HOUSTON – For Elsa and Jeff Matthews, food is more than what’s on the plate — it’s part of their love story.
Elsa was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York, where she learned to cook alongside her mother and family. Jeff, a Houston native, grew up enjoying his grandmother’s Sunday soul-food dinners after church. When the two met in Houston, they found they shared a passion for bringing people together over a great meal.
That passion became Comfort Foodies, a restaurant that blends Elsa’s Caribbean roots with Jeff’s Southern traditions. The couple first launched the business as a food truck in 2020, but a fire caused by faulty manufacturing brought that chapter to an early end.
Today, Comfort Foodies has a home at 8731 Highway 6 in Missouri City, where guests can enjoy dine-in service, brunch, patio seating and catering. The menu includes Dominican brown stew chicken, oxtails with house-made sofrito and empanadas, along with Southern favorites such as collard greens, candied yams, fried catfish and mac and cheese.
The restaurant is participating in Latin Restaurant Weeks, which runs Sept. 11-25. Founded in 2019 by Karinn Chavarria and Warren Luckett, the campaign gives local Hispanic entrepreneurs and culinary professionals a platform to share their food, stories and culture with new audiences.
Comfort Foodies has participated in Latin Restaurant Weeks for several years and also received a business grant through Feed the Soul, the campaign’s sister nonprofit.
Watch the video above as Elsa and Jeff share their love story and one of the recipes that makes their menu so special: shrimp-and-cheese empanadas.
Comfort Foodies shrimp-and-cheese empanadas
Yield: Approximately 10 empanadas
Ingredients
1 pound small raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, thawed and thoroughly drained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Badia Complete Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
1/4 cup tomato paste
10 thawed empanada discs
About 1 cup shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the red and green bell peppers and onion. Season with the Cajun seasoning, Badia Complete Seasoning and Tony Chachere’s seasoning. Sauté until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the tomato paste and stir until fully incorporated. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and just opaque. Avoid overcooking.
Remove the filling from the skillet and let it cool completely.
Place an empanada disc on a clean work surface. Add a small layer of cheese in the center, followed by about 2 tablespoons of shrimp filling.
Fold the disc in half to form a semicircle. Press the edges together and seal with the tines of a fork. Repeat with the remaining discs.
Heat the frying oil to 350 F. Fry the empanadas in batches for about 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed, until crisp and golden brown.
Remove the empanadas from the oil and drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Serve warm.
For the complete list of restaurants serving their special menu during Latin Restaurant Week, visit latinrestaurantweeks.com.
To learn more about Comfort Foodies, head to comfortfoodieshtx.com/aboutus.
Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
Dining and Cooking