Chris Shepherd, Chef and Managing Partner

Catalan Food & Wine, Houston TX

A brief eight weeks after Catalan’s opening, Chris Shepherd received the first of many accolades to come from Alison Cook, the Houston Chronicle’s restaurant reviewer.  “It's been a long time since I've been as excited by a new Houston restaurant as I am by Catalan,” she enthused. “Shepherd cooks with a generosity of spirit and flavor….”  Texas Monthly’s Pat Sharpe agreed. “What impressed me most was the kitchen’s go-for-broke way with sauces, juices, and buttery concoctions of all stripes.”  National recognition followed months later when Catalan was named to the coveted “Best New Restaurants” list for 2007 in Esquire magazine for the “bright, powerful food chef Chris Shepherd has mastered.”

A native of Oklahoma, Chris moved to the Texas Gulf Coast to be a student in the Culinary Arts program at Houston’s Art Institute, where he met local chefs and future colleagues Charles Clark (Ibiza and co-owner of Catalan) and Randy Evans (Brennan’s).  After graduation, Chris honed his skills at several Houston restaurants before he joined the Brennan’s team.  He was quickly promoted up the ranks, starting as line cook, moving to fromager and finally as executive sous chef.  Chris also worked the front of the house as Brennan’s Wine Guy, a stint that added to his knowledge of the business as a whole.

At Catalan, Chris is a proponent of the farm to table philosophy and he painstakingly resources regionally grown foods.  A regular at the weekly farmer’s markets held throughout Houston, his bold and sophisticated menu reflects this passion, from the selection of Texas boutique cheeses to upscale takes on regional classics with dishes like Cervena Venison “Chicken Fried” Steak, Lady Creamer Peas, Collard Greens and Red Eye Gravy.   “Obtaining local ingredients is all about getting the best possible quality,” says Shepherd.  There’s nothing like driving to the restaurant with a car-load of fresh fennel and locally produced herbs from the farmer’s market.  Smelling all those aromas really gets my creative juices flowing.”

 

For some of the recipes that Chris serves at Catalan, and his other favorite Cervena dishes, click here.