{"id":249250,"date":"2025-09-23T15:27:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T15:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/249250\/"},"modified":"2025-09-23T15:27:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T15:27:10","slug":"justin-yu-and-bobby-heugel-opening-new-montrose-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/249250\/","title":{"rendered":"Justin Yu and Bobby Heugel opening new Montrose restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"

A national publication that looks for rising stars in the food world has revealed its latest picks for Houston. In all, StarChefs<\/strong> is giving its Rising Stars Awards<\/strong><\/a> to 22 Houston chefs, restaurateurs, and beverage professionals.<\/p>\n

The winners, listed below, constitute a mix of prominent names in Houston\u2019s restaurant scene \u2014 including a James Beard Award winner, a Food & Wine Best New Chef whose restaurant holds a Michelin star, and at least 10 former winners of various CultureMap Tastemaker Awards \u2014 as well as promising culinary talent who may still be flying a little under the radar. In all, StarChefs conducted interviews and tastings with more than 100 chefs to determine its 22 winners. Ideally, the recognition leads to more national attention and paves the way for other awards such as James Beard nominations or Food & Wine Best New Chef.<\/p>\n

\u201cHouston\u2019s hospitality scene thrives on collaboration instead of competition,\u201d StarChefs managing partner Will Blunt said in a statement. \u201cHoustonians spend a greater share of their food budgets in restaurants than residents of any other American city, fueling a community that resists homogenization \u2014 where smoke pits stand beside molinos, Gulf fisheries connect directly to the plate, and pioneering pop-ups push the industry forward. Together, they show how Houston is not only holding its own nationally but also reshaping what it means to be a modern American food and beverage city.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is the third time StarChefs has recognized Houston, joining classes in 2011<\/a> and 2019<\/a>. Looking back, the organization has a pretty solid track record. The 2019 class includes Bobby Matos, who now oversees all four of Ford Fry\u2019s Houston restaurants (State of Grace, La Lucha, Superica, and Little Rey); Tommy Ho, the general manager of Anvil and Refuge; and Nick Wong, whose new restaurant Agnes & Sherman is one of this year\u2019s buzziest debuts. The 2011 class includes cornerstones of the Houston dining scene such as Manabu Horiuchi (Kata Robata and Katami), James Beard Award winner Chris Shepherd<\/a> (Southern Smoke Foundation), and Bobby Heugel (Thorough Fare Hospitality).<\/p>\n

StarChefs will celebrate its new class with a series of events that will be held from October 1-15. The magazine encourages Houstonians to visit the recognized restaurants and try signature items from each, such as the fried chicken at J\u016bn or the garlic chive pancakes at Street to Kitchen.<\/p>\n

In addition to the winners, StarChefs has designated two bonus stops: Tribute at the Houstonian hotel and Moon Rabbit, a Vietnamese restaurant in the Heights. During the two-week celebration, StarChefs will donate $3 from every B\u00f2 Kho Dip sandwich sold at Moon Rabbit to Houston nonprofit PX Project<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2025 StarChefs Houston Rising Stars Award Winners<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chefs<\/strong><\/p>\n