It's draft day on What's Eric Eating! Eric, Sarah Dowling of Baso, Abbas Dhanani of Burger Bodega, Raffi Nasr of Craft Pita, and Chelsea Thomas are drafting The Ultimate Chain Restaurant line up on today's edition of the podcast. First though, what is the definition of a chain restaurant? For podcast drafting purposes, The Ultimate Chain Restaurant Draft defines a chain restaurant as having at least 20 locations in at least five states. For example, this would exclude a place like Steak 48 (only has 8 locations), but does include Nobu (locations on 5 continents). The Chain Restaurant categories our drafters will drafting in are; Breakfast, Burgers, Fast Casual, Ice Cream Steakhouse, and a Wild Card.  The winner will be announced on the next episode of the podcast as selected by special judge, so stayed tuned to your podcast feeds to find out who the winner of the first ever Ultimate Chain Restaurant Draft is.  The Draft RulesRule 1: For burgers, you can pick any restaurant that serves a burger, it doesn't have to be a dedicated burger concept but no selections from a fast food concept. Rule 2: Steakhouses are restaurants with at least 6 different a la carte steaks on the menu that cook orders to temperature.Rule 3: All 6 selections must be from different places for each drafter. Once a restaurant has been selected for any category, it's off the board for all other categories/drafters. Rule 4: Snake draft format. The draft order will go one through five in round 1 then go backwards five through one in round 2, and so on.Rule 5: Categories may be selected in any order.Got a question for Eric? Email him at [email protected]. Follow Eric on Instagram @ericsandler and check out some of Eric's latest articles online at Culturemap.com: Houston Ice Cream Shop from 'World's Best Pastry Chef' Quietly Closes Historic Houston Fried Chicken Destination Will Close After 80 Years Michelin-Recognized Texas Barbecue Chain Fires Up Houston Opening Date Collaborative Cookie Bakery and Ice Cream Shop Spin Up New Meyerland Spot Austin BBQ Joint Brings Smoked Lamb and Line Dancing to Houston Pop-Up

Today on the show Eric is joined by Paul Friedman of Chef's Table. Paul speaks with Eric about pursuing a career in culinary, designing restaurants at first, wanting to become a professional chef, working with Mike's Kitchen, coming to Houston, losing everything, how he and Thomas Nguyen started Peli Peli, why Chef's Table was the right next move for him following Peli Peli, why his son Kyle is partially to blame for starting the concept, what it's like working with Kyle, developing the Chef's Table menu, ostrich becoming a best seller, why he decided to add go to River Oaks for the 2nd location of Chef's Table, the challenges he's face so far, installing sprinklers being a problem, what the goals are moving forward, and the monkey gland sauce story.  Got a question for Eric? Email him at [email protected]. Follow Eric on Instagram @ericsandler and check out some of Eric's latest articles online at Culturemap.com: Collaborative Cookie Bakery and Ice Cream Shop Spin Up New Meyerland Spot Austin BBQ Joint Brings Smoked Lamb and Line Dancing to Houston Pop-Up Hot New Houston Pizzeria Rolls Out Wood-Fired Pies in the Heights Houston Restaurant Touched by Tragedy will Close After 2 Years in Montrose Austin Restaurant Known for Khachapuri Sets Sail for Houston

On today's edition of the show, Eric is joined by Houston BBQ Festival co-founder Michael Fulmer to discuss some of the latest news from the Houston food world including Relish Restaurant & Bar moving to a new location, Island Grill already claiming the former home of Relish, and the return of Houston Restaurant Weeks. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Charolais and Coarse are featured.    Got a question for Eric? Email him at [email protected]. Follow Eric on Instagram @ericsandler and check out some of Eric's latest articles online at Culturemap.com: Comfort Food Restaurant Confirms Big Move to New River Oaks Development Family-Owned Houston Grill Claims Prime River Oaks Space for 6th Location 3 More Houston Restaurant Charity Dining Events Raising Money in August Houston Restaurant Touched by Tragedy will Close After 2 Years in Montrose Austin Restaurant Known for Khachapuri Sets Sail for Houston

Time for part 2 of Eric's conversation with Justin Yu of Thorough Fare Hospitality. Today Justin speaks with Eric about his new concept House of Louie. Justin shares with Eric why he decided to do another restaurant, why he went with a French/Italian style, where the name came from (sadly it's not named after Eric), the excitement for fried lasagna, the other menu items they're excited for people to try, what he learned from his travels, hopes for people's perception of the restaurant, when they're expected to open, good Texans' vibes, and how the NFL is trying to break up relationships on Valentines Day next year.Got a question for Eric? Email him at [email protected]. Follow Eric on Instagram @ericsandler and check out some of Eric's latest articles online at Culturemap.com: Introducing CultureMap Houston's New Advice Column for Navigating Life Award-Winning Austin Restaurant Flies to Houston for One-Night Only Meal Comfort Food Restaurant Confirms Big Move to New River Oaks Development Family-Owned Houston Grill Claims Prime River Oaks Space for 6th Location Houston Restaurant Serving Roman Pizza and Creative Pasta Sets Opening Date

No news or restaurants of the week on today's podcast because it's time to get our yearly spoiler filled discussion about The Bear with Eric and Thorough Fare Hospitality's Justin Yu! The guys speak about the choice to center the final season around one day of service, how they related to the story, the chaos of the kitchen, customers taking a long time at a table, getting to relive the chaos the next day, what The Bear doesn't get right about the food media aspect, and more. Plus, they try to avoid the wrath of Taylor Swift fans. Got a question for Eric? Email him at [email protected]. Follow Eric on Instagram @ericsandler and check out some of Eric's latest articles online at Culturemap.com: Introducing CultureMap Houston's New Advice Column for Navigating Life Houston Bakery Known for Pumpkin Spice Conchas to Open New Location Shuttered Houston Brewery will Resume Production via New Partnership Houston's Modern Ice House Plans Fall Opening for New Clear Lake Outpost New Heights Pizzeria Reveals Intimate 16-Seat Upstairs Cocktail Bar

On today's edition of the podcast, Eric is joined by Allen Lin of Fortune 8. Allen speaks with Eric about what led him to pursue a career in food, going from grad school to opening a restaurant in Hong Kong, what brought him back to America, coming to Houston, diving into business models, coming up with the Fortune 8 concept, focus on consistency, kitchen automation, how things are going so far, how they've adapted since opening, possible expansion plans, and more.  Got a question for Eric? Email him at [email protected]. Follow Eric on Instagram @ericsandler and check out some of Eric's latest articles online at Culturemap.com: Introducing CultureMap Houston's New Advice Column for Navigating Life 11 Eateries Participating in Houston Restaurant Weeks for the First Time Dallas-Based Restaurant Group Brings Greek Cuisine to Familiar Uptown Space Houston's Racing Simulator Lounge Adds Speakeasy-Style Cocktail Bar Chef Austin Simmons Dishes on his Newly-Opened Woodlands Restaurant

Today on the podcast Eric is joined by Felice Sloan, a.k.a. The Swanky Maven, to discuss some of the latest news happenings from the Houston food scene including, Justin Yu and Bobby Heugel's revealing new details on their latest endeavor, the 10th location of Barnaby's Cafe heading to the Stomping Grounds, and the closing of Tavola. In the Restaurants of the Week portion, Galaxy Pizza is featured. Got a question for Eric? Email him at [email protected]. Follow Eric on Instagram @ericsandler and check out some of Eric's latest articles online at Culturemap.com: Beard-Winning Houston Chef Shares First Details of New Montrose Restaurant Favorite Houston Comfort Food Spot Picks Garden Oaks for 10th Location Sophisticated Houston Italian Eatery Quietly Closes After 3 Years Chef Austin Simmons Dishes on his Newly-Opened Woodlands Restaurant San Antonio Coffee Shop's First Houston Café Now Open in West U.

On today's episode, Eric is joined by Mary Clarkson of Heights Grocer and Montrose Grocer to go through some of the latest news from the Houston restaurant and bar scene. The duo discuss the string of recent closures including Istanbul Grill, The Dogwood, Voodoo Doughnut, and Blue Tuba. They also discuss Levi Goode's newest venture. In the Restaurants of the week portion Anthonys New York Italian is featured. Got a question for Eric? Email him at [email protected]. Follow Eric on Instagram @ericsandler and check out some of Eric's latest articles online at Culturemap.com: 4 Houston Restaurant Closings to Know: Doughnuts, Schnitzel, and Dogwood Houston Restaurateur Opens New Shop Stocked with His Favorite Products Growing Houston Cafe Takes Off with New Hobby Airport Location Houston's Sophisticated New Sports Bar Sets Opening Date in Uptown Park Veteran Houston Chef's Vibrant New Cafe Now Open at the Menil Collection

Eric is joined by Houston BBQ Festival co-founder Michael Fulmer on today's edition of the show. The pair discuss some of the latest news from the Houston culinary scene including Ronnie Killen deciding to close Killen's, Ronnie reducing his restaurant footprint as of late, and Hopdoddy Burger Bar being acquired by a new ownership group. In the Restaurants of the week portion is Chef's Table and Snarky's Pizza & Burgers. Got a question for Eric? Email him at [email protected]. Follow Eric on Instagram @ericsandler and check out some of Eric's latest articles online at Culturemap.com: 6 Things to Know in Houston Food: Openings, Chef Dinners, and Beef Ribs Ronnie Killen Sets Closing Date for His Michelin-Rated Comfort Food Eatery Beard-Recognized Houston Chef Serves Up Fresh Concept in Midtown High-Rise Growing Houston Cafe's New Location Bakes Up Comfort and Convenience Houston's Space-Themed Bar will Shutter After 3 Years in Montrose

On today's episode Eric is joined by Fred McBride of Captain Mc's Seafood. Fred speaks with Eric about how went from being a music teacher to pursuing a career in culinary, learning about commercial fishing, how he made connections with restaurants, getting his foot in the door with Chris Williams, why he decided to create a restaurant, wanting to go with more of a fast casual concept rather than something more elevated, how chefs have helped him through this process, developing the menu, the importance of supporting local fisheries, how the first month has gone for them since opening, building up the commercial fishing side of the business at the same time, and more! Got a question for Eric? Email him at [email protected]. Follow Eric on Instagram @ericsandler and check out some of Eric's latest articles online at Culturemap.com: Houston's Space-Themed Bar will Shutter After 3 Years in Montrose Ronnie Killen Sets Closing Date for His Michelin-Rated Comfort Food Eatery Shuttered Houston Restaurant Revived for 1 Night Only at Canada Day Pop-Up Cherished Houston Indo-Pak Restaurant Opens To-Go Only Location in Katy A Highly Opinionated Take on Houston's Venture-Backed New Bagel Shop