5 days ago
‘Top Chef' Winner Tristen Epps Takes Over Red Rooster Overtown
is an editor of Eater's South region, covering Atlanta, Nashville, Miami, New Orleans, and the Carolinas. She has been writing about the food scene in the Carolinas and Savannah for 12 years. Erin has resided in Charleston, South Carolina, for the past 20 years.
Fresh off his win in the 22nd season of Top Chef, chef Tristen Epps is preparing for his next step — opening Afro-Caribbean restaurant Buboy in Houston, Texas. He's building buzz for the upcoming eatery with a pop-up tour, and one of his stops is Miami restaurant Red Rooster Overtown.
Starting Friday, July 25, Epps will be back in the Red Rooster kitchen (he was previously an executive chef at the Marcus Samuelsson restaurant). Epps will serve dishes from his tenure at Red Rooster, as well as Afro-Caribbean fare that will be on the menu at Buboy. Red Rooster classics include the Rooster Royale (a whole chicken with tamarind-malta glaze), crispy green tomatoes with comeback sauce, oxtail fried rice, and tuna crudo with Cuban coffee ponzu.
'Working with Tristen has always been an absolute joy. He's a chef with deep creativity, heart, and an incredible sense of purpose. His return to Red Rooster Overtown is a full-circle moment, and I'm thrilled to collaborate with him again and feature some of his incredible new dishes from Buboy.' says chef-owner Marcus Samuelsson.
When asked what to expect for the Buboy preview items, Epps says, 'My menus are always evolving, and I rarely repeat dishes. People can come each time and will have a different experience.'
In an interview with Eater Houston, Epps explained that the Buboy pop-ups provide an opportunity to educate diners about the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its enduring social, cultural, and economic impacts. 'I want to make sure that this story behind this cuisine is told,' he says. 'Black food is American food. Black history is American history, and I want that to be really shown and in ways as best as I can.'
While cooking for a Miami audience, Epps says he leans into Afro-Latin and Caribbean-Latin cuisine. 'I can celebrate that side of the diaspora, which includes Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and more. Miami is a rich tapestry of all of those cultures, and it makes for a beautiful celebration of cuisine.' In Houston, he leans more into West African and Asian influences, as well as heavier on meats. 'In Miami, I do more in the lighter realm with fish and seafood,' he says.
Diners can find information about upcoming dinners, including dates, menus, and reservation details, online.
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