Five stories that have North Texas talking: Houston鈥檚 Justin Yu earned a coveted culinary title; you can rappel down the Reunion Tower in Dallas this month; many Texans have to navigate the insurance waters after months of severe storms; and more.
Justin Yu finally won Best Chef: Southwest at the gala in Chicago on Monday night after being a finalist for the past three years, according to . And, it was the third occasion for a Houston chef to claim the culinary equivalent to the Academy Awards. Robert Del Grande won in 1992, and Chris Shepherd of Underbelly brought home the accolade in 2014, the Chronicle reported. OK, we鈥檒l say it: Third time鈥檚 the charm.
Yu is the chef at , a 30-seat restaurant in the Warehouse District that opened in 2012. the title with 9:1 odds. Hugo Ortega of in Houston, Bryce Gilmore of in Austin, and Steve McHugh of in San Antonio were also nominated for Best Chef: Southwest. Seems that Alex Seidel, chef at Fruition in Denver, was the only non-Texan that could stand the heat.
Hillary Dixler, senior editor at Eater told , 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot for those other states to compete with, when Texas has three major dining centers in Houston, Dallas and Austin. I think Texas鈥檚 chances are always good in that category.鈥�
The awards are named after James Beard, who鈥檚 considered the dean of American cookery, Dixler told Texas Standard. 鈥淪he says the wins are in some ways symbolic, but they can affect a chef鈥檚 longevity.鈥� . [Houston Chronicle, Eater, Texas Standard]
- You can rappel off two Dallas landmarks to help raise funds for alcohol and drug addiction recovery. As a part of the , a nonprofit鈥檚 thrill-induced effort to raise money to help addicts, more than 100 people will rappel 10 stories down the Hyatt Regency or 50 stories down鈥檚 Dallas鈥� iconic Reunion Tower. was started by CEO Gary Mendell, who lost his 25-year-old son to addiction. GuideLive reported: 鈥淗e realized that, unlike other major diseases, that funded research and treatment or focused on changing public policy for those afflicted with addiction to illicit and prescription drugs and alcohol.鈥� The is the first stop on a seven-city tour for the Shatterproof challenge this year. . [GuideLive]
- More than 200 East Texas homes were damaged or destroyed during last weekend鈥檚 severe storms. The American Red Cross assisted with recovery in several counties Tuesday, including Anderson, Cherokee, Harrison, Lamar, Smith, Upshur and Wood.The Associated Press reported: 鈥淩ed Cross spokeswoman Anita Foster says 84 homes were left uninhabitable from the storms. Foster says another 145 homes sustained minor damage such as windows broken, shingles torn off or fences knocked down. Forecasters say more than 7 inches of rain fell in less than an hour Friday night in East Texas.鈥� Last weekend鈥檚 storms only added to months of accumulated damage affecting hundreds of Texas homes and costing billions in losses. . [The Associated Press, 四虎影院]
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice鈥檚 restrictions on beard lengths and religious head coverings violates federal law, a New Orleans-based appeals court ruled. : 鈥淧rison rules don't allow for a fist-length, or four-inch long, beard and only permit religious headwear in inmates' cells or during religious services.鈥� David Rasheed Ali, a Muslim inmate serving a 20-year sentence in the Michael Unit in Tennessee Colony in East Texas, sued the TDCJ saying the current policy that supposedly prevents contraband within the prisons violates the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. 鈥淎 trial court agreed with Ali, but TDCJ appealed the decision. , the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals stood with the trial court and the inmate,鈥� the Tribune reported. . [The Texas Tribune]
- Texas ranked in the lower half of the 50 states (and D.C.) in WalletHub鈥檚 2016 Best & Worst States for Working Moms. WalletHub, the personal finance website, compared the country across three key metrics: child care, professional opportunities and work-life balance. Texas ranked 33rd overall, and it鈥檚 best score among the three main metrics was 17 for child care. .
