‘Top Chef’ Vet John Tesar’s Steakhouse Is Headed To Houston

Despite the 250 mile distance between Dallas and Houston, it’s likely that most Houstonians have at least heard of Chef John Tesar. Arguably the most noteworthy chef working in Space City’s neighbor to the north, the Top Chef alumni will soon bring his unique brand of steakhouse to Houston.

In an interview with Eater Dallas, Tesar revealed that he is currently working with Hilton Worldwide to bring his “modern steakhouse” concept Knife to a Houston hotel. It’s part of a major national expansion for the restaurant, joining outposts planned for DFW and San Francisco.

According to Tesar, the Houston outpost of Knife will open in the DoubleTree hotel at 400 Dallas Street (ironic), which the chef says is currently being renovated and rebranded as a Curio By Hilton property. No concrete timeline for the restaurant just yet, but it will come after the second location of Knife opens in a Dallas suburb later this year.

Known for its dry-aging program (including foie gras and ribeye aged for 365 days) and a selection of steaks not traditionally seen on steakhouse menus, Knife is all about the meat. In a 2014 review of the restaurant, Eater critic Bill Addison raved about Tesar’s treatment of fine steaks procured from Texas farms and the chef’s burger prowess.

Tesar, who was recently eliminated from Top Chef: Charleston, told Eater that his brand of steakhouse uniquely lends itself to expansion. “The thing about Knife is it’s product and technique driven, not genius driven,” he said. “Which is why we can expand to areas outside the city.”

Eater has reached out to Tesar for more exact details on when the Houston location of Knife will open its doors. Stay tuned, and prepare for lots and lots of steak.

John Tesar Is Plotting A Major Expansion For Knife [EDFW]