crawfish & fried chicken
The transformation of the Houston Farmers Market into a food lover’s destination has taken another step forward. Legendary Viet-Cajun restaurant Crawfish & Noodles has quietly opened its second location inside the development.
Credited with leading the culinary movement that blends Vietnamese and Cajun flavors, Crawfish & Noodles has received wide acclaim both locally and nationally. The restaurant has been featured on TV shows such as such as The Zimmern List and David Chang’s Netflix series Ugly Delicious. Chef-owner Trong Nguyen was named a finalist in the 2020 James Beard Awards in the Best Chef: Texas category after being named a semifinalist for Best Chef: Southwest in both 2018 and 2019. It announced plans to open at the Houston Farmers Market last year.
Nguyen’s sons Cory and Hieu (known as Vo) are leading the new location. Cory tells CultureMap that the family identified the greater Heights as an area that would be receptive to more Vietnamese restaurants.
He has good news for fans of the restaurant’s original Chinatown location. The new location uses all of the same recipes and techniques that have made Crawfish & Noodles so successful.
“Of course, the crawfish will be the exact same,” Cory Nguyen says. “We have the basil fried rice, the calamari, the shaking beef that’s been marinated for 24-hours, all the salt and pepper dishes — shrimp, snow crab, blue crab. The only difference is instead of being in Bellaire it’s here, and the presentation has been modernized.”
While what Nguyen describes as the “O.G. menu” will match the original location, he and his brother are also introducing some new items to the menu. They include a quesadilla made with wok-sauteed mushrooms and fried chicken that’s a step beyond the chicken wings the restaurant is already known for.
“You have fried chicken everywhere, but we’ve put our twist on it. Our fried chicken is brined for 24 hours and marinated for 24 hours,” he says. “The skin will come off just like a chip. When you take a fork and scrape it, you can hear it.
“The secret seasoning is in the chicken itself. I can’t really tell you what it is, but it’s a play on some of the dishes we have on Bellaire.”
Diners will also find that the Nguyen brothers are testing different dessert ideas, including a salted caramel custard and lychee ice cream.
In addition to the new menu items, the farmers market location will also feature an all-new wine list. Nguyen says its difficult to pair wines with anything on the menu that’s really spicy, but it will include varietals known to pair well with both seafood and fried items such as champagne and riesling. “Some very good friends of ours have been helping,” he says about the process of tasting and selecting wines.
So far, the restaurant has been relatively quiet as word about the opening has slowly spread among inner loopers used to making the drive to Chinatown. Nguyen says he’s enjoying having the time to speak with customers about their experiences, but he knows that will come to an end once crawfish season picks up in mid-January.
Crawfish & Noodles joins a growing group of food businesses at the Houston Farmers, including R-C Ranch butcher shop, Underbelly Burger, and Wild Oats. In 2023, modern general store Henderson & Kane will open its second location at the property.
Photo by Eric Sandler
Crawfish & Noodles has opened its new location.
2022''s most talked-about houstonians
As we turn the page on 2022, we once again look back on the Houstonians who were most talked about during the year. To determine this list, we considered national headline mentions, our own site searches, reader response, and social media chatter.
Not surprisingly, some notable locals emerged, given our road to a World Series win and status as hometown for some national celebs in pop culture, sports, music, and food — in one case, both of the latter.
Some of these names boast brand-name notoriety across the country, some are local icons, and some are rising stars. What they all have in common — besides the fan chatter — is that can-do Houston spirit, serving as a reminder of Houston's big-time buzz. (A quick note: We counted a superstar couple and beloved group of ladies as one item each to compile the five figures on this list.)
Here, then, are Houston's buzziest names in 2022.
Kate Upton and Justin Verlander
Houston's superstar couple dominated our searches this year, both during the World Series and after, when they revealed that Verlander would be taking his talents to New York City. Readers especially responded to our reminder that Upton, who faced off a mouthy Philadelphia Phillies fan, would have no trouble handling smack talk in the Big Apple.
Another favorite: Verlander name checked Nancy's Hustle and its burger during a national, mid-game interview, adding some nationwide sizzle for the acclaimed East End eatery.
Houston Astros player wives Kara McCullers, Reagan Bregman, Kat Pressly, and Janelise Maldonado
These favorite player wives were responsible for our most-read story of the year. CultureMap caught up with the McCullers, Pressly, and Maldonado, who shared their favorite food, fashions, plus game day routines and superstitions. Bregman, meanwhile, gave us the scoop on her latest addition to her popular athleisure line. These doting wives and moms prove that not every Houston Astros MVP is on the field — something their proud husbands would no doubt echo.
Bun B
Real talk: While many have jumped on the Houston hip-hop icon's bandwagon of late, CultureMap has always celebrated the Trill OG, evidenced by his continued presence as the esteemed host of our annual Tastemaker Awards. In 2022, Bun made history at RodeoHouston as the first Black male headliner from Houston in a show where he was a featured performer, while others enjoyed the spotlight.
With apologies to other purveyors, no other beefy sandwich dominated headlines in Houston this year like Bun's Trill Burgers. The Trill OG made national news by introducing his smash burgers to Justin Bieber, fans at Coachella, and later, as the winner of a food showdown on Good Morning America.
How do you top that? The OG has given the people — who wait hours in line for his burgers at select pop-ups — what they want in a new, brick-and-mortar Trill Burgers location, set to open in early 2023.
Alex Bregman
Call him Alex, call him, Breggy — we call Alex Bregman a Houston superstar. Always a fan favorite, the Astros infielder returned from injuries to smash home runs at the most crucial times and provide steady veteran leadership on the field. Bregman not only celebrated a World Series win, but he celebrated the birth of baby boy, Knox, with his entrepreneur/influence wife Reagan.
He and Reagan made a splash after the World Series win with a red-carpet moment at the CMA Awards; Bregman promptly came home to meet hundreds of fans at Academy Sports & Outdoors. Later, he was featured on NBC Nightly News for his work with his Bregman Cares charity. To quote Bregman himself, we see only "big things ahead" for the pivotal Astros star and his family.
Megan Thee Stallion
Let's call 2022 the Year of Megan — or, as she's been dubbed, "Mega-Megan." The H-Town native was honored with her own day in Houston by Mayor Sylvester Turner, hosted Saturday Night Live, blasted Houston-loving superstar Drake for his choice of lyrics, and landed on the cover of the annual Forbes 30 Under 30 Magazine.
Always one to rep her hometown, Megan shouted out the Bayou City during the glitzy Met Gala. "I just got here at three-o'-clock in the morning from Houston," she told a red carpet reporter, "because I just got my own day!"
Houston's bid farewell to power couple Justin Verlander and Kate Upton.
All that leads to the obvious question: Could Houston's Hot Girl get any hotter?
