Robert Del Grande: R&I talks with a southwestern food pioneer about Cafe Express, Southwestern food and the niche classifications of cuisine.(Restaurants & Institutions)(Interview)

Restaurants & Institutions, October, 1996 by Scanlan, Jim

After earning his Ph.D. in biochemistry San Franciscan Robert Del Grande followed his girlfriend to Houston in 1981. Her sister a brother-in-law owned a 120-seat restaurant there, Cafe Annie. Del Grande started to cook, and his whole life changed.

Today, Del Grande's girlfriend, Mimi, is his wife. She's also his partner in Cafe Annie. Del Grande also operates six Cafe Express restaurants (four in Houston and two in Dallas) with partner Lonnie Schiller.

Del Grande is considered one of the founders of Southwestern cuisine, along with Texas neighbors and fellow chefs Dean Fearing, Stephan Pyles, Amy Ferguson and Anne Greer, and two Californians, Mark Miller and John Sedlar. His work has earned a James Beard award, DiRoNA (Distinguished Restaurants...