It’s a New Year, which means plenty of people are kicking things off with wellness challenges—Dry January, Whole30s, resets of all kinds. But winter tends to have its own plans. When the temperatures drop and the days still feel short, many of us are tucked under blankets, reaching for hot drinks and familiar meals that offer warmth and relief.

Over the past few years, I’ve found myself thinking about that pull toward comfort. With new restaurants, diets, and food trends constantly competing for our attention, what are the dishes we return to again and again? And, more specifically, what do chefs—the people we rely on to create our most memorable meals—turn to when they need comfort themselves?

When I first posed that question to James Beard Award–winning chef Chris Shepherd, he warned me I was embarking on a complicated quest. “What’s comforting for me is not comforting for the next person,” he said. Comfort, he explained, is rooted in memory—something that brings you back to childhood, to a grandparent’s kitchen, to a specific place and time. “It’s something that makes you feel wholesome again.”

That kind of comfort is deeply personal, and often very specific. For one person, it might be lasagna—but only their mother’s lasagna. It’s also what makes comfort food so difficult to define and so hard to replicate in a restaurant, because it's different for everyone. But when it works, Shepherd told me, “it’s the coolest thing ever.”

After asking several chefs the same question, one thing became clear: The dishes that nourish us most aren’t just about taste. They’re about memory, culture, family, and feeling held—especially when the world feels heavy.

Here’s what Houston chefs had to say about the dishes they return to when they’re in need of comfort.

“Buka Stew is my ultimate comfort meal! When I die, bury a pot beside me ’cause we go together. It’s a West African staple that’s served in local roadside canteens. Growing up, my family kept a homemade pot of it in the rotation.” —Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk

“Macaroni and cheese. My mom used to make it, and I always loved it….that and fresh pasta. At our restaurants, we always have a fresh pasta program, with pastas made in-house. It’s an added step that is so delicious and so important to have.” —Aaron Bludorn, Bar Bludorn, Bludorn, Navy Blue, Perseid

“Anything my dad cooks. He’s the one who taught me what I know about food and is an amazing cook. Any time I visit, there’s most likely a pot of rice and something braised on the stove. Always hits the spot.” —Joseph Boudreaux, Boo’s Burgers

“There are two, and they’re so simple. I love a really good grilled cheese. It’s one of my favorite things. Add tomato soup, and you’ve just made my week. And then I love broken rice with a crispy egg on top and some chili crunch.” —Top Chef alumna and Olympian Dawn Burrell 

“My mom’s food is from Israel. I miss it so much. I think of the Shabbat dinner that she makes—Moroccan fish with salad. Every time I try to mimic it, it’s not like hers. We love Moroccan, Spanish, and Turkish cuisines, and food from this one region of Uzbekistan. It’s not heavy, but it’s just warm, comforting flavors that you eat on a Friday night, that sends you back to bed or for a nap on the couch.” —Yotam Dolev, Hamsa and Októ 

“Dosas.” —Anita Jaisinghani, Pondicheri

“This Cambodian dish called salaw machu kroeung. It’s a stew with a bunch of aromatics, tamarind, short rib, and water spinach. It reminds me of my mom. It’s super tasty. I make that when it’s rainy and cold, and I make that when I miss my mom.” —Vanarin Kuch, Koffeteria

“My favorite comfort dish is lasagna from Bologna because it’s super hearty and makes me just want to go to sleep. I also love good fried chicken and mashed potatoes…that and Netflix gives me “put my feet up and chill” vibes.” —Dominick Lee, Augustine’s

“A bowl of well-made pasta, simple ingredients, seasoned perfectly.” —Felipe Riccio, Goodnight Hospitality (March, the Marigold Club, Montrose Cheese & Wine, Rosie Cannonball) 

“Spicy raw blue crab salad (Yum Pu in Thai). The more tedious and harder to eat, the better. I feel comfort working for even the tiniest bites.” —James Beard Award winner Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen

“I grew up with Hamburger Helper. It was one of those things that was delicious and wholesome. At Underbelly, we made a Lamburger Helper, and everyone would order that because it was just not anything outside of the box, but we could do it to evoke a memory for people. It was one thing at the table that offered a pleasing sensation of people’s childhood, and it was a gateway to other things on the menu. A Reuben sandwich could be a very comfort-food-driven meal for me, and Thanksgiving dinner is comforting because of family. The hits are mac and cheese and fried chicken.” —James Beard Award winner Chris Shepherd, Southern Smoke Foundation

“Beans. Growing up, pinto beans and ham. Since then, I’ve found tepary beans. They are the only Indigenous bean in this part of America. There are three varieties—white, brown, and black—and I love them because they have such an incredible flavor on their own, and if you look it up, they are one of the hardiest beans in the world. I can cook them for eight hours, and the beans are still firm…. They never mush. Squash would be second, and probably behind that corn. And I do like a good steak.” —David Skinner, Eculent and Ishtia

“It’s gotta be pho, 100 percent. And a good Mission-style burrito, but I can eat pho every week. It’s just so very satisfying.” —Nick Wong, Agnes and Sherman

What is your ultimate comfort meal? Let us know in the comments or by emailing me at [email protected].