Houston Restaurants, Chefs, Sommeliers and Bartenders Dominate National Food Magazines

Grid View

• Julep's Alba Huerta in Southwest Magazine Photo courtesy of Southwest Airlines
• Julep's Alba Huerta in Southwest Magazine Photo courtesy of Southwest Airlines Magazine
• Vanessa Trevino-Boyd in Wine & Spirits' December 2014 issue Photo Credit: Wine & Spirit/Facebook
• Vanessa Trevino-Boyd in Wine & Spirits' December 2014 issue Photo credit: Wine & Spirits
• Caracol's Sean Beck in the December 2014 of Wine Specator Photo courtesy of Patterson & Murphy Public Relations
• Triniti's Greg Lowry and Stephanie Perkins in Wine Specator's December 2014 issue. Photo courtesy of Patterson & Murphy Public Relations
• Killen's Steakhouse's Ronnie Killen in Wine Spectator's December 2014 issue. Photo courtesy of Patterson & Murphy Public Relations
• Underbelly's Chris Shepherd in Details' December 2014 issue. Photo courtesy of Underbelly/Facebook
• Underbelly's Chris Shepherd in Details' December 2014 issue. Photo courtesy of Underbelly/Facebook
• Hugo and Ruben Ortega in Food & Wine's December 2014 issue. Photo courtesy of Patterson & Murphy Public Relations
• Ruben Ortega in Food & Wine's December 2014 issue. Photo courtesy of Patterson & Murphy Public Relations

Peruse the newsstands this month and you'll see Houston represented in a number of food and spirits magazines. From wine scavenger hunts to the top wine haunts, the city's best chefs, bartenders, sommeliers and restaurants are highlighted in several high-profiled magazine's December issues.


Southwest The Magazine

• Juelp owner Alba Huerta is the best bartender in America, according to Southwest The Magazine. The airline publication notes the well-regarded bartender's new bar where perfectly crafted bourbon cocktails are served with Southern charm. Huerta reveals yoga is key to helping her relax and names The Menil as one of her favorite places.

Wine & Spirits

• Vanessa Trevino-Boyd, former 60 Degrees Mastercrafted sommelier, is featured on the cover of the wine community's premiere wine publication, Wine & Spirits. Trevino-Boyd led a team of sommeliers through the Anderson Valley in Northern California. Trevino-Boyd, along with teammate Steven McDonald, wine director at Pappas Bros Steakhouse, explored the vineyards and selected six wine that best represented the region's terroir. The scavenger commenced in San Francisco where the participating teams presented their findings to a panel of judges.

Wine Spectator

• The wine publication shines the spotlight on Houston's best restaurants and the sommeliers who curate the interesting wine lists. On the list: Caracol, The Pass & Provisions, Underbelly, RDG + Bar Annie, Public Services Wine & Whiskey, Killen's Steakhouse, Pappas Bros Steakhouse, Mark's American Cuisine, Triniti, Vallone's, Camerata at Paulie's and 13 Celsius.

Details

• Last month, Underbelly let the cat out of the bag about its appearance in the upcoming issue of Details. Chef Chris Shepherd lists his favorite places in Greater Houston including Justin Burrow's Captain Foxheart's Bad News Bar & Spirit Lodge, "You go in, walk up this huge flight of stairs, and there it is... It also has a really good selection, including Eagle Rare 17 from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. The owner, Justin Burrow, understands good booze."

Food & Wine

• Hugo Ortega and brother Ruben are highlighted in the December issue as one of America's famous food families. Hugo is the executive chef and owner of Hugo's in Montrose and new restaurant, Caracol where Ruben is the executive pastry chef. The brothers share their family holiday dishes that include oven-braised short ribs blanketed in a pasilla-tomato mole sauce and a chocolate hazelnut-coffee meringue cake.