After Chef Venture One “G” Jubton Painter Wins Her restaurant Street to Kitchen, which won a James Beard Award for Best Chef in Texas last year, was housed in a crackling 36-seat strip center space at the time, but it could barely keep up with demand. I couldn't do it. Reservations for the no-frills, intimate restaurant, known for its spicy Thai cuisine, filled up quickly.
To no one's surprise, Jubson Painter and her husband and business partner Graham Painter decided to open the restaurant in November 2023 at the former home of Café Louis in the Second Arrondissement industrial development. Moved to a more spacious location. Street to Kitchen 2.0 is fancier than previous versions, but restaurants, like chefs, don't take themselves all that seriously. “We wanted to keep the feel of an old-school place,” says Jubton-Painter. “When people walk in, I want them to feel like they’re coming into my home.”
Diners can expect the same great Thai food served with a few additional items. Must-try menu items include pad thai (yes, really) tucked inside an omelet and massaman curry made extra creamy with coconut milk and cashews. NEW DRINKS AT RESTAURANT Follow whatever you're eating with a boozy Frozen Thai, one of the many standout cocktails Graham has created on his menu. Is it?
Since the big win, Jubson Painter's phone has been ringing, but she's taking things slowly so she and her team can adjust to the new normal. But that is starting to change. “I'm going to try a lot of things this year, but I'm going to try not to push myself too hard. That's my goal,” she says, adding that despite the limitations she's put on herself, she's been taking on more opportunities lately. He said he learned to say yes.
One such new opportunity came in March when the popular Thai restaurant opened a street-to-kitchen stall at the Shell Energy Stadium. Home to the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash soccer teams, the stadium also has dining options from other Houston favorites like Trill Burgers and Hugo's. Street to Kitchen's new stall will serve food perfect for a football match, including beef puff pastry, red curry cheese puffs, pork balls and fried taro.
And when the award-winning chef needs a break from his hectic schedule, he tells us he likes to explore the cuisine of his adopted city, including Thai cuisine. For a taste of her home, she heads to local restaurants such as Anna Thai Food, Tony Thai, and Street Food Thai Her Market.
