerly occupied by Mandito's for it's 2nd location, Tacos A Go Go's 2 new locations opening with cocktails by Bobby Heugel, and the fall restaurant openings they're most looking forward to. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Local Public Eatery is featured. Plus, Eric and Brianna do a quick comparison of Musaafer and Le Jardinier, 2 of Houston's 5 fine dining restaurants that hold One Michelin Star.    Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Houston's Only Michelin-Recognized Tex-Mex Joint Fires Up New Bellaire Store Houston Taqueria's 2 New Locations will Serve Cocktails by Anvil Owner 20 New Restaurants and Bars Opening in Houston this Fall and Beyond Houston's Rising Star Chefs Shine in National Magazine's 2025 Awards Pioneering Houston Mexican Restaurant Extends Closing Until Next Year

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Tristen Epps of Buboy. Tristen speaks with Eric about how scrambled eggs and Japanese TV set him on a path towards being a chef, his initial stint in Houston, why he decided on Houston for his big city experience, meeting/working with Marcus Samuelsson, pushing the idea of what really is fine dining cuisine, winning Top Chef: Destination Canada, why now was the right time for him to go on Top Chef, how the show has evolved to showcasing your food within the parameters of the different challenges, why the cooking is the easy part of Top Chef, his goals entering the show, finding out that his father passed during the show, wanting to tell truths with his food during the final challenge, what life has been like since he won the show, whether 2026 is the year for Buboy's opening, why the size of the space is extremely important, the possibility of casual hot dog food at Buboy, and more! Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Houston's Only Michelin-Recognized Tex-Mex Joint Fires Up New Bellaire Store Houston Taqueria's 2 New Locations will Serve Cocktails by Anvil Owner Pioneering Houston Mexican Restaurant Extends Closing Until Next Year More Than 30 Houston Bars are Selling $7.13 Drinks for Texas Cocktail Week Bon Appetit Showers Praise on Aaron Bludorn's Bistro in Houston Hotel

On today's podcast Eric is joined by the Swanky Maven herself Felice Sloan! Eric and Felice discuss some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene including the closure of Bosscat Kitchen & Libations' in River Oaks, ChòpnBlọk being named to the New York Times' 50 Best Restaurants in America list, and chef Kate McClean's departure from Tony's Restaurant. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Butter Funk Kitchen and Southern Jerks are featured.  Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Whiskey-Obsessed Houston Restaurant will Shutter River Oaks Location New York Times Names Houston West African Restaurant to 50 Best List Houston Fine Dining Restaurant Parts Ways with Longtime Chef More Than 30 Houston Bars are Selling $7.13 Drinks for Texas Cocktail Week Bon Appetit Showers Praise on Aaron Bludorn's Bistro in Houston Hotel