Bricks and Horses Names New Executive Chef

Fort Worth hotel restaurant operators get a chef with multi-property luxury experience at a flagship chophouse.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in People

Empty Texas chophouse dining room with exposed red brick walls, dark leather booths, and a glowing wood-fired grill in warm afternoon light. — Bowie House, Auberge Collection named Ty Thaxton executive chef of its signature chophouse Bricks and Horses in Fort Worth, succeeding Antonio Votta. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Bowie House, Auberge Collection has appointed Ty Thaxton as executive chef of Bricks and Horses, its signature chophouse in Fort Worth. Thaxton succeeds Antonio Votta, who held the role from the restaurant's 2023 opening.

Why it matters

For Fort Worth restaurant operators, a leadership change at a flagship chophouse signals how hotel-affiliated dining programs are staffing their kitchens with chefs who have multi-property experience. Thaxton's hire also reflects a continued emphasis on modern Texas fare at the property.

Thaxton brings more than 20 years of culinary experience to the role, and his most recent prior post, executive chef of the 500-acre Carmel Valley Ranch resort in California, lasted one year. He previously oversaw three on-site restaurants there and was named to the Amar Gastronomy Guide's Top 50 Chefs in Mexico list.

The players

Bowie House, Auberge Collection

A Fort Worth hotel property within the Auberge Collection, a luxury hospitality group that operates independent boutique and resort hotels.

Ty Thaxton

A veteran chef with more than 20 years of experience across luxury hotel and resort kitchens, including Ritz-Carlton properties and Carmel Valley Ranch.

Antonio Votta

The former executive chef of Bricks and Horses, who held the position from the restaurant's 2023 opening until his replacement.

Joern Schwaiger

The general manager of Bowie House, Auberge Collection, who announced the chef appointment.

The details

Bowie House, Auberge Collection announced the appointment through a statement from general manager Joern Schwaiger. Thaxton's prior experience includes stints at Capella Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas, several Ritz-Carlton properties, Sixty Vines, Te Deseo, and Crown Block. He was also corporate chef for Lombardi Family Concepts beginning in 2021, and was original executive chef of Mar y Sol Cocina Latina in Dallas, which closed in August 2026.

2021: Thaxton begins affiliation with Lombardi Family Concepts as corporate chef.
2023: Bricks and Horses opens with Antonio Votta as executive chef.
August 2026: Mar y Sol Cocina Latina in Dallas closes.
November 4, 2026: Thaxton is named executive chef of Bricks and Horses.

Market Landscape

Luxury hotel groups in Texas increasingly rely on chefs who have moved between Ritz-Carlton properties and independent resorts to staff their flagship restaurants. Thaxton's career path, which includes Capella Pedregal and Carmel Valley Ranch, fits this pattern of executive chefs carrying multi-property experience into a single signature restaurant.

Operators of restaurants attached to hotels should note that leadership changes at signature restaurants can shift menu direction and sourcing, so reviewing supplier and menu-cost relationships after a chef transition is a practical step. Owners weighing talent decisions can treat this hire as an example of hotel groups prioritizing chefs with multi-property track records.

The takeaway

Restaurant operators tracking talent moves in hospitality should watch whether Bricks and Horses changes its menu or sourcing under Thaxton over the coming months. Keeping a file on chef tenures and menu changes at comparable hotel restaurants gives owners a benchmark for evaluating their own kitchen leadership decisions.