Hotel Lucine taps new culinary team with a revamped menu at The Fancy & “Unplugged” Brunch service
September 23, 2024
GALVESTON, TX — Beachfront boutique Hotel Lucine in Galveston, Texas, announces the hiring of Matt Sweeney of Houston’s Georgia James Steak as executive chef and the appointment of community force Daya Myers-Hurt as chef de cuisine to oversee its on-site dining concepts – “American fine-ish” restaurant, The Fancy, all-day dining room The Den, as well as The Rooftop and poolside dining area. Both Sweeney and Myers-Hurt bring illustrious hospitality careers to Hotel Lucine, spearheading the growth of 56-seat “fine-ish” restaurant The Fancy and expanding the hotel’s overall culinary offerings alongside food and beverage manager Tara MacMullen, who joined the Hotel Lucine team in April 2024 from Houston’s Underbelly Hospitality. Hotel Lucine will also launch the “Unplugged” weekend brunch service on Sept. 28, bringing day-to-night experiences to The Fancy with Southern comfort food and live music.
Chef Additions + Menu Updates
Originally from Houston, Sweeney joins The Fancy after serving as the executive chef of Houston’s Georgia James Steak where he fostered pivotal relationships with local producers such as RC Ranch, and expanded Georgia James’ menu to feature multiple Texas ranchers. Joining the team at Coltivare in Houston Heights, Sweeney cultivated a strong interest in prioritizing seasonal ingredients from locally-sourced vendors. In his new role as executive chef of Hotel Lucine and The Fancy, Sweeney now brings his focus towards incorporating more local ingredients, gulf seafood and handmade pastas into the new menu. He will work alongside Myers-Hurt to curate seasonal menus, identify a new roster of local vendors and oversee the development of the restaurant team with Hotel Lucine’s food and beverage director Tara MacMullen.
“I’ve always been inspired by the Gulf Coast, so to join Hotel Lucine and have the opportunity to develop menus using ingredients from the rich local community alongside a longtime Galvestonian like Chef Daya is an endeavor I look forward to taking on,” says Hotel Lucine executive chef Matt Sweeney. “I feel so lucky to bring my experiences across Texas back to my hometown and welcome locals and newcomers alike to The Fancy.”
Myers-Hurt, an award-winning culinary powerhouse in her own right, most recently served as sous chef at Hotel Lucine and The Fancy following several years as founder and operator of her beloved Galveston restaurant Fish Company Taco. Known as a community-centric, down-to-earth outlet for inventive tacos, Myers-Hurt had a hand in its recognition as “Best Seafood Dive in America” and landing it on Yelp’s list of “Top 100 Tacos in America.” She was also named “Most Creative and Innovative Chef” by the Galveston Restaurant Association for the forward-thinking programming she developed. The professionally trained chef – a graduate of Houston’s Culinary Institute LeNotre – boasts a career spanning across some of Houston’s hottest restaurants, including Uchi Houston from Hai Hospitality and polished American eatery State of Grace. Inspired by her travels, music and relationships, Myers-Hurt brings a belief in the taste of memory which is showcased in every dish she creates, including the hotel’s new “Unplugged” brunch service and Wednesday homemade pasta series.
“As the culinary scene in Galveston continues to grow, I’m eager to work alongside such a creative team led by Chef Matt Sweeney to introduce more people to the flavors the Texas coast has to offer,” says Hotel Lucine sous chef Daya Myers-Hurt. “We really want people to come in and feel like they’re hanging out in our homes, where we’re making handmade pasta in the kitchen while they enjoy live music and thoughtful dishes during our ‘Unplugged’ brunch service – we don’t want anything to be taken too seriously.”
Sweeney and Myers-Hurt will debut new dishes at The Fancy beginning in September, creating a menu laden with simple yet familiar dishes using locally sourced ingredients. Standout dishes include tuna crudo (with green apple mignonette, tarragon), maltagliati en brodo (handmade maltagliati with blue crab, wagyu chili crisp), sustainably raised roasted Mermaid Tears oysters from Galveston’s Lone Star Oyster Co. (with guajillo butter and garlic toast), Texas Wagyu from nearby RC Ranch (with au jus and bone marrow maître d’ butter) and blackened redfish (with onion paprika sauce) from Galveston’s Katie’s Seafood Market, raised locally in aquaculture farms in nearby Palacios.
