Bryan C. Caswell

Bryan Caswell, born in Lafayette, Louisiana and raised in Houston, graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1991 and earned a degree from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. His culinary odyssey took him around the world — a coveted externship at the Michelin-starred Via Veneto in Barcelona, then apprenticeships under New York legends Charlie Palmer, Alfred Portale, Wayne Nish, and Rocco DiSpirito. His career accelerated under Jean-Georges Vongerichten, with stints at Trump International Hotel & Tower, the Oriental hotels in Hong Kong and Bangkok, and the Ocean Club in the Bahamas.

Returning to Houston after 9/11, Bryan worked on the Pappas Restaurants R&D team before opening Bank, a Jean-Georges restaurant at Hotel ICON, in 2004. In 2007, he followed his passion for Gulf Coast seafood to create Reef in Midtown — showcasing over 92 species from the Gulf and redefining modern coastal cuisine. Reef earned him Food & Wine “Best New Chef” in 2009, a two-time James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef: Southwest, and Bon Appétit naming Reef the top seafood restaurant in America. His Houston empire grew to include Stella Sola, Little Bigs, El Real Tex-Mex Cafe, and a partnership with fellow STHS alumnus Greg Gatlin ’98 for Jackson Street BBQ near Minute Maid Park in 2015. He also served as consulting chef for the Houston Astros.

After closing Reef in 2019 — in part to care for his father Michael Caswell, a prominent Houston wildcatter — Bryan spent six years as a culinary consultant before his triumphant return in May 2025 with Latuli, an American coastal restaurant in the Memorial area. It was his 17th restaurant opening.