Dawn Campbell

From woodfired Napoletana pies that cook in 90 seconds to thick Detroit-style and cracker-thin tavern pizzas, in this episode of “Eat Like a Local” host Chris Shepherd dishes on some of the best versions of all types of pizza in Houston.

In this episode of “Eat Like a Local”, Lone Star Oyster Company owners Blake and Stephanie Branson take host Chris Shepherd and chef Lucas McKinney of Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition out to their floating oyster farm in West Bay. Just the sixth such farm in Texas, the Bransons are part of a new crop of oyster farms committed to raising sustainable oyster crops that not only produce superior oysters but also improve the water where they're raised.

Houston’s food scene is nothing without the people behind it — the families, the stories, the recipes passed down from generation to generation. In this episode of “Eat Like a Local”, host Chris Shepherd takes a tour of some of the city’s long-standing, family-run Mexican-American restaurants. From classic tacos to homemade paletas and new school concha breakfast sandwiches, these are the spots that have been turning out consistently great dishes for decades.

In this episode of “Eat Like a Local”, Chris Shepherd goes all in on Houston’s regional Chinese food —and it’s way more than traditional takeout. From the numbing heat of Sichuan peppercorns to the intriguing dishes of Korean-Chinese cuisine, this episode is a takes a trip through the intricacies of Chinese food.

In this episode of “Eat Like a Local”, host Chris Shepherd takes an international food tour in an unlikely place! Chris heads to Baytown where he enlists the help of Mayor Charles Johnson to find the top spots to grab a bite.

This episode is all about craft breweries, and you can’t talk about craft beer in Houston without a stop at Saint Arnold Brewing Company. It’s an icon of Houston’s craft beer scene for good reason. The brewery, which got its start in the 1990s, helped pave the way for other local breweries while also shaping how craft beer is sold and distributed in Texas.

First stop: Spring, Texas. We roll in to see Chef Thomas Billie running the kitchen like a boss and his wife Elizabeth who is keeping the dining room humming — which is important, because the place is packed. Why? Well, maybe because Chef Thomas just snagged the 2025 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas.

With only one and a half days left in Kenya, the clock was ticking and we were starting to feel the pressure of coming all the way to Africa without seeing a lion. Then, the call came.

Between our morning safari and our afternoon/evening one, we spent more than eight hours driving around Samburu National Reserve with members of the Ewaso Lions team. They spotted lion tracks, but we didn’t find the lions themselves.

We went from home to home in the Sasaab village with a veterinarian team from the Ewaso Lions organization that treated and assessed several animals. Their goal is to mitigate the spread of disease between pets, livestock, and wildlife. Several diseases have impacted wildlife, including rabies and distemper.

The warriors work with the Ewaso Lions conservation group to spot signs of lions and then notify local villagers if a lion is in the area. This effort allows the village to protect their livestock and reduces the risk of people hurting the lions over lost goats and camels.

We first had the honor of meeting the women of the Mama Simba team. They work under the direction of the Ewaso Lions organization based in what is known as the Westgate Conservancy here in northern Kenya. They are a dedicated group of women who are on the front lines trying to restore the grasslands in the Samburu region in Kenya.