Houston’s Restaurant Future

Top Chefs and a Controversial Critic Team Up to Reveal What’s Coming

By Jailyn Marcel // Sep 27, 2016

The Epicurean Project partners with Martin Preferred Foods for a night of culinary trends and innovation.

Are you constantly searching for what’s next and new on Houston’s food scene? Do you chronicle the dining trends of the city’s top restaurants? Is there a list of must-visit places brewing in the notes of your iPhone? If so, The Epicurean Project — a one-of-a-kind culinary event focused on the future of the local and national food world — is waiting for you.

Three-time James Beard nominated author and journalist John Mariani (The Dictionary of American Food & Drink; Eating Out: Fearless Dining in Ethnic Restaurants; Coast-to-Coast Dining) kicks off the night with an in-depth discussion outlining food trends sweeping Houston and the nation. PaperCity‘s James Brock is also on the panel. Houston Chronicle food editor Greg Morago leads the roundtable discussion.

Chefs from some of the city’s most popular restaurants will showcase food and menu trends with various goods — specialty meat, wild game, fresh seafood, domestic and imported bacon, charcuterie, cheeses, European breads, butters, pâtes, olive oils, truffles, and caviars — provided by Martin Preferred Foods, a partner in The Epicurean Project.

Participating chefs include Adison Lee (KUU Restaurant), David Skinner (Eculent), Chef Rob (Max’s Wine Dive), David Cordúa (Américas), Giancarlo Ferrara (Amalfi), Jacques Fox (Artisans), Hassan Obaye (La Table), Ivan Giani (Springbok), Eric Laird and Rob Hebert (Liberty Kitchen), Sandro Scarafile (Sud-Italia), Graham Brown (Cervena), Brandi Key (Clark Cooper Concepts), Efisio Farris (Arcodoro), and Richard Mendoza (Westin Woodlands). Students from Culinary Institute LeNôtre will assist the chefs.