Chad Houser Rules

Dallas chef receives prestigious honor once bestowed on Elvis Presley and JFK

Chad Houser has been named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans for 2015, awarded by the United States Junior Chambers.

Photo by Daniel Rodrigue

Chef Chad Houser, executive director and founder of Cafe Momentum, the inspirational restaurant in downtown Dallas that employs juvenile offenders, has been named one of the 2015 Ten Outstanding Young Americans, awarded by the United States Junior Chambers. Houser joins a group that includes past recipients such as Bill Clinton, Elvis Presley and Wayne Newton.

For more than 75 years, the United States Junior Chamber (Jaycees) has recognized the 10 men and women between 18 and 40 who best exemplify the highest attributes of the nation's emerging generation.

"Every year, the United States Junior Chamber recognizes the accomplishments of 10 individuals who are truly outstanding," said Jennifer Ray, president of the U.S. Jaycees. "Through an intense judging process, these 10 individuals being honored ... are truly accomplished in their fields, in giving back to their communities and in promoting that service to humanity is the best work of life."

Houser is part of a group that includes an Olympic athlete and a fighter pilot. The full list is as follows:

Catherine Draeger, 36, founder, Shielded Hearts Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Dallas Eaton, 26, co-founder/CEO, United Luv Billings, Montana
Dr. Michael Feilmeier, 36, ophthalmologist, Omaha, Nebraska
Missy Franklin, 19, U.S. Olympic athlete, Centennial, Colorado
Ronda Zelezny-Green, 31, Ph.D. student, Mobile Learning Expert London
Major Tucker Hamilton, 35, experimental fighter test pilot, United States Air Force Arlington, Virginia
Chad Houser, 39, executive director/executive chef, Cafe Momentum Dallas, Texas
Bivian “Sonny” Lee III, 33, founder/president, Son of Saint Foundation New Orleans, Louisiana
Brad McKee, 29, co-founder/president, Disposable Heroes Project Hammond, Louisiana
Special Agent Emmanuel Merhan, 37, federal law enforcement officer/special investigator, United States Air Force, Germany

The Ten Outstanding Young Americans program (TOYA) is one of the oldest and most prestigious recognition programs in America. Previous honorees include Bill Clinton (1979), John F. Kennedy (1946), Dick Cheney (1976), Kurt Warner (2010), Wayne Newton (1977), Gale Sayers (1969), Elvis Presley (1970), Michele Tafoya (2001) and Ruth Riley (2014).

The recipients will be honored at the 77th annual black-tie awards ceremony on March 28 in Nashville.

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Quonset Hut News

Familiar names take over Quonset hut for new Far-Out Dallas bar

Yelp

Wriggly Tin is now Far-Out Dallas

There's a new Dallas restaurant and bar coming to everyone's favorite Quonset hut: Called Far-Out, it'll take over the space at 1906 E. Haskell Ave. in East Dallas that was previously home to Wriggly Tin, with a grand opening slated for 2025.

Founders Caroline and James Lee are calling it Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria and promise that a culinary adventure awaits.

"After months of creative brainstorming and a bit of furniture rearranging, we are thrilled to announce an exciting new pioneering concept that will open its doors in 2025," the duo says. "Introducing Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria, a dynamic new restaurant and brewery born from the collaboration of industry veterans."

The team includes some beloved East Dallas names:

Marc Cassel of The Green Room and 20 Feet Seafood Joint
Christopher Jeffers of Bolsa and Smoke
Stephanie Houston, the trailblazing first Latina Production distillery owner in America

Also joining the team is Bar Director Adam Mercado, whose resume includes stints at Billy Can Can and Brass Ram.

Marcado will crafting a unique beverage program, with support from mixologist Brian McCullough. Together, they will create what the founders call "unforgettable drink experiences to complement our delicious culinary offerings."

Wriggly Tin opened in November 2023 as an ultra-hip pizza and craft beer spot inside a renovated Quonset hut near Dallas' Fair Park — a former Cajun fried turkey place which they gave doting makeover with custom plaster walls and art objects from around the world. They replaced one whole side of the hut with glass for sunsets and created a spacious outdoor patio in front.

They earned two nomination in CultureMap's 2024 Tastemaker Awards, one for Best Bar and another for Best Patio.

Alas, the original founders, who'd previously owned Small Brewpub in Oak Cliff, parted ways shortly after it opened. And the bar closed down in September 2024, for what they called "internal changes."

Now the hut is back: The new Far-Out bar is already up and running a few days a week. In the coming days, they will offer updates and sneak peeks as they gear up for the opening of their kitchen.

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