Q&A with Chef Bryan Caswell

In the Q&A below, Caswell, a 2010 James Beard nominee for Best Chef Southwest and Food & Wine Magazine’s 2009 Best New Chef Award Winner, discusses his fervor for Gulf Coast fish, the cultural diversity of Houston (don’t call it a southwestern city) and the concept of casual sophistication. Caswell also shares his recipes for Grouper with Corn "Pudding" and Collard Greens and Country-Style Pork Ribs with Jalapeño Pesto.—Vanessa Facenda

You are fiercely proud of your hometown of Houston and say people have misconceptions about Houston. How so?

Houston is an amazing place! It is an enormous city, and a new city, but not a southwestern city. We couldn’t be farther from the Southwest. We are the southernmost outpost of the South, but not Southwestern like Dallas and Austin. Houston’s culture comes from its southern roots and from the fact that it is a port city—there’s a huge influx of cultures here from around the world. It is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in America, behind New York City and San Francisco. No other city in Texas has this diversity. Houston is even called the new Creole City because of the cultural mixture. We have the third-largest Vietnamese population in the country. The ethnic diversity has led to cool new cuisines constantly popping up, such as Vietnamese Cajun that features items like barbequed oysters with fish sauce. Houston is great for chefs;  people who grew up here are used to eating many different types of food because it exists here, so they are open to trying new things. Houston is also supportive of owner/operators; there’s a big support structure here, so it’s a wonderful place to open a business.

You were on the fall season of “Iron Chef America.” What motivated you to want to be a contestant?

I was interested in doing television as a way to promote Houston. I looked into “Top Chef,” but it didn’t make sense for me. “Iron Chef” was a way for me to do that, and it [played into] my competitive nature.

Did you enjoy the experience? What was the most difficult aspect of being on the show?

I loved it! It’s a long, grueling six weeks, and it’s hard being away from the restaurant for more than month, but I would do it again.

You are an avid fisherman and have a penchant for Gulf Coast fish. How does this influence Reef’s menu?

It’s all about the Gulf Coast. I am passionate about fin fish from the Gulf—we serve eight to 10 different fin fish from the Gulf each week. I am obsessive about fishing—I’ve been fishing since I was a young kid. I couldn’t understand why the fish I used to catch wasn’t available on any menus. There are so many wonderful fish in the Gulf and they have the same flavor profiles as popular fish, yet no one but fisherman knew about them. My goal at Reef is to introduce our customers to these great fish. We offer Gulf fish such as cobia, triggerfish, tripletail, queen snapper, amberjack, rainbow runner, blackjack, African pompano, long tailed sea bass, and scorpion fish—to name just a few. Featuring Gulf fish on the menu is also sustainable because by offering a variety of fish [that are not typically seen on menus], we’re not hammering one species.

How often does the menu change?

The fish change frequently, but 20 to 30 percent of the menu itself changes seasonally. We don’t want to make too many changes to the menu because many of our diners want to see certain items on the menu, so we always bring the seasonal items back. For example, every summer we feature roasted grouper with corn pudding and grilled peaches, which is one of our most requested entrees. I love to create and present new items, but there must be a balance between new and familiar.

The website says the restaurant “reflects a culinary-sophistication never before seen in the Houston dining scene.” Can you explain?

Before Reef, the majority of Houston’s restaurants were high-end, fine-dining places.

Food is meant to be enjoyed, it’s not meant to be a cerebral event—people should have a good time dining. We have simple approach: the sophistication of high end with excellent food and wine, but with a casual ambiance and lower prices. We want people to experience great food, have fun, and we want them to come back frequently.

Reef offers an aggressive pricing program on wines. How is this possible?

We feature new world wines rather than old word wines, and newer vintages. Our prices are as close to retail pricing as we can get: We mark the wines 40 percent across the board; most restaurants’ wines are priced 200 to 300 percent above retail pricing.

Where do you find inspiration for your recipes?

Everywhere. It comes from so many places—if I eat in another restaurant, read something in a book, hear something on the radio. I don’t discriminate on inspiration, I take it where I can get it.

Do you have favorite ingredients you like to use?

It depends on the season. Right now, I like Gulf Coast Whelk, which is a type of sea snail. Whelk are in the same family as conch but smaller. They are sometimes called oyster drills because they drill into oyster shells [to get to the meat].

What is the one food everyone should try in their lifetime?

I can’t answer that because there is no one food—diversity is important.

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