Toughing it out Together - Four Houston Restaurants Ready to Serve
A small business like Edible Houston cannot exist without the support of its community and we count these four restaurants as staunch supporters! This is our Partner Spotlight, highlighting the loyal restaurants that have supported Edible Houston through its first five years. We're all trying to find ways to continue to serve our community during the pandemic--restaurants have been hard hit yet they here and ready to serve. Supporting local is more important than ever.
It’s a relationship that works both ways. As Chef Colin Shine of Frank’s Americana Revival puts it, “It’s so meaningful to be included, and respected, by such like-minded folks. Edible Houston has very high standards, expectations and integrity and, more importantly, a very intelligent and informed reader. It’s a great honor to be a part of the publication and to have an opportunity to contribute to, and benefit from, that readership.”
Dish Society
Various locations
Supporting local farmers and ranchers is quintessential to Dish Society’s business model, so when the wave of COVID-19 shutdowns first started happening, Aaron Lyons, founder and CEO, had to assess how Dish Society could continue serving its city-wide fan base while also aiding their local culinary partners. That’s when the idea for a virtual farmers market came to light. Dish Society’s online farmers market features provisions like fresh produce boxes, local meat boxes, flour tortillas, thick-cut bacon and surprising but certainly hot-ticket items like paper towels, vinyl gloves and hand sanitizer.
“We worked with our vendors and made it so that you could get a produce box from Atkinson Farms, a gallon of Mill-King milk, eggs, Slow Dough bread, and you wouldn’t even have to step foot in a grocery store to get them. You’re still able to support your local farmers and ranchers, and of course these things taste so much better than anything you’ll find at a grocery store,” Lyons says. “Our focus right now is the online component. You can have everything delivered for $7, or you just pull up and pop your trunk and go on your way.”
And even though Dish Society isn’t able to utilize farmers’ harvests in the same fashion as pre-COVID-19, Lyons says the restaurant is still able to support its vendors by delivering quality products to consumers via the online market. “Obviously we’re not using as many eggs to make our food because sales are down, but in turn we are selling a dozen eggs at a time in the virtual market. Also, a fairly new business like Recharge Brewing [Co.], who supplies all our nitro cold brew, is now making pallets of hand sanitizer for our market. You never think you’d live to see a day like this, but we’re all adapting to the changes as they come and helping each other as best as we can in the process.”
TRIBUTE
111 N. Post Oak Lane;
Tucked in greenery away from the hustle and bustle of the Galleria, TRIBUTE at The Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa has become a sought-out culinary destination, encompassing signature “Tex-Lex” flavors from multi-cultural regions like Texas, Louisiana and Mexico. And even though the restaurant’s cuisine highlights traditions far and wide, many of TRIBUTE’s ingredients are purchased from local suppliers like Houston Dairymaids, Broken Arrow Ranch, Louisiana Seafood, Gilbert’s Tortillas, Bee2Bee Honey Collective and more.
“Executive Chef Neal Cox hails from north of the Rio Grande River, Executive Sous Chef Gonzalo Campos and Sous Chef Juan Tuch are from the south and Chef de Cuisine Jeff Boudreaux is from east of the Sabine River. These gentlemen curate food that is authentic and inspired by these regions, and their food is exactly what Southeast Texans love to eat,” says Seliece Caldwell Womble, campus director of public relations and marketing at The Houstonian.
Even though COVID-19’s restrictions have changed TRIBUTE’s traditional dining model and forced the restaurant to pivot to takeout and socially distanced dining, the team has not let that discourage them from helping the community at large.
Cox and his team have been preparing meals for police stations, fire stations, hospitals, homeless shelters and community programs. “We had the privilege of serving over 700 meals one day, including [food for] some happy K9 officers,” says Houstonian General Manager Steve Fronterhouse.
Frank’s Americana Revival
3736 Westheimer Rd.
At Frank’s Americana Revival, serving tried-and-true food and wine has always been about creating lasting memories. “Being around the table is the core of our family, and their traditions, for decades,” says Chef Colin Shine. “We grew up in and around the business and we strive to bring that familial aspect to our operation.”
Frank’s is a family business, with son Colin commanding the hustle and bustle of the kitchen and dad Michael Shine running business operations.
During COVID-19, Frank’s closed its dining room and switched to offer curbside takeout and to-go options. The New American restaurant prepared meals for health care workers and first responders. They, unfortunately, also dealt with a break-in that cost them funds in addition to damages. They kept going, though, and also have kept their relationships with farmers, ranchers and purveyors going as well.
“We source a great amount of product from local business owners, depending on the season and what we might be working on in the kitchen. It’s like a great marriage of Texan ingredients,” Chef Shine says. “Some of our more regular suppliers are Bread Man Baking Co, Lil Emma’s Seafood & Shrimp Co., Atkinson Farms, Lone Star Meats, Airline Seafood and Katz Coffee. We love the cheese and dairy offerings from Houston Dairymaids and Blue Heron Farm, and try to utilize their specialty products as often as possible.
Harold’s Restaurant
350 W. 19th St. Suite C
As owner and founder of the Heights’ Southern-centric staple Harold’s, Alli Jarrett has a true affection for Texas farmers—for they are the very men and women who bring to life Harold’s beloved, decadent dishes like buttermilk fried chicken and shrimp ’n’ grits. And though COVID-19 has changed Houston’s dining landscape, Jarrett says she’s still relying heavily on her farmers and ranchers, such as 44 Farms, Atkinson Farms, Ole Dad Farms, Houston Dairymaids and Black Hill Ranch to keep her 7-year-old eatery running in untraditional but effective ways.
“We had never done curbside ordering and had only done a little bit of takeout before all this started, so we had to jump right in and learn as we went. It’s been a challenge, to say the least, but we have a mini-market set up with all the staples you could need nowadays, like milk, eggs, cheese, cereal, peanut butter and even toilet paper. We also have fresh produce boxes from Atkinson Farms and fresh meat boxes that customers have come to appreciate,” Jarrett says. “The crisis is alive and well, with revenue down 80% and a workforce that is reduced to 30%. Each day we work the problem and try to get better.”
Harold’s has even chipped in to feed first responders, health care workers, unemployed individuals and the elderly with boxed lunches through community programs like Chamber Cares and an in-house donation- based menu called #OnMyTab. “These are unprecedented times, but we can still watch out for each other,” Jarrett says. “That’s what our culinary community is about.”
