Sommelier Vanessa Treviño-Boyd Leaves 60 Degrees; Chef Joe Cervantez IN at Killen's Steakhouse

After a ten month stint as sommelier at 60 Degrees Mastercrafted, Vanessa Treviño-Boyd has parted ways with the River Oaks steakhouse. Houston Chronicle first reported the news of her departure Friday afternoon. Treviño-Boyd is one of Houston's most respected wine experts. 60 Degrees Mastercrafted owner and chef chef Fritz Gitschner had nothing but praise when speaking to Eater Houston recently about her talents. Even Chronicle food critic Alison Cook spoke highly of Treviño-Boyd writing, "her list greatly added to the appeal of 60 Degrees, and it could be counted on for smart, lesser-known selections." No further details where Treviño-Boyd's next steps will lead, but wherever she goes, she'll be a great asset. Her previous work as sommelier at  Philippe -now home to Table on Post Oak- earned her the title of Top Sommelier of 2012 by Food & Wine and last month, won Best Presentation at the annual lron Sommelier competition, the first major award won by a female.

In Pearland, Ronnie Killen has turned over the reins to Killen's Steakhouse as he continues to devote more and more time to his nationally recognized barbecue restaurant. Last month, CultureMap broke the news of the hiring of Joe Cervantez as the new Executive Chef of the steakhouse. Cervantez, a Pearland native and former Killen's Steakhouse server, started Thursday, October 23. He will keep the menu mostly the same, but will incorporate more farm-to-table options in the months to come. Prior to Killen's Steakhouse, Cervantez was the sous chef at Brennan's of Houston and Hilton Americas Houston Café. He was also the Chef de Cuisine at Hilton Americas Houston Skyline Restaurant.