MEET THE CHEFS
BIO
FOUNDING DIRECTOR & HONORARY CHAIRMAN, SOUTHERN SMOKE FOUNDATION
Midwest-raised, James Beard Award-winning Chef Chris Shepherd has helped change the landscape of the Houston culinary scene since opening Underbelly in 2012. He built the restaurant to support the Houston food community and its suppliers by buying local and drawing inspiration from the people and cultures that live in the city. Thanks to Chris’ vision and passion, Underbelly was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, was named one of the best new restaurants in the country by Bon Appetit and Esquire and was named one of 38 essential restaurants in America by Eater. Chris was named one of the 10 Best New Chefs in America by Food & Wine in 2013 and was then awarded the 2014 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest.
Chris was a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2019 and was named Robb Report‘s Chef of the Year the same year. Chris’ first cookbook, Cook Like a Local: Flavors that Will Change the Way You Cook—and See the World, was published by Clarkson Potter in September 2019 and was nominated for a 2020 James Beard Foundation Book Award. In 2023, Chris launched a TV show Eat Like a Local on Houston’s KPRC-TV, where he tells the stories of Houston’s rich and diverse food and beverage scene. He also hosts an onstage conversation series, Table to Stage, with the biggest names in food and beverage.
Chris began his fine dining career at Brennan’s of Houston, where he spent seven years in the kitchen and then ran the wine program for two. He left Brennan’s in 2006 to open Catalan Food & Wine, which was named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America that same year.
Chris’ foundation Southern Smoke has distributed more than $11 million directly to people in the food and beverage industry in need via the Emergency Relief Fund.
BIO
Award-winning chef Stephen Barber leans on his Southern roots in his ingredient-driven approach to our restaurant at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch. Barber brings over 20 years of experience from all over the US, including John Currence’s City Grocery, Norman Van Aken’s Norman’s in Miami and the former MECCA in San Francisco. In 2007, Stephen opened Barbers Q in Napa to critical acclaim. He lives in Napa with his wife and son.
BIO
Sarah Grueneberg is the 2017 James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef/partner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago, and the author of the 2022 book Listen To Your Vegetables. Born in Houston and raised in Victoria, Texas, Grueneberg started her culinary career at Brennan’s of Houston and by 2003 was named the restaurant’s youngest-ever female sous chef. Her travels to Italy and throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States inspired her culinary approach of “following the food.” Ultimately she ended up in Chicago in 2005 to join the team of Spiaggia under Chef Tony Mantuano. After ascending to executive chef in 2010, she opened Monteverde with partner Meg Sahs in 2015, winning the Beard award for Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2017. Grueneberg was a finalist on Top Chef: Texas and Iron Chef Gauntlet, and Monteverde was named best new restaurant by Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Eater, and GQ. The restaurant also won Restaurant of the Year in the 2018 Jean Banchet Awards.
BIO
Husband/wife team Erin Smith and Patrick Feges opened Feges BBQ in 2018. With their combined fine dining experience and Patrick’s barbecue expertise, Feges BBQ offers a new approach to barbecue combining traditional flavors and modern interpretations of classics.
Patrick is a self-taught pitmaster and Purple Heart recipient from injuries sustained during a tour in Iraq. It was during his recovery that he was hit with the barbecue bug. After culinary school, he cooked in some of Houston’s most acclaimed kitchens, including Underbelly, Brennan’s, Killen’s Barbecue and Southern Goods, while building his barbecue business on the side. Erin spent her early career in New York City, working at Per Se and Babbo before returning to Houston in 2010 to serve as executive chef of Plonk! Beer & Wine Bistro. She served as culinary director for the Clumsy Butcher Group and then executive chef at Main Kitchen before working as a sommelier at wine bar Camerata to hone her front-of-house skills. She won an episode of Chopped! in 2016, which provided the initial funding for Feges BBQ. Erin and Patrick opened their second location, Feges BBQ Spring Branch, in 2021.
Feges BBQ was named one of Texas Monthly’s 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas in 2021, one of the 33 Best BBQ Joints in America by Thrillist in 2018, 2019 and 2021, one of Texas Monthly’s 25 Best New BBQ Joints in Texas in 2019 and one of the Best New Southern Barbecue Joints by Garden & Gun in 2019.
BIO
Husband/wife team Erin Smith and Patrick Feges opened Feges BBQ in 2018. With their combined fine dining experience and Patrick’s barbecue expertise, Feges BBQ offers a new approach to barbecue combining traditional flavors and modern interpretations of classics.
Patrick is a self-taught pitmaster and Purple Heart recipient from injuries sustained during a tour in Iraq. It was during his recovery that he was hit with the barbecue bug. After culinary school, he cooked in some of Houston’s most acclaimed kitchens, including Underbelly, Brennan’s, Killen’s Barbecue and Southern Goods, while building his barbecue business on the side. Erin spent her early career in New York City, working at Per Se and Babbo before returning to Houston in 2010 to serve as executive chef of Plonk! Beer & Wine Bistro. She served as culinary director for the Clumsy Butcher Group and then executive chef at Main Kitchen before working as a sommelier at wine bar Camerata to hone her front-of-house skills. She won an episode of Chopped! in 2016, which provided the initial funding for Feges BBQ. Erin and Patrick opened their second location, Feges BBQ Spring Branch, in 2021.
Feges BBQ was named one of Texas Monthly’s 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas in 2021, one of the 33 Best BBQ Joints in America by Thrillist in 2018, 2019 and 2021, one of Texas Monthly’s 25 Best New BBQ Joints in Texas in 2019 and one of the Best New Southern Barbecue Joints by Garden & Gun in 2019.
BIO
Pastry chef and partner at Emmer & Rye, Hestia, Kalimotxo, Henbit, TLV, and Canje, Tavel Bristol-Joseph began his culinary journey baking with his aunt in Guyana. Moving to America at age 17, Bristol-Joseph attended the New York Restaurant School, and worked in establishments both in New York and Tucson, Arizona. Upon meeting Kevin Fink, Bristol-Joseph moved to Austin, Texas and opened Emmer & Rye in 2015. Hestia earned Best New Restaurant in America honors from Robb Report, and Canje was listed as one of The New York Times’ Best Restaurants of 2022. Additionally, Bristol-Joseph was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs of 2020. IG @tavel19
BIO
Felipe Riccio, a native of Mexico, grew up in coastal Veracruz and moved to Houston as a teenager. He comes from a long line of immigrants—his mother is of Spanish heritage, and his father is from Naples, Italy. Felipe began working in the culinary scene in high school and began his career with Frederic Perrier at Aura. He spent nearly four years at REEF and worked his way to executive sous chef. Later, after being on the opening team at The Pass & Provisions, he opened Camerata wine bar. While at Camerata, Felipe achieved his Sommelier Certification under The Court of Master Sommeliers, was named an Eater Young Gun in 2014, produced dinners around the city with MangiaMaccheroni and married fellow Camerata sommelier Hayley Riccio.
In 2016, Felipe and Hayley moved to Milan, Italy, where he staged at Carlo e Camilla and Erba Brusca. He then moved to Modena for a three month stage at Osteria Francescana under Massimo Bottura. Later, Felipe moved to Basque Country to travel and stage at Azurmendi. He left Europe for a month-long stage in New York under Dan Barber at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in August 2017. Upon returning to Italy, Felipe went to the Dolomites to stage at 1-Michelin starred AGA. Before returning to Houston to join Goodnight Hospitality as Chef/Partner, he traveled throughout Italy and the Mediterranean exploring his roots and discovering the bounty of the region.
Felipe runs the food programs at Goodnight Hospitality’s concepts: casual European restaurant Rosie Cannonball, named one of Vogue’s most anticipated restaurants of the year; Montrose Cheese & Wine retail shop; and fine dining restaurant MARCH, named one of the Best New Restaurants in America by Esquire and in the state by Texas Monthly. Felipe was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Texas in 2022.
BIO
Ryan Prewitt began his culinary career in the farmer’s markets of San Francisco, where a burgeoning interest in food developed into a full-blown career. After spending time working for chefs Robert Cubberly and Alicia Jenish at Petite Robert, he moved to New Orleans to work with Chef Donald Link at Herbsaint. Ryan proved to be a quick study under Link’s tutelage and became Chef de Cuisine in 2009. He subsequently moved on to oversee culinary operations at Link Restaurant Group as Executive Chef for the company.
As a member of the Fatback Collective, a group of Southern chefs who have compiled numerous accolades and awards in restaurants across the South, Ryan has learned new traditions and techniques from many talented BBQ pitmasters and has traveled to Uruguay to study traditional open-fire cooking. These experiences, along with a trip to observe grilling techniques in Spain, culminated in the opening of Pêche Seafood Grill in 2013.
Ryan received the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: South in May 2014; additionally, Pêche earned the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant that year as well. Peche has been on the Times Picayune Top Ten restaurant list ever year it has been eligible and was voted “Concept of the Year” by New Orleans Magazine and a “Top 50” restaurant by Bon Appetite Magazine. Ryan maintains an active presence in the greater seafood industry, working with organizations such as the Audubon Chef’s Council and the Environmental Defense Fund to promote sustainable fishing practices. Additionally, Ryan actively fundraises for No Kid Hungry, as well as numerous art and child focused organizations.
In 2019 award-winning Chefs Donald Link, Stephen Stryjewski, Ryan Prewitt, Rebecca Wilcomb and Director of Operations Heather Lolley celebrated the opening of Gianna. Located at the corner of Magazine and Girod Streets in the New Orleans Warehouse District, Gianna offers rustic Italian cuisine rooted in Louisiana tradition and technique.
BIO
Kevin Fink owns six nationally renowned restaurants in Austin, Texas: Emmer & Rye, Hestia, Kalimotxo, Henbit, TLV, and Canje. His culinary career began cooking at 13 Gobbi in Florence, Italy, and continued with stints working at the iconic Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry and staging at Copenhagen, Denmark’s legendary restaurant Noma. Fink opened Emmer & Rye in 2015 and was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2016. Hestia earned Best New Restaurant in America honors from Robb Report, and Canje was listed as one of The New York Times’ Best Restaurants of 2022. IG @kevinfinkatx
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