About Us
Our Story
There's no denying, the world has CHANGED!! With the hustle and bustle created by the widely accepted mantra "Do More with Less" the focus has shifted from quality time with family and friends to "Hurry up and get it done!". This quality time has taken a back seat to careers, kids' activities and just plain 'ol "trying to make it through the day."
Eji's /ˈejēs/ Culinary owners, Dustin & Gina Reed, grew up in the '70s & '80s when gathering around the table with family and friends was a priority. Eji's is named after Dustin's grandmothers, Emma Joy and Irene, who first introduced him to his future passion, cooking! From Grandma Emma Joy's traditional holiday fare to Grandma Irene's cast iron skillet fried chicken for Sunday dinners, he learned from a young age the importance food plays in social gatherings.
After working in hotels and restaurants in Austin and Houston for many years, Dustin completed the Le Cordon Bleu Program at Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona. He then followed his mentor to Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott, Whole Foods Austin and later Spanish Oaks Golf Club(Discovery Land Co) in the Hill Country. Dustin moved to Houston and joined Sodexo as Executive Chef of NASA/Johnson Space Center, BMC/Statoil and Enbridge prior to forming Eji’s Culinary.
Gina comes from a large Italian family and like Chef Dustin, she learned at an early age, the importance food plays in bringing friends and family together. “We spent holidays at my Grandma & Grandpa Chiavone's house and our meals included homemade spaghetti and meatballs, Italian green beans & vegetables just to name a few. I will never forget our Sunday dinners at my Grandma Sedita’s house every week. Those were the best times! No one left hungry, there was always plenty of spaghetti and meatballs, roast, chicken stew, cookies, cakes and pies… The day was filled with eating, talking, laughing and playing with cousins. My best memories are of those times!”
Gina worked for Marriott International at various hotels in Texas and Arizona for nearly 20 years. She left Marriott in 2015 as Senior Event Manager at the JW Marriott Galleria Hotel and joined Sodexo as Catering Manager at ConocoPhilips in Houston. In 2016, Gina became Cafe General Manager at Apache Oil & Gas, then later Nalco Champion and Sysco Foods. Marriott and Sodexo provided invaluable experience in food & beverage and event planning which inspired the creation of Eji’s Culinary with Dustin.
Eji’s Culinary is Dustin & Gina’s dream of preserving the tradition of food bringing people together & creating unforgettable memories!
Eji’s on Main offers lunch or dinner to go, prepared meals to take and bake and unique products from other local small businesses. Reserve our chef’s table for your family & friends. Come visit us!