Chef Bobby Matos has spent a good part of his life and his cooking career going back and forth between the East and West coasts. He grew up in Southern California, then traveled across the country to New York City for culinary school at the CIA. It was back to California after graduation (Napa and then San Diego), and then back to NYC for a few years before heading back once more to California. He ended up a little more in the middle when he landed in Houston in 2010, and the waterside Texas city gave him a proper introduction to Gulf seafood.
Seven years ago, when he took the exec chef job at State of Grace, Matos became fully immersed in the bounty of Southern waters. Today, his menu puts emphasis on fish, crabs, shrimp and oysters pulled from the Gulf, all imbued with the flavors and soul of multi-cultural influences. Those who belly up to the restaurant's raw bar (dubbed The Oyster Room) find a list of seafood delights that leans heavily on Southern farmed oysters.

But the South’s beautiful bivalves are not his first foray into farmed oysters. One of his strongest oyster memories originates back out West. “I ate oysters growing up, but my first shucking experience and the first time I remember eating farmed oysters was in Napa,” he says. “They were Hog Island oysters, and I was so impressed. They were so salty and small and just perfect in shape. That really stuck with me.”

Since he’s been in Houston, Matos has built on that foundation, digging into the region’s oyster culture. “I’ve really been able to get to know the oyster farmers around the Gulf,” he says. “I love what these guys are doing, and the community that they are building, as much as the product they’re putting out.”

And he relishes sharing what he’s found in Southern oyster farms with State of Grace guests. “I love the variety of the farmed Gulf oysters and how even those grown close together can still be different due o the care and different steps taken in raising them,” Matos says. “It’s fun to share that and teach others what all goes into making them so pretty and so delicious. I think that’s part to the experience we give our customers.”

He’s also promoting Southern farmed oysters as a responsible way to enjoy seafood. “I really think farmed oysters are the future; there’s so much pressure on all the resources in the ocean, and we need to preserve them. I think embracing farming is the right thing to do,” he says.

And he’s hoping the oyster aquaculture industry in Texas will play a larger part in this sustainable movement in the near future. “I would love to offer numerous Texas oysters on our menu; our bays are good for growing oysters,” he says. “But it’s still new here, and there is a learning curve for the guys starting out. I hope they can all succeed because more oysters in the water is always a good thing.”

Brown Butter Matcha

Having a NYE party and looking to WOW your guests? Whip up this smooth and spiced-just-right condiment from Chef Bobby to slather on a batch of grilled or raw oysters. This recipe makes a bunch, so you’re good for a big group. And if you’re hosting a more intimate affair, just scale all the ingredients down.

1 quart oil
1 cup onion, diced
2 cups peanuts
2 cups crispy garlic
2 cups sesame seeds
3 cups Guajillo chile stemmed and seeded
2 cups Pasilla chile, stemmed and seeded
2 cups Arbol chile, stemmed and seeded
2.5 corn tortillas
1/2 cup chicken base
1/4 cup salt
2 T cup ground cumin
2 T cup dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground clove
3 lbs brown butter

Heat up oil to a med-high heat, then toast onions until they start to brown, then remove into a large cambro (or any large, food-safe container). Add chile peppers and toast until they crisp up; remove and add to cambro. Do the same with sesame seeds and then lastly, the tortillas. Add remaining ingredients to cambro then pour over oil and add the brown butter. Puree with stick blender until chunky.

In the Kitchen With: Chef Bobby Matos

Brown Butter Matcha