Texas toque Tim Byres is one of nine chefs lined up to fill-in at D.C.’s Rogue 24 over the next several weeks while proprietor R.J. Cooper undergoes and recovers from open-heart surgery. Former Y&H contributor and current Dallas Observer critic Scott Reitz gets the scoop on how the back-to-basics-style cook from Dallas got mixed up with Washington’s molecular gastronomer du jour. It turns out the pair met at a charity event. Byres’ five-day shift in Blagden Alley begins Jan. 17. He’ll be bringing some cured meats and smoked sausages with him—-that much we know.

Photo courtesy of the Dallas Observer