Houston’s New Posh Wine and Social Club Hires Two Michelin-Starred Chefs — 55 Seventy Ups Its Food Power to New Levels

The Dallas Favorite Is Going Even Bigger and Better For Its Long-Awaited H-Town Debut

By Shelby Hodge // Jul 27, 2026

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The wine room at Houston's 55 Seventy private wine and social club (Rendering courtesy of Gin Design Group))

Chef Diego Fernandez, fresh from Pappas Restaurants as Research and Development chef , will helm the kitchen at 55 Seventy.

Chef Jacob Solomon serves as Opening Executive Banquet Chef at 55 Seventy

When the weather is nice, the terrace at Houston's 55 Seventy private wine and social club will surely be popular. (Renderings courtesy of Gin Design Group))

55 Seventy founder Tommy Shuey is bringing his private wine and social club to Houston with a covetable Upper Kirby location. (Photo by Samantha Marie)

Momentum is building toward the late fall opening of Texas’ second 55 Seventy, the wildly popular, trés chic wine and social club that launched in Dallas four years ago. Now PaperCity has learned that two chefs with Michelin bonafides are being brought on board, highlighting the private club’s culinary excellence.

Coming on as executive chef is Diego Fernandez, who has worked at two different three Michelin starred restaurants — Quince in San Francisco and Alinea in Chicago. Most recently Fernandez has served as the research and development chef for Pappas Restaurants.

Fernandez’s areas of expertise includes fine dining, luxury hospitality and destination resorts.

Chef Jacob Solomon, tapped as the new 55 Seventy executive banquet chef, honed his craft in celebrated Chicago kitchens including the Michelin starred Peninsula Hotel. He then went on to lead Michelin-starred Dusek’s Board & Beer as chef de cuisine and later served as executive chef at Second City.

“We knew the bar for food in Houston was extremely high, and we couldn’t afford to compromise,” 55 Seventy Founder Tommy Shuey tells PaperCity. “We were only planning to hire one executive chef, but we got lucky enough to find two incredibly talented chefs. And we couldn’t pass up on either of them.”

“Between them, Diego and Jacob bring real Michelin experience to the table, and that background is exactly what will help them build on the incredible culinary program Josh Sutcliff established (in the Dallas club). They’re going to raise the bar for 55 Seventy, not just in Houston, but in Dallas too.”

The bar in Houston’s 55 Seventy private wine and social club which is expected to open in the fall of 2026. (Rendering courtesy of Gin Design Group))

The new 55 Seventy Houston culinary team is comprised of 40 dedicated food and beverage professionals operating two distinct restaurants: the main dining room and a second restaurant located on the 10,000-square-foot rooftop patio with a view to Levy Park and its massive oak trees. Additionally, the club features a state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen designed for experiential dinners, seasonal cooking classes and pop-ups.

The club offers eight distinct, versatile spaces designed to accommodate private occasions with a high level of bespoke service. The robust event programming — ranging from workshops to social gatherings — is led by Solomon.

55 Seventy offers four exclusive tiers of membership, each providing a range of benefits, including a Founder’s Lounge accessible only to Founder’s Equity Members, the club’s most elite membership level. That level of membership is invite-only.