Traveler's Table Restaurant In Houston, Texas: Meet The Chef
We sat down with Owner, Matthew Mitchell and Executive Chef, Stanton Bundy of Traveler’s Table in Houston, Texas.
Where did you grow up, and where have you traveled to that has helped inspire and shape your cooking philosophy?
Matthew: Even though I grew up in Houston, Texas—I was educated in England, France, and Italy, and I then traveled all over the world as a writer and journalist. Those experiences inspired me to want to create a restaurant where food and travel were deliberately connected and where you could enjoy food from all over the world.
Traveler’s Table in Houston, Texas
Tell our readers an interesting fact or two about yourself.
Matthew: I love the idea of exploring new places and cuisines, and then offering dishes that are not the most “obvious” choices from those regions. I guess you’d say I like to live and eat a little more “off the beaten path” than most.
Tell us about your absolute favorite food and why readers should try it if they haven’t already.
Matthew: I’m a huge fan of lobster, crab and duck—so much so that I’m more or less powerless when they’re on the menu somewhere. At Traveler’s Table, I tried to do those ingredients justice by serving Lobster Banh Khot, Curried Crab Samosas and Tea Smoked Duck.
Traveler’s Table in Houston, Texas
What are three ingredients that you simply couldn’t live without?
Stanton: Lime, butter and salt. Basically, an acid, a fat and salt.
We love the art behind plating. What do you love about designing the perfect dish?
Stanton: I am passionate about deconstructing a traditional dish and re-presenting it in a more modern, artistic way.
Tell us about one of the most creative dishes you’ve created?
Stanton: I am particularly proud of our Beetroot Tartare, which substitutes mesquite-smoked beets for steak tenderloin, truffle-yuzu aioli and golden beet coulis for a quail egg yolk, and sea grapes for caviar. I love that the dish feels very earthy and satisfying despite being completely vegan.
Share your most recent awards and accreditations with us!
Stanton: While I’m proud of all the accolades and media attention that we’ve received, I am perhaps most excited about our having been featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives, where I got to present our Crispy Pork Belly in Pasilla Sauce and our Caribbean Braised Oxtails.
What are some of the latest trends you’re seeing in top restaurants across the globe?
Matthew: I think the culinary world goes through movements, not unlike the art world, and over the last few decades we’ve seen farm to table and hyper-regionalism emerge as enormous trends. Now, I believe we are seeing the emergence of plant-based cuisine as a bigger and bigger influence, like at Eleven Madison Park in New York where they have gone to an all plant-based menu.
Traveler’s Table in Houston, Texas
