For Chris Shepherd, the James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur, food is the ultimate icebreaker. 
“Food is the first thing that you can talk about,” he said. “You don’t have to get political. You don’t have to get religious. When it comes down to, ‘How did you cook this chicken?’ that’s a pretty simple thing to do.”
This philosophy propelled Shepherd in building his Houston restaurant group, Underbelly Hospitality, starting in 2012 with the now-closed Underbelly, a celebration of his adopted city’s diverse immigrant cuisines.
Continuing Education
Shepherd cut his teeth in culinary school and fine-dining restaurants in the Midwest. But when he moved to Houston, he realized how much he still didn’t know….