Third Grade Social Studies 
Appetite for the Future
What will dining be like in decades to come? We asked the state’s top chefs and foodies.
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15. By 2025 Texas's olive oils will rival Italy's.
True -- Dean Fearing: Fearing’s, Ritz-Carlton hotel, Dallas. Robert Rhoades: Hudson’s on the Bend, Austin. Scott Tycer: Gravitas, Houston (Jack Daugherty in Wimberley, Texas, makes some good stuff). Scott Cohen: Watermark Hotel Company, San Antonio (wow, that would be great and I own al little part of this movement, hopefully true). Mark Schmidt: Café 909, Marble Falls (Italy — True, Spain — False). Randy Evans: Brennan’s of Houston, Houston. Lou Lambert: Lamberts Downtown Barbecue, Austin (Good possibility). Michael J. Cordúa: Americas, Houston (Spain’s actually). John Sheely: Mockingbird Bistro, Houston. Rebecca Rather: Rebecca’s Table, Fredericksburg.
False — Chris Ward, Mercury Grill, Dallas. Lance Fegen: Glass Wall, Houston. David Bull: Bolla, Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa, Dallas (Umm?? Not sure about that one.). Damien Watel: Bistro Vatel, San Antonio. Tyson Cole: Uchi, Austin. Charles Clark: Ibiza & Catalan Food & Wine, Houston. Bryan Caswell: Reef, Houston. — Jeff Blank: Hudson’s on the Bend, Austin. Jon Bonnell: Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, Fort Worth (Probably not). Jason Dady: The Lodge, San Antonio (Hmmmmm…..I just laughed out loud……..Let’s make it 2055.). Bruce Auden: Biga on the Banks, San Antonio (again I wish it was true but the fact that we will get deep freezes again will slow down this industry). Anthony Bombaci: Nana, Hilton Anatole hotel, Dallas. Stewart Scruggs: Wink, Austin. John Tesar: Mansion Restaurant, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel, Dallas. Lisa and Emmett Fox: Fino, Austin (But — I think if someone was serious about it — olive trees in Texas could produce a very decent product). Bud Royer: Royers Round Top Café, Round Top. Tom Fleming: Central 214, Dallas. Will Packwood: Cibo, Austin. Jason Gould: Gravitas, Houston. Stephan Pyles: Stephan Pyles, Dallas (No, but it will be quite respected). Chris Shepherd: Catalan Food and Wine, Houston. William McKenna: Texas Culinary Academy, Austin. Diana Barrios Treviño: Los Barrios, San Antonio. Marion Gillcrist: La Traviata, Austin. Avner Samuel: Aurora, Dallas. Paul Petersen: Café Cenizo, Gage Hotel, Marathon (Way false). Mark Cox: Mark’s American Cuisine, Houston. Charles Butt, H-E-B, and John Campbell, Central Market (Texas climate precludes this from happening. We can’t grow good truffles either!). Nick Badovinus: formerly of Hibiscus, now developing F\NB, Dallas (Focus on California’s cult oils first). Andrew Weissman: Le Rêve, San Antonio. Kent Rathbun: Abacus, Dallas. Bruce McMillian: Tony’s, Houston (but we will see what the future holds). Jason Weaver: French Room, Adolphus Hotel, Dallas. Tim Love: Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Fort Worth.
No answer -- Jeb Stuart: Shade, Houston. David Garrido: formerly of Jeffrey’s, now developing Garrido’s, Austin. Alma Alcocer-Thomas: Jeffrey’s, Austin. Chris Pappas: Pappas Restaurants, Houston.
Short answer—express yourself; feel free to wax eloquent
16. What do you see as the most significant development in fine dining over the next two years?
More Chef Owned/Chef ‘Concepted’ and Chef run and smaller in size and scope..on the bad side there will be a ton of highly designed places started by people that are brand spanking new to the business and don’t understand how difficult it is…which will see a lot of bigger named Chefs doing ‘consulting.’ — Lance Fegen: Glass Wall, Houston.
The diner’s awareness to spend more on quality ingredients. —Chris Ward, Mercury Grill, Dallas.
Healthy fast food — there is a demand for fast & healthy choices — Today life is running faster than ever and the health craze is here to stay. Eventually these two worlds will collide in the high end markets and be common place to get your seared ahi tuna salad with arugula through a pick up window.
For fine dining I think the trends will lean more towards chef interactive restaurants and combined service. The line between Front and back of the house will become incorporated and customers will feel more like they are coming into the chef’s home. — David Bull: Bolla, Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa, Dallas.
A return to simplicity — Damien Watel: Bistro Vatel, San Antonio.
Superstar celebrity chefs are branching out all over America in a continuation of branding names and cuisine; this in turn will effect many various markets and force local restaurateurs to up the bar and put out a better and more consistence product to compete. Smaller plates and portions will allow diners to enjoy a wider variety of items in one meal, playing to the modern American’s aesthetic of instant gratifications, ADD, and a continual wide array of choices in their lives. The days of app, entrée, dessert are done. — Tyson Cole: Uchi, Austin.
Better wine list and local ingredients (organic).
—Charles Clark: Ibiza & Catalan Food & Wine, Houston.
I believe that due to the rapidly rising cost of doing business that many of the old standards are associated with fine dining (high thread count linens, high end china, crystal and flat ware and outrageous build out) will start to vanish and unique ideas in service will replace them. Restaurant owners will focus more on the service and food to distinguish themselves. — Bryan Caswell: Reef, Houston.
“16 and 17 are rolled together in this answer. The expense involved in an independent to open a restaurant is beyond belief. The only way is a very small, pre-owned location (Le Rêve). The only thing wrong with this is one has to create enough revenue to stay alive while being chained to the kitchen stove and attempt to not get burned out. The owner (the chef) must be tenacious and believe in his concept to stick it out. It takes a young, strong, savvy person. Start-ups are a young person’s game. Savvy and a business smarts are a learned attribute very few have these at a young age. A few young, bright chefs or restaurant professionals get funded by other when the excitement and romance off they realize they only own 5% and would be better off working for “the man”. Quality — passionate operators are more interested in the total experience then on the bottom line. It is a dance to stay alive while delivering a first class experience. — Jeff Blank: Hudson’s on the Bend, Austin.
A continued move toward fine ingredients and quality craftsmanship in a more relaxed and convivial environment. — Jeb Stuart: Shade, Houston.
Diners are becoming more educated every day and can dissect professional dishes easily. Keeping up with true foodies will be required of any chef who wants to stay on top. Many diners can now see through shortcuts and simple dishes, and expect more complexity and unique approaches to fine dining dishes. Diners are more educated than ever before, and have higher expectations, so we have to stay on our toes. — Jon Bonnell: Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, Fort Worth.
Service, Service and Service……….with the continued growth of this segment, focusing on retaining great employees and nurturing a service oriented culture will be imperative. — Jason Dady: The Lodge, San Antonio
depends on the economy, if good the fine dining will tend to get too snobby. — Bruce Auden: Biga on the Banks, San Antonio.
Specialization — Anthony Bombaci: Nana, Hilton Anatole hotel, Dallas.
Less available capital and more available talent will mean more shoestring and interesting restaurants tied to neighborhoods and basic good cooking. — Stewart Scruggs: Wink, Austin.
How to protect sustainability — David Garrido: formerly of Jeffrey’s, now developing Garrido’s, Austin.
Honesty, quality and hard work. — John Tesar: Mansion Restaurant, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel, Dallas.
Casual, Refined Dining — Dean Fearing: Fearing’s, Ritz-Carlton hotel, Dallas.
Less formal pomp & circumstance. Skip the white tablecloths, tuxedoed servers & tired service structure & hush dining rooms. Focus on exceptional food (that focus on the food and not a decoration of the food) — and service. Informed servers (one per table) who bond (just barely) with the customer (no name telling) enough to read the table to ensure the best possible experience “for that table” — each server is thoroughly informed on food & wine. Wine should be on every table — and not only bottles of $50 and over. Down with boutique wine only. Dining rooms will actually have enough light so customers can read the menus yet still moody & ambient. Down with entrees over $35! Please — it’s just food (caviar — foie & truffles extra) — Lisa and Emmett Fox: Fino, Austin.
more knowledgeable diners will explore lesser known ethnic cuisines, lesser known (and less expensive) wine varietals, cocktails made with freshly squeezed juices, herb infusions (bar chef) — Hugo Ortega: Hugo’s, Houston.
increasing menu cost and pricing. the challenge of serving menu items that have flavor that is not masked in the presentation and are items that have a price value relationship. — Bud Royer: Royers Round Top Café, Round Top.
More restaurants going to sustainable and green approaches — Robert Rhoades: Hudson’s on the Bend, Austin.
The growing presence of farm-to-restaurant. We as chef’s need to be more conscience of our impact on the environment — Tom Fleming: Central 214, Dallas.
For Texas, the mainstreaming of Sous Vide tech — Scott Tycer: Gravitas, Houston.
Fine dining will be disguised in chef driven casual upscale less expensive restaurants with the biggest talented chefs running them!!!! — Scott Cohen: Watermark Hotel Company, San Antonio.
I see fine dining being the catalyst for us all to rediscover simplicity. As we create better cooks and chefs, and learn more about the products we use, the people responsible for those products and the passion that goes into producing these products we acquire respect. With this respect we appreciate the product for what they are and learn minimalism, we learn to let the true nature of the ingredient be the beauty in the dish. —Will Packwood: Cibo, Austin.
Honestly this is a difficult one to answer. Having worked in Michelin star restaurants, local 4 star restaurants and upscale casual dinning, the concept of fine dinning is an evolutional one. The standards of casual restaurants are on the rise, challenging the “Fine dinning” establishments — Jason Gould: Gravitas, Houston.
Menus becoming more refined, complex (not complicated) and well-executed while service becomes more approachable (and comfortable) and the atmosphere more stimulating. A word that is over-used but descriptive non-the-less — “experiential”. — Stephan Pyles: Stephan Pyles, Dallas.
People knowing their farmers — Chris Shepherd: Catalan Food and Wine, Houston.
More and more chefs will begin to see that good food is just that, good food. Fine dining will become more accessible to everyone; a good chef can produce fine food at any price point. Give me an oxtail and I’ll give you a good meal, but then the distributors will see a trend and raise the prices. Because of high prices you will see more chefs doing “whole animal” purchased directly from the farm. — Mark Schmidt: Café 909, Marble Falls.
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