{"id":2902,"date":"2024-01-10T11:30:13","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T17:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/?p=2902"},"modified":"2024-01-10T11:30:16","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T17:30:16","slug":"it-all-started-as-a-bistro-the-story-of-houstons-american-restaurant-the-annie-cafe-bar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/it-all-started-as-a-bistro-the-story-of-houstons-american-restaurant-the-annie-cafe-bar-2902","title":{"rendered":"It all started as a bistro. The story of Houston&#8217;s American restaurant The Annie Cafe &amp; Bar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Annie Cafe &amp; Bar (previously Cafe Annie) is a restaurant that serves Texas-influenced American cuisine with a fresh take. The venue is ideal for a business lunch, dinner, wine tasting or cocktail party. After opening the Cafe Annie bistro, Robert Del Grande became the city&#8217;s culinary star. Learn more about his contribution to American cuisine as well as the evolution of the restaurant from its humble beginnings in 1980 to national acclaim at <a href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/\">houston1.one<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2f5b0687335\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2f5b0687335\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/it-all-started-as-a-bistro-the-story-of-houstons-american-restaurant-the-annie-cafe-bar-2902\/#The_fateful_trip\" >The fateful trip<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/it-all-started-as-a-bistro-the-story-of-houstons-american-restaurant-the-annie-cafe-bar-2902\/#A_biochemist_becoming_a_chef\" >A biochemist becoming a chef<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/it-all-started-as-a-bistro-the-story-of-houstons-american-restaurant-the-annie-cafe-bar-2902\/#Southwest_cuisine_movement\" >Southwest cuisine movement<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/it-all-started-as-a-bistro-the-story-of-houstons-american-restaurant-the-annie-cafe-bar-2902\/#New_location_and_name\" >New location and name<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/it-all-started-as-a-bistro-the-story-of-houstons-american-restaurant-the-annie-cafe-bar-2902\/#New_owner\" >New owner<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_fateful_trip\"><\/span>The fateful trip<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One day, 26-year-old graduate student Robert Del Grande, who was studying biochemistry at the University of California, Riverside, met his future wife, student Mimi Kinsman, who was also a California native. After completing her studies, Mimi relocated to Houston to work with her sister Candice and her husband Lonnie Schiller. At the time, Lonnie ran an advertising and marketing firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Candice and Lonnie spent a lot of time in Europe in the late 1970s. After visiting Paris, they dreamed of opening their own French bistro. They achieved that and named the establishment Cafe Annie.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1981, Robert came to Houston for a summer vacation to spend time with Mimi. While helping out at the bistro, he developed an interest in cooking. Robert read the groundbreaking book La Technique by French chef Jacques Pepin and literally absorbed information from the cookbooks of Michelin-starred chefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After some time, Del Grande returned to California to pursue a Ph. D. After 9 months, he had to decide what to do next. The man considered traveling to Switzerland or Chicago to complete his studies in science but decided to stay in Houston with his fianc\u00e9. A year later, he became one of the four co-owners of Cafe Annie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.houston1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/53\/2023\/06\/uidjkmgenrxpqikcvhlchfi1-ndz4aqwdqlnv6mnamy0dfuccvfuflukbkqm_hl_omcngjiyjbrp85cefypdkfv1ku3w5iip3n0obq9txkcvji3bwottonxlei1toafycenlfixqvv0sv7uj8s9qw1m.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Robert and Mimi, 1984<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_biochemist_becoming_a_chef\"><\/span>A biochemist becoming a chef<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The former chef of Cafe Annie Bistro resigned. In the course of looking for a new employee, Robert put forward his candidacy. To do this, he had to learn a lot. The man even met with British food journalist Diana Kennedy and read her cookbooks about Mexican cuisine. She once said to Robert:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u00abNever look to Europe for what to do with an ancho chile\u00bb.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.houston1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/53\/2023\/06\/rkjb4zoo_rbumdbvodhtfawgryab1yp-iu7-pamqbbm8ncxnvrs_oqw6rdaxeq2vbb6fmo6a3fjunpyboqz6ufur-ww2pkvxd8g6wjulau1h15h9kh4v4fzqymosr1petzarj2q2tc3niswdus3g5hq.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Robert and American chef Julia Child, 1993<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For notable food journalists and chefs who visited the city of Houston, the restaurant has become a must-see stop. Culinary legends have visited the restaurant, including restaurant critic Mimi Sheraton and one of the twentieth century&#8217;s most recognized chefs, Paul Bocuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1992, Del Grande was awarded the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Southwest. The next to be honored with this award was chef Chris Shepherd in 2014.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The kitchen at Cafe Annie adhered to several key concepts. The first and most crucial principle is to use only fresh ingredients. Paradoxically, the French bistro served dishes that would not typically be found in France, with origins in southwestern cuisine and Mexican influences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Southwest_cuisine_movement\"><\/span>Southwest cuisine movement<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Around 1984, cookbook author Anne Lindsay Greer invited several Texas chefs, including Del Grande, to host a dinner in Dallas and show the world a unique perspective on Texas regional cuisine. During the first meeting at dinner, modest dishes of this state were presented: enchiladas (a thin tortilla made from cornmeal, in which the filling is wrapped), salsa sauce, smoked meat with fried chicken, cookies with buttermilk and peach pies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All of this drew the attention of food travelers to Texas and Houston in particular. Every major newspaper, from Bon App\u00e9tit to Gourmet, as well as industry experts, not only spread the word but also awarded Del Grande various awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the mid-1980s to the 1990s, the food world covered the tradition of southwestern cuisine, which is similar to Mexican cuisine but features larger portions of meat, particularly pork and beef and less usage of the brain and other components. Del Grande became an active promoter of this cuisine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Southwestern cuisine was only a trend at the time and only started attracting its followers by marketing products and condiments in the southwestern United States. Visitors wanted to sample southwestern flavors, while restaurant critics wanted to cover the development of events. The movement expanded, slowed and eventually became mainstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The adjective &#8220;southwestern&#8221; is sometimes used for any food that contains beans and corn, yet southwestern cuisine is far more complex. Inspired by the centuries-old cuisine of the Navajo, Hopi and Pueblo peoples, as well as the dishes of neighboring Mexico, it is as diverse as it is delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often it does include natural plant products, such as corn, beans and zucchini. One of the most defining elements that characterize southwestern cuisine is its integration of chili peppers. The influence of Mexican cuisine, as well as the amount of meat, adds to the variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interestingly, Native American food is the source of many popular Ukrainian goods, including potatoes, corn, tomatoes and beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"New_location_and_name\"><\/span>New location and name<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1989, nine years after Cafe Annie was founded, four co-owners relocated it from Westheimer to a larger space on Post Oak Boulevard. It was a venue for significant occasions ranging from signing a major oil contract to celebrating a wedding anniversary or birthday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the relocation, most guests were drawn to the halls with tables. The bar became an oasis to get away from all the noise. Later, Robert expanded the bar menu to include items that can be eaten with one&#8217;s hands, such as burgers. While people in the hallways sat in their coats and ties, the bar was slowly gaining its own atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subsequently, they had to move to a new location on Post Oak. Following the relocation, the recognizable name Cafe Annie was replaced. It was first substituted with &#8220;RDG + Bar Annie,&#8221; where &#8220;RDG&#8221; represented the chef&#8217;s initials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"New_owner\"><\/span>New owner<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2019, Benjamin Berg&#8217;s Houston-based restaurant group Berg Hospitality Group acquired RDG + Cafe Annie, making Robert Del Grande a partner. The restaurant&#8217;s name was changed to &#8220;The Annie Cafe &amp; Bar.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.houston1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/53\/2023\/06\/nrbq84z38x59wzhupz4f8disedwty-b97ckw-3ohzuybnur3yb49k73qm6ynnjrm6xasu7_lr2nvtunfiogwkjmfucbf430phh1r9ieqf3_mpwbfddxlw6bwsorlilck38qr87ob6s9mpra7ck8-cjw.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Annie Cafe &amp; Bar still serves Cafe Annie&#8217;s distinctive dishes, including enchiladas with mole sauce, tortilla soup with avocado seasoning and queso cheese, quail wrapped in bacon with hot ranch sauce, wood-fired rabbit with baked pepper and fennel, redfish on half a shell and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.houston1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/53\/2023\/06\/kn_hbh6cu3jc4ekerml8be2aw9m3dxnyyjc2xk-l4imiza2jp4tatq0sh-q-tbui3p6yzryrvwg86pizajk66xr1x_3sj99evfdbia9kzn5le5zdvsxftjtlx4umj-phe1zp5gsksr6sima-rzfvjry.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After 2019, Del Grande continued to run the restaurant as a chef. He spent a long time working with Ben Berg to transform Cafe Annie into the Annie Cafe &amp; Bar. The new restaurant contains some of Del Grande&#8217;s classic dishes as well as new flavors and recipes updated to meet the requirements of the Instagram era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robert&#8217;s most famous dishes include grilled rabbit, filet mignon with coffee crust, Texas quail and tortilla soup, while his specialties are game meat and seafood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2020, the duo opened a luxury retro evening club on Turner&#8217;s premises, which opened after the renovation of Cafe Annie. In 2022, Robert retired, leaving behind a reputation as one of the &#8220;godfathers&#8221; of the Southwestern cuisine movement. The chef resigned a few days before he and his wife Mimi went to Austin to spend time with their daughter Tessa, who had given birth to their first grandchild.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Annie Cafe &amp; Bar (previously Cafe Annie) is a restaurant that serves Texas-influenced American cuisine with a fresh take. The venue is ideal for a business lunch, dinner, wine tasting or cocktail party. After opening the Cafe Annie bistro, Robert Del Grande became the city&#8217;s culinary star. Learn more about his contribution to American [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":333,"featured_media":2089,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1164],"tags":[2087,2079,2089,2088,2081,2084,2091,2083,2085,2090,2082,2086,2080],"moimportance":[81],"motype":[1158],"moformat":[93],"class_list":{"0":"post-2902","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-del-grande-continued-to-run-the-restaurant-as-a-chef","9":"tag-including-enchiladas-with-mole-sauce","10":"tag-making-robert-del-grande-a-partner-the-restaurants-name-was-changed-to-the-annie-cafe-bar","11":"tag-new-owner","12":"tag-quail-wrapped-in-bacon-with-hot-ranch-sauce","13":"tag-redfish-on-half-a-shell-and-more","14":"tag-slowed-and-eventually-became-mainstream","15":"tag-the-annie-cafe-bar-still-serves-cafe-annies-distinctive-dishes","16":"tag-the-chef-resigned-a-few-days-before-he-and-his-wife-mimi-went-to-austin-to-spend-time-with-their-daughter-tessa","17":"tag-the-movement-expanded","18":"tag-tortilla-soup-with-avocado-seasoning-and-queso-cheese","19":"tag-who-had-given-birth-to-their-first-grandchild","20":"tag-wood-fired-rabbit-with-baked-pepper-and-fennel","21":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatori","22":"motype-eternal","23":"moformat-longrid-korotka"},"modified_by":"Inna Hananova","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/333"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2902"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2903,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2902\/revisions\/2903"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2902"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=2902"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=2902"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=2902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}