In a repurposed wood workshop in Houston’s Heights neighborhood, chef Shawn Gawle is building something he has wanted his entire career: a kitchen where people actually like each other. He feels so strongly about this idea of friendship, trust, and loyalty that when he opened his restaurant in 2025, he named it Camaraderie. It’s his answer to time spent working in some of the country’s most pressure-filled kitchens. It’s fine dining without formality where the employees are just as happy as the people eating there.
From the Deli Counter to Chef
Gawle’s culinary journey began in his father’s Jewish deli on Massachusetts' South Shore, a business his grandfather had started as a country store before it evolved into a deli serving knishes, bread, and rotisserie chicken. He began scrubbing pots and pans at the age of 10, graduating to knife work by 14 or 15. He still has a small dent in his thumb from the first time he sliced into it while cutting onions.
His earliest memories of professional cooking are happy ones. His father’s team played music, joked around, and seemed to enjoy being together. “I realized I liked being there, and I liked working with my hands,” he says. “I want to be able to have fun and enjoy it.”
That idea stayed with him, and even now, cooking is not something he does only because it is his job. On the day of our conversation, he had made dinner for his wife before heading to the restaurant. With an 18-month-old daughter at home and another baby on the way, cooking for his family is as practical as it is personal.
That family connection recently came full circle. His father eventually sold the deli, then visited Camaraderie and ate there. “He was pretty blown away,” Gawle says. “So yeah, it was cool to get him to see this.”
A Career Built on Technique
Gawle’s resume is like taking a tour through some of the country’s most demanding kitchens. He worked in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, including kitchens connected to chefs such as Laurent Gras and at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. He spent years cooking savory food before he made the surprising move toward pastry.
While working with Gras, Gawle became interested in the way pastry focuses on technique, ratios, and precision. When he helped open L2O in Chicago, Gras unexpectedly put him in charge of pastry. “I was surprised when it happened,” Gawle says. “He knew I was interested, but he kind of told me it was what I was going to be doing.”
He says the experience was humbling, but also a very important part of how he works in the kitchen today. “Being a pastry chef taught me a lot of patience and organizational skills,” he says. “It’s all about technique.” But the chef does not believe a recipe should replace a cook’s judgment.
Taste Always Comes First
That distinction is apparent in Camaraderie’s new fall menu. When creating a new dish, Gawle does not begin with a photograph or elaborate presentation. He starts with flavor or technique and figures out the plated presentation later.
His approach sounds deceptively simple, and it runs counterintuitive to how visual the restaurant industry is these days. At Camaraderie, the dishes can be elaborate, but the complexity serves a purpose, whether in taste or texture. Gawle tries to use restraint while letting the ingredients’ natural flavors shine through.
He is also constantly asking himself the basic question: Is it delicious? That question came from one of his early mentors, but it has stuck with him over the years. He says a dressing might be technically correct and still need a little something extra, or a finished dish can still require just one more adjustment.
“Sometimes you put in just 10% more effort, but it shows exponentially,” he says. “The dish will go from like, ‘Oh, this is good’ to ‘Wow, this is great.’”
What’s Next
Throughout his career, Gawle has worked in kitchens where Michelin stars were the ultimate measure of success, and he admits he would love that kind of recognition, but mostly because of what it would mean for his team.
The bigger prize, however, is seeing his team feel proud of what they have built together. For Gawle, his restaurant is not a collection of dishes or awards. It is a group of people who trust each other enough to make something worthwhile, and invite everyone else to the table. camaraderiehtx.com
Camaraderie is definitely one of the reasons why I still do what I love. I’ve made long-lasting connections through hard work and being in the trenches in kitchens all over the country.