I still remember the day I met chef Chris [Shepherd].
After reaching out to him via Facebook (which I thought was a long shot, but he responded) we agreed to meet at Anvil. I was sitting at the bar feeling nervous, however, the moment Chef walked in it was all… Well, good. Up to this day, he’s the most easy-going person I know.
After chatting for a bit, he asked me if I wanted to see the place and of course, I said yes.
We drove a few blocks down the road and I saw a big structure with concrete floors, bare walls, and lots of people running around the building: Underbelly.
As I got the grand tour when we stepped into what it would become the walk-in cooler area and charcuterie room. He looked so excited, and I have to say I shared the sentiment with him.
The wine room didn’t have glass, the butchering room was all sheetrock; Chef talked about it all as if it was already there. He pictured a place brimming with guests and staff, and it was impossible not to fall in love with the same concept.
From the very beginning, Chef would show up every Saturday with a truckload of produce from the farmers market and soon after, farmers would just bring it directly to our door. Gulf fish and whole animals being delivered and processed in-house is something you do not get to experience in a lot of other places. “So much to do and learn in one place,” I thought.
I remember the opening week, it was crazy, but then again, it was always like that. People, chefs, food writers, and bloggers made going to Underbelly a must in Houston. For me, it was truly a learning experience.
This past week my husband and I headed back to celebrate our wedding anniversary in the place we first met. A funny fact is that he built it [Underbelly] and I worked there, but it wasn’t until three years later that we would go out on our first date together to Underbelly.
We made our reservation in the early part of the evening. As we walked by the entrance the patio was bursting with guests enjoying cocktails and the wonderful 70º weather Houston experienced last week.
Once inside, one of my favorite architectural features that I am really going to miss (if it goes away), is the beautiful barn door of the private room; I always liked it.
We sat by the window on a private corner in the dining room. Chef spotted us and welcomed us as he always did every other table. Many familiar and welcoming faces I saw once again.
We started our evening by ordering a couple drinks; the old fashioned I had was crisp and fresh.
My husband, who claims not to be picky, is actually the pickiest person I know when it comes to food, and not often likes to explore new territories. However, he was more than willing to try it all.
We ordered several plates to share. The first dish we had was the Wood Duck Farm strawberry and smoked beet salad. The pickled strawberries were sweet, salty and tangy, the arugula was spicy but not pungent. It all worked very harmoniously.
Then it was the 23month prosciutto which as Chef described, was “on point”. The aging, the flavor was not overpowering; we didn’t order bread, so we had it by itself. It absolutely melted in your mouth. It was delicious, my husband agreed.
Of course, we also had the signature dish, Korean goat and dumplings (shown above). I will be curious to know how many dumpling and fried vegetables were sold from opening day to closing day. I remember working the sauté station and getting crushed with dumplings [orders], I would lose count! All I would hear all night was “walking in dumplings!” and the nights we had the famous Lamburger Helper on the same station? I knew I would not have time to breath. It was great!
Another dish that stood out was the fried egg banh mi. I must confess I am not big on free range eggs, but this one (which was cooked perfectly, by the way –“hard” fried eggs are NOT pleasant) was really tasty and the chicken liver mousse, Chef’s specialty, was so good.
We also had the smoked brisket, the soy and scallion meatballs with chilled dashi and the fried UB bologna steamed buns. We really wanted to order the 36-ounce bone-in ribeye, but after all we had already eaten, it would have just been shameful.
So, we decided to leave room for a sweet bite and of course, we (well, I) had to have the popcorn pot de creme. Creamy and sweet with crunchy pretzels on top. I will have to learn to make it now; I doubt Victoria [Dearmond] will want to make it for me, perhaps for my birthday?
Underbelly brought many people together, and although the staff has changed over the years I know that Underbelly has touched each person in one way or another within their cooking or serving career. Being part of the original Underbelly family was truly a great honor and I learned so much from all of them.
Chef Chris, thank you for all the lessons and advice. Because of that [advice], I now have a beautiful family. Also, thanks for my bad ass knife, which I truly treasure!
UB alumni include the author, Madeline Cabezut Herd, Patrick Feges, Ryan Lachaine, Lyle Bento, Victoria Dearmond, John Woodward (all in this photograph) and many more.
Dax, I will never forgive you for nicknaming me “Pig Face”… not cool. Peter, Ryan, Lyle, Noojie, Victoria, Daniela, Patrick, Misael, Fonzie and Lucy: You’re all great chefs, amazing people and will remain forever my UB family.
Our anniversary dinner during the last few days of Underbelly was delightful. It brought back great memories and seeing old peeps was good too. We will all miss what Underbelly meant to each of us, yet new and exciting things will come with Georgia James, UB Preserve (slated to open around April 16) and of course One Fifth.
-Madeline Cabezut Herd
Underbelly’s last night of service was Saturday, March 31. We delayed the publishing of this letter so that the author could present it to the chef at final service.