Sharon Torres, Elia Gabbanelli and Maritza Gonzales at ‘Latin.'
Ernest Hunter at ‘JDRF.’
Smoked Salmon Cheesecake with Emeril’s Reserve Caviar
Enter Four Seasons Hotel Houston, which seems to have gotten the pop-up play down to a science, partnering with buzzed-about restaurants (and bars) from around the country, and wrangling in full houses for their high-dollar events. On Sunday and Monday nights earlier this week, the chef and crew from famous Emeril’s in New Orleans served a decadently devised tasting menu to sold-out dining rooms.
“We love tapping into our great network of talented and award-winning friends to bring exclusive and extraordinary experiences here to H-Town for guests to partake in,” says GM Tom Segesta. “As the city's Downtown destination, Houstonians and visitors can always count on something great happening here at Four Seasons Hotel Houston.”
The Emeril’s pop-up may have been as notable for who wasn’t there — the “Bam!” Man himself, Emeril Lagasse. Running the show instead, and impressively so, was Lagasse’s chef son, who is all of 21 years old and as boyishly good-looking as he is chatty and charming. He’s running the restaurant back home, too, by the way.
Having entered the bespoke dining space through the Four Season’s hidden-away-but-not-really-wink-wink speakeasy-style bar Bandista — which on its own is worth a trip Downtown, with its complex cocktails served by bartenders in dashing prohibition-era dress — guests enjoyed a regal, Big Easy-blessed menu. The $195 dining experience began with nibbles of foie gras mousse and a tequila-and-sherry-spiked spin on a traditional New Orleans Crusta cocktail, this one sweetened fancifully with cotton candy that melted away when the booze hit the flute.
Courses that followed included a smoked salmon “cheesecake” with delicate layers of creole cream cheese, smoked salmon, caviar and flecks of edible gold; a rich oyster cream stew with (more) foie gras and mushrooms; Emeril’s classic Potato Alexa with shaved black truffles; seared Wagyu steak with daube glacé; and banana cream pie for dessert. Young Chef E.J. himself brought the potato dish to this reporter’s table, cheerfully telling its origin story and how it came to be named after Billy Joel’s daughter.
Big spenders were offered thoughtful wine pairings with each course. Very big spenders could opt for even more special pairings, for an extra $315 for the five pours.
The Emeril’s pop-up follows another one in February in which trendy New York speakeasy Employees Only took over Bandista for two nights of reservation-only mixology. Seatings of 90 minutes each were offered, for guests to sip the most famous of the famous bar’s delights, served up by Employees Only’s best barkeeps. Fans of fancy cocktails eagerly filled the slots over two nights. The vibrantly purple Amelia was a fave, with vodka, St-Germain, sweetened blackberry puree and lemon juice poured into a perky coupe.
Four Seasons says the fun has only just begun. New Orleans’ acclaimed Jewel of the South bar will pop up in June — dates to be announced soon. “Houstonians can also look forward to at least two additional Bandista pop-ups,” says a hotel rep, “and can consider the Emeril's pop-ups as the first of a soon-to-be-announced quarterly celebrity chef pop-up series!”
E.J. Lagasse
Potato Alexa with Truffle and Parmesan Mornay
Wagyu and Daube Glacé with Baby Lettuces and Beef Jus
Banana Cream Pie
Bandista
A cocktail by Employees Only
An Amelia cocktail from Employees Only
Zimmer and Gooch and, at right, their debut product, a super-strong magnetic silicone bib
A Memorial-area mom of three had things like this happen one too many times, and set out to do something about it. Two years ago, Ashley Gooch filed a utility patent for a new type of magnetic closure, and now, in 2024, the first Babynetic product is available: a bib that is easy for parents to pop on and off (but hard for babies to do so!), made out of platinum-grade silicone and available in bright and modern colors. Gooch and her business partner, Austin-based Jennifer Jones Zimmer, thought through all the practicalities during the product development stage, which was carried out in conjunction with Samantha Rose's full-stack agency Mvnifest. (Rose founded GIR, specializing in silicone kitchen products.) The Babynetic bib is among the widest and strongest on the market, and it sticks to the fridge or dishwasher for easy storage.
"People are so desperate for things that make parenting easier," explains Gooch, 35, who has a school-age daughter, toddler daughter, and infant son. "We even thought through taking a bib to a restaurant, and it comes with a waterproof storage bag to toss in your purse without worrying about mess."
Gooch and Zimmer gave aesthetics a great deal of consideration, too. "Everything out there is muted and earth-toned, and it's hard to discern who's who," says Gooch, 35, of Babynetic's vibrant brand, which was brought to life with the help of Man the Studio, responsible for Instagram-savvy, eye-catching brands like Stoney Clover. "We wanted to have a playful, energetic, bold approach — we wanted to lean into kids being kids without necessarily using primary or neon colors."
Gooch is no stranger to entrepreneurship: She co-founded RYDE, the high-end spin studios with locations in River Oaks and the Heights, nine years ago. "Coming from the service world, it’s been exciting learning how to navigate the product realm," says Gooch, who in her minimal spare time enjoys working out, serving her community through various Christian ministries, and playing Mahjong with girlfriends. "From product design, patent acquisition, and manufacturing intricacies, to strategically carving out our own lane in a hyper-competitive landscape, I’ve loved challenging myself in a fresh and new way."
The Babynetic founders, who met while attending Texas A&M University, have always dreamt of starting a business together. "I'm not surprised that we did it," says Zimmer, whose background is in social-media and tech startups, "but I'm surprised that it took us this long!" The two would lay around during girls' nights and, instead of throwing back drinks or having a dance party, they'd brainstorm business ideas. Fast forward a few years, and Babynetic is a real-life dream-come-true — and there's more still to come!
Early next year, Babynetic will roll out its first line of magnetic baby apparel; the fully secured magnetic closure makes getting dressed and undressed a literal snap — even in the dark, during middle-of-the-night diaper changes. The clothing will be made from high-quality Peruvian Pima cotton.
"I am so excited about the opportunity to make life easier for parents like us," says Gooch. "As a mom that’s always on the go between work, social outings, and kids' activities, babygear that delivers is a must."
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