SPRING, Texas – Spring, Texas, isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind when you think of a James Beard Award, but that changed this week when Thomas Bille took home one of the culinary world’s most prestigious honors: Best Chef: Texas.
And while the award itself was a huge deal, it was what Thomas said backstage that truly stole the spotlight.
With a clear sense of appreciation, Thomas made it plain and simple, this win wasn’t just his. It was also his wife, Elizabeth’s. He explained that she was once a national director for a nonprofit, but when Thomas decided to chase his dream and re-open Belly of the Beast, she left her career behind to help him build something from scratch.
“We’re going to reopen Belly of the Beast. But, if we are going to do it, I need you with me side-by-side the whole time,” Thomas said.
And she was, every step of the way.
Their journey has been anything but conventional. Thomas and Elizabeth first opened Belly of the Beast in early 2020, just as the pandemic was crashing down on the restaurant world.
Although the restaurant did well, the couple shut the doors in 2021. Thomas said he was “mentally and physically beaten down.” So they hit pause on everything.
But the dream didn’t die.
In November 2023, the couple reopened Belly of the Beast, with the same fire but a stronger foundation. And it wasn’t long before people started to notice. The restaurant earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand and landed on the Houston Chronicle’s Top 100 list. Critics and food lovers alike raved about Thomas’s bold, flavor-packed menu that fuses Mexican roots, Asian twists, and French techniques.
It’s the kind of food that tells a story, his story, their story.
So when Thomas walked onstage at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago to accept his James Beard Award, it wasn’t just a personal victory. It was a comeback. Twenty years in the restaurant business. A pandemic. And a wife who gave up her career to help him try again.
“It doesn’t matter where you come from, as long as you stay to your script and goals and you see them and work towards them. It doesn’t matter how long it takes as long as you achieve them,” Thomas said.
Now, the lines at Belly of the Beast are about to get a lot longer, but this isn’t just about hype. It’s about heart. It’s about a husband and wife who bet everything on each other and won.
And while Thomas may be the one with the shiny medal, if you ask him, the real backbone of the restaurant is Elizabeth.