What they're saying about t'afia
"No Texas restaurant is more passionately local than chef Monica Pope's new venture, t'afia even the dining room boasts murals and sleek acrylic tabletops made by Houston artists."
Gourmet Restaurant Guide: Where to Eat Right Now in 30 American Cities,
Gourmet Magazine, October 2004
"Don't be fooled by t'afia's bare brick walls and plain white tables. Tucked on a side street in a still edgy part of midtown Houston, Monica Pope's small eight-month-old restaurant is a hot destination for Texans serious about food."

The Best American Green Cuisine: 20 Fresh Places to Eat,
Organic Style Magazine, October 2004
View the entire article here
"...it occurred to me that Monica Pope, the restaurant's owner and chef, has given herself a new lease on life. Dishes from her previous Houston venue, Boulevard Bistrot, seemed livelier than ever, and the new creations on her daily-changing menu sparkled."
Patricia Sharpe, Texas Monthly, April 2004
"I surrender. Monica Pope is a genius. And her new restaurant, T'afia on Travis Street, is flat-out brilliant." ...it takes just one exquisite bite to see what Pope is up to. Every course of the tasting menu dinner features a Texas artisanal food product. While Pope is bowling you over with her dreamy flavor combinations, she's also single-handedly creating a market for organic farmers, small cheese makers, specialty ranchers and local chocolate makers."

Robb Walsh, The Houston Press, March 2004

view the entire article here
"Women are surprisingly rare among chefs and owners of top restaurants. But three splendid startups are bucking the trend...[they] are not only generating buzz among food critics but also building successful businesses."
Kitchen Goddesses, Julia Boorstin, Fortune Small Business Magazine, October 2004
View the entire article here
What you're saying about t'afia
Honors/Features
James Beard Award Nominee, Best Chef/Southwest, 2007
Most Creative Chef, O Magazine, 2007
Best Service, The Houston Press, 2006
Best Restaurant in Houston, Houston Press, 2005 (link)
Best New Restaurant, Houston Business Journal, 2005
The Hot 50 - Where to Eat Now, Bon Appetit Magazine, March 2005
Top 10 Where to Eat Now, Texas Monthly Magazine, February 2005
Texas Top Chefs (featured), Texas Highways Magazine, January 2005
Top 40 Best New American Restaurants,
Travel & Leisure Magazine, December 2004
view article here
The Best American Green Cuisine, 20 Fresh Places to Eat,
Organic Style Magazine, Oct 2004
Gourmet Restaurant Guide, Where to Eat Now in 30 American Cities,
Gourmet Magazine, Oct 2004
Kitchen Goddesses,
Fortune Small Business Magazine, Oct 2004
Best New Restaurant, Best of Houston 2004,
The Houston Press, September 2004
view article here

Named "Culinary Catalyst" Houston Chronicle Ultimate Guide to Houston 2004,

Houston Chronicle, September 2004
view article here

"Superchef"
Food & Wine Magazine, 2002
Top 10 Best New Chefs in the United States, Chef Monica Pope,
Food & Wine Magazine, 1996