Another Austin Original: Margarito Maldonado
Think about how many restaurants in Austin have opened within the past 10 years. Then, regrettably think about all of those that have closed in the same time span (way more than you might think). So when you reach the point when your place is celebrating a 10th anniversary, you have really accomplished something. Margarito […]
An Austin Original: Freda Cheng
I was having lunch at Chinatown Bee Caves the other day when I ran into an elegantly dressed elderly Asian woman with a friendly yet dignified air about her. We shook hands and I asked for her daughter. “What else new?” she said. “She working.” The woman was Freda Cheng’s mother, matriarch of the Cheng […]
David Bull and the Evolution of Austin as a Major Food City
I can remember the day almost as if it was yesterday. We had gone to dinner at the Driskill Grill in the famous downtown hotel. It was a slow night for a Saturday and we were surprised to see that the restaurant was staging a “mystery dinner” evening. You know: one of those dreadful events […]
Brad Meltzer: Mr. Teppayaki
Most Teppanyaki/Hibachi restaurants I’ve been in have been owned and operated by Asians. So how did a Jewish guy from Massachusetts become a pivotal force in the Texas teppanyaki scene? It’s an interesting story. Meltzer is a Renaissance man to be sure. He studied accounting in college, and it was in that capacity that he […]
Perry’s Grows from Houston Butcher Shop to Texas Steakhouse Chain
When Chris Perry was growing up in Houston in the 1980’s, the plan for him was to follow in the path laid out by his father Bob, who had once been the regional manager at Kroeger’s Meat Markets. But a Butcher Shop intervened and soon a second location in Friendswood. And the younger Perry had […]
Hao Q and Hao Hao: Brothers and Sisters
The story behind Austin restaurants Hao Hao and Hao Q has many interesting layers to it. It began with brothers Kevin and Young Quach who emigrated to the US from Vietnam. They started at the bottom, washing dishes and bussing at various Asian restaurants, but all the while they were learning how different dishes were […]
The Dog and Duck’s Susan Forrester
You’ve got to admire many things about the Dog and Duck‘s female half, Susan Forrester. First, she is a genuinely nice person free of the hubris that has doomed many business owners over the years. She’s fun to know, and I would she’s imagine fun to work for. You don’t keep an owner-operated enterprise going […]
From India to Austin: Vir Singh and Son Jae
Anyone who has dined at the Star of India on Anderson, the Bombay Grill in Westlake, or the recently opened Royal India on 290W has tasted the dishes of Vir Singh. A farmer in his native India, Singh journeyed to New York and joined a friend at an Indian restaurant. After a few years he […]
From Russia with Love: The Backstory of The Russian House’s Vladamir and Varda
You’d have to really let your imagination fly to come up with a more interesting and ironic story than this one. Austin’s only Russian restaurant’s leading couple have quite a story. Meet Vladamir and Varda of the Russian House. Varda played college basketball at prestigious basketball power Georgetown University. She was drafted off the Russian […]
Paul Qui of Uchiko is the Top Chef
Watched the last episode of Top Chef Texas on Bravo yesterday and was delighted to see that Austin’s own Paul Qui of Uchiko came out as the big winner. Congratulations, Paul. I don’t really know Paul but was touched by his demeanor and passion, not to mention his consummate artistry in the kitchen. Top Chef […]
