Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Parker.
Evan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
A California native, I grew up in Houston and started cooking in my early teens to fill my summer days and fix myself lunch while my parents worked. Boredom and necessity led to a genuine interest in cooking. After high school, I moved to Austin to work as a dishwasher at a hole-in-the-wall bar and grill, then on the sauté station at Satellite Bistro, where I was first introduced to classic French sauces.
At 20, I moved to Portland with my girlfriend (now wife) to attend what was then the Western Culinary Institute. While in school, I also was a line cook at Mingo, an Italian restaurant known for its handmade pasta and simple, seasonal food. I gained an appreciation for local, sustainable cooking and for the farmers who stopped in daily with their haul: freshly foraged mushrooms and truffles, grass-fed lamb, the first favas.
The economic downturn in 2011 led my girlfriend and me back to Houston, where I joined Mélange, a catering and events company, as sous chef and worked closely with my mentor, chef Louis Cressy. Parker, who eventually rose to executive chef, relished the creative work of customizing menus for large-scale events, from weddings to seated dinners for foreign dignitaries—even a Belgian princess.
One of my most formative experiences came in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 when I was called to help feed rescue workers at the Houston Emergency Center. The city was under water, but I made it to the center with another cook, where we cooked breakfast and lunch with limited supplies for 300. We did that for 14 days straight. After seven years with Mélange, I returned to my restaurant roots in November 2018 as executive kitchen manager at Tinys No. 5, a beloved casual American eatery.
At Strato 550, I combine my management and catering experience, classical French training and a passion for refined, ingredient-driven, Mediterranean-influenced cuisine in a beautiful setting. My wife and I live in Copperfield, where we enjoy brewing beer, making cheese and cooking for friends and family.
Has it been a smooth road?
Everyone is going to have some struggles and hiccups along the way in their career. If you don’t, then you probably didn’t learn anything worthwhile. For me, it was working long late hours. Not getting a day off for weeks at a time took a toll. It makes you learn how to spend your time wisely and efficiently. If you can figure out how to get everything done and leave even 30 minutes earlier, that’s more time for loved ones, friends, hobbies, etc.
Please tell us about your business.
Strato 550 is Houston’s most elevated lunch experience. Set 550 feet above the downtown skyline, on the 43rd floor of one of the city’s most recognizable towers, Strato 550 presents approachable cuisine with a Mediterranean influence, complemented by wine from the world’s premier wine-making regions, classic cocktails and an unrivaled cityscape. The restaurant and conference center cap a $10 million renovation of the 1415 Louisiana tower. Designed as a weekday destination for lunch, group events and afternoon cocktails, Strato 550 is the first fine-dining project in Houston from global hospitality firm Compass Group.
The Mediterranean-influenced menu I created is refined yet approachable. We’re proud to feature the season’s best produce, sustainably raised meats, locally made cheese and olive oil from farmers and purveyors around the region, complemented by a superb wine list spanning the world’s premier wine-making regions. It’s power lunching at its most inspired. As for our stellar downtown views, well, those never change.
Our flexible suite of A/V-equipped meeting rooms can host events ranging from an eight-person brainstorm to a 40-guest business luncheon. Customized menus are prepared to order with the utmost care and served family-style. At Strato 550, every event is an experience that breaks the business-meeting mold. All of our private spaces offer spectacular skyline views and include WiFi access and validated parking in the 1415 Louisiana Garage for the duration of the booking.
Pricing:
- We offer weekday cocktail hour from 4 to 7 p.m. Our happy hour menu features five drinks and five appetizers, each only $5.50.
- $5.50 Pimm’s Cup (Bombay Gin, Pimms, fresh cucumber, lemon, sparkling water)
- $5.50 Margarita (Souza Blue Tequila, lime juice, simple syrup)
- $5.50 Old Fashioned (Old Forester Bourbon, bitters, simple syrup)
- $5.50 2016 Saintsbury Chardonnay
- $5.50 Silk & Spice Red Blend
- $5.50 Hummus (grilled onion, olives, heirloom tomato, hot peppers, grilled pita)
- $5.50 Chicken Wings (Calabrian pepper & basil butter, celery, labne bleu cheese)
- $5.50 Fried Cauliflower (zataar spice mix, pistachio lemon pesto, red onion jam)
- $5.50 Crispy Calimari (spicy lemon aioli, grilled meyer lemon)
- $5.50 Bruschetta (grilled sourdough, marinated heirloom tomato, coppa, olive oil )
Contact Info:
- Address: 1415 Louisiana St 43rd floor, Houston, TX 77002
- Website: https://www.strato550.com
- Phone: (832) 280-8977
- Email: contact@strato550.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strato550/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strato550/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/strato-550-houston-2
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
