Pioneering leader of Miller Outdoor Theatre announces curtain call after game

Jul 09, 2023

chris takes centerstage

Chris Shepherd’s time in restaurants may be done (for now), but the James Beard Award winner has found plenty of ways to occupy his time. Already busy as a founder of the Southern Smoke Foundation, his upcoming TV show on KPRC, and writing wine columns for CultureMap, Shepherd will soon add hosting a speaker series to his responsibilities.

Produced in partnership with Stages, the Table to Stage series will see Shepherd talk with a range of local and national culinary personalities. It kicks off Monday, September 25 with legendary Houston restaurateur Johnny Carrabba. Celebrity chef David Chang, food writer Priya Krishna, and barbecue legend Aaron Franklin will also appear during the season. Locals include Lucille's Hospitality founder Chris Williams, a barbecue roundtable with three top pitmasters, and CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Chef of the Year winner Aaron Bludorn. (See the full lineup below.)

Shepherd tells CultureMap the series evolved out of his appearance with celebrity chef and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi at the Wortham Center in 2022. It was the first time Shepherd had acted as an interviewer for a conversation rather than a guest.

“We go on stage, spent about an hour, an hour and 20 together,” Shepherd recalls. “He said, you should think about doing this. This is the most comfortable I’ve ever felt in an interview.”

The partnership with Stages evolved out of his existing relationship with the organization. Lindsey Brown, Shepherd’s wife, represented Stages as their publicist until she accepted a new position as executive director of the Southern Smoke Foundation. After attending performances at the venue, the chef realized it would be ideal for a speakers series.

“The thing I really liked is that it’s so small and intimate, 260 people at the most. Everybody has a great seat,” he says.

The environment is a little more relaxed than some of the city’s other performance venues. “I could go to the bar and get a glass of wine or a bourbon on the rocks in an actual glass and take it into the theater and enjoy it like an adult — not in a sippy cup,” he quips.

Shepherd’s approach to the interviews will be similarly relaxed. He sees it as an opportunity to ask some of his friends questions he’s never been able to. For visitors who are looking to promote a cookbook or other work, having a conversation at Stages requires less work — and reaches more people — than hosting a wine dinner at a local restaurant.

“I can have conversations with my friends like this and it turns into bullshit corner,” Shepherd says. “It’s like sitting on the edge of the bar all night.”

Presales for the entire series begin Friday, August 25 for $1,000. Tickets for the individual shows go on sale September 11 for $150.

Table to Stage

September 25: Johnny CarrabbaOctober 1: Chris WilliamsDecember 11: Barbecue roundtable with Greg Gatlin, Leonard Botello IV, and Patrick FegesDecember 18: Aaron BludornMarch 4, 2024: Sarah GruenebergApril 1: Aaron FranklinJune 3: David ChangJune 10: Priya Krishna

Chris Shepherd and David Chang will chat in June.