Inspired by dad, Jonathan’s The Rub GM builds eclectic house list
Once he started working with his dad, Jonathan, who ran a successful catering business, Samuel Levine couldn’t help throwing himself head-first into wine exploration despite a lack of formal training. Their regular customers had some of the best wine cellars in the Memorial area and were happy to share tastes from their prized bottles. That continued when Levine opened Jonathan’s The Rub, which soon became one of Houston’s most popular BYOB restaurant destinations.
As the general manager of same, Boston-born Samuel, who’s now 32, keeps expanding his wine knowledge on a daily basis. And despite the fact that folks are allowed to bring their own stuff in, his experiences have inspired him to put together an eclectic house list of his own that includes offerings from small, cutting-edge wineries like Adega Northwest, which has operated out of a custom crush facility in southeast Portland since 2014, producing wines made from Oregon and Washington grapes.
“Some of our guests are collectors and have been incredibly generous in sharing their knowledge,” he said. “I feel like I have some of the best teachers in the world just going into work. Thanks to them and what I have learned, I now am in charge of ordering all the wines for our original location. I think my mentors will be pleased with the new list.”
He and his dad tasted through “quite a few” wines before paring it down. Restaurant consultant/ wine maven Shepard Ross consulted on the opening of a second location not too far away on Memorial Drive — it can’t offer BYOB under Texas law because it has a spirits license. Levine said Ross’ contributions opened “our eyes on what was available and what we could do with our wine program.
“We’re no longer the new kid on the block as far as restaurants go, but that has given us the advantage of knowing not just which wines our customers like but, more importantly, the
kinds of wine. That way we can bring in new ones but say, ‘You’re going to like this because we know you like such and such.’ It’s been well received.
“We’re from back East, so coming to Texas meant we had to adapt to bolder flavors, new styles of cooking and seasoning and so on. It’s what prompted my father to step out of his Italian-food mode and steak focus to add regional takes on local dishes. We’re doing the same thing with our wines. In fact, we purposely went after a number of wines with Texas connections, not Texas wines specifically but wineries started and owned by current or former Texans.” Three of Levine’s favorite wines:
2017 Tom Eddy TENZ Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Levine was firsttasted on the wine by Eddy himself, and the winemaker, whose home base is in Calistoga, “still frequents our restaurant whenever he’s in Houston,” Levine says. He favors the “delicious flavors of gooseberries, grapefruit and peaches.” Pairing: Chilean sea bass Price: $11 for a glass, $31 for a bottle
2016 Adega Northwest Cabernet, Columbia Valley, Washington
Blended with malbec and cabernet franc, the wine offers “delicious hints of mocha, red cherries and currants,” Levine says. It spent 18 months in French oak barrels and, he notes, owner Bradford Cowin made only 125 cases. Pairing: Slow-braised short ribs Price: $14 for a glass, $39 for a bottle
2014 COHO Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir, Los Carneros
“You find everything from rose petal scents to cranberries and caviar” in the wine “with a bit of an oak finish,” Levine says. “It’s my sister Jessica’s favorite pinot. (She’s the general manager at the Memorial Green location.) This isn’t actually a new discovery, as it’s been on our menu for four years and remains a top seller.” COHO partners Brooks Painter and Gary Lipp named their winery for the Coho salmon species because “it embodies an innate wisdom so essential to understanding ourselves and our environment. As stewards of the land, winemakers must strive to sustain our habitat and the species that share it.”
Pairing: Duck breast
Price: $69 for a bottle